Kuvuka upelepele ogqokweni
Inyunyana iNehawu ifuna kwenziwe uphenyo kanti izikhulu zoMnyango zona zingqubuzana ngamakhanda zibika imiba zibike ibuzi
NJENGOBA kukhalwa ngokushoda kwama-ambulense ezibhedlela zaKwaZulu-Natal sekuvele okushaqisayo ukuthi kunenqwaba yawo asephenduke isidleke sokuzalela izinyoni aduve emagcekeni esibhedlela iWentworth, eThekwini. Lokhu kudalulwe inyunyana yabasebenzi bezempilo iNational Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) ethe ngowezi-2010 uMnyango Wezempilo KwaZulu-Natal uchithe izigidi ezili-R180 zabakhokhintela uthenga uxhaxha lwama-ambulense kodwa manje asebolela emagcekeni esibhedlela iWentworth ngenxa yokungasentshenziswa.
UNobhala weNehawu KwaZulu-Natal, uMnu uPhakama Ndunakazi ubikele iBAYEDE ukuthi kuyadabukisa ukuthi ngesikhathi ezibhedlela zakulesi sifundazwe kukhalwa ngokushoda kwama-ambulense kunenqwaba yawo agqunywe emagcekeni esibhedlela iWentworth. Le nqwaba yama-ambulense okukhulunywa ngawo nokuthiwa asephenduke isidleke sokuzalela izinyoni amila notshani ezinjinini yilawo angama-386 ohlobo oluphambili okuthiwa ayethengwe nguMnyango Wezempilo KwaZulu-Natal ngesikhathi elakuleli lisingethe umcimbi wendebe yomhlaba ngowezi-2010. Kulawo ma-ambulense kubalwa kuwo awohlobo amaMercedes-Benz Sprinters ali-116, awohlobo amaVW Crafters ali-117, angama-38 ohlobo amaToyota Land Cruisers, angama-38 amaVWT56 kanye namabili amaToyota Hilux.
Odabeni lwephephandaba lesilungu iThe Mercury langowezi-2013 luthi lolu xhaxha lwama-ambulense abolayo aduve esibhedlela iWentworth, athengwa ngesamba semali esukela ezi-R339 000 kuya ezi-R445 000 i-ambulense ngayinye. Kuthiwa lama-ambulense angakaze ahambe agcina ngokukhangiswa ngoba kuthiwa azolekelela ukubhekelela izimo eziphuthumayo ngesikhathi elakuleli lisingethe umdlalo wendebe yomhlaba. Kuthiwa uMnyango Wezempilo awazi ukuthi kumele wenzeni ngawo njengoba ngowezi- 2013 izikhulu zomnyango zazigcine zithe kusazanywa ukuwafaka ubuxhakaxhaka bemishini yesimanje ezowaguqulela esimweni sokuba akwazi ukuthutha iziguli.
UNdunakazi ekhuluma neBAYEDE uthe iyabakhathaza lendaba yokuduva kwama-ambulense amaningi kangaka ekubeni entuleka kakhulu ezibhedlela zakuleli. “Thina njengenyunyana iNehawu ayisijabulisile le nto yokuduva kwalama-ambulense okungabe ayasiza njengoba entuleka kangaka ezibhedlela zethu.” “Okwenza sisole ukuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi ngokuduviswa kwalama-ambulense ayethengwe ngezimali ezishisiwe ukuthi kwasasona isibalo sama-ambulense kaHulumeni sincishisiwe kwajike kwandiswa esama-ambulense abantu abazimele abakhokhelwa nguMnyango Wezempilo,” kusho uNdunakazi.
Uqhuba uthi lokhu okwenziwa nguMnyango Wezempilo ukuqasha ama-ambulense abantu abazimele akuwenzi umqondo ekubeni enawakhe aduvile. “UMnyango ngabe wonga enkulu imali ukube uzisebenzisela ama-ambulense akhe kunokukhokhela awabantu abazimele. Ingakho sithi kumele kube nophenyo olunzulu ngalokhu ngoba sisola umkhonyovu wokunikezana ngamathenda,” echaza. UNdunakazi uphinde wathi okunye okubakhathaza kakhulu ukuthi isibalo sokukhula kwabantu kulesi sifundazwe sinyuka nsukuzonke.
