UMCULI we-jazz, uMelody Ngwazi, udinga umuntu ozomtakula esangomeni njengoba engasakwazi ukusikhokhela imali yaso enguR17 000. UMelody udume kakhulu ngomucu awuqopha nomrepha oselingisa kwiDurban Gen, uZulu Boy, osihloko sithi Mazibuye Lezonkomo.
Njengamanje uthi uzizwa esefana nesiboshwa njengoba engakwazi ukuvele ahambe kagobela engakhokhile futhi engakhishwanga ngendlela yakhona.
UMelody uthe wayiswa ngumyeni wakhe, uKoti Ngwazi, esangomeni saseNewcastle, uNkk Sthembile Mngomezulu egula ngekhanda.
"Ngifike ngoSepthemba nyakenye ngigula ngekhanda, ngalashwa ngabe sengiqala ukuthwasa ngokuvumelana nomkhwenyana wami. NgoJanuwari ngabe sengiyovuma idlozi ekhaya, ngizophuthula ngoMeyi walo nyaka."
Uthe inkinga iqale uma umyeni wakhe esexabana noNkk Mngomezulu, ethi yena ngeke esawukhokha uR17 000 kodwa uzokhokha uR5000 wokungelapha ukugula ngekhanda kuphela. "Ugobela ufuna uR17 000 ohlanganisa inkomo yokungithwasisa enguR12 000 noR5 000 wokungelapha," kusho uMelody.
Uthe okumphethe kabi kakhulu ukuthi usegqigqa ezibhedlela ngenxa yokuhlaselwa wukugula okubangelwa ngamakhaza aseNewcastle. "Yingakho ngidinga usizo kunoma wubani ukuze ngiphume lapha." UNgwazi uthe yena akakwazi ukukhokha uR17 000 ngenxa yokuthi wayehambise uMelody ukuba ayolashwa ukugula kuphela hhayi ukuba athwasiswe.
"Anginayo mina imali njengoba nomsebenzi wokufaka ama-aluminium ubheda kulezi zinsuku ngenxa yeCovid-19. Ngizowuthathaphi-ke uR17 000 nenkomo nembuzi. Besisanda kukhipha uR12 000 wokuvuma idlozi ngoJanuwari. Ngithe mina imali engingayikhokha uR5 000 wokumelapha ukugula kuphela." UNgwazi uthe usehlela ukutheleka namaphoyisa emzini kaNkk Mngomezulu ukuze adedele umkakhe.
Ethintwa uNkk Mngomezulu, uthe umuntu onephutha uNgwazi ngoba akafuni ukuzobonana naye. "Akakhulumi nami. Mina ngathi uma enenkinga akeze sibonisane njengabantu ukuze ngazi ukuthi inkokhelo yami ngizoyithola kanjani ngoba sengimelaphile futhi ngamthwasisa umkakhe."
Uthe yena akanayo inhliziyo embi kodwa ulindele uNgwazi azoxoxisana naye ukuze uMelody aphume ngendlela. NoMelody ufakezele uNkk Mngomezulu ngokusola uNgwazi. "Umyeni wami akulabhadi lapha. Ngalethwa yingane yami endala. Akakhulumi nogobela kodwa ugcina ngokufonela umakhelwane kagobela bese eshiya umyalezo kuye. Wagcina ukukhipha imali yokudla ngoDisemba. Nezindleko zokuya kwami esibhedlela zithwalwa ngugobela kuphela hhayi yena," kuphetha uMelody.