“Shoooooes!” (isiZulu) – Isahluko 6

Isishoshovu sabakhubazekile

ULeonard wathola ukuthi abantu abakhubazekile banempilo enzima abanye babo balahliwe noma bacashisiwe kude ezindlini ezingemuva imindeni yabo. Abanye babephila ekuhluphekeni. Abaningi babengazi ngamalungelo abo njengabantu abakhubazekile.

ULeonard waphinde wabona ukuthi abantu emphakathini banemibono ecwasayo ngabantu abakhubazekile. Babecabanga ukuthi abantu abakhubazekile abakwazi ukuzenzela izinto. Abanye abantu babebadabukela, abanye bezinyeza ngabo. ULeonard wabona ukuthi abantu abakhubazekile kumele bahlangane ukushintsha lesi simo.

ULeonard wahlanganisa abantu abakhubazekile eKokstad. Ndawonye basungula inhlangano entsha ebizwa ngeMount Currie Disabled People’s Organisation (MCDPO). Igama layo lithathelwa egameni lentaba emi ngemuva kweKokstad. Ukwethulwa kweMCDPO kwabanjelwa ehholo ledolobha eKokstad ngoMashi 1999. Abantwana abakhubazekile badlala umculo nemidlalo yeshashalazi kanti futhi kwakunezimenywa eziqavile zasePhalamende, kanye nemiklomelo yokwaziswa kwalabo abalekelele ukuqalwa kwenhlangano. Selokhu iqalile iMCDPO isibe inhlangano edumile eKokstad kanye nasesifundeni saKwaZulu-Natal. Isifake imizamo nomdlandla omningi ekutuseni nasekukhuphuleni ulwazi. Isizamile ukushintsha imibono yabantu nokuthola inhlonipho yomphakathi kubantu abakhubazekile. Isilungise nemicimbi etshengisa umphakathi ukuthi abantu abakhubazekile bangazenzela izinto.

Iqembu iKokstad City Lovers labaneminyaka engaphansi kuka-14 nomqeqeshi wabo uLeonard Gregory. Babenezinye izitatanyiswa eMthatha Independence Stadium lapho kwakubanjelwe khona umncintiswano kazwelonke wabangaphansi kuka-14 iTransnet Soccer Club Championships (2000).

Ukuphumelela okukhulu kwalenhlangano kwaba ukugqugquzela ukuhlangana kwentsha ngeNational Youth Day ngomhlaka Juni 16, 1999. Ngalolosuku abantwana abakhubazekile bahlangana nabantwana abangakhubazekile beqhamuka ezikoleni ezejwayelekile. Amakwaya entsha ekhubazekile adlala umculo nemidlalo yeshashalazi. Abantwana abakhubazekile bethula izinkulumo. Abantwana abakhubazekile kanye nalabo abangakhubazekile bathola ukuthi bathokozela izinto ezifanayo. Emva kwalokho abantwana abakhubazekile bathi labo abangakhubazekile sebebaphatha ngenhlonipho. Babezibongela kakhulu kwiMCDPO ngokuhlela lo mcimbi.

Inhlangano yeMCDPO isisizile ukubhekana nezinkinga zezindlu ezibhekene nabantu abakhubazekile. Iningi lalabantu bebengenazo ezabo izindlu bephila ngaphansi kokuhlupheka. Inhlangano yeMCDPO yabasiza ukuthola izindlu emkhandlwini wedolobha. Iningi labo babeqala nokuba nezindlu zabo ezithi bona.

Enye yezinkinga abantu abakhubazekile ababebhekene nayo ukwentuleka kwemisebenzi. Abakwazi ukuthola imisebenzi ngenxa yokuthi abaqashi ababafuni abantu abakhubazekile njengabasebenzi ngakhoke iMCDPO iqale indawo yokufundisa abantu ukushisela insimbi nemisebenzi yokubaza, emahhovisi amadala kamasipala. Ngokusebenzisa abantu abanamakhono abakhubazekile amalunga eMCDPO afundiswa ukuba abashiseli nababazi. Inhlangano yeMCPDO yawina itenda lekontraki yokushisela kwamasipala.

ULeonard ecobelela abanye ngendaba yakhe ngenhloso yokubakhuthaza esontweni iKokstad Assemblies of God.

Le nhlangano iphinde ilungise amawheelchair endaweni yabo yokusebenzela. Ngalendlela benzela inhlangano imali. Le mali isetshenziselwa ukuthenga imishini emisha. Esalayo itholwa amalunga enhlangano.

ULeonard neMCDPO bakha ubudlelwano obuqinile nomasipala, nohulumeni wesifunda, nezinhlangano ezingaphandle kwahulumeni, kanye namaqembu ebhola akhokhelwayo. Lowo owayengundunankulu waKwaZulu-Natal, uLionel Mtshali wakhuluma emicimbini yeMCDPO. Amaqembu afana noBush Bucks ayedlala kulemicimbi.

ULeonard usebenzisa abantu axhumene nabo emkhakheni wezebhola ukulekelela ukuphucula izimpilo zabantu abakhubazekile. Inhlangano yeMCDPO inezinhlelo eziningi ngekusasa. Ifuna ukuqala inkulisa yezingane ezikhubazekile, nohlelo lokufundisa abantu asebekhulile.

“Ukukhubazeka akumele kukuvimbe,” kusho uLeonard kubantu abakhubazekile. “Ungabamba iqhaza ngokuphelele emphakathini wakho.”

Umyalezo kaLeonard kumphakathi ulula, “Abantu abakhubazekile, likhulu iqhaza abangalibamba. Amalungu omphakathi kumele ashintshe indlela abuka ngayo abantu abakhubazekile, ukuze wonke umuntu azuze ngeqhaza elibanjwa abantu abakhubazekile.”

ULeonard ebongwa nguBishop William J. Slattery ngempumelelo yakhe ekuqeqesheni ibhola lezinyawo (1999).

ULeonard isishoshovu, akasesiyena umdlali webhola oqavile. Manje usengumqeqeshi oyingqayizivele webhola, kanti futhi usethole nendima entsha yokuba isishoshovu sabakhubazekile. Zonke izinsuku abantu basambiza ngo“Shoes”!