NJENGOBA sesiwugoqa uNcwaba (August), okuyinyanga yokuhlonipha abesifazane, uMfundisi Annette Makhanya (80), ungomunye odinga ukuchonywa uphaphe lwegwalagwala, ngokuba yisibonelo esihle, nokushintsha impilo yabantu.
Unekhono lokuthi yonke into ayithintayo, “iphenduke igolide”. Yisimanga sentombi endala lesi. Besingumhlengikazi, saba ngumeluleki wabantu ngezindlela zokudla (dietitian), saba ngomunye wabaphathi enhlanganweni yokusakaza kuleli, iSABC, KwaZulu-Natal. Manje sesingumfundisi ogcotshiwe, ebandleni i-Anglican Church of Southern Africa (eSheshi).
Izinto azithunga ngezandla zakhe, okubalwa amakhethini, nezevatho zesonto, ungafunga ukuthi ziphuma emshinini. Ebandleni laseSheshi, anikwe lona, eKuvukeni Parish, KwaMashu, abakhonza khona, bathi uma engekho, esontweni, siyabonakala isikhala sakhe.
AKAKAZE AFAKE ISICELO SOMSEBENZI EMPILWENI YAKHE, UYALANDWA
UMfundisi Makhanya uqale waqeqeshelwa ukuba ngumhlengikazi esibhedlela e-Edendale, eMgungundlovu, wasebenza khona kusukela ngo-1965, kwaze kwaba wu-1969. Ulandwe, e-Edendale, yisibhedlela iKing Edward VIII (iVictoria Mxenge, njengamanje), eMbilo, eThekwini, ngoba wayenze isifundo zokubelethisa.
Usebenze eKing Edward, kusukela ngo-1970, kwaze kwaba wu-1975. Uthi watshe-lwa ngabangani bakhe ukuthi uyafuneka kwa-Unilever. Kwakufuneka umuntu ozonikwa umfundaze, ayofundela ukweluleka abantu ngezindlela zokudla (i-dietitian).
Uthi kuzona zonke izindawo ake asebenza kuzo, akukho lapho ake afaka khona isicelo somsebenzi (application), yizona izikhungo, nezinkampani, eziza kuye, ngoba zazi amagalelo akhe.
“Yibona abakwa-Unilever bafika kimi ekhaya, sasihlala kuLanga Place, eLamontville, bathi bazongiyisa e-University of Natal, ePietermaritzburg, ngiyofundela ukuba yi-dietitian. Nginele ngathola leyo diploma, bangiqasha abakwa-Unilever, ngihambela izikole, ngeluleka abantwana nothisha, ngezindlela ezilungile zokudla.
“Ngangihamba iNatali yonke, ngize ngifike nasezikoleni zaKwaZulu. Ngihlangane noMfundisi uHawu Mbatha, engumphathi kwaSABC, sihlangana esikhumulweni sezindiza, wathi kade engifuna, ufuna ukusebenza nami ngoba uyawazi amagalelo ami. Ngiqashwe yiSABC ngo-1995, ngiphethe ezokuXhumana (communications manager) kwaze kwawu-2003,” kusho uMfundisi Makhanya.
INDLELA EBHEKE EPULPITI
UMfundisi Makhanya simvakashele emzini wakhe eDurban North, nozakwethu uMnu Nhlanhla Gumede, sifuna ukwazi ukuthi ufike kanjani ebufundisini. Ngesikhathi esivulela, ngimbingelele “ngesiSheshi” ngathi, “UKhristu uyiNkosi!”. Waphendula wathi: “Uyabusa!”. Yaqala indaba, sesihlezi.
Uthi uyise uMnu Percival Makhanya, wayenguthisha, eMzinyathi, eNdwedwe futhi eyigosa eSheshi, ebandleni laKwaMdladla (St. Augustines), eMlazi.
“Umama uNkk Janet Makhanya (uMaMtshali), wayekhonza e-United Congregational Church of Sou-thern Africa (e-UCC). Ngenxa yokuthi sasikhuliswe ngumama, ubaba efundisa eNdwedwe, sagcina sesikhonza e-UCC nomama.
“Ngikhule ngikhuthele ebandleni, futhi ngifundisa uSunday School, eLamonti. Ngibuyele eSheshi sengikhulile, ngakhumbula ukuthi yisonto likababa leli, esabhabhadi-swa kulo. Ubaba ushone ngo-1967.
UKUGULA KUMLETHA EPULPITI
Esethathe umhlalaphansi kwaSABC, ugule kakhulu ephethwe wumlenze, odokotela sebefuna ukuwunqamula.
“Abazalwane, bebefika lapha bengilethela umkhuleko, ngoba bese ngingumuntu olalayo. Kunekamelo lami elilapha phezulu (esho ekhomba), kudingeka ngigibele izitebhisi uma ngiya kulona. Bengingasalali kulona, ngoba benginenkinga yomlenze. Bengikhuleka imihla namalanga, ngicela kuSimakade, ukuthi angiphe elinye ithuba lokuphila. Ngenxa yemithandazo, izinhlungu ziphele nya, ngaba ngumqemane, ngakwazi ukuhamba.
“Sengisindile, into yokuqala engayenza, ngaya ebandleni lami, eKuvukeni Parish, ngayobonga kuSimakade, nakubazalwane, ebebengaseka. Ebandleni, ngigcine senginikwa umsebenzi wokuba ngumshumayeli, ngaphansi kukaMfundisi uThwala, owayekhona ngaleso sikhathi.
“Kufike uBishop Reuben Philip, owayephethe amaSheshi eNatali, wathi angibhalise eTheological Education by Extension College (TEEC), okuyisikhungo sokufundela ubufundisi ngasese. Saqala siwu-10, kodwa yimina ngedwa engethweswa iziqu, ngo-2005.
“Njalo ngoLwezine nangamaSonto, ngisebandleni, ngeMigqibelo ngiyangcwaba, ngoba angiyena ‘umama mfundisi’ ngingumfundisi ngokugcwele, njengoba ngagcotshwa, nginesitifiketi,’ esho.
Uthi isekhona insila kwabanye abantu besilisa, abazitshela ukuthi ipulpiti, aku-yona indawo yabesifazane.
UBUSISWE NGEZINGANE EZIHLAKANIPHILE
UMfundisi uMakhanya uthi unezingane nommeli wodumo (ongasekho) uMnu Erne-st Sipho Mchunu, owashona engozini yemoto, eseyilungu lePhalamende. Umfana wabo omdala, uMenzi (ongasekho), wayengudokotela eMdlovana; uHlobisile ungudokotela, eLusikisiki, e-Eastern Cape; uLindani washona eneminyaka ewu-14; uMondli uyisikhulu kwelinye lamabhange, eGauteng.
NgoNhlangulana (June) kulo nyaka, uMfundisi Makhanya ubenzelwe isiphihli somcimbi, ehlanganisa iminyaka ewu-80. Yize aphathwa wumlenze, usakwazi ukugibela izitebhisi ngejubane, futhi uyathunga onodoli abahle, amakhethini, nezevatho zesonto. Uthi imfihlo yakhe yempumelelo wumkhuleko.
“Uma ngingena emotweni ngiyathandaza, uma ngithola indawo yokupaka enxanxatheleni yezitolo, ngiyathandaza, uma ngivulelwa irobhothi, ngiyathandaza,” esho.
menzi.jele@ilanganews.co.za
