“Awu, kodwa Nkosi yami! Kuthange lokhu bekubekwa indodana yami yesibili ngingekho. Namuhla sekubhubhe unkosikazi…kufa awulazwelo,” kububula uKhandakhulu umfokaDube emva kokwemukela umbiko umazisa ngokwedlula kukankosikazi wakhe uMaDube ngobhubhane lweCovid-19.

Into ezwisa uDube ubuhlungu yikuthi akayikwenelisa ukuyangcwaba ikhosikazi lakhe ngendaba yokuthi  laye wabanjwa igcikwane leCovid-19.

Ngomthetho owabekwa ngabezempilakahle kunye lohulumende weZimbabwe, umuntu olomkhuhlane weCovid-19 akavunyelwa ukuthi ahlanganele labanye funa amemethekise umkhuhlane lowo. Okunye njalo yikuthi umzimba womuntu obulewe lubhubhane lweCovid-19 kawubonwa yizihlobo loba ubani, njalo emngcwabeni wakhe kuvunyelwa abantu abalihlekanyana. Yinto eqeda uDube amandla leyo.

Emva kokutshonelwa yindodana yabo yesibili, uDelukufa, ensukwini ezimbalwa ezazidlule, uDube lonkosikazi wakhe bathathwa bahanjiswa esibhedlela seThorngrove koBulawayo emva kokuba betholakele belegcikwane leCovid-19 eselibulele inkulungwane lezinkulungwane zabantu emhlabeni wonke jikelele.

Ngokuswelakala kwenhlanhla, ngemva kwensuku ezintathu indodana yabo ibhubhile,  unkosikazi laye uselandele.

“Abadala baqinisile nxa besithi isalakutshelwa sibona ngomopho. Khathesi ngokungalaleli kwami sengibulalise unkosikazi wami kunye lendodana yami…,” waqhubeka ebubula okaMthembo engekho owayengamduduza ngokuseduze funa laye lowomuntu abambe lolubhubhane.

UDube yindoda eyayikhonze kakhulu utshwala, njalo ingafuni kuxwayiswa ngomunye umuntu.

Kwathi ngokuqhamuka kobhubhane lweCovid-19 ngo2020, uhulumende weZimbabwe wakhipha umthetho wokuthi amabhawa avalwe njalo abantu bahlale ezindlini ukuze kwenqatshelwe ukumemetheka kweCovid-19. Ngenxa yokuthanda utshwala, amazwi kahulumende angena aphuma endlebeni zikaDube, kwafana lomuntu othela amanzi emhlane wedada—kwanhlanga zimuka lomoya. Waqhubeka esiyanatha laboGovu etshabhini yakoMaS’kokiyana eselokitshini elidala leMakhokhoba. Endaweni lapho oDube labangane bakhe ababenathela khona utshwala, kwakuhlala kugcwele abantu kuphithizela, ubona ngamadoda labesifazana bephuma bediyazela, besiyachitha ethangweni lomuzi.

“Mina lo, ngihlale endlini nginganathi utshwala? Ngeke! Kungamane ngibulawe yiCovid-19 kuphele lokhu. Mina vele ukufa angikwesabi. Ngehlula impi…,” enguDube lowo ngenye intambama esebuhlabile, sebusekhanda, sebumbonisa ipholisa emanzini. Athi eqeda ukutsho lokho afe ngembambo ahleke kuze kuvele elomhlathi.

“Wena Dube ufana lami sibili, uhulumende lo kasiboni sibili. Kengibuze bantu bakithi. Ukhona na la oseke wabona into okuthiwa yiCovid? Hmm? Lingiphendule. Msuzwane, wena ohlala usithi sigqoke izichibi zakho lezi emlonyeni, uyayazi?” watsho uThathekile eseqhulule amehlo okomdlwane otholakale untshontsha inyama emkulwini.

Kwakusemnandi ngalezonsuku, begida beseqa oDube, bekhomba ngophakathi, bekhohlwa ukuthi ubuwula buyabulalisa. Manje umkhuhlane weCovid-19 udla ubhedu, uhlaba omncane uhlabe omdala. Lokhu sekudinga ukuthi sonke singumphakathi siziphathe kuhle sizivikele singafani loDube labangane bakhe ababecabanga ukuthi bangontaba kayikhonjwa. UDube owayeklamasa esithi iCovid-19 ayibulali manje usesibhedlela, usehlabela eyinye ingoma —umhlaba usumjikele. Abangane bakhe bonke ayenatha labo utshwala besephula izimiso zikahulumende sebembalekela ngoba eselegcikwane eliyingozi. Unkosikazi wakhe lendodana yakhe sebebhubhile bamtshiya egcekeni, kukanti laye ngapha ziyabila, usengobangwa lezibi.

“Dokotela! Dokotela! Khawuleza uze ngapha! Ubaba lo kasenelisi ukuphefumula,” kumemeza omunye umongikazi ebona uDube esevule amehlo ekhiphe lolimi phandle, esengohodozayo.

“Uxolo mongikazi, ngokusweleka kwenhlanhla asiselamtshina womoya wokuphefumula. Ebesilayo yonke isifakwe ezinye izigulane…,” kuphendula udokotela ekhangele uDube owayesekhwehlela okungapheliyo ebambe isifuba ngezandla zombili.