Intliziyo yam yaba buhlungu mhla kwasweleka udade wethu. Wayengumhlobo wam endandimxelela into yonke, kwaye ndandisiza kuye xa ndinengxaki ndifuna uncedo. Kuba wayendishiya ngeminyaka emihlanu, iimfundiso ndandizifumana kuye. Wayendincedisa ngomsebenzi wesikolo imihla ngemihla. I-Social Science ke yona wayeyithanda, sasingahleki nohleka ngemeko zelizwe lethu. Wayelixabisile kwaye ndandiyazi kuba xa ndihlamba amazinyo impompo ndiyishiye ndiyivulile wayemane esithi, “Vala impompo, Lilitha.”
Ekuqaleni ndandiyivala kuba ndingafun’ukuthethiswa nguye kodwa exesheni nasekukhuleni kwam, ndandizibuza ukuba kutheni enditshutshisa ngempompo engavalwayo. Wayesele engekho udade wethu, ndandingenamntu wobuza, ndazixelela ukuba ndizo’ziphandela. Ndafunda iincwadi kodwa zona zange ndawuva umxholo wazo kuba ndandisemncinci kakhulu. Zange ndatyhafa kuba yayikhona into ekuthiwa nguGoogle.
Phantsi koGoogle ndabona iwebsite yakwaSABC. Ekufundeni kwam ndothuka kuba ndandingazazi izinto ezazenzeka, kwaye ndandingayazi ukuba amanzi asetyenziswa ngabantu aligqithile uqikelelo okumela ukuba ayasetyenziswa ngalo. Kule website kuthiwa ukuba uMzantsi Afrika usezakuba sengxakini yokuphelelwa ngamanzi kwaye abantu sebeqalisile ukulwa malunga nalendaba yamanzi ashotayo kwezinye iindawo kwalapha eMzantsi.
Ekufundeni kwam ezindaba, ndakhe ndahlala ndazicingela ngaphakathi, “Inene udade wethu wayeliqhawekazi elithile. Wayengancedi thina, wayenceda wonke umntu. Wayesazi ukuba umahluko wakhe amenzayo ungumangaliso.”
Lento yandichaphazela ngaphakathi kuba udade wethu wayengekho ukuze aqhubekeke ngolukhulu owayelenza. Ndandizokwenza iiposter. Ezi poster zazizakuba nemibala egqamileyo ukuze nokuba umntu ebezixelela ukuba akazuyifunda, agunyaziswe yilemibala igqamileyo aphele eyifunda. Le yayiyindlela endandizoqkuala ngayo ukuchukumisa abantu ngoluninzi lwamanzi abalusebenzisayo.
Ndandizenze zabanintsi kuba eyokuqala ndandizokuyixhoma ekhaya, eyesibini ndandizokuyi xhoma esikolweni, eyesithathu ecaweni. Ezishiyekileyo ndandizokuzixhoma esitratweni sam kwiipali zezibane.
Ngenye imini, ndisaxhoma iposter yam eklasini yam, wafika utitshalakazi wam wandibuza, “Lilitha, yintoni le uyenzayo?”
“Ndinceda uMzantsi Afrika, titshalakazi.” Ndatsho ngoncumo.
Wandijonga, wajonga iposter yam, waphinda wandijonga wandincumela. Akazange ayothule, waqhubekeka ngeklasi yethu. Ndaziva ndivuya ngaphakathi. Emva kwaleklasi yezibalo, yayiyiSocial Science. Ndaziva ndinovuyo kuba ndandifuna ukubalisela utitshala wam ngento endandiyenzileyo kwaye nenye into endandifuna ukuyenza emva koko.
Ndandizixelele ukuba ndandingaphelelanga kweziposter kuba abanye abantu abahambi ngenyawo kwaye abaziboni iiposter zam. Kwiimini esiphila kuzo kukho imiboniso kumabonakude ekhuthaza abantu baseMzantsi ngombane kunye nezinye iingxaki esibonana nazo apha. Sekukho i-load shedding nje kukuba lemiboniso asiyihoyi.
Ndathatha ikomputha yam ndenza enye iposter. Umahluko kule poster yayibubuncinci bayo. Ndaqonda ukuba ndandizokuya kwizindlu ngezindlu ndibanike abantu eziposter. Kweziposter kwakukho usana, ecaleni kwalo olusana ndabhala, “Amanzi ayaphela. Ndiyacela niwasebenzise ngokwaneleyo kuba nabantwana bam ndifuna bakwazi ukuwasebenzisa.”
Ndandithemba ukuba abantu babezokuyazi ukuba amanzi kufuneke ekhona iminyaka emininzi. Zininzi iindlela zokusebenzisa amanzi ngokwaneleyo. Eyokuqala kukuvala impompo xa ingasetyenziswa. Eyesibini kukusebenzisa ishower xa uzokuya esikolweni okanye emsebenzini kuba awufane uhlale emanzini ixesha elide.
Ukuba ufuna ukuhlamba ebhafini enkulu, hlamba ngamanzi oneleyo. Ngoluhlobo uncedisana nabanye abantu abadinga amanzi apha eMzantsi Afrika. Nezinye iindlela zibalulekile kuba nelincinana ithontsi lamanzi liyabala.
Kwiveki ezilandelayo ndandibuliswa ngumntu wonke endincumela. Nam ndandincuma ngaphandle nangaphakathi. Ukufika kwam ekhaya ndathunywa ngumama wam kwaShoprite. Ndithe ndisaphuma wandibiza.
“Mntan’am, uyithathile i-plastic?” wandibuza.
“Hayi, mama i-plastic zisenti ezingamashumi ahlanu. Izobakhona itshintshi yoyithenga.”
“Mntan’am, ii-plastic ziyalibulala ilizwe lethu, masingamane sizithenga zikhona apha endlini.”
Ngxatsho ke! Nalo ke ilizwe lemfundo!