‘Iyandiwela le ndlu!’

UKUFIKA kwethu kule lokishi yaseMlungisi, eCumakala, ibiyimizuzu engephi phambi kokuba kube semini emaqanda.

Bekuzole nasebukhweni bezinja, kungekho moya, ilelo langa lasebusika lozelisayo.

Besalathwe ukuba sakuthi xa sifika kwivenkile yakwaNokhaya, emva koko sijikele kwisitalato esingemva. Besixelelwe ukuba sakugangwa ngumzi ohlwempuzekileyo.

Ngenene sivele sama kwisango sabuza ukuba: KukwaMpengu apha?

Kuphendule umama onomzimba omncinci esitsholo phantsi. “Ewe kukwaMpengu ningangena.”

Lo mama, uBhabha Mpengu (56), ebepheke umngqusho ngembizanyana emnyama phandle, emana ukukhwezela lo mlilo.

Indlu yakhe ibalisa ngobomi, ungekangeni nje ubona iimpawu zenkxwaleko nokuphelelwa lithemba.

Sifike esindile phantsi, esithi usinde nje le ndawo siza kufikela kuyo kuba wohlulwa ngamandla ngenxa yempilo.

Okokuqala simbuze ukuba uneminyaka emingaphi, kuba ukhangeleka emdala, waphendula ngelithi: “Ndiza kunibonisa ipasi lam.” Ekuthetha oku engena kwigunjana lakhe lokulala kulo mxhoxho (indlu yodaka nezinti), ze waphuma nepasi wasibonisa. Uzelwe ngonyaka ka1963, kodwa siqaphele nto. Lo mama uthabathe inxaxheba kunyulo obe lubanjwe ngomhla wesibhozo kule nyanga kaCanzibe.

Umam’ uMpengu, okwaphila nesifo sokuxhuzula, uhlala phakathi kwabantu abasebenzayo abanezindlu zeRDP kule lokishi. Yena akanayo, isizathu asaziwa mntu.

Imvulamazwi yakhe xa echaza ngemeko yendlu yakhe uthi: “Ndiwelwa yindlu!”

“Ndiyayityabeka kodwa iyawa. Andiyazi ukuba kutheni ndingenandlu karhulumente. Bandidlula mna. Ukuba kutheni andiyazi,” utsho lo mama.

Simbuza ukuba ngowuphi umyalezo afuna waziwe ngurhulumente, uthe: “Ndingamxelela ukuba iyandiwela le ndlu. Ndithe ndivula umnyango ngenye imini kwawa ucango, nam ndawa ndayokubetheka ngenqentsu phantsi zacima okwethutyana iingqondo,” utsho lo mama.

ULungisile Ntloko, othi umam’ uMpengu ngumakazi wakhe, uthe: “Le ndlu ingamonzakalisa nanini na. Yiminyaka umakazi ehlala kanje, abantu bakarhulumente bengamhoyanga.”

Umam’ uMpengu uhlala yedwa kule ndlu. Inendlwana engathi yeyeenkukhu azithuma kuyo kuba akazange akhelwe kwanaloo ndlu yangasese. Bonke oomakhelwane bakhe banezindlu zangasese zikarhulumente.

Ukuhlutywa kwesidima sakhe kubonakala xa echophe kuloo ndlwana ezithuma.

Lo mama uthi ngaphandle kokuxhuzula, ukhathazwa nangamathambo. “Ndizithela chu ndiye ekliniki ndiyokuthatha iipilisi.”

Kodwa into encomekayo kulo mama kukuba uzilimela imifuno kule yadi yakhe.

Unyana kamam’ uMpengu, uSipho Mpengu, uthi ngenxa yempilo kamama wakhe, wakhuliswa (adoption) nguMsamariya waseMonti. Ngoku usebenza njengonogada kwaye imali ayanelanga ukuba angade akhe indlu.

USipho uthi uyile kwiminyango efana neSebe lokuHlaliswa koLuntu eMonti, waya kwiOfisi yeANC eCumakala, waya kwiOfisi yeNkulumbuso eBhisho, kodwa akukho ziphumo.

“Intliziyo yam ibuhlungu, angasweleka nanini ingakumbi xa kuna imvula,” utshilo uSipho.

Isithethi seSebe lokuHlaliswa koLuntu eMpuma Koloni, uSimthandile Ford, uthembise ngelithi baza kuthumela amagosa ayokuhlola imeko yalo mama, ze basebenzise igunya labo lokwakhela abantu abadandathekileyo izindlu.

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