Itshe limi ngothi kwaNgqondonkulu nakuNzimande
Ngonyaka we-1999 eGermany kwaqala umzabalazo owehlukile. Lona kwakungumzabalazo wokulwela imfundo yamahhala. Lo mzabalazo owawungaphansi kophahla lwenhlangano i-Alliance Against Tuition Fees eyayenziwe zinhlangano ezingama-200 ezazihlanganisa abafundi, izinyunyana namaqembu ezepolitiki
ZONKE lezi zinhlangano zazibophezela ekutheni iGermany kumele ibe yizwe lapho imfundo iba mahhala. Njengengxenye yalo mkhankaso izitaladi zazigcwala abafundi kuzo zonke izifundazwe zaseGermany, kwakuba khona izinkulumompikiswano, ukuqhinqa kanti abagqugquzeli babeqinisekisa ukuthi lolu daba luba yingxenye yemikhankaso yokhetho. Lokhu kwadala ingcindezi kuhulumeni nakubaphathi bakwaNgqondonkulu.
Umzabalazo owaqala njengento encane ethinta abathile kuphela waphetha usunabele emphakathini wonke ngoba wonke umuntu, ngisho ngabe engeyena umfundi lolu daba lwalumthinta ngandlela thizeni ngoba yize abanye babengebona abafundi kepha babengabazali okuyibo ekugcineni abakhokhayo. Uvuthondaba lo mkhankaso waseGermany kwaba yinhlolovo eyaba wukubhaliswa kwamagama abantu abahambisana nalo mzabalazo nabathi akube nokhetho lwenhlolovo ngalolu daba. Lokhu kwaphendula amatafula ngoba abantu abayi-1 350 000 babhalisa ukweseka umkhankaso. Lesi sibalo sasisho ukuthi amaphesenti ali-15 abavoti bamaJalimane bayavumelana nomkhankaso. Ngokubona lokhu uhulumeni wabe esememezela ukuthi sekuzoba nemfundo yamahhala.
Umlando waseGermany ubukeka ungase uziphinde eNingizimu Afrika emuveni kokuthi abafundi bakwaNgqondonkulu kulo lonke leli beqale umzabalazo wokuba kube nemfundo yamahhala. Lo mnyakazo oqale kwaNqondonkulu eWits usukapakele nakwezinye izikhungo. NjengaseGermany abagqugquzeli kubukeka besophe ukuba umzabalazo ungabi ngowabafundi nje kuphela kepha ube ngowomphakathi wonke. Olimini lwabafundi abasekhaleni lalo mkhankaso ‘ngabazali emindeni ehluphekayo’. Lokhu nje kukodwa kuyayisusa impi kwaNgqondonkulu kuyilethe emphakathini jikelele.
Ekhuluma emcimbini wesikhwama iJacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma Foundation, owawuseThekwini ngenyanga kaNhlangulana 2015, uMengameli wezwe, uMhlonishwa uJacob Zuma wathi uhulumeni wakhe uhlose ukuba kube nemfundo yamahhala kuleli: “Siyakholwa wukuthi imfundo kumele ingadayiswa njengento yabantu abathize abayidlanzana. Uhulumeni wethu uzimisele ukuvula iminyango yemfundo.” Njengobufakazi bokuzimisela kukahulumeni wakhe, uZuma wakhomba isikhwama seNational Student Finacial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) njengeminye yemizamo kahulumeni.
Nokho okwenzeke kusuka ngesonto eledlule kukhomba ukuthi abafundi bakuleli sebephelelwe wukubekezela nokuthi kabakholwa ukuthi osopolitiki banentshisekelo yokwenza imfundo yakuleli ibe ngeyamahhala. Okwenzeke kwaNgqondonkulu eWits lapho abafundi bevale onke amasango kwama nezinhlelo zokufunda kuveze isithombe sokuthi uMnyango kanjalo nabaphathi bezikhungo bebengazilungiselele ukubhekana nalesi simo. OkwaseWits kwenzeka nje uNgqongqoshe WezeMfundo EPhakeme, uDkt uBonginkosi ‘Blade’ Nzimande ubize umhlangano wabaphathi bezikhungo eThekwini. Lo mhlangano omkhulukazi obuwaziwa ngokuthi yiThe 2nd Higher Education Transformation Summit. Yize kukuningi okuhle obekudingidwa emhlanganweni obuseThekwini okwenzeke eWits nakwezinye izikhungo sekuyikho okugqamile. Ephawula ngalokhu okwenzakayo uMhlonishwa uNzimande uthe kungakuhle ukuba zonke izinhlangothi zithole isixazululo. Wakuchitha nokuthi lesi simo sesiyinhlekelele: “Yebo ngiyakuvuma ukuthi lokhu kuyinselele, kepha ngeke ngithi yinhlekelele ngoba sinayo indlela yokuba sikuxoxe.” kusho uNzimande. Emuva kokuphimisa lawa magama ube eseba nomhlangano nezinhlaka ezithintekayo nalapho kuphume khona isiphakamiso sokuthi amanani awakhuphuke angadluli emaphesentini ayisithupha nokuyinto abafundi abathe kabayivumi ngoba bona bami kwelemfundo yamahhala.
