NGU- DOKOTELA VUSI SHONGWE
AMATHEMBA okuthi sogcina siyizuzile inkululeko ephelele ezweni lethu ancipha nsukuzonke. Umonakalo owadalwa izinhloso zobaba wobandlululo uDokotela Henrik Verwoerd kubonakala izingcweti zemfundo zihluleka ukulwisana nazo ekuqhubekeni ukudala umonakalo. Nina beSilo umbhalo wami wayizolo nowanamhlanje uhlose ukhumbisa ukuthi impi enkulu esibhekeni nayo inkundla elwelwa kuyo kusezingqondweni, zona belu lezi ngqondo imfundisoze yo- Verwoerd esaqhubeka idala umonakalo. Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi akukho ukundlondlobala nokuvelela kwezemfundo nobuchwepheshe amabhunu ayefisela umuntu omnyama ngaphandle kokuthi, ngokukaVerwoerd, abamuntu omnyama babe “abasizi bezinkuni nabasizi bamanzi (“hewers of wood and drawers of water.”).
Sekuphele iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amathathu sakhululeka emaketangweni esasiboshwe wona ezinyaweni nasezandleni, kodwa asala amaketanga abophe ngqi izingqondo zethu. Emva kweminyaka engamashumi amathathu imfundo yabantu abamnyama isaqhubeka ukubenza “abasizi bezinkuni nabasizi bamanzi.” Kuncane uma kukhona okushintshile.
Kunezibonela ezimbili engifisa ukuba kusukela namhlanje sisukume njengesizwe senze umnikelo wokulungisa umonakalo weminyaka osaqhubeka ukwenza imfundo yomuntu omnyama into engenamsebenzi. Ngolunye usuku ikhehla elithize livuswa umsindo wakamakhelwane, kuyabhiyozwa kujatshuliwe. Seliyabuza ikhehla ukuthi kwenzenjani kungalalwa. Impendulo ithi kubhiyozelwa ukuphumelela kwengane kamakhelwane ekuphaseni iziqu zemfundo. Ikhehla lona ngokuthi lithi uma kuthiwa ingane kamakhelwane ifundile ngabe iyakwazi ukwenza amakhandlela. Kulabo izingqondo zabo ezazikhaliphile basheshe bakuqondisisa ukujula kombuzo wekhehla, lwathi heqe uvalo. Kulabo abaxhugelayo ekucabangeni bacishe balishaya ikhehla, balithuka bathi lingumthakathi. Iqiniso lithi ikhehla lalibuza umbuzo ofanele ukubuzwa. Iqiniso lithi kulezigidi eziyisishagalombili zabantu abangasebenzi lapha emzansi iningi labo intsha efundile kodwa imfundo yabo engahambisani nalokho okudingwa izimboni zezwe. Ngamafuphi kunokungavumelani phakathi kwamakhono adingwa izigagayi zezimboni kanye neziqu zemfundo iningi labafundi elinazo. Imfundo iningi labafundi abanayo ayikwazi ukwenza lamakhandlela ikhehla elaliphawula ngawo. Nina beSilo, kwesinye isikhathi isimo sethu sokuxhugela siletha umunyu kanye nokuhlambalazeka. Ngiqinisile ngiqinisile ngithi uma njengesizwe singashintshi ukwenza akukho okuyosilungela. Siyohlala njalo siyilokho oVerwoerd ababefisa sibe yikho. Isibonelo sesibili engifisa ukukhuluma ngaso esihambisana nokuphawula okwenziwa ikhehla simayelana nolwazi lokusebenza ngezandla ( vocational training) kulabo bokufika, ikakhulukazi lapho abavela eZimbabwe naseMozambique. Iqiniso lithi iziqu zami zobudokotela engangicwaninga ngomashiyimpiyakhe, iSilo uDingane ngeshwa ngeke zikwazi ukungisiza ukulungisa iphayiphi eliqhumile lamanzi. Kuyaziwa lapha ekhaya kwami ukuthi uma kunenkinga eyogesi, eyamanzi, kuthintwa uLovemore insizwa yaseZimbabwe. Ivele ifike imakwabo, emizuzwini engemingakhi izobe isukulingisile obekulimele. Uyoyincoma umama aze ayibhansele ngamaveji kubonakala ukuthi sekushaywa mina ukuthi ukube abengekho uLovemore abeyobe egxize njalo amanzi.
Nina beSilo, ngikholwa ukuthi lapha eNingizimu Afrika sizoqhubeka sithembele kubantu bokuhamba uma singashintshi indlela esiphila ngayo. Sesifikile isikhathi sokuthi abazali bazinikeze isikhathi babhekisise ukuthi izingane zabo zithandaziphi izifundo, nokuthi zifisa ukuba yini uma sezigogodile ngokufunda. Iqiniso lithi akusibobonke abayoba nenhlanhla yokufunda eNyuvesi. Abazali abasondele ezinganeni zabo ukuze bathole isithombe esiphelele ukuthi zona uqobo lwazo izingane zifisa ukwenzani. Angeke ingane ithi itshengisa ikhono lokwakha noma lokusebenza ngogesi umzali ayiphoqelele ukuthi kufanele iyofunda eNyuvesi kanti kahle kahle kufanele ingane iyofunda kulezikhungo okuthiwa “Imfundo Yezobuchwepheshe Nezokuqeqesha”. (Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges. Nina beSilo, sesifikile isikhathi lapho ukugxila kwethu sikubhekise kumakolishi emfundo Yezobuchwepheshe Nezokuqeqesha. Lokho kukodwa kuyoqeda lokungavumelani (misalignment) okukhona phakathi kwamakhono adingwa izimboni kanye nezitifiketi zemfundo iningi labafundi elinazo kodwa ezingahambelani namakhono adingwa izimboni zesizwe ukufukula umnotho.
