Thina lapha eNingizimu Africa sinenkinga enkulu esikhungethe yobugebengu obubizwa ngokuthi i-gangsterism. Asithi abanye bethu bakhungethwe yilenkinga. Lokhu kungoba izigebengu ezibizwa ngama-gangsters ziphila ohlangothini lwazo lwempilo olungaphandle kwabantu abanemali. Ziphila kakhulu ezindaweni zabantu abahluphekayo. Isibonelo esiseduzane nje ukuthi idolobha laseCape Town lijwayele ukuvezwa njengalo enizinga lokubulawa kwabantu eliphezulu kunawo wonke amadolobha emhlabeni wonke jikelele. Iphephandaba elidumile laseBhrithani labika ngalokhu lapha. Kodwa, konke ukubulalana okukhulunywa ngakho kwenzeka emalokishini antulayo. Cishe konke ukubulala kuxhumene ndlela thizeni nezigebengu ezibizwa ngama-gangsters. Kusuke kuxabana amaqembu azibiza ngama-gangs.

Lokhu kugcina kuvela kubuhlakani bokuhlelwa kwendaba ethi Mhlazane Sibamba Inkunzi #2 lapho sivezelwa ukuthi ubani othola ukuvikelwa kulelizwe lethu. Amaphoyisa awamaningi ezindaweni ezintulayo ingakho ama-gangs ezicanasela ezenzela umathanda. Izikhathi eziningi amaphoyisa akulezindawo asuke esaba isihluku sawo ama-gangsters (ungawasola ngalokho?), futhi kujwayele ukuthi kube khona amaphoyisa anobugebengu akhokhelwa yiwo ama-gangsters.

Kodwa akunjalo ezindaweni zabantu abangomacaphuna kusale. Buka into eshiwo ngumligisi wethu oqavile, uSpha, mayelana nendawo yaseThekwini: “Ngikhethe Umhlanga Rocks ngoba uyindawo yezicwicwicwi enamaphoyisa amaningi awenzayo umsebenzi wawo. Futhi kunama-response unit aqeqeshiwe, ahleze eqaphile.”

Kodwa asibuyele ekuqaleni, kumsuka walendaba, Mhlazane Sibamba Inkunzi. Lendaba isikhombisa ukuthi kwenzeka kanjani ukuthi ibhungu elihlakaniphile, elizithandayo elinguSpha ligcine selibamba inkunzi. Uyahlupheka, akafundile, akasebenzi, usezikweletini futhi unabantu okufanele abondle. Umsebenzi awukho; ubuka ikusasa lakhe avele alahle ithemba. Futhi indluzula nokusabisa okuyizo izipikili sokugcina okushayelelwa ngazo uma uqashwa i-gang ziyavela. Konke lokhu kwenza kubenzima ukunqaba nokuwabalekela ama-gangs.

Lendaba isikhombisa into enamandla ngenhliziyo yomuntu. USpha noLinda baqala benezinhliziyo ezinhle kanye nonembeza abamsulwa. Bayazi ukuthi ubugebengu abuyona into elungile ezimpilweni zabo kanye nasemphakathini. Bafuna ukuba abantu abamsulwa, abasebenzayo, bakhele ingane yabo ikhaya elinokuthokomala nemfudumalo. Kodwa ekugcineni kwe Mhlazane Sibamba Inkunzi, kudlula ngokushesha kuSpha noLinda ukwethuka nokwesaba inkunzi enesihluku ekwashona kuyo abantu ababili. Sebenayo indlela elula yokuziduduza ngoba imali entshontshiwe isigcine kubona: “Izwi elithi, ‘Salithola ekugcineni ithuba lokuqala kabusha impilo,’ lalisho liphindelela engqondweni yami.”

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Futhi, ekuqaleni kwe Mhlazane Sibamba Inkunzi #2, uLinda simthola efaka ngisho nenkolo phakathi kokuziduduza kwakhe:

“Isifanele lenhlanhla esivelele, Spha,” kwasho uLinda. “Kuthiwa uNkulunkulu usebenza ngezindlela ezifihlekile.”

