Umoya ohlabayo wasekwindla wangena kwiholo yoluntu ngexesha abantu bengena ngaphakathi. UThabo wavuya kuba wayeyifumene inkxaso kaAmahle ngoku. Yayinguye ekumele ukuba abonise inkokeli yoluntu ukuze ibize intlanganiso. Kunganzima ukuthundeza abantu ukuba bame baxhase abanini bemigodi nabaphathi bayo. Kwakufuneka bazame.
Inkokeli yasekuhlaleni yabetha ngamandla phantsi ngentonga yayo, izama ukufumana ingqalelo yoluntu.
“Inzolo umntu wonke! Namhlanje sinegatyana lomfana apha kuthi ongowalapha elalini ofunda kwiYunivesithi yase-Wits kwaye uxhalabile ngamanzi ethu. Sidibene namhlanje ukuza kuva ukuba ufuna ukuthini na. Lo nguMnumzana Thabo Akani.
UThabo waphakama wajonga ebantwini. Wayebazi abantu abaninzi, kodwa babonakala bebadala kwaye bebudinwa ukususela oko wagqibela ukutyelela ekhaya. UThabo waginya amathe enexhala wazosula ukubila ezandleni zakhe apha ebhulukhweni yakhe. Yayingabantu abadala bakokwabo aba, abantu abathandayo nabahloniphileyo.
Ndingubani mna ukuba ndibayalele ukuba benze ntoni? wacinga njalo uThabo. Kwakukho uTata uMajola ngobuso bakhe obugcwele imibimbi kuluhlu olungaphambili, emthe ntsho. Ecaleni kwakhe yayinguMama uSara encokola nomzala wakhe uBusi. Noko ke wayebonakala enobubele, etsho ngoncumo olukhulu namehlo ashushu amdakana.
“Kuhle ke, ingaba uza kuvele ume nje apho?” waphefumla ngelo uAmahle ngelo xesha uThabo ejamele abantu abaqundene phambi kwakhe.
UThabo wathinta isikhohlela.
“Enkosi ngokuza apha. Njengoko uninzi lwenu lusazi, sinengxaki ngamanzi angcolisekileyo avela kwimigodi emidala engasetyenziswayo phezu komlambo. Uninzi lwenu apha kuni abazi ukuba u-anti wasweleka ngenxa yomhlaza ngenxa yokudibana rhoqo nala manzi. Umntakwethu usandula kwenziwa utyando ngenxa yalo mhlaza ufanayo. Omnye wabahlobo bakhe usesibhedlele ngoku wenziwa uvavanyo. Sonke siyachaphazeleka ngala manzi. Kungenzeka ube awukaguli ngoku, kodwa ngaphandle kokuba senze okuthile nawe uza kugula msinya. Njengoko nibona uninzi lwezityalo zethu nezilwanyana zethu ziyafa. Asikwazi ukuvele singayihoyi le ngxaki.”
“Wazi njani ukuba bagula ngenxa yamanzi? Mhlawumbe bayazigulela nje!” omnye woomama wakhwaza ngelo, eshukumisa umnwe wakhe omde obhityileyo.
“Ewe, unabuphi ubungqina?” watsho omnye ngasemva eholweni.
“Ndenze uphando kwizifundo zam zaseyunivesithi. Ithisisi yam ingesi sihloko. Ingqineke ngobunzululwazi ukuba olu hlobo lomhlaza, ngokunjalo nokufa okungenazizathu zivakalayo zezityalo nezinye zezilwanyana zethu, kunxulumene ne-AMD. Oko ke ‘kukuNgena kwe-Acidi yeMigodi emanzini’ – kulapho ke imigodi ityhefa amanzi. Kwihlabathi liphela, abaphandi babona iingxaki ezifanayo apho uluntu luhlala kufuphi nemigodi emidala .”
Kwabakho ukundumzela kwiholo yonke.
