Kungithusile ukufunda umbhalo kaSolwazi Jonathan Jansen obunesihloko esithi ‘UKZN: It’s terrible seeing a varsity die, especially as it was preventable’ engosini yakhe ebishicilelwe yi-TimesLive ngomhla we-6 kuNhlolanja (February) 2020. Njengomuntu owayeyiSekelashansela, ngicabanga ukuthi lo mbhalo wakhe bekufanele ube nokuqonda okungcono ngesimo, ungabi nehaba futhi uqinise kakhulu ezisombululweni. Okulandela lapha ngezansi akubhekisiwe kuSolwazi Jansen noma embhalweni wakhe, nakuba ungihlupha, kepha kuyisitatimende esicacisa umbono weNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal (i-UKZN).
Ukuqubuka kwezibhelu okusanda kwenzeka emakhempasini ethu kulula ukuthi kuthatheke ngokuthi izingxoxo phakathi komKhandlu wabaFundi nabaphathi beNyuvesi sezifinyelele kwangqingetshe okusho ukuthi phakathi kwalezi zinhlangothi zombili alukho olufuna ukugoba uphondo noma okusho ukuqinisa ikhanda phakathi kohlangothi olulodwa noma zombili nokuthi ukuphazamiseka kwezinhlelo bekungagwemeka ukuba izinhlangothi zombili zikwazile ukuvumelana. Iqiniso wukuthi akulula ngaleyo ndlela futhi umthelela mkhulu. UMkhandlu Wabafundi nabaphathi beNyuvesi babhekene nesimo esinzima kakhulu. Akugcini nje ngokutholakala kwesisombululo salokhu esibhekene nakho manje kepha kumele futhi siqhamuke nesu lokuhlanganisa izidingo zeNyuvesi zezimali kanye nezidingo ezibalulekile zabafundi esikhathini eside.
Okufanele kushiwo kuqala ilokhu okusobala: udlame nokusabisa kuphambene nenqubo nomqondo wempilo yaseNyuvesi. Labo abenza lezi zenzo abamele muntu. Izenzo zokusabisa nezokucekela phansi impahla aziyona ipolitiki yanoma yiluphi uhlobo; empeleni ziphikisana nepolitiki nokusebenzisa umqondo. Aziyona indlela yokubhikisha kepha ziyizenzo zobugebengu kanti iNyuvesi izophokophela ukuthi izigilamkhuba zishushiswe. Siselapho asichithe ulimi lwepolitiki olusetshenziswa budedengu kucashunwa ngokungafanele u-Franz Fanon. E-Afrika yonke ukuqhakambisa udlame kuka-Fanon osekuvamile kuphikisana nezinjongo ezinhle; njengoba udlame luholelele kolunye udlame kanti umphumela walokho yiloku esikubona namuhla.
Abasebenzi abazinikele base-UKZN basebenze ngokuzikhandla ukuqinisekisa ukuthi isimo esihle kubona bonke abafundi bethu, ngakho kuyasikhathaza kakhulu ukubona indlela izinto ezenzeka ngayo ezibuyisela emuva. Indlela yokwenza izinto ngodlame edlangile kwezombusazwe nesilimaze impilo yabantu abaningi eNingizimu Afrika iyindaba yezwe lonke, hhayi i-UKZN kuphela noma ngivuma ukuthi isilimaza kakhulu ngaphezu kwabanye abantu. Kepha kufanele iphele njengoba icekela phansi wonke umsebenzi omuhle wabangasekho abanikela ngempilo yabo. Ayamukeleki futhi isenzela phansi sonke manje nangomuso.
AmaNyuvesi kahulumeni ethu aneqhaza elimqoka ukulungisa umonakalo osukela emlandweni wethu. Ngokunika imiphakathi eyayicindezelwe ithuba lemfundo yaseNyuvesi, senza umsebenzi wesizwe futhi sakha isisekelo somphakathi onokulingana nonekusasa eliqhakazile. Kepha ayikho iNyuvesi engathintwa yizimo esebenza ngaphansi kwazo. Lapha sibala konke kusukela esimweni somnotho sezwe nezinjongongqangi zikahulumeni kuze kufinyelele ezimweni zenhlalo yomphakathi wendawo ezithinta umuntu ngamunye nemindeni yonke.
