UBuyekezwa wathola ithuba lokucasha ebona uJerome ephuma ehefuzela enkantini. Wamangala embona ekuseni kangaka ngoba wayefisa ukufika kuqala kunoJerome. Wangena enkantini wamangazwa ukubona insizwa yesikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’, ihleli yodwa vo. Wasola ukuthi uJerome ukhulumile nayo, kodwa waqhubekela phambili.

Ngendlela lensizwa ye ‘Save The Rhino’ eyayijule ngayo ebhukwini layo leNational Geographic, ayimnakanga uBuyekezwa ephambi kwetafula layo, yaze yamnaka ngoba esedonsa isihlalo ehlala. UBuyekezwa wezwa sifudumele, kuzwakala ukuthi kukhona umuntu osuke kuso maduze. Akakunakanga lokho ngoba nangu lomlisa ahleli phambi kwakhe uyambuka umangele ungafunga ukuthi ubona utikoloshe.

“Ngizoxolisa kuwena ngalokhu okwenzeke izolo. Ngiyaxolisa ukuthi uzithole usungena kuleyangxabano,” kusho uBuyekezwa ebeke isandla sokudla enhliziyweni yakhe, ekhombisa ukuzisola kakhulu.

“Kanti….kanti ungazixaki ngalokho,” kwaphendula lensizwa ingingiza.

“Kodwa kufanele ngizixake,” kwaphendula uBuyekezwa, “Ngoba wonke umuntu unelungelo lokukhankasa ngokukhululeka. Nabantu abafana nawe bakwazi ukubuza imibuzo bachazeleke kulokho abafisa ukukwazi ngeDA”.

UBuyekezwa walinda isikhashana ecabanga ukuthi lensizwa izophonsa imibuzo ngeDA, kodwa lutho. Lomlisa wazithulela wabuka uBuyekezwa emehlweni.

Wabona ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuveza lokhu ayekuphethe. Wavula isikhwama, wakhipha incwadi ayithenge eRondebosch, wayibeka phezu kwetafula. “Ngiyithengele wena, isipho engikuphathele sona ukukhombisa ukuxolisa ngakho konke okwenzeke izolo,” kusho uBuyekezwa.

Insizwa yesikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’ yafunda isihloko: Killing for Profit – Exposing the Illegal Rhino Horn Trade. Wanqekuzisa ikhanda, wayivula incwadi, kwabonakala ukuthi uchazeke ngempela.

Kwamjabulisa lokhu uBuyekezwa. Lencwadi edumile ebhalwe ngu Julian Rademeyer wayeyithenge ngo R200, okwakumgugise iphakethe wasala no R100 vo. Noma iqede yonke imali yakhe kwakungelona uhlobo lezincwadi azithandayo uBuyekezwa. Wazitshela ukuthi ngo R200 awusebenzisile uzothola ilungelo lokukhankasa yedwa enkantini. Wazitshela ukuthi uzibekele lemali ngoba kuzoba nomvuzo ekugcineni.

Lensizwa yapheqa incwadi, imamatheka. Yayibeka phezu kwetafula, yacosha okuthile phansi eduze kwezinyawo. “Kuyajabulisa ukuhlangana nomuntu onogqozi njengami mayelana nobhejane,” kwasho lensizwa, ibeka amapheshana ayimbondela phezu kwetafula.

“Thina beDA sinendaba kakhulu mayelana nobhejane. Singenza konke okusemandleni ethu ukuvimba ukubulawa kwabo,” kwasho uBuyekezwa engcizelela.

“Kuhle impela lokho,” lomlisa wanika uBuyekezwa elilodwa lamapheshana. “Ngoba ngidinga abantu abazosayina iphethishini ye Save The Rhino,” wanika uBuyekezwa ipeni.

“Nakanjani ngizokwenza lokho, ngibale kubantu abahambisana nawe,” uBuyekezwa wathatha ipeni wasondela ephepheni ebhala igama lakhe.

“Sicela nemali engu R100. Akuyona imali enkulu kodwa konke esikutholayo kuyasiza ngoba silwa nokuthi obhejane bangapheli emhlabeni”

“Nami angifuni baphele emhlabeni obhejane,” kwaphendula uBuyekezwa enika lomlisa u R100 wakhe wokugcina ngci.

“Ngiyabonga kakhulu,” kusho lomlisa. “Nami kukhona engikuphathele khona,” wakhipha isikibha wasindlala etafuleni: sigqamile ngokubovu sibhalwe ukuthi ‘Save The Rhino’

UBuyekezwa wasithatha wasigqoka, samboza esakhe seDA. Waqoqa isikhwama sakhe, waxhawula lensizwa, wathi, “Ngiyathemba sizolithola ivoti lakho.”

Lensizwa yamxhawula yathi, “Nami ngiyathemba”.

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Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: UBuyekezwa uyamokola kulomlisa noma kuyisipho ngempela lokhu amupha khona?