Makupula: Iqhula nesicaka soluntu

“UKUBA kukho bani ongaphathekanga kakuhle yimizekelo yam eyavakala ikukuqhula: ndithi ngxe! Ibingeyonjongo yam ukujongela phantsi nabani na.”

Oku kwathethwa nguMphathiswa wezeMfundo wePhondo laseMpuma Koloni ongasekhoyo uMandla Makupula (57), kwimbalelwano eyayipapashwe liphephandaba I’solezwe lesiXhosa kunyaka ophelileyo.

UMakupula wayephendula kwizankxwe kwinqaku elalipapashwe leli phephandaba apho wayekhuthaza ootitshala ukuba mababengumzekelo kubafundi.

Iqhula, isicaka soluntu, itshantliziyo, utitshala wezibalo kwanosopolitiki – uMakupula ibingumntu obezixakekise ngekamva labantwana beli phondo. Noxa nje iziphumo zebakala leshumi elinesibini (Grade 12) bezirhuqa emva xa kuthelekiswa namanye amaphondo, uMakupula akazange alilahle ithemba futhi ebesoloko ekholelwa ukuba kukusebenza nzima nokuzinikela okunokutshintsha imeko yezemfundo kweli phondo.

UMakupula ukhokele eli sebe iminyaka esibhozo. Noxa nje abanye abantu bebemgxeka, akazange avumele izankxwe zimphazamise kumsebenzi wakhe wokuphucula imfundo yabantwana beli phondo.

UMakupula waqeqeshelwa ubutitshala kwiYunivesithi yaseTranskei (eyaziwa njengeWalter Sisulu University ngoku), ze wahlohla izifundo zezibalo nenzululwazi kwibakala lamabanga aphezulu. Ukhe wayiyo nenqununu, into exela ukuba njengoMphathiswa ebesenza into ayaziyo, hayi ukuthekelela. Waxelela eli phephandaba ukuba ikhondo lobutitshala yinto esondele kakhulu kwintliziyo yakhe, ngoko ke uye angathandi xa ebona ootitshala benxibe ngendlela engafanelekanga.

Kumsebenzi wakhe, uMakupula ebesoloko ebonela kutitshala wakhe ongasekhoyo uDouglas Vakele Mapisa. UMapisa lo, ozala umama uNosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, wayeyinqununu eMdantsane, efundisa uMakupula.

“Iimfundiso zakhe ezakhayo zisandikhokela nangoku ebomini bam. Lowo ke nguMnu. DV Mapisa, owayesakuba yinqununu yaseLangelitsha Higher Primary eMdantsane. Wayegxininisa ukubanjwa kwexesha, ucoceko, ukufaneleka kwisinxibo, ukusebenza ngokuzinikela, nokuba impumelelo iyasetyenzelwa.

“Ndisoloko ke njalo ndihlab’ ikhwelo kwimihlangano nabasebenzi besebe ukuba silandele imizekelo yooBawo uMapisa, nto leyo inokubuyisa isidima nesithozela kubutitshala nakubafundi njengobizo,” uMakupula waxelela eli phephandaba.

Kwinyanga ephelileyo, kumsitho wokudiza ngenani lootitshala bonyaka ka2019, sileli qela lephephandaba I’solezwe safika sele ethethile nezinye iintatheli uMakupula, kulandela ukubambeka linqaku elikwanxulumene nezemfundo eMdantsane.

“Hayi akukho ngxaki masiyokuphaka, ze sithethe xa sisitya,” kwatsho uMakupula eyalela iintatheli zephephandaba I’solezwe ukuba ziyokuhlala naye etafileni, zidlane iindlebe naye ngombandela wenani lootitshala abafanele ukuba basesikolweni kunyaka ozayo.

Emva kokuba sithethile, uMakupula wathi: “Qhubani manene, umsebenzi wephephandaba I’solezwe wokupapasha iindaba ngolwimi lwesiNtu siyawubona, futhi siwuqaphele.”

Apha sithetha ngomntu obeyikhathalele kunene imfundo, esithi into ebangela lo nto kukuba ufuna ukubenza bancume “abazali abancama imali yabo yokugqibela kuba befuna ikamva eliqaqambileyo labantwana babo.”

Noxa nje izinto bezingancumisi mzi, uMakupula ebesoloko ekholelwa ukuba ukhona umqela owenziweyo leli sebe.

“Kodwa ke kubalulekile ukuqwalasela umsebenzi omkhulu esiwenzileyo silisebe. Ngokomzekelo, umfundi wokuqala omnyama othe watshatshela kwilizwe liphela ebephuma apha kweli phondo. Lowo nguLuvo Luzipho wase-St James kuCofimvaba, owabhengezwa ngonyaka ka2014 njengomfundi wokuqala omnyama ogqwesileyo phantsi kwenkqubo yentando yesininzi,” watsho uMakupula.

Asisayithethi ke eyobuqhula bakhe. Ethetha nabafundi, ootitshala nabazali eNgcingwana eDutywa nyakenye, uMakupula wathi: “Namhlanje sixakene nootata ekuthiwa ziiBlesser. Uyayazi ingxaki yala mntu (Blesser) yintoni? Ndingangayichani kakuhle kuba andiyiyo iBlesser, kodwa ebomini into endiyifundileyo kukuba, xa ukhe waphosa inqanaba elinye uyakuhlala uqhwalela unaphakade.”

“Ndiyasola ukuba la mfo (Blesser) akazange amdlale undize ngexesha elifanelekileyo. Ngoku sele [emdala] usafuna ukudlala undize nabantwana, kuba kaloku undize yinto yabantwana,” kwatsho uMakupula.

Phumla Ngoxolo Dlangathi!