“Bebungekho ubuNkulunkulu kulento engiyibonile, Linda. Ngibone izinto ezinyantisa igazi.”

“Kodwa kulokho kunyantisa kwegazi wena usindile, awunamyocu. Yonke imali ikuwena, Spha.”

Ingakho kungasimangazi kakhulu uma, ekugcineni kwe Mhlazane Sibamba Inkunzi #2, imicabango yokufundela ubuthisha nokufundela umsebenzi wezandla, baguqule izimpilo zabo ngendlela eqotho eqondile, isishabalele sebephila impilo entsha. Futhi, “Ukuziphindiselela kwakubila kuyo yonke imithambo emzimbeni,” kusho uSpha. Ngakho-ke siyazi ukuthi uSpha uzovumelana nobaba wakhe uma ethi, “Phela indoda iyakushabalalisa okumisa inqubekela phambili empilweni yayo”.

Lapha uSpha uhambisana nokuba ‘bashabalale’ bonke – uMpilo kanye nabafowabo nezinkabi zakhe. Kwayena uSpha usesendleleni yokuba ngusomatekisi onesihluku!

Eningizimu Africa, njengoba lendaba isikhombisa, imboni yamatekisi nayo inedlela yayo yobugebengu be-gangsterism. UMdu noPadlock ababona osomatekisi, kodwa umfowabo kaMdu, uMpilo ungusomatekisi oyi-gangster.

Noma kunjalo, noma ziqhamuka izimpi embonini yamatekisi, uhulumeni kanye nabanye osomatekisi bayazama ukwenza lemboni ibe semthethweni futhi ibe nokuphepha. Ibalulekile lemboni ngoba isetshenziswa izigidi zabantu futhi idala amathuba emisebenzi. Futhi iyinto ukumele abantu abamnyama baziqhenye ngayo ngoba bazakhela imboni enkulu, enempumelelo futhi ephilisa abantu abaningi noma babecindezelwe ngesikhathi sobandlululo, i-apartheid.

Imiphakathi ebuswa ama-gangsters iphila ngokwesaba; ihlalela ovalweni. Njengoba sibona, kufanele ‘ukuthenge ukuvikelwa’. Udlame phakathi kwama-gangs luvela noma nini, futhi abantu abangenacala abagcina bebulawa. Izinkinga ezifana nokudlwengula, ukulimazana kanye nezidakamizwa zijwayelekile.

Yebo konke lokhu kuyenzeka kodwa kufanele sicabange ngokujula sizibuze ukuthi ‘kudalwa yini’? Ongoti bathi ama-gangs akhula ezindaweni ezintulayo, ezishoda ngemisebenzi, futhi abantu abasha (ikakhulukazi abesilisa) abanabo abantu abaqotho abadala abazobukela kubo (role models). Ama-gangs adlondlobala emiphakathini ephukileyo. Lokhu kwenzeka kudala ngesikhathi abantu besuswa ngendluzula ngezikhathi zobandlululo, i-apartheid. Abantu besilisa abasebancane basondelana nama-gangs ngoba befuna ukuzwana nabanye ontanga babo, ukuzigqaja kanye nokuhlonishwa. Okuyizinto sonke esizifisayo.

Lendaba isikhombisa ukuthi ama-gangsters angenza noma yini ukuze ahlonishwe. UMpilo angeke aphumule engakambulali uSpha, ngoba ebona ukuthi uSpha ukhombisa ukungamhloniphi yena njomndeni wakubo.

Kodwa futhi lendaba iyasikhombisa ukuthi ama-gangsters nawo angabantu, futhi ayakwazi ukusiza emphakathini wangakubo: “Wagcwala ukukhathazeka ebusweni uMdu ngesikhathi ebona u-Owethu. Wafaka isandla ephaketheni, wabuya no R100.” Emuva kwalokho wagona ingane kaSpha, wayifunza ukudla. Amanye ama- gang bosses anakekela abantu abahlwempu ababasebenzelayo.

