UNjabulo ufika kuqala kunawo wonke umuntu emahhovisi eNUZ FM. Akupheli sikhathi esingakanani aqede ukulungisa izindaba azithole Kumphathi Wezokuxhumana. UDavid uxilonga umsebenzi wakhe, alungise lapha nalapha, avume ukuthi usukulungele ukungena ezindabeni zasekuseni zehora leshumi ezimpondweni.
“Uyancomeka umsebenzi wakho, Njabulo. Njengoba uyokhulumisana neKhansela kumele uqinisekise ukuthi uthola lonke iqiniso njengoba linjalo. Akukho okunye okufunwa intatheli ngaphandle kweqiniso. Uthole ukuthi umphakathi uzozuzani ngokwakhiwa Kwesikhungo Somphakathi. Uqinisekise ukuthi isibalo sabantu abozothola imisebenzi kanye nesamba semali ekuzokwakhiwa ngayo kuyiqiniso. Ngicela umqophe ezisho lezi zibalo. Okunye ongakubuza ukuthi kukhona yini okunye okuyintuthuko aphezu kwakho. Nokuthi ukwenze kanjani ukuhlanganisa indaba Yesikhungo Somphakathi ngesikhashana esincane kangaka engene esikhundleni.
UNjabulo ukubhala lokhu ebhukwini lakhe.
“Yilokho kuphela, Njabulo, usungahamba.”
UNjabulo ungena emotweni yeNUZ FM-enomzimba okhahlazekile kodwa injini yakhona ehlangene- aphume emmahovisi alande umzala wakhe uThabo. Kushaya u8:45 esefikile lapho kwakhiwa khona Isikhungo Somphakathi. Ufica abantu bebaningi ngaphandle, belinde uThrice ukuba ababhalisele umsebenzi.
Kuqhamuka unyonyovu lomakhandakhanda besazixoxela noThabo. Kuvuleka isicabha somshayeli kuphume esinye sezidlakela ezivikela iKhansela uMlaba. Emuva kokuqalaza isikhashana, lesidlakela sivulela uMlaba isicabha sangemuva. UMlaba uphuma emotweni eswenke econsa- isudi ekasilika, isicathulo sakhona sishaya ngesikhumba se ostritch. UNjabulo usondela kwiKhansela baxhawulane.
“Khansela, unjani kodwa empilweni?”
“Kuyaphileka. Okungiphilisa kakhulu ukuthi namhlanje usuku olukhulu la kuWard 84 ngoba siyawuqala lomsebenzi.”
“Khansela, lona umzala wami uThabo, ungumakhi. Ubefisa naye ukubhalisa ngoba ufuna umsebenzi,” uNjabulo usondeza uThabo.
“Kuyangijabulisa ukubona umuntu waseWard 84 omncane futhi onekhono lokwakha. Ngathi niyazi ukuthi siyashoda ngabantu abazobeka isitini. UThrice ophethe kulelo hlelo, mbheke umthole ngiyathemba ukhona, uzokulungisela yonke into,” kusho iKhansela lixhawula uThabo, “Sikhethe ukuthi wonke umuntu waseWard 84 uzothola ithuba lokusebenza. Ngikholelwa ukuthi wonke umuntu kufanele athole noma kukuncane kangakanani lokhu okufanele sihlephulelane khona. Asingene.”
IKhansela lihamba noNjabulo limkhombisa ukuthi isakhiwo Sesikhungo Somphakathi sizoma kanjani.
“Kulesi sikhala sizokwakha inkulisa. Ngapha sizokwakha indawo yokufundisa intsha amakhono okuziphilisa. Kulendawo engale kuzokwakhiwa indawo ekuzoba ngeyabantu asebekhulile, bazohlanganela khona,” kusho iKhansela.
UNjabulo uyalincoma iKhansela ngokwazi yonke into ngalesi sakhiwo. Ukusebenza sekuqalile, indawo isivuliwe, sebeqalile ukufaka isisekelo. Bahamba bazebafike kwenye indawo unesakhiwo, izindonga sezimile kule ndawo, phezulu kunabantu abafulela uphahla.
