Kwenzeka kanjalo ukuthi emuva kwesonto exolisile ku Vuyisile, u Dumi azithole emi e hall phambi kwabo bonke abafundi.

“Hello,” u Dumi washo kwi microphone eyanswininiza abafundi bavala izindlebe behlukumezwa umsindo. U Mr Allan wasukuma wayilungisa i microphone. U Dumi waqala futhi.

“Hello. Igama lami ngingu Dumi Totobela. Ngiyazi ukuthi abaningi lapha kade bengangazi, manje sebeyangazi ngoba ngenza iphutha elikhulu elasabalala kwi internet. Ngiyiloluhlobo lwabantu abanganakwa. Ngiyahlukunyezwa ngiphonswa kuma locker, ngigudluzwa endleleni. Ngibizwa nge nerd, geek, dweeb ngoba ngithanda ukuya e library.”

Amehlo ka Dumi anyuka, wabuka e hall. Bonke abantu babemlalele. “Ngizonixoxela indaba,” waqhubeka. “Lendaba asiyibize ngokuthi The Sad Story of the Nerd Who Wanted To Be Seen – And How Things Went Horribly Wrong. Lendaba yaqala ngoba kukhona intombazane engiyithandayo kodwa ngisaba ukuyitshela.”

Kwazwakala u Luke Owen egigitheka. Waqhubeka u Dumi, “Kuyahlekisa kwabanye benu lokhu, kodwa kumina bekubuhlungu futhi kulukhuni ukumbona nsuku zonke ngoba ngingenaso isibindi sokumtshela. Kunokumtshela ukuthi ngiyamthanda, ngenza into ewubuphukuphuku ngoba ngifuna angibuke as someone cool. Ngayenza ngaphandle kokucabanga lento engayenza futhi ihlukumeze abantu abaningi.”

U Dumi waluchaza lonke udaba amehlo akhe ebheke ku Luke. Ekugcineni wathi, “Kuthiwa sinama rights. Do I have the right to express myself freely? Our Constitution says I do. But what if I take that right and trash it, use it to damage or humiliate someone else? Am I still exercising my right to speak freely when I create a cruel image without fear of punishment or payback?

Waphenduka wabiza u Miss Majola ukuthi asondele. “Nonke niyamazi u Miss Majola, niyazi ukuthi unguthisha oqotho lapha esikoleni sethu. Ngimuhlukumezile, ngamuhlambalaza, ngamphatha kabi kakhulu. Ngeke ngikwazi ukuzithola zonke izithombe ezikwi internet, futhi ngeke ngikwazi ukusula wonke ama comments abhaliwe ngalesithombe. Konke engingakwenza ukuthi ngixolise ku Miss Majola nawo wonke umuntu ohlukumezwe isenzo sami. Ngiyathembisa ukuthi ngeke ngiphinde ngithathe my freedom of expression for granted. Njalo sengizocabanga ukuthi izenzo zami zizomphatha kanjani omunye umuntu.”

“Kukhona omunye umuntu esimhlukumezile lesithombe,” kwasho uDumi, “ngicela ukuthi naye asondele. Ngiyazi ukuthi niyazi ukuthi ngikhuluma ngobani.”

Kwakhala amakhwela, kwaduma ihlombe kuqhamuka isidlakela esingusaziwayo esingu Vuyisile Gaba.

Walinda laphela ihlombe namakhwela athula, wakhuluma, “Igama lami ginguVuyisile Gaba.”

I screen esisemuva kwakhe sakhanya kwavela ama comments ahambisana nesithombe sodumo esanongwa u Dumi nge Photoshop. I screen sama kwi comment ethi:

Hey Vuyisile, no wonder you can’t

play rugby, you dickless wonder.

“What if I were transgender or intersex and this was said about me?” kwabuza uVuyisile. “What if ngi gay or lesbian and these comments were said about me?” waqhubeka nokubuza nangamanye ama comments.