Omnye umama wathi enomsindo, “Nina bantu niza apha ngemfundo yenu ephucukileyo yaseyunivesithi nisixelele ukuba asinakho ukusela amanzi? Phindelani kwiitephu zenu, emanzini enu abalekayo ashushu nabandayo eyunivesithi. Ngoko ke uthetha ukuba masihlale singenamanzi?”
“Khanimamele le nto ithethwa ngulo mfana. Ingaba yinyaniso ukuba uninzi lwethu luyagula,” yabuza le ndoda isecaleni kwakhe.
“Ukuba nifuna obunye ubungqina, ndinganika ubungqina bokuba la manzi anetyhefu. Nabani na ofunayo ukuhamba nam andijonge ndivavanya la manzi wamkelekile. Ndingaya phaya emlanjeni ngomso lo usayo, ndithathe isampuli yamanzi, ndiyithumele elebhu ukuze avavanywe.”
“Kuya kwenzeka ntoni ke xa unyanisile, abe la manzi anetyhefu? Emva koko kwenzeke ntoni?!” wakhwaza omnye umntu apha ebantwini abamameleyo.
“Kufuneka sixoxe nabanini bemigodi bathathe uxanduva lokuncedisa ekucoceni le meko,” waphendula ngelo uThabo.
“Uza kuxoxa noVan Rensburg? Umphathi wethu? Thabo la mfo akasoze asimamele. Uza kuvele asigxothe. Asigxothe ngandlela ithile. Umgodi nguwo owondla le ndawo. Uninzi lwamadoda asebenza phaya.”
Kwavakala ukundumzela apha egumbini ngokungathi ngumculo okhawuleze wavulelwa phezulu kunomathotholo.
“Lo ngumbandela wempilo yoluntu,” waphendula uThabo egqumelela lo mazwi. “Asikwazi kungayihoyi le nto kuba sijongelwa phantsi, sisoyikiswa ngabaphathi abathile.”
“Kodwa siza kuba nomcimbi omkhulu kunalo! Asizi kuba namisebenzi – ukuba siyamxoxisa. Ukuba sithi sikhalaze ngayo nantoni konke akuthethayo kukuba, ‘Anithandi ukuba lapha, hambani niye kwenye indawo. Kukho amakhulu-khulu abanye abantu abangenza umsebenzi wenu!’”
“Ewe!” kwaqhawuka unobathana xa uTata uJola ethetha ngokulahleka kwemisebenzi. Baqala ukuthetha ngaxeshanye bonke abantu. UThabo wajonga kuAmahle. Yile nto kanye le ebeyoyika.
“Ufuna silahlekelwe yimisebenzi yethu?” omnye umama wangxola etyhola ngelo. “Awusahlali nalapha kule lali. Wazi ntoni ngezinto ezenzeka apha? Uza apha nezimvo zakho eziphucukileyo zeyunivesithi yaphi-phi-phi!”
“Andifuni nilahlekelwe yimisebenzi yenu,” watsho uThabo, ezama ukuhlala ezolile. Kutheni aba bantu bengaboni ukuba kwenzeka ntoni apha? “Kodwa abantu bayafa bona!”
“Ewe,” watsho omnye umama, ejika ejonga kwabanye oomama ngasemva kwakhe nabo ababendumzela. “Ukuba ubhubhile, uhleli ungazi kusebenza nje. Ukuba uyagula, awunakuphinda ufumane umsebenzi. Emva koko uza kwenza ntoni? Khanimamele le ndoda. Uthetha ububhanxa. Owam umyeni uyagula ngoku ngumhlaza.”
“Ngubani yena ukuba asixelele ukuba silwe nomphathi wethu? Yena uza kufumana umsebenzi ophucukileyo kwinkampani ethile xa uphuma eyunivesithi. Kodwa thina, kufuneka sihlale apha!” watsho omnye umntu ngelizwi elikhulu.
“Ngqo!” wavuma omnye.
“Ngoko ke niza kuhlala nje nibukele uluntu lwenu lugula lusifa?” watsho uThabo, ekhathazekile.
