“Mzukulu, ngangingekho ezweni lenkaba ngenxa yesimo selizwe. Ngangise Ningizimu Afrika. Ngomnyaka ka2020, ekuqaleni kwawo, sezwa amahemuhemu athi sekukhona umkhuhlane obulala abantu ubuthumuthumu. Kwathiwa lumkhuhlane uqale phesheya kwelamaTshayina.” 

“Pho kwakuthiwa yini lowo mkhuhlane gogo?” ebuza uMbali emafulufulu efuna ukuzwisisisa. 

“Kwathiwa yiKhorona vayirasi mzukulu, babuye bawubize nge Covid-19.”

“Hawu gogo, umkhuhlane obizwa nge nombolo pho?” 

“Yebo mzukulu, leyo nombolo yasuka onyakeni eyabonakala ngawo. Yize thina sawuzwa ngomyaka owalandelayo, kodwa wona wavela ngo 2019. Lumkhuhlane mntanomntanami wamenyezelwa kubomabonakude kanye lasemisakazweni, kodwa sasingathembi ukuthi uzafika lase Afrika, yingakho lemigomo yokuwuvikela sasiyitshaya indiva ekuqaleni. Phela thina sasikholelwa ukuthi uzatholwa yilabo abalezimali abakwazi ukuya emazweni aphesheya, kanti phinde mzukulu sasizikhohlisa nje.

“Kuthe phakathi kukaMbimbitho kwamenyezelwa umuntu wakuqala eMzansi Afrika owayesebulewe yiCovid-19 leyo. Lapho sisamangele mzukulu abantu baqala bafa okwesithelo lapho sivuthwe kakhulu siqhululeka phansi. Izibalo zazikhuphuka usuku ngosuku. Sanikezwa imigomo okumele siyilandele ukuze singathelelani lula.”

“Sasithelelwana njani gogo?” 

“Kwakuthiwa yisifo esihamba ngomoya mzukulu. Yingakho nje sasivala imilomo lempumulo ngamalembu. Kwakumele sigeze izandla njalonjalo ngesepa, njalo kumele sihlale siqhelelane ukuze umuntu angatholi umoya ovela komunye. Kwaya kwaba kubi ngamandla mzukulu, uMongameli welizwe wamemezela ukuthi ilizwe liyavalwa okwamalanga angamatshumi amabili lanye. Lokho kwakusitsho ukubana kakho ophuma endlini. Kwakumele ngolowo ahlale emzini wakhe angaphumi, ngaphandle kogulayo, loyathenga ukudla. Thina abangayisibo baseMzansi savalelwa khonale ngoba lemingcele yavalwa. Abantu abanengi balahlekelwa yimisebenzi ngoba kwavalwa lamankampani, yonke imisebenzi eminengi yavalwa. Heee! Mntanomntanami, isimo sasisibi.

“Ngelinye ilanga ngibukele izindaba ngabona kukhitshwa indoda ebulewe yilesisifo, kwathiwa inkosikazi yakhona layo simhanqile usethwalelwe esibhedlela. Ngemva kwamalanga amane kwathiwa leyo inkosikazi kanye losane lwabo labo sebedlule. Saphila ngokwesaba mntanomntanami, ngoba lokuhlawulela leso sifo kwakubiza kakhulu. Wawusithi ungazizwa ukhwehlela kancane, loba umphimbo uhayiza, unathe zonalezo izinto ozizwa zikhulunywa ngabantu kuthiwa ziyasiza.”

“Kanti gogo umkhuhlane lo ubungelapheki yini?” 

“Babelokhu bethi odokotela basalidinga ikhambi elingawelapha umkhuhlane, thina silinde ngokwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi siyazivikela ngayo yonke indlela. Okubuhlungu mzukulu yikuthi labo esibathandayo besingasakwazi lokubangcwaba ngesizotha. Emngcwabeni besekuvunyelwa abantu abangeqi amatshumi amathathu, kanti lemizimba yabafi bekungavumelekanga ukubavula sibavalelise okokucina.  Besingazilondolozeli abantu bethu abadlulileyo. Besekusenziwa ngabakahulumende abagqoke izigqoko zakhona ezokuzivikela, thina izihlobo kuthiwe sime le khatshana. Bekubuhlungu kakhulu lokho ngoba ukumbona owakho selele yikudelisa umoya lenhliziyo. 

“Kuthe ngemva kwesikhathi kwamenyezelwa ukuvulwa kwemingcele kodwa kuvulwa ngezigaba ngezigaba, okwenza abanye abanengi baqhubeka bahlala emakhaya. Kwangabibikho lokudla emakhaya lezimadlana abantu ababelazo seziphelile, kanti futhi lemisebenzi isiphele unomphela. Izibhedlela zazigcwele abantu besifa njengamajodo. Izibalo zazilokhu zisenyuka. Isiko leminyaka yonke elephasika lavalwa ngo 2020, akuzange kube lokuhlangana kwabazalwane. Lezindawo zonke zokukhonzela zazivaliwe, kanye lezokucima umhawu wokoma ekudleni kwabadala. Saphiwa ithemba ngodokotela bethi sihlalele ethembeni, besithi luzakubangcono lolubhubhane ehlobo. Kwathiwa lesisifo asizwani lokutshisa ngakho sizadeda sekuqala ukutshisa.”

“Lithe lifika mzukulu ihlobo kuqala unyaka ka2021 kwathiwa isifo siza ngesivunguzane esikhulu, besithi sesingesesigaba sesibili. Lokho kwasethusa kwasiqeda amandla, lonke ithemba esasilalo laphela du. Omakhelwane sasingasabakhaleli abahanjelwe yilunga lomndeni, ngesizatho sokwesaba ukuthelelana. Izihlobo lazo zazingasahambelani, sekuthintwana kuphela ngencingo. Mina ngahanjelwa ngumzawami ngaso isikhathi se Covid-19, samkhupha eZansi lapha mzukulu eyedwa qekele, ibhokisi kanye lomtshayeli wemota ukuthi ayefihlwa ekhaya. Yayingekho into esasingayenza yize sasifisa ukumphelekezela, kodwa imingcele ivaliwe, bengavumeli abantu ukwedlula. 

“Hawu usulala kanti mzukulu?” 

“Kangilali gogo, ngimamgele kakhulu njalo ngethukile gogo. Kambe sesaphela isifo leso kumbe sizabuya katsha njengoba sasifike ngamahlandla?” 

“Hamba uyolala mzukulu wami. Siyobuye sixoxe kusasa. Ulale kuhle ntombi kagogo.”

Thembi Ndiweni

+27 621648131