“Ngiyathemba awunankinga ngokuhlala kwami eduze kwakho,” kwasho uBuyekezwa kulomlisa wesikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’. Lomfundi wayejulile ebhukwini le ‘National Geographic’. UBuyekezwa wabuka izinwele zalomlisa ezihlakazekile, wabuka ophaca, wafunda umbhalo esikibheni nasebhukwini ayelifunda. Wabona umgexo wamagobolondo atholakala esihlabathini solwandle, wahlanganisa konke ayekubona wahlawumbisela ukuthi lomlisa uyilenhlobo yezidabulane ezithanda imvelo. Wacabanga ukuthi ufunda izifundo ze Environmental Science noma iBotany.
“Cha, anginankinga, ungahlala,” kwaphendula lomlisa esusa amehlo ebhukwini ayelifunda ewaphonsa kuBuyekezwa. UBuyekezwa wabuka amehlo alensizwa ebuka umbhalo we DA isikibheni sakhe walinda ukuthi iphawule, kodwa lensizwa yangasho lutho. Yaqhubeka nokuzifundela ibhuku layo le National Geographic.
“Empeleni ngifisa ukukhuluma nawe mayelana nemvelo,” kusho uBuyekezwa ngezwi elicwecwiwe. Insizwa yehlisa ibhuku kancane, yalivala yalibeka emathangeni, yagoqa izingalo, yalalelisisa ukuthi uBuyekezwa ukhuluma ngani.
“Qhubeka ntokazi,” kusho insizwa yesikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’, “Ngikulalele”.
UBuyekezwa wachaza mayelana nezithembiso zeDA, wagxila kakhulu kweziphathelene nemvelo.
“Thina siyi DA asihambisani nokubulawa kwabo bonke obhejane – abamhlophe kanye nabamnyama,” kusho uBuyekezwa ekhomba isithombe esisesikibheni salomlisa. “I DA ingenza amathimba ahlome ngakho konke futhi aqeqeshiwe ukulwa nabazingeli bobhejane. Lamathimba angabahlehlisa ababuyisele eMozambique labazingeli. I DA ingavala lonke uhwebo ngophondo lukabhejane, futhi singabanika isigwebo sentambo abaphula lomthetho.”
UBuyekezwa wasola ngathi ubenehaba nokho mayelana nalokho ayekusho, kodwa waqhubeka ngoba ebona ukuthi lomlisa umlalele futhi uhambisana naye. Lomlisa wavuma ngekhanda waphakamisa isithupha ukukhombisa ukuthi uyavumelana noBuyekezwa.
UBuyekezwa waqhubeka wabeka okunye okwakuzovalwa iDA uma iphumelela ukhetho.Ukungcoliswa komoya esiwuphefumulayo, amabhodlela eplastiki, nama microwave ovens – wachaza nenhlawulo enkulu ehambisana nokuphulwa kwalemithetho.
Wavala inkulumo yakhe ngokukhulu ukujula, “Umbono wami ukuthi abantu kumele bakwazi okumelwe inhlangano ngaphambi kokuvota, khona bezokwazi ukuthi ivoti labo liya endaweni ehambisana nabo”. UBuyekezwa wathatha iphepha elilodwa kwimbondela walinika lensizwa. “Asivotele inhlangano ehambisana nesikukholelwayo. Kodwa ikakhulukazi asivotele inhlangano ezophatha kahle umhlaba esiphila kuwo.”
Yebo, wayeziqhenya kakhulu ngalokhu ayekusho ekugcineni, kwakungasho lutho ukuthi wayekuntshontshe kumbhalo womkhankaso wenye inhlangano. Vele konke okujulile kuthathwe kwezinye izindawo.
UBuyekezwa wayenganakile, njengoba ayejulile ekhankasa kumlisa we ‘Save The Rhino’, ukuthi kukhona intokazi esemuva kwakhe emlalele. Wayesalinde impendulo kulensizwa, kodwa wathuka wacishe waquleka ezwa izwi lomuntu wesifazane limemeza endlebeni yakhe.
“Ucinga ukuba ungubani?!” kumemeza lomuntu wesifazane. Waphenduka uBuyekezwa ukuze abone ukuthi ubani omthethisa kangaka. Wadideka ebona ukuthi akaze nangelilodwa usuku ayibone lentokazi.
Esadidekile kanjalo, ezibuza ukuthi kwenzakalani, lentokazi yomsindo yathifela amathe ezicathulweni zikaBuyekezwa, yabeka izandla okhalweni, yamusho ngohide lwezinhlamba zesiXhosa.
“Ungunondindwa. Kutheni usidayisa singabantu abamnyama! Ume apha unxibe i t-shirt yabelungu uthetha nathi ngepolitiki. Sies. Hamba apha!”
