‘Tata sukumbulala umama’

“Tata ndiyakucela yhini, sukumbulala umama.”

La ngamazwi kaLiso Mandondo (12) enqanda utata wakhe uSicelo Nxeke ngethuba egwinta ngemela umama wakhe, uNokuthula Mandondo (37).

ULiso, kwakunye nabantwana bakowabo uSisipho (14) kwakunye no-Isiphile (7), bebebukele bekhala bekwanqanda uSicelo besithi bacela asindise umphefumlo kaNokuthula. Kodwa uSicelo akakhange asimamele isicelo sabantwana bakhe.

Uhlabe unkosikazi wakhe amanxeba aliqela, wamtyalasha namabele ekwamahlaba nasezimpundu wamshiya ethe tywa phantsi ebhubhile.

ULiso ebengayazi ukuba umama wakhe ubhubhile, umbethe ngesandla esithi: “Mama ndicela uvuke.” Kanti ngelo xesha, sele kudala ekobandayo uNokuthula.

Esi sihelegu senzeke kwilokishi yaseSiviwe, ekwaziwa njengeStocks, eQumrha ngobusuku bangoMgqibelo umhla wamashumi amabini kule nyanga.

Abazibonele ngawenyama kunzima nokuyichaza imeko ahlatywe ngayo uNokuthula. “Ubunokusifaka isandla kumanxeba wakhe, ebemhlabela ukuba angaze aphinde avuke. Amabele uwatyalashe ngemela. Kukho namanxeba asezimpundu,” utshilo uNonzukiso Ginya, umalumekazi kwixhoba.

Ukubhubha kukaNokuthula yintlungu engathethekiyo kubantwana bakhe. Sithetha nje iingqondo zabo azisebenzi kakuhle. Kude kwanyanzeleka ukuba basiwe esibhedlele ukuya kunyangelwa umothuko. Oonontlalo-ntle babiziwe, ukuza kuzama ukuthuthuzela umphefumlo wababantwana, abavele bakhale ebusuku, uthi xa ubabuza le baphendule leya.

Ngethuba I’solezwe lityelele kolu sapho kule veki, lifike intlungu isabhalwe ebusweni bezihlobo zolu sapho. Abantwana bakaNokuthula bekunzima kubo, bengqiyame ngamadonga, bebhalwe unxunguphalo.

Umhlobo kaNokuthula uThembisa Bhosha uthi uve ngesikhalo ngobusuku bangoMgqibelo.

“Xa ndijonga phandle nanku umhlobo wam ebalekela apha endlini esithi mandivule. Ndiye ndavula sazama ukunqanda sicela utata kaSisipho ukuba ayeke ukubetha uVovo [elinye igama ebesaziwa ngalo uNokuthula].

“Uye wangathi uyanqandeka utata kaSisipho, ndacela uVovo ukuba azimele emva kwekhabhathi apha endlini. Sithe sisajonge leyo, wathi gqi utata kaSisipho ephethe imela enkulu.

“Umhlabe inxeba lokuqala ndava uVovo ekhwaza esithi nqandani, kanti kukugqibela kwethu ukuva ilizwi lakhe. Xa emphinda elesibini khange siphinde simve ekhala kulapho ndiye ndathatha usana lwam oluneenyanga ezintathu ebhedini, ndabaleka ndingazi ukuba uyakuphuma athini kum,” kutsho uBhosha.

UBhosha uthi akucinga ngendlela ahlatywe ngayo uNokuthula, asothule phezulu isikhalo.

“Bendikade ndisoyika ndinemibono yokwenzekileyo kuba yonke le nto iqalele phambi kwam.

Amapolisa kwakunye nemoto ethwala izigulane zifike ngokukhawuleza emva kokuba zitsalelwe umnxeba nguBhosha kodwa wabe sele ebhubhile uNokuthula.

Ngokwengxelo yosapho uSicelo noNokuthula bebekuthanda ukuxabana. USicelo ebetyhola uNokuthula ngokrexezo nangona nje kusithiwa akazange ambambe endodeni nangosuku olunye.

UVuyani Notshezi, osisihlobo kuSicelo, uthi uSicelo ingxaki yesikhwele ebenayo kodwa ebekwanayo nengulo ngokwasengqondweni.

“Ebekhe abenamaxesha okubona abantu yedwa esingababoniyo thina esithi ngabantu abalala nomfazi wam. Simhambisile ebantwini abanyangayo ngesiNtu, samsa nakwizibhedlele zabaphazamiseke ngokwasengqondweni wangathi ungcono. Xa engabuselanga utywala ebelunga kodwa akusela utywala aqale apho ebeyeke khona,” utshilo uNotshezi.

Ngethuba eyokubonwa kuvalelo lwamapolisa ngeCawe, uSicelo ubuze abantu bakowabo ukuba kwenzeke ntoni. “Usibuze ukuba yinyani na into yokuba nguye obulelele umyeni wakhe. Xa simxelela ukuba yinyani, uthe singaphindi siyombona eluvalelweni lwamapolisa kuba naye uzakuzibulala,” kutsho uNotshezi.

USicelo uvelile kwinkundla kamantyi waseQumrha ngoMvulo ophelileyo, ze wabekwa ityala lokubulala. Ityala lakhe limiselwe umhla wesihlanu kule nyanga, logama yena esagcinwe emapoliseni.