“Buka nje ezibhedlela zasePietermaritzburg ekuqaleni bekusebenza ama-ambulense ali-18 ukusiza abantu abayizigidi. I-ambulense ngayinye ibisebenza abantu abayizi-10 000 kodwa manje lesi sibalo sawo sesincishisiwe ngenhloso yokuvulela intuba ama-amabulense angasese,” kuqhuba uNdunakazi. UNobhala uthi beyiNehawu bafisa ukwazi eMnyangweni ukuthi kwasekuqaleni kanti ayethengelwani lama-ambulense uma manje engasasentsheniziswa.
UMnyango uyaziphendulela
UMnu uDesmond Motha okhulumela uMhlonishwa Wezempilo, uDkt uSibongiseni Dhlomo, uzichithe njengembudane zonke izinsolo ezenziwe yiNehawu okubalwa kuzo nokuthi uMnyango uduvise inqwaba yama-ambulense ayethengwe ngesikhathi elakuleli lisingethe indebe yomhlaba. “Ngamanga aluhlaza lawo okuthi kunama-ambulense ayethengwe ngowezi-2010 aduve esibhedlela iWentworth. Ngokwazi kwami iningi lama-ambulense agcinwe eWentworth ngama-ambulense amadala angasekho esimweni sokusebenza kodwa alindele ukufakwa endalini. Okwesibili amanye awo ngamagobolondo asalindele ukufakelwa izinsimbi ukuze angene emgwaqeni,” kusho uMotha.
Ebuzwa ukuthi kungabe ikhona yini ingxenye yama-ambulense ayethengwe ngesikhathi sendebe yomhlaba yezi-2010 asagcinwe magcekeni esibhedlela iWentworth akathandanga ukuphumela obala. “Ngicela ukukucacisela lokhu, impilo yawo wonke ama-ambulense aKwaZulu-Natal iqala eWentworth kanjalo nempilo yawo iphelela khona esibhedlela saseWentworth. Ngamafuphi ngiqonde ukuthi wonke agcinwa khona.”
UMotha uqhube wathi iningi lamanye ama-ambulense apakwe eWentworth asalindele ukufakelwa imibhede efanelekile yeziguli. “Futhi amanye awo asalindele ukufakelwa nemishini yokuphefumulisa iziguli. Phela imibhede yama-ambulense ayifani nayemibhede eyejwayelekile. Imibhede yama-ambulense ibizwa ngamastretcher,” kuqhuba uMotha. Ujikele intatheli yeBAYEDE ethi kuzoba ngcono ukuba iziyele iyozibonela wona lama ambulense ekhuluma ngawo ukuze ingabhali into eyizwa ngeNehawu. “Kungcono ubhale ngento ozibonele yona kunokubhala ngento oyizwile. Ayikho le nto yokuthi kunama-ambulense aseze adliwa ulwandle ngenxa yokungasentshenziswa,” kubhoka uMotha.
Ebuzwa uNdunakazi ngalokhu okushiwo nguMotha uthe abakuphiki ukuthi akhona ama-amabulense alungiswayo eWentworth kodwa wakugcizelela ukuthi banobufakazi ngokuthi kuwona kukhona nalawo athengwa ngowezi-2010 aduvile. “Ngikhuluma nje kuMasipala uMkhanyakude amanye alama -ambulense kwatholakala ukuthi awekho esimweni sokuhamba emgwaqeni njengoba afika esengaphezulu kwamakhilomitha ayizi-3000. Amanye awo afike engekho esimweni sokuthutha iziguli njengoba ebenabo ubuxhakaxhaka bemishini edingakala ku-ambulense,” kuqhuba uNdunakazi. Uphinde wathi: “Empeleni lokhu uMnyango okushoyo kungukwedukisa umphakathi. Siyakugcizelela ukuthi kunobufakazi bokuthi impela asaduvile lama-ambulense athengwa ngowezi-2010. Yingakho sithi akube nophenyo olunzulu ukuze kuhlaluke obala amaqiniso.”
