UKUQUBUKA kweCovid-19 kuyinike ithuba lokuqala kabusha insizwa yaseMlaza (30) ebiwumlutha wewunga.
UMnuz Thabiso Dladla utshele abantu abebesemcimbini wokugubha iWorld Homeless Day, ngoMgqibelo eGreyville eThekwini, ukuthi ubezihlalela emgwaqweni ingakaqubuki iCovid-19 kodwa ngemva kokumenyezelwa kwezinhlelo zomvalelandlini uMasipala weTheku wabaqoqa.
“UMasipala weTheku usiqoqe sonke emgwaqweni, wabhalisa imininingwane yethu, wasihlola nokuthi asinayo yini iCovid-19. Bekunzima ngesikhathi ngisaqala ukuyohlala ematendeni aseMoses Mabhida ngoba bengibhema iwunga, bengingakwazi nokudla uma ngingabhemanga. Kufike onesi nabaluleka ngengqondo, banginika ithuba lokuqala impilo kabusha,” kusho uDladla.
Uthe akaboni ebuyela emgwaqweni ngoba akasazithinti izidakamizwa.
“ICovid-19 nosizo lukaMasipala weTheku, abezempilo nezinye izinhlangano ezisiza umphakathi kunginike ithuba lokuthola ukuthi ngiwubani. Abazange bangihlulele ngesikhathi bezokhuluma nami. Ngiqala kabusha impilo yami manje, negazi libuyile ngisho nomama uyakwazi ukunganga ngoba sengishintshile,” kusho uDladla.
IPhini leMeya yeTheku uNkk Belinda Scott, lithe umasipala uzoqhubeka nokweseka abahlala emgwaqweni ngokuthuthukisa amakhono abo, ukubahlanganisa nemindeni yabo nokuqinisekisa ukuthi banezindawo zokuhlala eziphephle. UNkk Scott uqale ngokuya engadini yemifino yabahlala eJewish Homeless Shelter, lapho ethole ukuthi abantu sebeyakwazi ukudayisela umphakathi imifino yabo.
Uthe ngesikhathi somvalelandlini baphoqeleka ukuthi beze nezinhlelo zokubhekela abahlala emgwaqweni abazoqhubeka nazo baqinisekise ukuthi bonke abaseThekwini baphatheke kahle.
“Izinhlelo zethu zizoqhubeka ngoba ziyasiza ekwakheni isizwe esingenazo izidakamizwa. Ngesikhathi somvalelandlini sathatha abantu abawu-2 200 abebehlala emgwaqweni sabatholela izindawo zokukhosela. Abanye babuyisane nemindeni yabo, abanye abasazibhemi izidakamizwa banekusasa eliqhakazile. Sisebenza nezinhlaka ezihlukene ukuqinisekisa ukuthi abangenawo amakhaya bahlonyiswa ngamakhono azobasiza ukuze baphile,” kusho uNkk Scott.
Khonamanjalo emcimbini we-I CARE wokugubha lolu suku obuseManzimtoti, kudonswe abazali ngendlebe kwathiwa abangazikhohlwa izingane zabo ezihlala emgwaqweni.
UNkk Lucia Shange-Ntsele we-I Care, uthe yize izingane ezihlala ezikhungweni zabo zisezandleni ezifudumele, kumele abazali bazihluphe ngokwazi ukuthi zihleli kanjani nokuthi yiluphi usizo eziludingayo njengoba ziqhelelene nabo.
“Thandani abantwana benu bazali. Kumqoka ukuthi uma uwumzali usondele enganeni, ungagcini ngokuletha i-streetwise 2. Awuke ufike nempahla yengane yangaphansi, umbuze umntwana ukuthi unalo yini ijezi lesikole,” kusho uNkk Shange-Ntsele.
Omunye wabazali bezingane ezithola usizo lokwelulekwa ngokomqondo ngaphansi kwenhlangano i-I Care, uNkk Philisiwe Gumede ( 34) waseLindelani, uthe lukhulu ushintsho alubonayo endodaneni yakhe eneminyaka engu-16 osekuphele unyaka ihlala esikhungweni sale nhlangano.