“Kahle…” wamsebezela uAmahle. “Kufuneka ubathembise, ungabenzi umsindo ngakumbi.”
UThabo waphefumla nzima. “Sinamalungelo, bantu. Lilungelo lethu ukuphila kwimeko-bume esingqongileyo ecocekile, esempilweni. Lo ngumcimbi wempilo yoluntu.”
“Ngoko ke masenze ntoni?” yacela lo mngeni enye indoda. “Masenze ntoni, Mnumzana Yunivesithi?”
“Kufuneka siye phaya kumphathi wemigodi, sonke. Kufuneka siye phaya sihlale silinde de athethe nathi.”
“Pah!” wakhwaza ngelo omnye umama ngaphambili, eshukumisa umnwe. “La mfo unomdla kuphela kumvuzo wakhe omkhulu. Akenzi kwanto phaya!”
“Emva koko kufuneka sifune umntu oza kusinceda.”
“Ndininqwenelela amathamsanqa!” watsho mnye umntu ekhwaza.
“Mna! Ngokuba kutheni mna?” Wakhwaza uThabo, eziva ukuba umsindo wakhe uyonyuka kwaye nobushushu buyavakala ebusweni bakhe. “Kutheni le nto iyingxaki yam ndodwa ngoku? Ayinguye nje umntakwethu kuphela olwela ubomi bakhe. Abantwana benu bafumana umhlaza, kwaye nobomi benu buyachaphazeleka! Nonke nihlala apha. Nenza njani ukuba ningenzi nto?”
“Thoba umoya,” wamsebezela uAmahle. “Awuzi kubafumana babe secaleni lakho ukuba uyabangxolisa.”
“Sayizama le nto ngokuya kwakubhubhe u-anti wakho. Saya kwiSebe leMicimbi yokuSingqongileyo, sathetha nabantu abaninzi phaya,” kwatsho ilizwi elizolileyo. “Kodwa akukho mntu wasimamelayo. Abazange benze nto ngalo nto.”
“Kulungile lixesha lokuba sizame kwakhona. Ndicela sivote ngokuphakamisa izandla? Ngubani oza kundixhasa ukuthetha nabasemagunyeni?”
UAmahle waphakamisa isandla nezinye ezimbini zaphakama.
“Andiyikholelwa le nto! Kungcono nisele, nihlambe nisebenzise la manzi ze nife, kunokudlala indima?”
“Asikholelwa ukuba ukuthetha nabasemagunyeni kuza kutshintsha nto,” yatsho enye indoda.
“Kwaye kuya kwenzeka ntoni xa umntwana wakho egula?” watsho uThabo. “Okanye umyeni wakho, okanye unkosikazi wakho?” Wabheka-bheka ejikeleza indlu. “Ingaba anizi kwenza … nto tu?”
Okokuqala ngalo njikalanga yonke iholo yathi cwaka. Emva koko inkokeli yasekuhlaleni yaphakama.
“Abo abafuna ukuhamba nam siye kuzibonela ukuba ingaba la manzi atyhefekile kusini na, siza kuhamba nalo mfana siye emlanjeni ngomso. Okwangoku, iyavalwa intlanganiso.”
Abantu banxiba iidyasi zabo baphuma eholweni. UThabo waziphosa esitulweni wazogquma ubuso bakhe ngezandla.
“Khawuyeke, Thabo,” watsho uAmahle ngelizolileyo, ebeka isandla sakhe kuye emqolo. “Ndicinga ukuba udinga ukufumana umoya ohlaziyekileyo. Makhe sihamba-hambe. Mhlawumbe ngomso uzakukwazi ukubathundeza. Uza kuwavavanya njani phofu amanzi? ”
“Ndize nesixhobo sokuvavanya amanzi. Ukuvavanya amanzi yinxalenye yophando lwam. Emva koko ndiza kuzama ukuba isampuli ithunyelwe elebhu eGoli. Kuza kuthatha nje iintsukwana phambi kokuba sifumane iziphumo .”
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba abaphathi bomgodi baza kummamela uThabo?