Upelepele ogqokweni
Ukuphawula ngalolu daba akukusha njengoba uMnu uSam Mkhwanazi ongumkhulumeli woMnyango wacashulwa kwabezindaba ngowezi-2013 ethi utshani osebumile ezinjinini zawo lama-ambulance yinto engasho lutho. “Agcinwe laphaya ngenhloso yokuba afakelwe imishini yokuxhumana.” Ukuthengwa kwalama-ambulense kwaphinde kwaqinisekiswa nguMnu uChris Maxon owayengumkhulumeni kowayenguMphathiswa walo Mnyango kusukela ngowezi- 2005, uNkk uPeggy Nkonyeni. UMaxon naye wacashunwa kwabezindaba ethi ngoNhlaba wezi-2005 uMphathiswa uNkonyeni wamemezela ukuthi abezimo eziphuthumayo okuyi-Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) bazonikezwa ama-ambulense amasha.
Waphinde wathi lama-ambulense athunyelwa esikhungweni sabo ngowezi-2010 kwathi izingxoxo ngokusetshenizswa kwawo zaqala ngowezi- 2011. Ngesikhathi iBAYEDE isibuyela kuMotha ukuba acacise ngezinsolo ezenziwe nguNdunakazi okubalwa kuzo nezokuthi inhloso yokuncishiswa kwama-ambulense kaHulumeni kwenzelwa ukuhlomulisa abama-ambulense abazimele walile ukuphawula ethi usesemhlanganweni. “Yonke imibuzo yakho obuyithumele ngobhalonyazi ngiyedlulisele kuzakwethu uMnu u-Agiza Hlongwane,” kusho uMnu Motha esho evala ucingo lwakhe.
Naye uHlongwane, iBAYEDE igcine imthumele uhlu lwemibuzo kodwa kwaze kwashaya isikhathi sokushicilela engakabuyi nezimpendulo. Esinye isikhulu saseMnyangweni Wezempilo KwaZulu-Natal kodwa esingathandanga kudalulwe igama laso sithe kungamangaza uma kungukuthi kusekhona ama- amabulense aduve esibhedlela saseWentworth ayethengwe ngowezi-2010. “Phela kuyacaca kungamele kubekwe abantu abathile amacala uma kungukuthi lokhu kukhona ngempela ngoba lokho kuyosho ukuthi kwachithwa imali yabakhokhintela.”
Odabeni lwama-amabulense azimele okuthiwa asebenzisana noMnyango Wezempilo lesi sikhulu sithe: “Ngokwazi kwami lawo la ma-ambulense azimele awaqashiwe nguMnyango, kodwa azenzela wona umsebenzi ebese efuna imali kuHulumeni. Impela afika kuqala ezingozini ngoba hlala njalo ecuthe emgwaqeni ukuze afike kuqala ezingozini zezimoto. Empeleni lama-ambulense azimele asebenza njengezimoto ezithwala izimoto ezisuke zibandakanyeke ezingozini njengoba nazo zihlale zicuthe emigwaqeni,” kusho lesi sikhulu.
Siphinde sakuqinisekisa ukuthi impela kunokwesweleke kwama-amabulense ezibhedlela zaKwaZulu-Natal. “Kodwa imbangela enkulu yokusweleka kwawo kudalwa ukwanda kwesibalo sabantu abasuke belimele abanye begula. Imvamisa lokhu kudalwa ngabantu abasuke beqise uphuzo oludakayo abazithola sebebandakanyeke ezingozini zezimoto. Okunye kungenxa yezinga eliphezulu lokugula. Uma nje abantu bengashintsha indlela abaziphatha ngayo ngeke sibe nenkinga yokwentuleka kwama-ambulense,” kuqhuba lesi sikhulu.
