UBuyekezwa wama isikhashana, waziqoqa, wadonsa umoya ngaphambi kokungena enkantini yasenyuvesi. Wayengakaze ayibone igcwele kangaka. Kwathi heqe uvalo ebona abafundi begcwele ematafuleni. Akabonanga muntu amaziyo kodwa wazitshela ukuthi, ‘Kodwa yikhona okulungile ukungaboni muntu engimaziyo, vele angizanga ukuzodlala lapha.’

Uvalo laduma esifubeni sikaBuyekezwa kodwa wadlula ezixukwini zabafundi, wagcina ngokufika etafuleni elikhulu kunawo wonke enkantini. Wavula isikhwama sakhe, wabheka kancane, isandla saphuma nembondela yamaphepha aboshwe ngelastiki.

Wenza konke lokhu uBuyekezwa kanti kukhona idlanzana labafundi elimqaphele. Okwakudonsa amehlo kakhulu isikibha ayesigqokile. Abanye babemkhomba, waze wazitshela ukuthi mhlawumbe usiphendukezele isikibha. Wazibheka, wathola ukuthi isikibha asinankinga. Wakhunjuzwa umbhalo osesifubeni sesikibha sakhe ofana nombhalo obhalwe emaphepheni kwimbondela ayeyiphethe ngesandla. Wabona ukuthi labafundi abamkhombayo bakhomba lombhalo ofundeka kanje: ‘VOTE DA on MAY 7th . YOUR CHANCE TO WIN’

Ambamba amahloni ngoba engeyena umuntu othanda ukubukwa. Kodwa nakhu phela ezidonsela amehlo abantu ngokugqoka isikibha esibhalwe umbhalo omkhulu wenhlangano yepolitiki. Wazibuza ukuthi abantu bathini ngesenzo sakhe. Ngabe bambuka kanjani engumuntu omnyama ohambisana ne DA? Imibuzo yalokhu iqhamukile engqondweni noma ezama ukuyiziba, kodwa waqhubeka nokubingelela abafundi ababegcwele etafuleni elikhulu ayemi phambi kwalo.

Abafundi abaningi bamziba, abanye bayeka ukudla bambuka, abanye bamncisha amehlo. Izithandani ezimbili ekugcineni kwetafula zamhleka zanikina amakhanda, kubonakala ukuthi azikukholwa lokhu ezikubonayo.

“Naze nangiziba bo. Kodwa khululekani ngoba ngeke nginenze lutho. Engikudingayo amavoti kuphela”, kwasho uBuyekezwa emamatheka kodwa ephatheke kabuhlungu ngokunganakwa.

“Asiyingeni indaba yepolitiki,” kwaphendula umfundi oseduze kwakhe oshaya ngemvukumvuku yesihluthu. “Ngisho kuthiwa nginendaba nepolitiki angisoze ngavotela iDA mina”. Insizwa yesihluthu yabuyisela kuBuyekezwa iphepha elikhankasela iDA.

Kwanzima nokho, kwacabanga uBuyekezwa. Wayezitshela ukuthi kuzoba nokuxoxisana okuncane, mhlawumbe kubekhona imibuzo ngezithembiso zeDA zokwakha imisebenzi, nokulwa nenkohlakalo, Kodwa lutho. Wayengazitsheli ukuthi abafundi basenyuvesi eSouth Africa kungenzeka bangayigqizi qakala indaba yepolitiki.

Yonke into iyipolitiki. Wonke umuntu uzama ukwenza impilo yakhe ibengcono, nomhlaba ubengcono noma uguquke. Kwakhona ukungamnaki ekhuluma ngepolitiki kuyipolitiki. UBuyekezwa wayefisa ukutshela umlisa wesihluthu konke lokhu, kodwa kunokuveza uvo lwakhe wakhetha ukuqoqa amapheshana ayewaphethe, avale umlomo.

