ULwesihlanu ntambama lwaluchwaza eVice & Chancellor Pub. UBuyekezwa wayengenayo imali eningi kodwa wazizwa ejabule ehleli nabangani bakhe bexoxa. Wayenohlweza lokuthenga ingilazi eyodwa vo yewayini elimhlophe. Lwalungekho ugqozi lokukhankasela iDA ngoba kunguLwesihlanu, wazihlalela nabangani bakhe bezincokolela.
“Ngempela mngani awusichazele ukuthi kwenzakalani ngawe nalesikibha osigqokile?” kubuza umngani wakhe u Ayanda.
UBuyekezwa wayenganakile ukuthi usagqoke isikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’. Lombuzo wamkhumbuza umncintiswano phakathi kwakhe noJerome Sedgewick. Wabaxoxela konke okwenzekile abangani bakhe, wonke umuntu waphela insini ezwa lendaba.
U bar man owayebathelela iziphuzo wahleka waze wanika uBuyekezwa isiphuzo samahala ukuze aqhubeke nokuxoxa ngalendaba yomkhankaso wamavoti.
Bahleka beqhubeka nezindaba, bangambona uJerome engena nedlanzana labangani bakhe behlala kwelinye itafula.
Naye uJerome akazange ambone uBuyekezwa ngoba kugcwele e Vice & Chancellor Pub, kodwa bahlangana endleleni eya ezindlini zangasese.
“Isimanga lesi! Sihambisana nezinhlangano ezihlukene kodwa ngiyabona ukuthi sigqoke izikibha ezifanayo,” kwasho uBuyekezwa ethinta uphondo lukabhejane oludwetshwe esikibheni sika Jerome.
Waphela insini uJerome, wabeka isandla sakhe ehlombe likaBuyekezwa, wathi, “Uqinisile, comrade, kukhona lapho sihambisana khona.” Wayejabulile ukubona uBuyekezwa. Ubhiya ayewuthenge ngemali yokugcina wamenza wangafuna ukukhuluma izindaba zezihlangano nokukhankasa.
Wayejabule kakhulu ukubona uBuyekezwa. Njengoba babemile, bebukana entuthwini yogwayi egcwele eVice & Chancellor Pub, begqoke izikibha zabo ze ‘Save The Rhino’, uJerome wezwa kufudumala inhliziyo.
Kuyiqiniso ukuthi bobabili babefuna umlisa we ‘Save The Rhino’ alandele izinhlangano zabo. Kuyiqiniso nokuthi ophumelela kulokhu wayezophumelela kakhulu. Kodwa ngaphezu kwakho konke, bobabili babekholelwa emandleni entando yeningi ukuguqula izwe.
“Nginombuzo owodwa kuwena,” kusho uBuyekezwa emdudulela odongeni sakumdlalisa. “Uphumelelile ukuthola ivoti lensizwa ye ‘Save The Rhino’?”
“Sengisondele ukulithola,” kusho uJerome. “Ngalithola uwena umuntu wokuqala engizomtshela”.
UBuyekezwa wasondela ebusweni baJerome. Amakhala abo ayesho ukuthintana, “Kulungile, sizobona, kodwa ngiyasola engathi uzowela kwiDA”.
Kwathi sekubonakala ngathi bazoshayana ngesinqandi, kwathushuka umuntu entuthwini yogwayi eyayivimbanisile, wamemeza eqondise kubona lokhu ayekusho.
“Kodwa Nkulunkulu wami! Nenzani la?”
UBuyekezwa noJerome baphenduka babona ukuthi omemezayo ngu Alistair Kammies, abafunda naye. Lensizwa nayo igqoke isikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’, imikhono yesikibha igcwele izinkinobho ze ‘Save The Rhino’.
Babukana bobathathu bengakholwa ukuthi bagqoke izikibha ezinemibhalo efanayo.
“Hawu! Leyansizwa inithole nobabili?” kwasho u Alistair enikina ikhanda. “Bengicabanga ukuthi ngeke inithole ngoba nani nikhankasela izinhlangano zenu.”
UBuyekezwa noJerome babukana bemangele. “Ukhuluma ngani, Alistair?” kwabuza uJerome, esondela ukuze ezwe kahle phezu komsindo wokuchwaza komculo.
“Izikibha enizigqokile,” kwaqhubeka u Alistair, “Nizithenge kuleyansizwa ehlala yodwa enkantini. Angithi?”
“Sizithole kuyena kodwa asizithenganga. Ikuphi inkinga ekuzitholeni kuleyansizwa?” kubuza uJerome.
“Unisayinisile nakhokha u R100 angithi?”
“Bekuyiphethishini lena ebesiyisayina,” kusho uBuyekezwa. “Imali yona eyokusiza obhejane”.
U Alistair wabahleka waze wanqekuzisa ikhanda. Yambulala insini waze wagoba ezibamba isisu. Wayesazoqhubeka nokugigitheka ukube uJerome akazange amgxhaze afune incazelo ephelele.
Wazama ukubamba ukuhleka u Alistair, wachaza: ‘Leyansizwa ye ‘Save The Rhino’ ebeniyibanga, ikhankasela i Green Party. Izomela lenhlangano okhethweni lwalapha esikoleni.”
U Alistair wabakhombisa uphawu lwe Green Party ngaphansi komlenze kabhejane esikibheni sakhe, waqhubeka nokuchaza: “Abanye bethu bebekhuluma naye ezinsukwini, samtshela ukuthi singahambisana nenhlangano yakhe uma engakwazi ukusayinisa nina nobabili kuqala.”
Waphela insini futhi u Alistair, waze waphelelwa umoya wancika odongeni: “Le ‘pethishini’ ebeniyisayina ukubhalisela inhlangano yakhe. Ukubhalisa kubiza u R100, nina seningamalunga e Green Party.”
“Kubukeka ngathi sonke sesingamaqabane,” kusho uBuyekezwa esho ebhuquza insini.
Wayeyedwa vo umuntu okhankasayo ngalobobusuku enkantini. Insizwa yeGreen Party nesikibha sayo se ‘Save the Rhino’. Yayimi yodwa inika abafundi amapheshana alenhlangano. Abafundi babeyilalela ixoxa ngalenhlangano, abanye bethatha amapheshana bawalahle emgqomeni. Lensizwa ayikhathazekanga ngokulahlwa kwamapheshana ngoba emehlweni abafundi yayiphumelele ukubhalisa uBuyekezwa noJerome kwi Green Party.
Yebo wayebaqilile oBuyekezwa noJerome, kodwa lokhu wakwenza ngoba eveza okubalulekile ngokhetho, wonke umuntu ovotayo ubalulekile, uzimele, futhi lokhu kuyilungelo elibalulekile. Abantu abavotayo akumele balahlekiswe osopolitiki ngezithembiso ezingekho.
Ukhetho luyahlekisa noma lungelona ihlaya.
Amalungelo abantu ekugcineni afana nobhejane, ubona ukubaluleka kwawo ngoba esenyamalele.
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Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: UBuyekezwa noJerome benza izithembiso ezingekho befuna ivoti lensizwa ye ‘Save The Rhino’. Iziphi izinkinga ezivela uma osopolitiki benza izithembiso abangakwazi ukuzigcina? Usubhaliselile ukuvota (kwabaneminyaka engu 18 nangaphezulu)? Yini ekwenze wabhalisela noma wangabhalisela ukuvota?
