Ikomidi lezemfundo kumele lenze ubulungiswa
INYUNYANA yothisha iNational Teachers’ Union (Natu) isishayela ihlombe isinyathelo sikaNgqongqoshe wezeMfundo KwaZulu-Natal, uNkk Peggy Nkonyeni, sokuqoka ikomiti elizophenya ngokusebenza kwezimali kulesi sifundazwe.
Leli komiti liqokwa ngesikhathi lapho sihlezi sikhala mihla le ngezinto uMnyango ongahlangabezani nazo, okuyizikhalazo zothisha, ekubeni kuyiwo othola isabelo esikhulu esifundazweni. Yize kumele ngabe kade laqokwa leli komiti njengoba kunenkinga yokushoda kwemali ngendlela engaqondakali kodwa siyasetusa lesi sinqumo ngoba sitshengisa ukuthi uhulumeni wethu uzimisele ngokuziphenya wona, uma kukhona izinto ezingahambi kahle.
Ake nginikhumbuze ukuthi lo Mnyango uthola isabelo esingaphezulu kuka-R39 billion njalo ngonyaka.Umbiko weminyaka emithathu ilandelana woMcwaningi Mabhuku uveza ukuthi uMnyango uziphethe budlabha izimali zomphakathi. Ngabe lokhu kwenzeka kanjani ngoba kunabantu abagogodile ekuphatheni izimali? Ngabe kanti abantu abajutshelwe ezikhundleni eziphezulu zokulawula lo Mnyango yini into abayivukela nsuku zonke uma izimali zomphakathi ziphethwe ngale ndlela?
NoNgqongqoshe walo Mnyango uze wagonyuluka waphefumula wathi kuzoba yihlazo uma uMcwaningi Mabhuku engabuya futhi azodalula ukuthi lo Mnyango uphinde wathola umbiko omubi wezimali. Izinkinga eMnyangweni azizintsha, lo mnyango uke wawuthola umbiko omuhle wezimali iminyaka ilandelana. Namanje ngisabuza ukuthi ngabe sinabantu abakulungele yini ukuba sezikhundleni eziphezulu uma behluleka kanje ukukhokhela abantu abasuke benze imisebenzi noMnyango?
Ake ngibale izinto ezimqoka ezimbalwa umnyango ohluleka ukuzikhokhela ekubeni zibalulekile. Othisha bakwa-Grade R, kwanqunywa kuzwelonke eminyakeni eyevile kwemihlanu edlule ukuthi kumele bakhokhelwe u-R5 000.
Kodwa lo mnyango “omkhulukazi” uze waqala ukukhokhela labo thisha lo-R5 000 sekuyophela unyaka odlule ngemuva kokuba iNatu isihlele imashi siwuphoqa ukuthi unyuse le mali. Njengoba lo mnyango usakhokha u-R5 000, ezinye izifundazwe cishe sezikhokha imali ecela ku-R7 000 ngenyanga. Lo Mnyango sikhuluma nje wanikwa imali engu-R114 550 000 uMnyango kazwelonke ukuze ukwazi ukuheha othisha abangu-10 000 abaqeqesheke ngokugcwele, ikakhulukazi laba abagogodile ezifundweni ezifana nezibalo nesayensi.
Lokhu kwashicilelwa mhla ka-18 kuMasingana 2008 kwafakwa kwi-gazette u-30678 ePhalamende likazwelonke. Lo Mnyango awuzange uluqale lolu hlelo waze waluqala ngemuva kweminyaka emibili kepha wanika idlanzana lothisha, abanye bangayithola. Ngaphezu kwalokho uMnyango wakhetha nokunciphisa othisha ababethola lo mhlomulo. Kwasidida lokhu ngoba iPhalamende laliyalele ukuthi sinyukile isibalo sabathola le mali kodwa KwaZulu-Natal kwenziwa okuphambene nalokho sehliswa isibalo.
Cishe sebengu-5 000 abathola lo mhlomulo futhi uma ubheka nje kwalesi sibalo sisazokwehla ekubeni bengaphezulu kuka-80 000 othisha abaqashiwe kulesi sifundazwe. Umbuzo uthi ishonaphi le mali yabasebenzi abazinikela ekuthuthukiseni izingane ezisezindaweni ezisemakhaya nasemalokishini ezazicindezelwa umbuso wobandlululo? Kunemali eyaziwa ngeyama-norms and standards etholwa izikole njalo ngonyaka njengoba cishe ngaphezulu kuka-80% wazo kufundwa bhusende. Le mali ifakwa ukuze kulungiswe izinto ezincane ezifana namawindi, izicabha, ikhokhela amanzi nogesi ibuye yenze nezinye izinto. Kodwa kuze kube yimanje kunezikole ezingakaze ziyithole le mali. Uma ufuna izizathu awuzitholi. Othishanhloko bathwele kanzima ngoba kudingeka bashaye amaphakethe abo basebenzise imali yabo ukuze kuqhubeke izinto zesikole.
