‘Inxila lenqununu…’

ABAFUNDI besikolo i-St Thomas School for the Deaf eZeleni eCumakala, bavale amasango esikolo kule veki bebambe ugwayimbo besithi bafuna isebe lezemfundo ligxothe inqununu yabo uZwelandile Jizana abamtyhola ngokungakhathali “nokunxila” esikolweni.

Abafundi batyhola le nqununu ngolawulo oluhexayo abathi lubangele ukuba bangatyi iintsuku ezimbini kwisikolo sabo kule veki. Ngenxa yoku, abo bafunda uGrade 12 babhale iimviwo zabo belambile logama abo basela amayeza ngenxa yezigulo ezahlukeneyo, bekwenze oko kwizisu ezingenakutya.

Ngenxa yokukruquka kokunqongophala kokutya kwesi sikolo, aba bafundi – ukusuka kuGrade R ukuya kuGrade 11 – bavale amasango esi sikolo benyanzelisa ukuba isebe lezemfundo lizokuthetha nabo. Abakwa-Grade 12 abathabathanga nxaxheba ngenxa yokuxakeka zizifundo.

Kunyanzeleke ukuba kubizwe amapolisa ukuzokujongana nengqumbo yaba bafundi abebephethe amapheke-pheke anyanzelisa ukugxothwa kukaJizana.

Aba bafundi bathi ngoMvulo bekungekho kutya, baye balala belambile. Bathi ngoLwesibini bavuke bengenakutya, suka inqununu yabo yathenga iilofu zezonka ezintandathu kubantwana abakumakhulu amathathu. Kutyholwa ngelithi isikolo sichitha imali ekwi-R21 000 ngeveki kwiindleko zokutya kodwa bona abayiboni ukuba le mali iphelela phi. Bakwathi asikokokuqala begqiba iintsuku bengenakutya.

Betolikelwa nguBulelwa Madikane, okwaziyo ukunxulumana nabantu abangeviyo ngeendlebe, aba bafundi baphalaze intlungu yabo kwiphephandaba I’solezwe.

Umfundi kaGrade 6 uKhanya Mboneni uxelele I’solezwe, ngokutolikelwa nguMadikane, esithi: “Kudala silambile kuba ubuninzi bethu abatyanga izolo (ngoMvulo). Kusasa namhlanje (ngoLwesibini) uninzi lwethu luvuke lungatyanga.”

Omnye umfundi uAnele Malahle ofunda uGrade 10 uthe: “Ndiva kabuhlungu kakhulu yile meko. Abanye bethu abaphilanga, ngoko ke kufuneka basoloko benento yokutya ukuze basele amayeza abo. Sibone ukuba masibambe ugwayimbo. Into esiyifunayo kukuba inqununu yethu ikhwelele kwesi sikolo, asiyifuni.”

“Inqununu yethu ayikhathali, kuba yiyo ebekufanele isikhathalele. Le nto yokungakhathalelwa kwesi sikolo, yile ibangele ukuba isikolo sethu sibengu-0% kwiimviwo zikaGrade 12 ngonyaka ka-2016.

“Inqununu yethu iza esikolweni inxilile. Xa siyilinganisa, nathi sinxila, iyasigxotha kodwa yona ayenziwa nto xa inxilile,” kubanga uMalahle.

Yena uWandile Mali ofunda uGrade 9 uthe: “Sidiniwe yindlela esiphethwe ngayo. Kudala sifuna abasemagunyeni balungise le meko, kukho iingxaki kwesi sikolo. Iyanxila inqununu yethu ayisihoyanga. Sifuna igxothwe le nqununu.”

UHilda Mbeta, wakwaDeafSA okwaphangela kwesi sikolo, uthi imeko yaba bafundi imenza alale nzima ebusuku.

“Siyacela uMphathiswa [Mandla] uMakupula angenelele kule meko. Imali echithwa kwiindleko zokutya kwaba bantwana ikwi-R21 000 ngeveki, kodwa asiboni mahluko.”

Usihlalo weDeafSA eMpuma Koloni uKhumbulani Mshiywa, uthi bafuna ukuyisa kwiPalamente yephondo eBhisho imeko yabafundi base-St Thomas. UMshiywa uthi okwenzeka kwesi sikolo kuyakhabana noMgaqo-Siseko weli lizwe.

UNomhle Nyanda, ongusihlalo webhodi yolawulo kwesi sikolo (SGB) uthi kukho iingxaki nje e-St Thomas kungenxa yolawulo oluhexayo kubaphathi besi sikolo.

Isithethi sesebe lezemfundo eMpuma Koloni uMali Mtima uthi zenziwe iinzame zokubuyisela esiqhelweni imeko yesi sikolo. Isebe lezemfundo likwadize ukuba lizithathela ingqalelo izikhalazo zabafundi mayelana nendlela yokuziphatha kwale nqununu.