VUKA MNTOMTSHA!

Kuthuba elidlulileyo kube lokuxwayisa okuphathelene lokuhamba ngendlela elameva. Kubonakele ukuthi elameva indlela iyamlahla umntomtsha engananzelele azithole esephakathi kwameva abuhlungu. Lalamhla sifisa ukukhangela amanye ameva aphathelene lokuyengana kwabontanga. Ontanga ngabatsha, abasakhulayo, abangabangane. Bayathanda ukwenza abakwenzayo bendawonye, kwenzeke kwesinye isikhathi kube yikuyengana okulahlekisayo. Ukuyengana lokhu kwande ukuthi kukhokhelele kokubi. Abanengi bakuzwisisa kuhle ngesiNgisi uma kukhulunywa nge ‘peer pressure’. Xwaya ukuyengana labangane lokho mntomtsha, ngoba ungananzelele ungazithola usugalula loba ube ubhudlukele esizibeni esilengwenya, ikungxavuze.

USambulo yintombazana ekhuliswe ngenhlonipho njalo iqakathekisa ubuntu. Njalonje ubelabangane abalobuntu abalalela abadala njengaye. Imuli yasithuthela kwelinye idolobho, uSambulo labafowabo kwasekumela bantshintshe izikolo. Esikolo sakhe esitsha wathola kunzima ukuzuza abangane abalobuntu njengaye. Isikolo lesi esitsha sasilabantwana abanengi abavela emizini evundileyo, abalakho konke nje abakuswelayo. Wamangala ukuthi ontanga laba bephuma emizini elempilakahle, lapho okungaswelwa khona, kodwa ukuxhwala ababelakho kwakumangalisa! Ngezikhathi zerisesi kwakusiba lamaqembu ngobungane kuxoxwa ngezikholisisa bona. Kwesinye isikhathi babesiza esikolo befihle okuthile okunathwayo lokubhenywayo okungavumelekiyo kubaphathi lababalisi. Uthole sebehleka okungaqedakaliyo njalo bekhuluma izibozi. USambulo wayengakuthandi abakwenzayo, kodwa yibo abasebengabangane. Waqala esala nxa bemupha lezozinto, kuthi kungu-Egina athi kuye, “Zama mngane wami. Akulimazi lokhu, thatha lokhu okuncane.” Waqala esala. Kodwa wananzelela ukuthi sekungathi bayambandlulula, bamvalela ngaphandle kwengxoxo zabo, wabona kungcono ukuthi aphonguyenga kancane. Kodwa ukuyenga kancane kwakhula kancane kancane. Engananzelele, wacina esenatha njalo ebhema. Wayesekukholisa. Uhlupho lwaseluyikuthi afihle njani ngekhaya. Unina wayeseqalisile ukuba emjinga ngemibuzo engapheliyo. Waqala ukulova esikolo bevakatshela ezindaweni zabo labangane. Wayesefunde ukufihla ezinye izigqoko esikhwameni sakhe sezingwalo, ukuze antshintshe sebevakatsha. Waqalisa ukuphuza ukufika ngekhaya, evala ngokuqamba amanga. Kungemaviki mangaki, babizwa esikolo abazali uMphathisikolo esezonde ngabo lala bantwana engasadlanga nkotshana. Nguwe ongachaza okwenzakala ngekhaya mhlalokho.

Ontanga bayayengana ngezindlela ezinengi. Bakhona abaqala ukweba ngekhaya, bantshontshe kwabanye esikolo, besenzela ukusuthisa inkanuko zabo. Abanye bayengana bacindezelane ngokuya emacansini bengakafaneli lokho. NjengoSambulo labangane, bayayengana balove esikolo ngoba abafisa ukutshona bekwenza sekuyikho okuqakatheke kakhulu kubo. Izidakamizwa ziba yimpilo kwabanye, kugoqela konke ukunatha utshwala lokubhema igwayi. Bayavama ukuba lamaqembu bafise ukuzizwa amandla phezu kwabanye. Kunengi abakwenzayo okungakhiyo. 

Mntomtsha, engxenye wake wasizwa isiga sesiNgisi lesi esithi inyoni zosiba lunye ziphapha ndawonye. Limqotho. Ezosiba lunye ziyazi ukuthi zingaqonga okunganani, okwesikhathi esinganani, zilubangise ngaphi okuhle khona kuzo. Kusitshoni lokhu? Kuyikuxwayisa ukuthi qaphela ontanga loba abangane ozwana labo, odlala labo, oxoxa labo njalo otshona labo. Nxa bekuyenga bekuhugela kokubi, baleka. Ungamotshi isikhathi ucabanga ukuthi uhlakaniphile awungezake ulandele okubi abakwenzayo. Lalela unembeza engakathundubali ufulathele abangane abangakhiyo. Ukuyengwa lokuhugwa ngontanga abenza okubi, ontanga abangelabuntu, kubi. Baxwaye, wakhe ikusasa lakho elihle ngokuba labangane abakhayo, hatshi ababhidliza isimilo lobuntu bakho. Vuka mntomtsha!

Gogo Barbara Nkala