“Njengamanje kunama comments angu 6 543 ngalesithombe kuFacebook. Ayikho neyodwa i comment esho anything positive or supportive ngami no Miss Majola”, waphenduka wabuka u Miss Majola, bobabili bahleka.

Sacima i screen kwasekuvela isithombe sentombazane, nesomfana. Kwalokhu kushintshana kuvela izithombe zabafanyana namantombazane ahlukene. Sacima futhi i screen.

“Niyazazi lezingane ezivele la?” kwabuza u Vuyisile. Wakhomba intombazane ehlezi phambili e hall, wathi, “Enye yalamantombazane bekungaba nguwe, uhlukumezwa ngoba u lesbian. Noma nguwe,” wakhomba umfana osesixukwini, “abantu bekucwasa ngoba bethi u gay.”

Kwaba khona ukuxokozela kubafundi. U Vuyisile waphakamisa isandla ebathulisa, “Bonke labantu abavele kwi screen were bullied online. Abantu basho noma yini abafuna ukuyisho ngabo. Bacabanga ukuthi ngoba behleli phambi kwama keyboard lokho kusho ukuthi bangakhuluma noma kanjani. The people who bullied them online can fall back on their rights. They can say they are allowed to say what they like because they have freedom of expression. Kufana labantu balapha esikoleni ababone kulungile ukuthatha isithombe sami no Miss Majola basisabalalise umhlaba wonke.”

You guys bullied me online, you bullied Miss Majola online. You bullied transgender people online. What’s wrong with being transgender? Yini eyenza nina nibone ukuthi ningahlekisa ngabantu abaziqhenyayo ngalokhu abayikho? Ukuhlukumeza umuntu online akuyona i freedom of speech, ubugwala nje kuphela.”

Isithombe esasusa umsindo, lesi sika Vuyisile no Miss Majola esanongwa u Dumi ngePhotoshop savela kwi screen. U Vuyisile wabiza u Miss Majola bama phambili. “Nakhoke sesimile siphambi kwenu. Does anyone have anything they would like to say? Feel free to express yourself,” kwasho uVuyisile.

Kwathula kwathi cwaka e hall. U Dumi wabuka u Luke owayephoxekile eshawa amahloni eswele umgodi wokucasha.

U VG – ilona igama u Alexa no Dumi abesebembiza ngalo u Vuyisile Gaba, waba Very Good ku Dumi. Wamnika umsebenzi okhokhelayo wokusiza e Newlands lapho abadlali be rugby bezilolonga khona. Wamfundisa nokuzivocavoca ngendlela eyakha umzimba. Njalo wayezinika isikhathi sokukhuluma noDumi uma behlangana emsebenzini. Kodwa okukhulu kunakho konke akwenza u VG ukuthi wavela phambi kwe school board beno Miss Majola bezoncengela u Dumi ukuthi angalahlekelwa umfundaze wakhe.

U Dumi wayesemsebenzi, eshanela kwangena I SMS ethi:

Hey Dum-Dum

Leli igama u Alexa ayesemqambe lona ngoba wabhayiza wanonga isithombe ngePhotoshop. Into emnandi ukuthi njalo emuva kokumbiza ngalo wayemqabula esihlathini. Yena wayefisa ukube lowo kiss uza emlomeni kodwa ehlalela ethembeni lokuthi kuyogcina lapho.

Meet me 4 coffee at mall this arvy

Ukumamatheka kwagcwala ubuso ku Dumi. Wathatha i rugby boot eyodwa entabeni yalawo ayesazowabeka ezindaweni zawo, wathatha isithombe wasithumelela u Alexa nomyalezo othi:

If I ever get through these.

Cool pic. Kwaphendula u Alexa

Yeh. Not much anyone can do to photoshop a rugby boot.

Wahleka u Dumi wathumelela u Alex lomlayezo.

Yebo u Alex, phela u Dumi usembiza ngalelogama manje. Sebezwana ngaleyondlela.

***

Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Wake wezwa nge internet bullying? Yake yenzeka kuwena? Yini engenziwa ukuze kuqedwe i internet bullying?