UJerome Sedgewick wayengumuntu ozithembayo kodwa emuva kokuhlangana noBuyekezwa kwaba nokungazithembi emkhankasweni wakhe wamavoti. Inkinga azibona ehlangabezana nayo ukuthi uBuyekezwa unogazi, uhlakaniphile, unamancoko futhi uyisimomondiya sentokazi. Amehlo abantu anamathela bengaqondile kulentokazi. Lokhu kusho into eyodwa vo: uBuyekezwa isikhangiso esihle seDA.

Lokhu kwamkhathaza kakhulu uJerome ngoba ukwanda kwamavoti eDA kusho ukuncipha kwamavoti eANC.

Ekhathazekile kanjalo wazibona emamatheka ecabanga uBuyekezwa. Ukungena kwaBuyekezwa kulomkhankaso wamavoti kwakuzokwenza uJerome azikhandle kakhulu. Lokhu kusho ukuthi ukhetho lakulonyaka luzoba nezinselelo eziningi. Kulonyaka kuzobakhona umuntu aphikisana naye.

Kwakujwayeleke ukuthi kube uJerome kuphela okhankasa ezixukwini zabafundi. Kwakumqeda uthando ngezinye izikhathi ngoba abafundi babengamnaki nepolitiki yakhe. Kwakuzifanela nje kubafundi ngoba noma ukhetho selusondele, bona babezinakele umculo nezingqayi kunepolitiki. Abangani baJerome bamtshela emehlweni ukuthi ipolitiki ingukuchitha isikhathi, futhi abahlangani nayo, kubona akusho lutho ukuthi bazovota okokuqala ezimpilweni zabo kulolukhetho oluzayo.

Kodwa lokhu kwakungasho lutho ngoba phela amehlo kaJerome athe njo kuBuyekezwa okhankasayo – ukhuluma nabafundi etafuleni elingekude kakhulu. Wazithola esehleka kancane uJerome ngoba naye uyazifela ngoBuyekezwa. Ugcwala kakhulu uhleko lwakhe, nendlela imiyeko yakhe idlubulundela ngayo ebhandeni lokuyibopha ilenge idlule indlebe yehlele emqaleni. UJerome wazithola ethinta ezakhe izinwele, wathola ukuthi ziyisihlekehleke, ukhohlwe ukukama.

UJerome wazitshela ukuthi kumele azinakekele ukuze aphumelele ekutholeni amavoti. Kumele ayosika ibhulukwe elisha, athole nezicathulo zangempela akhohlwe ophaca be K-WAY ahleze ebahudula. Ukuziphatha nokugqoka kukaBuyekezwa kwakumnika amavoti ingakaphathwa indaba yepolitiki. UJerome wafunga ukuthi naye uzozimisela njengoBuyekezwa.

Egcwele ukuzimisela, uJerome wangena enkantini waqonda kwidlanzana labafundi ayejwayele ukubabona. “Yo! Whatzup peeps?” kwasho uJerome ngezwi elinomfutho. “Ukhona osemfuthweni wokhetho?”

Cha akekho, ngoba abafundi bambuka phansi bambuka phezulu bangamphendula. Akekho noyedwa owamvezela izinyo. Bonke abafundi besilisa kulelidlanzana begqoke amajazi amade amnyama kuhle kwezibebengu zasemafilimini. Abesifazane begaxele izindwangu ezimnyama ezintanyeni, izinzipho zipendwe ngokumnyama. Bagqolozela uJerome bemangele, wawungafunga ukuthi uvela komunye umkhathi.

Oyedwa kwabesifazane onezinwele ezimnyama ngokungajwayelekile wadonsa ugwayi, wakhipha ifu lentuthu elikhulu. Waphonsa istompi enkomishini, wasondela wamphendula.

“Ngitshele we ‘comrade’, sibukeka ngathi sisemfuthweni wokhetho?” Icici odebeni lwalentonkazi lwalunyakaza kakhulu ngesikhathi ikhuluma.