“Hawu, Khansela, kanti kade waqala umsebenzi?” kubuza uNjabulo ngokumangala.
“Eh, ndodana, lena indawo eyakhiwe kuqala ngoba sizobeka khona amathuluzi. Phela sizosebenzisa amathuluzi abizayo, kufanele siwavikele. Kule ndawo kudingeke sisebenzise abantu abawaziyo umsebenzi futhi abasheshayo.”
UNjabulo akaboni ngisho noyedwa umuntu waseWard 84 kulabo abasebenza kulesi sakhiwo.
Kukhala ucingo lukaKhansela Mlaba, axolise kuNjabulo aluphendule. Kusondele uThabo esegqoke izimpahla zokusebenza.
“Bathi ngingaqala namhlanje. Ngiyabonga, mzala,” kusho uThabo ejabulile.
UNjabulo kuyamjabulisa ukubona umzala wakhe ejabulile- sekwaphela izinyanga agcina ukumbona ehleka.
UNjabulo ulinda iKhansela liqede ngodaba eliludingidayo ocingweni ngokuhamba ezungeza ebuka konke okwenziwa abasebenzi abhale ebhukwini lakhe. Ezungeza kanjalo ubona umakhandakhanda ofana noweKhansela uhamba. Uphuma abheke abone ukuthi iyona imoto yeKhansela UMlaba lena esihamba.
Alithinte ngocingo iKhansela.
“Ngicela ungixolele ngokuhamba ngingavalelisanga. Kukhona isimo esiphuthumayo esesivelile. Sesizoqhubeka ngesinye isikhathi uma kukhona eminye imininingwane osayidinga,” kusho iKhansela ocingweni.
“Khansela, bengifisa ukuthatha isithombe sakho ume nabasebenzi.”
“Hhayi, ndodana, angiyena umuntu othanda ukuthatha izithombe,” kuphendula iKhansela, “Kungcono uthathe isithombe sabasebenzi ngoba ibona okufanele sibabonge ngalo msebenzi onzima kangaka abawenzayo.”
“Ngiyezwa, Khansela, kodwa isithombe sakho nabasebenzi besizohambisana kahle kakhulu nalo mbiko engizowubhala.”
“Makuwukuthi indaba yesithombe sami ibaluleke ngaleyo ndlela, ngingacela umsizi wami akuthumelele isithombe nge-imeyili.”
“Nalokho kulungile, Khansela. Nokunye esingakhulumanga ngakho sengizokubuza ngocingo nangayo i-imeyili. Ngiyabonga ngesikhathi sakho.”
Waze waqotho umuntu, kucabanga uNjabulo. Ungumuntu osebenzela abantu uKhansela Mlaba. Akanendaba nokugqama, akafuni ukuthathwa kwasithombe. “Kwaze kwangajwayeleka ukubona umuntu wepolitiki osebenzela abantu okwangempela,” uNjabulo ucabanga lokhu agcine ezithola esewuphimisa lomcabango.
Usacabanga lokhu lapho ezwa umsindo okungathi ukuphuka kwethambo elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni okulandelwa umsindo okungathi ukuzamazama komhlaba.
Esazibuza ukuthi kwenzakalani ubona ngoThabo ephuma egijima esaythini. Ukujabula okukade kusebusweni bukaThabo sekuphenduke ukusaba okukhulu.
“Baleka, Njabs! Baleka, mfwethu! Iyawa lento! Idilika njengamanje!” kumemeza uThabo.
“Zishaphi? Ukhuluma ngani?” kubuza uNjabulo edidekile.
Le ndawo enezindonga ezimile, lapho iKhansela lithe kuzobekwa khona amathuluzi, yenza lokhu okumenyezwa uThabo. Izindonga ziyadilika – izitini, uphahla, izinsimbi namaplangwe konke kumbondelana ndawonye. Ngokuphazima kweso yonke into imbozwa yifu lentuthu elithatha isikhathi eside ukusuka.
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