IsiFundazwe iKwaZulu-Natal (i-KZN) singesinye sezifundazwe ezinezinga eliphezulu lobubha ezweni, njengoba izinga labantu abadala lingaphezulu kwamaphesenti angama-60. Inselelo yokuntuleka kwemisebenzi, ephezulu ngendlela ethusayo nakubantu abaneziqu, yenza abafundi abaningi baqhubeke bahlale esikoleni ngaphandle kwenhloso etheni, okulandelwa umphumela wokuvalelwa ngaphandle ngenxa yokukweleta noma yokungaphasi okuholela odlameni. Kanti futhi kuyinto ehlale yenzeka.
Isicelo esikhulu soMkhandlu Wabafundi ukuthi iNyuvesi ivumele izitshudeni emindeni yazo ngaphansi kuka-R350 000 zibhaliswe zingayikhokhile imali yokubhalisa noma yesikweletu esidala. Inkinga esibhekene nayo ukuthi lezi zitshudeni zilinganiselwa kumaphesenti angama-78 azo zonke izitshudeni zase-UKZN. Ngaphezu kwaloko kungasho ukuthi zonke izitshudeni zase-UKZN emakhaya azo okunengena imali engaphansi kuka-R350 000 zifunda mahhala, okungasho ukuthi uma i-UKZN ingase ikuvume kungadlula inqubomgomo ekhona kahulumeni, kubeke isikhungo esimweni esibi kakhulu kwezezimali.
Isikweletu sabafundi base-UKZN ekupheleni kukaDisemba wangonyaka wezi-2019 besiyi-R1,7 billion. Noma kunjalo kepha siqhubekile senza izindlela (njengokukugunyaza ukubhaliswa ngokwezimali) okusho ukuthi asikho noyedwa umfundi waseNyuvesi obekufanele akhokhe imali ephelele yesikweletu esidala ngaphambi kokubhalisa. Empeleni imali enkulu edingeka kumuntu okweletayo imiswe kuR45 000 kumfundi ngamunye bese kuthi amaphesenti angama-67 abafundi kudingeka bakhokhe imali eyizi-R10 000 umfundi ngamunye yesikweletu sakhe.
Umbono weNyuvesi kulolu daba uholwa umgomo wokwemukela abafundi kodwa ibe iqinisekisa ukuthi iNyuvesi ihlala isesimweni esihle kwezezimali futhi iyachuma, ikwazi ukuphatha izimali zokusebenza zansuku zonke ngendlela eyeseka ukuhlinzekwa kwezidingo zansuku zonke, ukubhekana nezibopho zayo kwezezimali kubasebenzi, abafundi nezinkampani esebenzisana nazo futhi ikwazi ukulawula indaba yesimo sesikweletu esiphezulu – esiwedlula wonke amaNyuvesi eNingizimu Afrika.
Kuyacaca ukuthi okunye ukuvunyelwa kokubhalisa ngaphandle kwezimali ezidingekayo kungabeka iNyuvesi engcupheni yokugcina ivaliwe, okungalimaza wonke umuntu. Noma kunjalo siyavuma ukuthi ukuntuleka kwezimali kusabalele kuwona wonke amakhempasi eNyuvesi futhi kungenza ukuthi abafundi abakweletayo bangaphumeleli ezifundweni zabo, okungabenza bavaleleke bangatholi thuba ngaphakathi noma ngaphandle kweNyuvesi. Kuleli phuzu, isicelo sesibili esikhulu sabaholi babafundi ukuthi kumiswe uhlelo lokunqatshelwa ukubhalisa kubafundi abangaphumelelanga ezifundweni zabo. Kepha iqiniso lithi abaphathi beNyuvesi banomsebenzi wokuvikela igama leNyuvesi ngokuqapha izinga nesithunzi seziqu zase-UKZN.
INyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali inentshisekelo enkulu ngomsebenzi wayo kubantu bendawo eyakhele. Sinerekhodi elihle ekwemukeleni izitshudeni nezinga eliphezulu lokuxegisa amatomu esimweni sezimali. Izinga liphezulu kakhulu kangangokuthi iKZN inesikweletu esingaphezu kwe-R1 billion. Kepha iqiniso ukuthi iphakethe leNyuvesi noma likahulumeni aliwona umthombo ongashi. Eqinisweni akusekho lutho ndawo zombili.