“Linda kancane, mina ngizolithatha elilodwa,” kwasho izwi emuva kwakhe. Wabona ngesandla sithatha elilodwa lamaphepha ayewaqoqa.

UBuyekezwa waphenduka ukuze abone ukuthi ngubani okhulumayo. Wamangala ebona ukuthi lomlisa othatha iphepha uJerome Sedgewick. UJerome wezinwele ezinde ezimnyama, intshebe ecwecwe kahle namehlo aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. UJerome omhlophe ngebala kodwa uthandwa yibobonke abantu besifazane ezifundweni zePolitical Studies. Abesifazane bezinhlanga zonke bayazifela ngoJerome, noBuyekezwa uyazibala lapho.

Ngendlela okwamthusa ngayo ukuqhamuka kuka Jerome, kwathatha isikhashana ukuze abone ukuthi loluswahla lwensizwa lukhuluma naye. “Ngempela Buyekezwa, ukwenzelani lokhu okwenzayo?” kwasho uJerome egoqe izingalo, amashiya eshwaqile, elinde impendulo.

“Hayibo, ilungelo lami,” kwaphendula uBuyekezwa ezwa ukuthi lombuzo uyamcasula. “Siyalidinga iqembu elizophikisa iANC. Kuleminyaka engamashumi amabili iphethe iANC angiboni engathi kuningi okwenzekile,” wahlehla uBuyekezwa, wagoqa izingalo, washwaqisa amashiya njengoJerome.

Wahleka wabheka phansi uJerome, kwangathi ucabanga impendulo. Washeshisa wakhumula ijezi aligqokile kwavela isikibha esinemibala eluhlaza, ophuzi, nomnyama. Isikibha seANC esibhalwe ukuthi: ‘VOTE ANC on MAY 7th A BETTER LIFE FOR ALL’. Waveza imbondela yamaphepha okukhankasela iANC, wanika uBuyekezwa elilodwa.

Kwathula kwathi cwaka enkantini. Abafundi basondela befuna ukubona ukuthi kwenzakalani.

“Kwenzeke okuningi kuleminyaka iphethe iANC,” kusho uJerome. Kwazwakala ukugigitheka kulabo ababukayo.

Waphelelwa amazwi okwesikhashana uBuyekezwa, wezwa ekhungwa amahloni nokudideka. Amahloni ngoba kuqhamuke uJerome insizwa anemizwa yothando ngayo, ukudideka ngoba izinto zazingenzeki ngendlela ejwayelekile – engumuntu omnyama ehambisana ne DA, u Jerome emhlophe elandela i ANC.

Ethanda engathandi – khona uJerome wayeqinisile: izinto sezaphenduka eSouth Africa.

Emile ebuka amehlo kaJerome aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, wezwa ehlaselwa ukuhleka engazi ukuthi kuqhamuka kuphi. Wahleka, noJerome wamlandela ngohleko. Akuphelanga sikhathi esingakanani wonke umuntu obukayo wafa insini ngoba isimo sihlekisa.

Ekuhlekeni uBuyekezwa wazitshela ukuthi iSouth Africa iyahlekisa, futhi inezimanga. Lapho ucabanga ukuthi uyazi njengoba uzazi, ivele ikuvezele elinye ikhasi. Konke lokhu kwenziwa ubuhle bepolitiki.

UBuyekezwa walinda kwaphela ukuhleka, wathatha iphepha leANC elisesandleni sikaJerome.

“Bengizibuza ukuthi bazofika nini abaphikisana nathi,” kusho uBuyekezwa ecifela uJerome ihlo. Esathathekile kanjalo uJerome, uBuyekezwa waphenduka wahamba. Wathatha amagxathi ambalwa, waphenduka wamphephethela isinqandi. Wayishiya kanjalo insizwa ididekile.

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Sitshele ukuthi ucabangani: Ukungahambisani kwemibono ngokwepolitiki phakathi kukaBuyekezwa no Jerome kungayivimba imizwa yothando phakathi kwabo?