Uma lowo thishanhloko esethatha imali yakhe ayisebenzisile uma umnyango usuze wayikhipha kube sekuthiwa udla imali yesikole. Lo Mnyango wazinqumela ukuthi ugodle u-30% kule mali yama-norms and standards kwayona esingazi ukuthi iyaphi. Isibonelo, uma nje isikole sinabafundi abaningi futhi sikleliswe saba ngu-Quintile 1 – okusho ukuthi sintula kakhulu – sithola mhlawumbe ngaphezulu kuka-R700 000 ngonyaka, umnyango ugodla u-30% kule mali bese udedela kancane enye imali.
Uthola isikole singasakwazi ukubhekana nezinye izidingo ngoba ingxenye enkulu yale mali izoya ekuthengweni kwezincwadi zokufunda bese kusala imvushwana yokuthi sikhokhele ugesi namanzi. Le mali engu-30% uMnyango uyithatha uthi uzothenga ubuchwepheshe besimanje kodwa uma uya kulezo zikole ufica itshe lome inhlama bungabonwa. Okubuhlungu ngukuthi lokhu kugodlwa kwemali kwenzeka ezikoleni zabahlwempu nezethu ndlu empisholo ngoba kwezabebala ngeke uthole ukuthi babanjelwa imali ngoba izigungu zabazali ziyawazi amalungelo azo.
UMnyango ungantunta ezinkantolo usebenzise kwamali encane le ohlale uthi awunayo.Enye yezinkinga yindaba yohlelo lokudla oluhlinzekwe ngaphezulu kuka-R2 billion. Lolu hlelo selokhu lwaba khona lugubuzelwe yizinkinga. Khona manje sengathi izinkinga ziqonge kakhulu njengoba labo abenza lo msebenzi bengasayitholi nhlobo imali yabo. Cabanga nje abantu bathatha izimali zabo zokugcina baphakele izingane bese ekupheleni kwenyanga imali bangayitholi.
Banikwa izizathu ezingekho kuthiwe izinto zabo abazihambisanga ekubeni bezihambisa mihla le. Lo R2 billion ukhokhela bani ngoba njengoba uza ngokohlelo lwe-grant kusho ukuthi uMnyango awukwazi ukuzitapela kuleyo grant ngoba kusuke kuyimali okumele isebenze iphele? Nangesikhathi luqala kwaqashwa abantu ababengenazo izimfanelo saze sanquma ukuthi siye enkantolo nezinye zezinkampani eziphakayo ukuze kwenziwe ubulungiswa. Asethembe leli komiti lizoyiphendula yonke le mibuzo.
Okunye nje okuphazamisa ukufunda indaba yokungakhokhelwa kothisha abasuke bebambele abagulayo, abayobeletha nalabo abangekho emsebenzini. Labo thisha abakhokhelwe sinobufakazi esabuyisa eMnyangweni kodwa akukho mnyakazo. Uma uthisha ezoyobeletha uhamba cishe izinyanga ezintathu nangaphezulu ngakho ubanjelwa othile. Akubona-ke kuphela labo thisha ababhekene nengwadla kodwa nalabo abasuke besezikhundleni zokuba amabamba (acting allowance) uma ubambe isikhundla somunye ohambile kumele uthole umhlomulo kodwa bangaphezulu kuka-2 000 abantu abangakhokhelwe. Le mali bebekhokhelwa phambilini kodwa manje yinto esesiyizwa ngendaba.
Muva nje imibiko ikhomba ukuthi kuzoma ukwakhiwa kwezikole ekupheleni kwale nyanga ngenxa yokuthi lo Mnyango awunamali. Uma izikole zingakhiwa noma kunqanyulwa izinkontileka zabantu lokho kusho ukuthi uMnyango uzogqigqa ezinkantolo uyozivikela ngoba uzobe usuphule isivumelwano. Izikhulu zomnyango zizithethelela ngokuthi imali eningi iya emaholweni othisha okwenza ukuthi ungakwazi ukwenza izidingo. Kulo R39 billion kuthiwa ngaphezulu kuka-80% iya emaholweni kodwa imali esuke ibhajetheliwe le manje angazi ukuthi kungathiwa imali kayikho.
Kunesilwane-ke manje umnyango ovika ngaso uma uhluleka ukukhokhela labo abenza imisebenzi nawo esibizwa nge-cash blocking. Indlela le nto esebenza ngayo uMgcinimafa ufaka isikalo esithile ngenyanga mhlawumbe nje u-R3 billion ukuze kwenziwe izinhlelo. Uma le mali isiphelile akube kusafakwa enye imali sekuzoze kulindwe enye inyanga. Yize kunjalo kodwa uma unobuholi obuqotho uyakwazi ukuhlela kahle izinto zakho ukhokhe ngokwemali onayo ungaze weqe esibalweni obekelwe sona nyanga zonke. Kahle kahle nje uze ubekelwe isikali semali ozosisebenzisa yingoba usuke ungakwazi ukuhlela nokusebenzisa ngendlela imali owabelwe yona.
Asethembe ukuthi leli komiti lizowenza lo msebenzi njengoba liholwa abameli abanamava ekuphatheni izimali kanye nezinto ezithinta abasebenzi. Ngeke sithule sibone imfundo yezingane zethu ishona phansi. Njengoba sekuphele iminyaka engu-20 kwatholakala inkululeko kumele kubonakale.
- UMnu u-Allen Thompson uyiPhini likaMengameli we-Natu