Abanye baqhamuka emindenini eqotho, njengoPadlock, onomama ohamba isonto. Kodwa umbhali uyasikhumbuza ngokulimaza ngokwengqondo, umoya kanye nangokwemali kwe-gangsterism. Kuba yilowo ophethe i-gang kuphela ogcina enamali okwangempela. Laba abanye bangamasosha nje kuphela, isikhathi esiningi basahlala emakubo, futhi bahlukumeza imindeni yabo:

“Asisahluphi manje, Ma,” kwasho uMdu.

“Wemame! Ngiyokukholwa lokho mhlazane ngabona wena noSiyabonga ningena esontweni.” Kwaba sengathi amehlo asibuka ngawo abona ingaphakathi lethu. Wanikina ikhanda wathi, “Sengimdala kabi ukuthi ngingajima izinkantolo namajele mina. Imali engangiyongile impilo yami yonke yamosheka ngesikhathi ngikhokhela ibheyili kaSiyabonga. Uzozibonela manje uma ephindela empilweni yobugebengu. Ngikhathele uyena manje!”

Ngo 2019 isimo sama-gangs eCape Town sasibucayi ngendlela yokuthi kwagcina sekufakwa amasosha. Kodwa, lesi isixazululo esesikhashana. Ibukisise lento uyicabangisise: abantu abaningi abasebenzela umphakathi baveza ukuthi into endingakalayo ukuthi kufakwe ama-social workers, ama-child and adult psychologists, ama- community workers, kwakhiwe izindawo sokudlala zezingane nabantu abadala, izindawo zemfundo ephakeme nokunye okwakhayo.

Futhi kufanele kwakhiwe imisebenzi, futhi kwandiswe nokubhekelela umphakathi. Uma kungenziwa lokhu, bazowathola kanjani amathuba okuziphilisa abantu abafana noSpha noLinda? Njengamanje u 66% wabantu abasebasha abasebenzi eNingizimu Africa. ULinda angayithola i-child care grant encane ka-Owethu.

Kodwa kukhona okuningi okungcono kunokwenza abantu bathembele kuma-grant. Kunganjani uma kuxhaswa izinto ezakha umphakathi? Nezinto ezivuselela umzimba nomphefumulo, njengama: neighbourhood food gardens, recycling businesses, micro-factories, safe community gardens nama play parks, libraries, writing groups, homework or tutoring projects, arts, dance, drama and craft projects, sports and childcare projects.

Noma usebenzise ivoti lakho ukucindezela uhulumeni ukuba unike wonke umuntu i universal minimum grant, ukuze wonke umuntu ezothola imali? (Funda ngalokhu lapha) Moma kwenziwe ama-big state work projects afana ne-Working for Water noma i-Working on Fire?

Noma yini ilungile kunokuthi sibuswe ama-gangs. Ngoba emhlabeni wama-gangs, angeke uphunyuke ungenalo igazi ezandleni nokwesaba enhliziyweni uphilela lolosuku. Khumbula ukuthi wathini uMdu: “Uwena oyisilima, Padlock. USpha ucabangela ikusasa lakhe. Akafani nathi esiphilela inamuhla kuphela.”

Kubuhlungu kodwa, ngoba uSpha noLinda babona sebephakathi ukuthi uma usungenile kulukhuni kuyitshe ukuphuma emhlabeni wama-gangs.

Uma ufuna ukufunda ngama-gangs, nazi izincwadi ezimnandi zalapha eningizimu Africa ezikhuluma ngalesihloko. Enye yazo i-novel enezindondo eziningi kaSifiso Mzobe, umbhali weMhlazane Sibamba Inkunzi 1&2.

Young Blood by Sifiso Mzobe: www.groundup.org.za/article/young-blood-extract-sifiso-mzobes-novel/

What will People Say by Rehana Roussouw, reviewed here on FunDza: https://live.fundza.mobi/home/library/fiction-books/racismtrends/review-what-will-people-say-rehana-rossouw/

Gangtown by Don Pinnock: www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-03-28-book-review-don-pinnocks-gang-town-wakes-you-up-to-a-cold-reality/