Phandle kwakulomnyama ongabambeka ngezandla. Phakathi komnyama lo isidalwa esiyimi sasiphefumula nzima. Ikhanda lalingicacada angathi kulabantu ababengikhanda ngezando ezimbili, ngizwe sengathi seliqhekezeke phakathi kanti hatshi. Ubuso babuphakathi kwezigxingikazi ezazincedisa ukuthi ngiphefumule kuhle. Kwakungaziwa ukuthi  ngingaphinda ngiwadle ambele.

Sasibabili amalunga emulini yakwethu, mina lomalume uSekaNcube esasilaliswe esibhedlela. Kwasekulamalanga amane sihlaselwe ngumkhuhlane mqedazwe lo okuthiwa yikhorona. Umalume yena wayehlatshwe yisihlabo esephefumula nzima kungathi usengaphela loba nini. Umalumekazi unakaNonto yena wayegula esendlini, evele wabuya elomvimbano omubi evela eKapa, kweleZansi Afrika. Wayekhwehlela, ethi umzimba wakhe uyatshisa. Yena wayeke wagula eMzansi, elofuba, ngakho ukugula kwakhe sonke sakuthatha lula sithi sokuyinjayelo.

Ngelanga lesihlanu sisesibhedlela, walethwa umalumekazi bethi usetshisa kakhulu njalo uthi umphimbo wakhe usubuhlungu. Kazange elatshwe, bathi abongi labongikazi besalungisela ukumnceda wabethi ‘salani’. Thina siphakathi lomalume sezwa kuthiwa usephelile isidumbu sesisiwe emosha. Umkhuhlane lo ulezigigaba ngoba umalume wehluleka ukuya emngcwabeni womkakhe engavunyelwa ukusuka esibhedlela.

Ngathi ngifika ngivela esibhedlela ngayavakatshela umngane wami uMuzingathi. Ngingakahlali isikhathi ngathi nyelele umama engaboni ngoba ngangingavunyelwa ukuphuma. Ngathola izindaba ezidanisayo zokuthi uMuzingathi labanye afunda labo esikolo basesibhedlela, babanjwe umkhuhlane weCovid-19. Ngamangaliswa linani labatsha abasebehlaselwe yilomkhuhlane ngoba ekuqaleni kwawo abasiki bebunda babesithi kawuhlaseli kangako abatsha ngoba besaqinile, uhlasela abadala. Yizo-ke izigigaba zeCovid-19 lezi.

Ngathi ngixoxa laye uMuzingathi wathi ekuvulweni kwezikolo ngemva kwekhefu lezinyanga eziyisithupha, bathabelana bakhohlwa ukufaka izayeke njalo babethintana bebingelelana. Abanye babelala mbheda munye njengabangane ababehlale isikhathi eside bengabonani, izikolo zivaliwe.  Sekudingisiswa ngokuhlaselwa kwesikolo lesi yiCovid-19 kwatholakala ukuthi kulomntwana owayefelwe nguyise, onguye owayelegcikwane leCovid-19, okukhanya walithatha ebantwini ababeze emngcwabeni. Uyise yen wayethethwe yimvukuzane yamaphaphu.

Abantu abangomakhelwane basebevalela abantwababo ukuthi badlale lami. Bangangibona basebehambela khatshana kwami njalo kunzima ukuthi bakhohlwe ukuthi sengisilile njengoba ngikhutshwe esibhedlela. Ngazibona izigigaba zeCovid-19. Ngazitshela ukuthi kutsho ukuthi sengizadlala loMuzingathi osile emkhuhlaneni lo njengami. Injalo iCovid-19, ulahlekelwa ngabangane abantu bakubone bahambele kude le sengathi uyinyoka umabonabulawe. Ngitsho labazalwane labangane engangikhonza labo, baba yilihlo lentwala. Ngangithi nxa ngigula eminye imikhuhlane bazefaka umthandazo kodwa sengiloCovid-19, umkhuhlane wezigigaba, abantu baqinisa ukungikhulumisa kumakhalekhukhwini.

Yikho kukhuthazwa ukugqoka izayeke ezivala umlomo lamakhala, ukuqhelelana okwemitha eyodwa kwabantu lokuhlanza izandla ngemithi okwemizuzu engamatshumi amabili nxa umuntu eke wathinta izindawo ezithintana labantu. Yikho njalo kukhuthazwa ukuthi abantu bangahlali bebamba amakhala lamehlo  njalo bafake isandla nxa bekhwehlela. Kukhuthazwa ukuthi bahlanze, batshise nge-ayini izayeke njalo bazigqoke kuhle ezamalembu ezingalahlwayo. Lezi ezilahlwayo kulunge kakhulu esohlobo lwe N-95.

Umkhuhlane lo ulezigigaba. Kambe buphi ubuntu nxa abantu bengasathintani, sebekhulumisana bekhatshana njalo bengasaxhawulani. Yimihlolo le esintwini sakithi. Kambe sizakufa singasaxhawulani? Batayi! impilo kayisafani.  Zifile izigidi zabantu ngelanga emazweni. Abanye betshaywa ngamakhanda, abanye behlatshwa yizihlabo ezicina zibancitshe umoya baphefumule nzima. Abanye njalo kuqala samvimbano abantu besathi kumbe, umuntu atshise acine esethe qha.

Uzanqotshwa ngenkani lumkhuhlane ngoba sekulendlela zePCR leRDT* ezihlola ngokungenisa uluthi emakhaleni. Sokulomuthi owenza igcikwane leli nxa lihlasela abantu lingabi lamandla, kube nje sengathi ubelemvimbano umuntu kumbe etshaywe likhanda nje. Wayengelamanga owathi okungapheliyo kuyahlola, ngomunye umnyaka uzaphela du unyamalale umkhuhlane lo kodwa izigigaba zawo ngeke safa sazikhohlwa.

TABOKA DUBE        tabokadube04@gmail.com    Cell No. 0773728562

*PCR – polymerase chain reaction (a test to detect presence of a virus, eg. Covid-19)

  RDT – rapid diagnostic test (test to detect presence of Covi-19 or other such viruses)