UJerome wabuya isigcwele iphuphuma inkantini ngezikhathi ze lunch. Ekugcwaleni nasemsindweni uBuyekezwa wamgqamela kwangathi ibona bobabili kuphela abasenkantini. Akawakholwanga amehlo akhe ebona isikibha esigqokwe uBuyekezwa se ‘Save The Rhino’. Yashaya ngamandla inhliziyo kaJerome ezibuza ukuthi uzithengele noma uphiwe ileya nsizwa ethanda obhejane lesisikibha. Wazibuza ukuthi konke lokhu kuchazani.
Kwakungathi ihambile igqondo kuJerome ebheka lomlisa we ‘Save The Rhino’. Wayefuna ukwazi ukuthi uBuyekezwa uhlangana kanjani nezindaba ze ‘Save The Rhino’. Wabheka wonke amatafula wamthola etafuleni ayemshiye ehlezi kulo. Wayesafunda, kodwa ayekuphethe ezandleni kwakungaselona ibhuku leNational Geographic. Lensizwa yayifunda incwadi enesihloko esithi ‘Killing for Profit – Exposing the Illegal Rhino Horn Trade’.
Lensizwa ayikhombisanga ukucikeka ibona uJerome ezohlala phambi kwayo. Kunalokho yamamatheka ibona uJerome.
“Usahlezi lapha namanje? Kanti wena uwuyi yini ezifundweni zakho?” kubuza uJerome.
Lensizwa yavala incwadi yayibeka etafuleni. Yancika esihlalweni, yagoqa izingalo, yahleka ibuka uJerome.
“Mfowethu weANC, ngingakusiza ngani?”
“Kukhona engingakutshelanga khona ngesikhathi sikhuluma ekuseni,” kusho uJerome. Wasondela kulomlisa, wamqhweba ukuthi naye asondele. Amakhala abo ayecishe athintane ngendlela ababesondelene ngayo.
“Kumayelana nobhejane,” kuhleba uJerome. “Ngisola ukuthi kukhona umuntu okutshele amanga ngalendaba yabo”.
“Ubani ongenza into enjalo?” kubuza lomlisa.
“Angifuni ukukhomba umunwe,” kwasho uJerome eqalaza ebuka inkantini. “Ngeke ngisho amagama abantu kodwa kunezinhlangano ezikhankasayo ezithi zikhathazekile ngobhejane kodwa iqiniso ukuthi azinandaba ngobhejane”. Wehlisa izwi kakhulu kunakuqala uJerome. “Ngiyathemba uyabona ukuthi ngichaza ukuthini.”
Yanqekuzisa ikhanda lensizwa, yancika esihlalweni, yabuka uJerome ijulile ngomcabango.
“Bengithi angikubekele lokhu ngoba angifuni uvotele inhlangano enjalo ngesikhathi sokhetho. Njengoba ubathanda kangaka obhejane kumele ukhethe i ANC ngoba ukube asikho ngabe bona obhejane laba basaphila ngaphansi kobandlululo.”
Ihlaya laJerome lalibhacaza kodwa bahleka bobabili. Iqiniso ukuthi obhejane babesenkingeni efanayo manje nakudala ngesikhathi sobandlululo. Ngokubona kukaJerome, akukho okwakuzosiza obhejane , mhlwawumbe isimangaliso esivela ezulwini kodwa hhayi inhlangano yezepolitiki.
Kodwa wabuka ngelinye iso, wakhumbula ukuthi umhlaba wawukhuluma nge South Africa ngalendlela uJerome acabanga ngayo ngobhejane – kuthiwa akukho okungasiza. Wacabanga lokhu wabona ukuthi ithemba alilahlwa, konke kuyenzeka. Ukuzimisela kwabantu benenhloso ngabakwenzayo kuyatholakala ukuphumelela. Ipolitiki injalo.
“Sengicishe ngakhohlwa ukuthi kukhona engikuphathele khona,” kwasho uJerome ephuma nokugoqwe ngephepha esikhwameni sakhe. Wakunika lensizwa. Yavula ukuze ibone okungaphakathi.
“Hawu, mfowethu, isikhafu sikaMadiba! Ngiyabonga!”
“Siyikhumbule, mfowethu, lapho ikhona lendoda. Yasenzela okuningi kakhulu,” kwasho uJerome iminwe yakhe ikhomba isibhakabhaka.
Lensizwa yagoqa isikhafu yasifaka esikhwameni sayo. Nayo yakhipha isipho esikhwameni, yasinika uJerome, “Nami ngikuphathele lokhu”. UJerome wabona ukuthi isikibha eziphuzi esibhalwe ukuthi ‘Save The Rhino’.
UJerome wasigqoka isipho sakhe esiphuzi, wasukukuma wazimbambatha ephenduphenduka. Wazidonsela amehlo abantu ngamabomu ngoba ebona ukuthi uBuyekezwa uyababuka.
“Singilingana kahle kakhulu,” kwasho uJerome eqoqa akuphethe.
“Kukhona esingakakhulumi ngakho,” kwasho lensizwa inika uJerome ipeni nephepha. “Ngidinga abantu abazobhala amagama abo kumkhankaso wami we ‘Save The Rhino’.
“Nakanjani ngibhale lapho ngoba ngiyahambisana nalokho,” kwasho uJerome, ethatha ipeni nephepha ebhala igama lakhe ngaphansi kwelika ‘Buyekezwa Makwabe’.
“Sicela nemali engu R 100 ukusisiza,” kwasho lensizwa. “Akuyona imali enkulu kodwa noma incane isiza kakhulu ekunqandeni ukuphela kobhejane emhlabeni.”
“Thina beANC asisoze sakuvumela kwenzeke ukuphela kobhejane,” kwasho uJerome. Wakhipha yonke imali ayenayo wayibeka etafuleni.
Waphuma amaphakethe eshaya umoya, kodwa ezitshela ukuthi unqobile kulombango wakhe noBuyekezwa.
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Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: UJerome wamokola kulensizwa ngokuyinika isikhafu? Kuyiqiniso lokhu okukholwa uJerome: Ukuthi ithemba alilahlwa, konke kuyenzeka ngokuzimisela kwabantu benenhloso ngabakwenzayo kuyatholakala ukuphumelela. Ipolitiki injalo?