Singawenza kanjani umsebenzi wethu wokuba yiNyuvesi yomphakathi waKwaZulu-Natali, siqhubeke sichume ngasezimalini sibe siqinisekisa ukuthi isibalo esikhulu sabafundi bethi abakhathazeki ngokwezimali nasezifundweni? Seloku ngiqalile ukuba iSekelashansela ngisebenza ngokuzikhandla ngaso sonke isikhathi nabaphathi nabaholi bezitshudeni sizama ukubheka izidingo zabo nesidingo sokuqinisekisa ukuthi sihle isimo sezimali seNyuvesi.
Esibambelele kukona wukuthi esikushoyo akusiko ukusabisa ezingxoxweni kepha yiqiniso elimsulwa esingeke silibalekele. Njengoba bonke abantu abaqotho baseNingizimu Afrika befisa ikusasa eliqhakazile futhi bebheka abaphathi bamaNyuvesi kube kufanele kodwa ngeke senze imilingo kanjalo nohulumeni noma izinkampani.
Ithini ke indlela eya phambili?
Okokuqala nje, sidinga ipolitiki engcono. Udlame kufanele luphele, futhi luphele ngokushesha futhi unomphelo. Kanjalo, umkhuba omdala wokufuna ngenkani nokwehlela ngezansi kufanele uphele. Yebo, zonke izinhlangothi zifika ezingxoxweni nezinhloso kodwa ngeke sithathe kancane umsebenzi wethu sonke wokusimamisa iNyuvesi negama layo. Lokhu kufanele kube seqhulwini kithina sonke kanti lokho kudinga izindlela ezintsha zokubambisana nobuholi obuqotho ngempela ngasohlangothini lwabaphathi beNyuvesi nabaholi babafundi.
Okwesibili, ukulungisa lesi simo esikhona kudingeka ukuthi sibe neqiniso ngokuthi yikuphi iNyuvesi engakwazi ukukwenza nalokho engeke ikwazi ukukwenza. INyuvesi ngeke ikwazi ukubhalisa bonke abafundi abangakwazi ukuthola imali yakwa-NSFAS ekubeni u-NSFAS uqobo ubheka izinto ezithize ngaphambi kokuthi uxhase labo bafundi abadinga usizo. Kusukela ekuqaleni iNyuvesi izimisele ukusiza abafundi bango-2020 abazothola u-NSFAS. Sikhulu isidingo sokuthi sithole isisombululo kwizinselelo ezikhona ngaleli qoqo labafundi ngoba basethubeni elingcono lokungabi nesikweletu uma benakekelwa futhi besekelwa ngendlela efanele yiNyuvesi ukuze baqede izifundo ngesikhath. INyuvesi izibophezele ekubambisaneni Nobuholi Babafundi ngaleli qoqo ukuthola isisombululo.
Okwesithathu, iNyuvesi izimisele ukusebenzisana nabo bonke abafundi abasalelwe yisifundo esisodwa noma ezimbili ukuthi baqede ukufunda. UMkhandlu weNyuvesi uzocabangisisa ukuthi yisiphi isixazululo esemukelekile sokusiza laba bafundi baqede isikole, kuthi uma kunesidingo kwenziwe ezinye izindlela zokuhlola abantu uma kuwukuthi indlela ekhona yokuhlola iyabakhinyabeza abafundi. Iphini LeSekelashansela namaDini EzokuFunda NokuFundisa banikwe umsebenzi wokuqoqa amagama alezi zitshudeni ukuze abhekwe yizinhlaka ezifanele zaseNyuvesi.
NjengoSekelashansela noMPhathi wase-UKZN ngiqinisekisa bonke abantu baseNyuvesi nesizwe sonke ukuthi singabaphathi sizoqhubeka ukwenza izinto ngendlela efanele ngokubeka umgomo nombono phambili.
*Kuloba uSolwazi Nana Poku
Isekelashansela NoMphathi wase-UKZN