Itsha-ntliziyo labakhubazekileyo
ULeonard wafumanisa ukuba abantu abaninzi abakhubazekileyo bahlala intlalo enzima kwingingqi yaseKokstad. Iintsapho zabo zazibafihla, abanye bevalelwa, uninzi lungafumani nkxaso itheni. Uninzi lwabo lwalulamba kwaye luhlala ebugxwayibeni.
Kunjalo nje babengawazi amalungelo abo njengabantu abakhubazekileyo.
ULeonard waphinda wafumanisa ukuba uluntu ngokubanzi, lwalunezimvo ezibheke ecaleni nezingakhiyo ngabantu abakhubazekileyo. Babecinga ukuba abantu abakhubazekileyo abakwazi kuzenzela nto. Abanye babebasizela, abanye beneentloni ngabo.
ULeonard wagqiba kwelokuba abantu abakhubazekileyo badibane, bathathe inxaxheba ukutshintsha esi simo.
ULeonard wadibanisa abantu abakhubazekileyo kwingingqi yaseKokstad. Bebonke baqala umbutho omtsha obizwa iMount Currie Disabled People’s Organisation (MCDPO). Lo mbutho uthiywe ngentaba ende elele emva kwedolophu iKokstad. Umbutho iMCDPO wabhengezwa kumcimbi owawubanjelwe kwiholo yedolophu yaseKokstad ngenyanga ngoMatshi 1999. Abantwana abakhubazekileyo bacula, abanye belinganisa imidlalo yeqonga. Kwakukho nendwendwe ezibalulekileyo eziphuma kwindlu yoWiso Mthetho, zize kubonisa inkxaso yazo kubantu abaqale lo mbutho.
Ukusukela ngoko lo mbutho weMCDPO waba nodumo kwingingqi yaseKokstad, kwakunye nakwiphondo lwaKwaZulu-Natal. Lo mbutho udlale indima engummangaliso ekwaziseni nasekufundiseni uluntu ngamalungelo abantu abakhubazekileyo. Uzame ukuguqula izimvo zoluntu wakwazi kananjalo nokuvuselela intlonipho yoluntu mayela nabantu abakhubazekileyo. Kwabanjwa iminyhadala kuzanywa ukubonisa uluntu ukuba abantu abakhubazekileyo baya kwazi ukuzenzela izinto.
Iqela leKokstad City Lovers lamakhwenkwe angaphantsi kweminyaka elishumi elinesine nomqeqeshi wabo uLeonard Gregory kunye nezikhulu e-Independence Stadium eMthatha, kwiTransnet Soccer Club Championships (2000).
Enye yeempumelelo zalo mbutho yaba kukuququzela umnyhadala we Juni 16, ngonyaka ka1999, National Youth Day. Ngale mini abantwana abakhubazekileyo badityaniswa nabantwana abangakhubazekanga abafunda kwizikolo zezithili. Iikwayala zabantwana abakhubazekileyo zacula iingoma zenza nemidlalo yeqonga besenza neentetho. Abantwana abakhubazekileyo nabo bangakhubazekanga bafumanisa ukuba bathanda izinto ezinye. Emva komnyhadala abantwana abakhubazekileyo, bancoma nendlela abaye baphathwa ngayo ngabantwana abangakhubazekanga bebanika intlonipho nembeko.
Umbutho weMCDPO wangenelela nakumba wokunqongophala kwezindlu, okwakubhekene nabantu abakhubazekileyo. Uninzi lwaba bantu lwalungenazo izindlu ezithi bona, kwaye behlala ebugxwayibeni. Lo mbutho wabancedisa ekufumaneni izindlu kwibhunga ledolophu. Kuninzi lwaba bantu yayililixa lokuqala ukuba bafumane izindlu ezizezabo.
Enye yeengxaki eyayijongene nabantu abakhubazekileyo kwesi sithili, yayikukunqongophala kwemisebenzi.
Kwakunzima ukufumana imisebenzi, ngokuba abaqeshi bengabafuni abantu abakhubazekileyo babe ngabasebenzi babo. Ngokoke iMCDPO yaqala isikolo sokuwelda kunye nokuchwela kwii-ofisi ezindala zikamasipala. Bebesebenzisa iincutshe zabantu abakhubazekileyo, amalungu eMCDPO aqeqeshelwe ukuwelda kunye nokuchwela. Baye bafumana ikhontrakthi evela kumasipala. Lo mbutho ubuye ulungise iwheelchairs kwindawo le abasebenzela kuyo. Ngale ndlela bangenisa imali embuthweni. Le mali isetyenziselwa ukuthenga izixhobo ezintsha. Ethe yasala imali amalungu ebe esabelana ngayo.
ULeonard neMCDPO bakha ubudlelwane obuluqilima nomasipala, urhulumente wephondo, imibutho ezimeleyo, kwakunye namaqela aziwayo ebhola ekhatywayo. Inkulumbuso yangaphambili yephondo laKwaZulu-Natal, uLionel Mtshali, wakhe wathetha kwenye yeminyhadala eyayiququzelelwa yiMCDPO.
Iqela lebhole ekhatywayo iBush Bucks yakhe yadlala kwakwenye yale minyhadala.
ULeonard engqina ecaweni iKokstad Assemblies of God ezama ukukhuthaza abantu.
ULeonard wasebenzisa udumo lwakhe kwibhola ekhatywayo ukunceda ukuphucula ubomi babantu abakhubazekileyo. Lo mbutho wawunenjongo ezininzi ngekamva, wawufuna ukuqala ikretshi yabantwana abakhubazekileyo, kwakunye nesikolo esiza kufundisa abantu abadala abakhubazekileyo.
“Ukukhubazeka makungakunqandi,” lawo ngamazwi kaLeonard ahlala ewatsho kubantu abakhubazekileyo.
“Nceda kangangoko unakho eluntwini.” Umyalezo kaLeonard eluntwini ulula. “Abantu abakhubazekileyo banezakhono. Uluntu ekuhlaleni kufuneka luguqule indlela elibajonga ngayo abantu abakhubazekileyo, loo nto ke iya kuthi yenze wonke umntu axhamle kwigalelo labantu abakhubazekileyo.”
ULeonard esamkela isipho kuBishop William J. Slattery ngendima ayidlalileyo njengomqeqeshi webhola ekhatywayo (1999).
ULeonard litsha-intliziyo, akasenguye umdlali webhola wodumo. Ngoku ungumqeqeshi obalaseleyo kwibhola ekhatywayo, kodwa ufumene indima entsha yokuba litsha-ntliziyo labantu abakhubazekileyo. Namhlanje abantu basambiza “Shoes”!
pic12 ULeonard “Shoes” Gregory noMlungisi “Professor” Ngubane, kunye nonyana wakhe uLee Gregory (2000)