“Ayi ngiyaxolisa ngokuniphazamisa,” kwasho uJerome eqhubekela phambili.

Wazitshela ukuthi asikho isidingo sokumosha amaphepha kulababantu. Etafuleni elilandelayo, kwabheda kakhulu. Akekho noyedwa umuntu owambuka ezama ukubanika amapheshana okukhankasa.

“Mfowethu, asiyingeni indaba yepolitiki,” kwasho insizwa egqoke isikibha esinobuso buka Bob Marley.

“Kodwa uBob Marley wayekhuluma kakhulu ngepolitiki,” kwaphendula UJerome ngelikhulu ithemba. “UBob Marley wayelwela amalungelo abantu umhlaba wonke”

“Ubani onendaba nalokho? Mina ngizithandela umculo wakhe kuphela. Sicela usixege ngepolitiki uphume kuthina.”

UJerome wazibonela ukuthi akukho voti azolithola kulabafundi.

Ukuzitshwa ngabafundi kuwo wonke amatafula kwenza uJerome wakuzwa ukuthi kuyanda ukungaphatheki kahle emphefumlweni wakhe. Wazibuza ukuthi kwenziwa yini bangabi nandaba? Kwenziwa yini bangafisi nokwazi ukuthi ukhuluma ngani?

Kanti bakuphi osopilitiki bakusasa? Ikuphi imiqondo yamakhomanisi? Akuphi amaqabane ayemashela amalungelo abantu kudala namanje?

Ezibuza lemibuzo uJerome, wabona ngaso lesikhathi, ukuthi uBuyekezwa wayehleli etafuleni elinabafundi abaningi. Wonke amehlo abafundi ayenamathele kuBuyekezwa, besondele kuyena belalele ngokujulile. Wezwa kuduma uhleko kulelitafula, abafundi basukuma babanga ukuxhawula uBuyekezwa. Kwakubonakala emehlweni abafundi ukuthi bachazekile. Kwakhala ihlombe lapho uBuyekezwa enamathisela inkinobho yeDA esigqokweni somunye wabafundi. Wambambatha isigqoko somfundi, waphenduka wahamba. Wathatha amagxathi ambalwa, waphenduka wabuya, wanika bonke abafundi izinkinobho. “Ngenzela ukuthi ningakhohlwa ukuthi nivotele bani!” kusho uBuyekezwa. Laduma kakhulu kunakuqala ihlombe.

Cha yena uyazi njengoba ezazi into yakhe!

Kwakunzima kakhulu kuJerome, wayezabalaza ukuthola abafundi abazomlalela. Nalabo abambalwa ababethatha kuyena amapheshana okukhankasa, kwakubonalakala ukuthi benza lokhu ngoba begcina icala, akekho noyedwa owayemlalela ukuthi uthini. Kwasekuphela nokuzethemba kuJerome. Wabona ukuthi udinga ukulalelwa umfundi oyedwa ukuze kubuye ukuzethemba. Waqhubeka nokubheka umuntu ozomlalela.

UJerome waqalaza wabona umfundi ozihlalele yedwa. Lomfundi wayefunda ibhuku etafuleni elincane enkantini. Kungabe nguye lomfundi amdingayo ukuze kubuye ukuzethemba kuJerome? Lomfundi wayejulile, ebukeka ngathi uyinhlobo ezaziyo izindaba zepolitiki. Futhi wayegqoke isikibha isibhalwe ukuthi, ‘Save The Rhino’. UJerome wayekwazi ukuthi abantu abanendaba ngokubulawa kobhejane banendaba nepolitiki.

Waphokophela khona uJerome. Kwathi esesondela, eseduze kwesihlalo esiseceleni kwalomfundi, wabona kuhlala isisphalaphala sentombi eceleni komlisa wesikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’. Akakholwanga ebona ukuthi lesiphalaphala uBuyekezwa.

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Sitshele ukuthi ucabangani: Kuyiqiniso ukuthi intsha ayinawo umdlandla wokuvota? Wena unawo umdlandla wokuvota?