Inoni kosopolitiki
Akukho ukungabaza ukuthi lolu daba lusazojiya nokuthi ukuze kube nesixazululo kuyomele zonke izinhlangothi zamukele ukuthi kumele ziluxoxe udaba. NjengaseGermany lolu daba lusazonabela emphakathini wonke jikelele futhi lubuye lube yinoni kosopolitiki. Umholi weDemocratic Alliance, uMhlonishwa uMusi Maimane uthe konke okwenzakayo kumele kusolwe uNzimande. Esitatimendeni lithe: “Iqiniso elinqunu uhulumeni we-ANC kawuyikhiphi imali eyanele ukuxhasa abafundi. Yize uNgqogqoshe uNzimande ekwazi kamhlophe ukuntuleka kwezimali, akenze lutho ukungenelela kulolu daba. Ngonyaka owedlule uNgqogqoshe wajuba iKomiti elathula ngoNhlolanja umbiko owaziwa ngokuthi yiMinisterial Committee for the Review of Funding of Universities, nowakuveza ngokusobala ukuthi izikhungo zemfundo ephakeme kuleli kazixhaswa ngokwanele.” kuphetha isitatimende seDA. Le nhlangano ephikisayo kayigcinanga lapho kepha ibe isiba nombhikisho obuya emahhovisini oMnyango WezeMfundo EPhakeme nayilapho bebethi uNzimande kahoxe emsebenzini.
Ngako lunye uhlangothi uMengameli weAfrican National Congress Youth League, uMnu uCollen Maine ucashunwe kwabezindaba ethi: “Uma ngabe uNgqogqoshe unendaba ngabe ungenelele kulolu daba lusaqala nje eWits ngoba bekusobala ukuthi bekuseyisiqalo kokukhulu okuzayo. Sifisa ukubona ukuthi ngabe angalilungisa yini lolu daba. Uma engeke akwazi kumele asho njalo kuMengameli wezwe nokuyomele angenelele ngokuqasha umuntu ongenza loyo msebenzi.” Inkulumo kaMengameli kaVukayibambe iveze isithombe sokuthi kukhona ukungaboni ngaso linye ku-ANC neSACP nokucacayo ukuthi lesi simo kubo ngeke sibe ngezimali ezikhokhwayo kepha sekuyoba yimpi yamazwi efuqwa yipolitiki yangaphakathi nokungaba yinto embi ngoba esikubone kuleli sonto lapho abafundi ezweni lonke besho ngazwi linye ukuthi “sekuyisikhathi” kuzichaze khona ukuthi lo mzabalazo wabafundi wokulwela imfundo yamahhala ungaphezu kweqembu elithize kepha ngowabo bonke abaseNingizimu Afrika.
Sekungaphinde kube wubuwula ukuphetha ngokucabanga ukuthi lo mutsha olingene iNingizimu Afrika. Empeleni lena yinkinga yomhlaba wonke kwehluka nje ekuthini uhulumeni loyo othintekayo ulibuka kanjani. Isibonelo nje eMelika izindleko zokufunda zikhuphuke ngamaphesenti angama-500 kusuka ngowe-1985 kanti labo ababolekela ukwenza iqhuzu lokuqala bathwesa iziqu ngowezi2012 bakweleta imali engangezi-$29,400. AmaMelika ayizigidi ezingama-40 asakhokhela isikweletu sabafundi esingusigidintathu esingu-$1.2 ($1.2 trillion). USosigele waseMelika u-Elizabeth Warren, ookhankasela ukwehliswa kwemali yokufunda, uthi lokhu umthwalo ovimbela unqinde intsha ekubeni ibe namakhaya, izimoto nokuqala amabhizinisi. Kanti isibonelelo esikhona sikahulumeni sisetshenziswa ngokufanele lapho intela yale mali itholwa izicebi ezingamaphesenti angama-20.
Inkinga yezikweletu zabafundi e-UK ingaba yimbi kunaleyo yaseMelika. UHulumeni kaTory wethule imali yokufunda ngowezi-2012 eyizi-£9,000 (R136 000) ngonyaka isikweletu somfundi ngamunye sibalelwa ezi-£44,000 (R810 000). Lolu hlelo lokukhokhisa luzivula inxeba njengoba imali eyisikweletu eningi ingeke ikhokhwe. Isikhungo i-UK’s Institute for Fiscal Studies iveza ukuthi amaphesenti angama-73 abafundi abakhona manje ngeke bakwazi ukukhokha okuzobathatha iminyaka engama-30 ngaphambi kokusulwa kwesikweletu kanti lapho bobe sebeneminyaka egijima kwengama-50 ubudala.
Uma uqhathanisa lezi zibalo kuyacaca ukuthi impela limi ngothi.