Ngiyafisa ukudlulisa umlayezo kubazali ukuthi sesifikile isikhathi sokugqugquzela ukubaluleka kokufunda kwizikhungu zemfundo Yezobuchwepheshe Nezokuqeqesha ngenhloso yokwandisa amakhono ezweni. Uma njengesizwe siqhubeka sidembesela sigqugquzela intsha ukuba ibe neziqu ezingakwazi ukwenza amakhandlela, ababokuhamba ngeke bagcine ngokuhlala kuleli; bayogcina besiphethe. NgesiNgisi, going to University is still cool but it cannot be compared with being part of the TVET environment.
Nina beSilo, lomonakalo wokuswelakala kwamakhona adingeka nsukuzonke atholakala kuma-TVET colleges kubonakalo ngokuthi uma kukekwaqhuma iphayiphi lamanzi, kwesinye isikhathi kuze kuphele iviki lonke kulungiswa iphayiphi ngoba bengekho abantu abanolwazi. Iqale nenkohlakalo. Labo abasebenza ukulungisa amaphayiphi amanzi noma kagesi basebenze ngonyawo lonwabu ngoba befuna ukuthola imali yesikhathi esingeziwe (overtime).
Kuyahlekisa ukuthi indlu emnyama uma ifuna ukwenza inkohlakalo iyakwazi ukucabanga ngaphandle kwebhokisi ( think outside the box), kodwa uma kufanele icabange ngaphandle kwebhokisi odabeni olunomthelela wokuthuthukisa isizwe, ihlala ixhugela. Ngiphawula kanje ngoba sengifisa manje uma sigcwekisana ngemibono siqhamuke nezincomo kanye nezixazululo. Ngike ngafunda kuyo lengosi yoKhwozi ngentokazi eyacabanga ngaphandle kwebhokisi yasungula amakilasi okufundisa isiZulu. Lesi isenzo esihle kwazise izingane ezinye zabantu abamnyama zifunda ezikolweni zabelungu lapho izilimi zabantu abamnyama zingafundiswa. Ngisithokozele isenzo sokuqala lamakilasi okufundisa isiZulu kwazise mkhulu umonakalo odalwa i-social media ezilimini. Isibonelo: mina ngiyilokho abathi ngesiNgisi i-“fuddy-duddy.” u-“good night” wami akuyena u-“gudnite.” Mina ngikholelwa ku-Laugh Out Laud hhayi lo- LOL.
Ngiyafisa ukuphonsa inselelo kubafundi abangasebenzi ukuthi bake balufakele amehlo udaba lokusiza abazali abasebenzayo nabangakwazanga ukuvela esikoleni ngokuthi basungule izinhlelo zokulekelela izingane ngomsebenzi wasekhaya (home work), abazali abangavelanga esikoleni abazithola besenkingeni ukuthi kufanele benze njani. Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi izikolo zabelungu zaziba namakilasi angeziwe(extra classes) emva kwesikole ukusiza izingane ezixhugelayo kanye nalezo abazali bazo abangafundile. Kuthe uma abelungu bebona ukuthi indlu emnyama itheleke ngezinkani ezikoleni zabelungu, amakilasi angeziwe nawasiza izingane ezivela emakhaya abazali ngeshwa abangafundile, avalwa. Inhloso yokuvalwa kwamakilasi angeziwe kwakuyi- ngesiNgisi i-gate-keeping. Ukuvimbela indlu emnyama ukuthi ibhalise kulezikole. Kunjalo nina beSilo. Lawa amaqiniso okufanele siwakhulume. Angibhali kanje ngoba ngizonda umlungu. Cha, ngizithanda kakhulu ukuthi sengazi ngimoshe amandla ngabe ngiyawasebenzisa ukuhleka ngincokole kodwa mina ngifuna ukuwasebenzisela inzondo.
Ngamafuphi, amaKhosi kanye nomasipala abahlinzekele ngezindawo yilapho abafundi abahlezi emakhanya bengenza umnikelo wokulekelela izingane zenze umsebenzi wasekhaya, ukuchazela izingane kulokho ezingakuzwanga ekilasini. Ngiphonsa inselelo kubafundi abafundele umsebenzi wezempilo kanye nomsebenzi wezenhlakahle ukuthi bangasungula izindawo ezizishaya sazinkulisa lapho abazali bengashiya khona izingane zabo uma beya ematohweni. Yini engavimba ukusebenzisana ndawonye konesi nosonhlakahle ekuhambeleni ogogo nomkhulu emakhaya ukubheka ukuthi konke kusahamba kahle, bathole imijovo namaphilisi amahlalakhona – o-BP kanye noDiabetes. Ngigcine ngokuthi abafundi abangasebenzi bangaqala izinhlelo zokuba abaqondisi babavakashi ( tour guides), kwazise isiFundazwe saKwaZulu-Natal sinothe kakhulu kwezokuvakasha okuhlanganisa izindawo zamagugu kanye nezomlando. Yonke le misebenzi engithi ingaqalwa abafundi abafundile kodwa abahlezi emakhaya ingaholela ekutheni kube khona okuncane abakutholayo ukubeka isinkwa ematafuleni emakhaya abavela kuwo. Lesi isikhathi sokuthi ingeniously think outside the box. Akekho ozosicabangela uma thina qobo lwethu singazicabangeli. Ayilula impi onkundla yayo ingqondo.