Lentokazi yahlwitha amaphepha kaBuyekezwa okukhankasa, yagqashula ilastiki, yawaphonsa emoyeni asakazeka agcwala enkantini. Abafundi bashaya izandla beyincoma, abanye bayigxeka. Kwakukhona abanye abafundi abazithulele kodwa bebuka, befuna ukwazi ukuthi kuzokwenzekani.
Basebegcwele abafundi bengunge uBuyekezwa nalentokazi edinwe igane unwabu. UBuyekezwa walahlekelwa ukuthi enzeni. Wayefisa ukubaleka, efisa umgodi wokucasha, kungathi angathola indawo azocasha kuyo akhihle isililo. Wazikhumbuza ukutho akukho akwenzile okubi, ukubaleka kwakhe kwakuzofana nokuthi ubalekela lokho akholelwa kukho. Kwanda ukudideka ngoba ebona ukuthi sebengungwe abantu abaningi kakhulu.
Wabamba izinyembezi wamisa isibindi. Wezwa ngezwi elithethayo lithi, “Hlukana noBuyekezwa wena. Ungubani wena ohlukumeza abanye abantu? Awazi ukuthi siphila ezweli elikhululekile!?”
Wonke umuntu waqalaza efuna ukubona lomuntu ongena lendaba. Babona insizwa ende ethukuthele, enesifuba ekubonakalayo ukuthi ijwayele ukuzivocavoca, igqoke isikibha se ANC: u Jerome Sedgewick.
UJerome wasondela, wacosha amaphepha asakazeke phansi, wawabuyisela kuBuyekezwa. Waphendukela kulentokazi exabana noBuyekezwa, wathi, “Ubani okunika ilungelo lokuziphatha njengamaphoyisa obandlululo? Uzoxabana nawo wonke umuntu ongahambisani nawe ngokwepolitiki?”
Intokazi esuse umsindo yaphoxeka, yathula.
“Ngenhlanhla sekwabakhona imithetho esivikelayo kwizixhwanguxhwangu ezifana nawe. Sezaphenduka izikhathi, nawe phenduka nazo,” kusho uJerome, edonsa uBuyekezwa ngesandla besuka endaweni yalomsindo.
Ngaphandle kwasenkantini uBuyekezwa waphelelwa amazwi. Wazama ukubonga uJerome, kodwa wangingiza. UJerome wamtshela ukuthi asikho isidingo sokumbonga ngoba wenze obekungenziwa yinoma ngubani kulesisimo.
“Awuhambisani neDA! Yini ekwenze wahambisana nami?!” kubuza uBuyekezwa.
“Ungayibuki ngaleyondlela lento engiyenzile. Mina bengilwela ilungelo lakho lokubeka uvo lwakho. Sikuphi isidingo sokhetho uma silahlekelwa ilungelo lokuzikhethela izinhlangano esihambisana nazo. Kungavele kuyekwe ukukhankasa esimweni esinjalo, ngoba kusho ukuthi ayikho yonke lento esiyenzayo”
UBuyekezwa wathi, “Ngempela angazi ukuthi ngingakubonga kanjani”.
“Ikhona indlela ongangibonga ngayo, kodwa angikholwa ukuthi uzohambisana nayo,” kusho UJerome emamatheka.
“Akube into engizokwazi ukuyenza kodwa,” kuphendula uBuyekezwa.
“Into engiyifunayo into ongangibonga ngayo, ukuthi wena uyeke ukukhankasa kulensizwa egqoke isikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’. Yekela kube imina engikhankasa kuyona ngoba uyazibonela nje ukuthi ihambisana ne ANC. Ungangibonga ngalokho”
UBuyekezwa wahleka waze wazibamba isisu ngoba kungeyona into ayecabanga ukuthi uJerome angacela ukubongwa ngayo. “Ngempela ufuna lokho kuphela?”
“Ngempela,” kwavuma uJerome enqekuzisa ikhanda kancane.
UBuyekezwa wakhipha ipeni nephepha esikhwameni. Wabhala ephepheni wakhombisa uJerome, ethi, “Nasi isivumelwano. Umuntu ozokwenza leyansizwa ihambisane nenhlangano yakhe kuqala, nguye kuphela ozoba nelungelo lokukhankasa enkantini nesikhathi ekugcwala khona kakhulu. Ohlulekile akangeni ngalesosikhathi.”
“Anginankinga ngalokho, ngizosisayina leso sivumelwano,” kusho uJerome.
“Kulungile, akwenzeke njengokusho kwakho”, uBuyekezwa wamnika ipeni.
UJerome wahleka, wasayina, washiya isivumelwano kuBuyekezwa, wangena enkantini.
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Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: UBuyekezwa wahlaselwa ngemibono yakhe yepolitiki. Kulungile ukuthi uhlobo oluthile lohlanga noma abantu abakhuluma ulimu oluthile bahlanganiswe nenhlangano ethile kuphela? Kulungile ngobani? Akulungile ngobani?