ISASA ithi izandla ziyagezana benikezela imifundaze
BADELA impilo yabo bevika izinyoka nezinye izilwane zasehlathini betshala umoba kuze kube bayawuhlahla ngoba bephokophele ukushintsha isimo emakhaya abo abesilisa nabesifazane abasebenzela inkampani kashukela iSouth Africa Sugar Association (SASA). Into ephambili kulaba basebenzi ukuthi izingane zabo zifunde ngale mali abayitholayo ukuze ngomuso kube yizo eziphatha amakhaya. Muva nje iSouth African Sugar Association (SASA), eMount Edgecombe, inike abanye abafundi abazalwa abasebenzi bale nkampani ezingxenyeni ezehlukene zesifundazwe imifundaze yokuqhuba izifundo zabo emazingeni emfundo ephakeme. Uxhaso lwabafundi luqhamuka ngaphansi kwesikhwama iSugar Industry Trust Fund for Education (SIFTE) esingaphansi kweSASA.
Ngokomlando lesi sikhwama sesibekhona iminyaka engama-52 sisiza izingane ezisuke zenze kahle ezindaweni ezisondelene nalapho kutshalwe khona umoba ukuze zikwazi ukuyoqhuba izifundo zazo ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme zize zigogode. I-SIFTE ihlinzeka abafundi ngemifundaze abangama-41 ngonyaka ikakhulukazi labo abaphuma emakhaya adonsa kanzima abazali abangakwazi ukubaqhubezela emanyuvesi. Okhulumela iSIFTE uMnu uTim Murray uthe lesi sikhwama sesisize abantu abaningi kule minyaka engama -52 sasungulwa. Uthe kuhlale kunemali eyizigidi ezi-R5,5 ebekwa unyaka nonyaka ukubhekana ngqo nokunikezwa kwale mifundaze kubafundi abakhele izindawo abahweba kuzo ikakhulukazi KwaZulu-Natal naseMpumalanga.
Kusukela ngowe-1965 babalelwa ezi-10 000 abafundi asebehlomulile ngale mifundaze ngaphansi kwalesi sikhwama. “Kuyasijabulisa ukuthi kumanje kukhona asebesezikhundleni eziphezulu kuHulumeni wakuleli abafundiswe yiyo le mifundaze engingabala kubo owayenguNgqongqoshe wemfundo ephakeme uDkt uBlade Nzimande, uMehluleli uJohn Hlophe, uMphathiswa wezempilo KwaZulu Natal uDkt uSibongiseni Dhlomo, owayenguMgcinimafa we-ANC uDkt uZweli Mkhize nomkakhe uDkt uMay kaMashego Mkhize,” kuchaza uMurray. Uthe kungalesi sizathu bebona kubalulekile ukusiza abafundi njengoba besemkhakheni ozimele ngoba bayakholelwa ekutheni imfundo iyisikhiye sokuvula umnyango wempumelelo.
U-Akwande Buthelezi oneminyaka yobudala eli- 18 waseNhlungwane oLundi obenza ibanga le-12 eZwelonke High School ngonyaka odlule ungomunye wabahlomule ngalo mfundaze. Udabule o-A abayisithupha kanye no-B ababili. Njengamanje uyokwenza izifundo zobudokotela e-University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). “Ngikhulele eNhlungwane esigodini saseMhlaleni nomama uBhekisephi Xulu. Selokhu ngazalwa usebenza ezimobeni eThe Chase Farm eShowe. Ngizwile ukuthi kunale mifundaze ekhangisiwe ngase ngifaka isicelo ngaba nenhlanhla yokuthi umama usebenza khona bakwazi ukuthi basizwele ngoba asisenababa washona ngisenza ibanga lesithupha,” kusho u-Akwande Buthelezi. UButhelezi uthi uqoke ukuyokwenza izifundo zobudokotela ngoba isimo sangakubo sisibi. “Indawo yangakithi iyashoda ngodokotela kanti futhi baningi abantu abagulayo ngifuna ukuyobasiza,” kuphetha uButhelezi.
Omunye wabafundi abazofundiswa yiSIFTE uSphamandla Ngubane oneminyaka yobudala eli-19 waseMfekayi eMtubatuba obefunda oQakwini High School ngonyaka odlule. Yena uzoyokwenza izifundo ze- Environmental Science e-UKZN. “Siyizingane siyishumi ekhaya ubaba washona sisebancane sonke sakhula ngaphansi kwesandla sikamama. Into yokuqala engifuna ukuyenza ukuphucula isimo sempilo ekhaya ngikhiphe umama enhluphekweni akuyona. Ngibonga kakhulu ngethuba engilitholile ngalo mfundaze ngizosebenza ngokuzikhandla ngiphinde ngibonise abantu abasha bangasekhaya ukubaluleka kwemfundo,” kusho uNgubane. Akasalanga noNks uSnenhlanhla Khumalo waseMagqelemane esigodini sakwaXolo, ePort Shepstone. Le ntokazi ifunde eKwana Combined Public School. Ithi ibisilahlekelwe yithemba ingazi ukuthi izothatha ini ihlanganise nani kwazise abazali bebengeke bekwazi ukuyiqhubezela ukuyofunda. Umama wakhe uyisisebenzi emasimini omoba endaweni.
Ukuthola lo mfundaze kwakhe kumenze wabona ikusasa lakhe liqhakazile futhi ezokwazi ukunakekela umndeni wakhe bese eshintsha nesimo sakubo. “Umama useneminyaka eyisikhombisa esebenza eSummerField Estate, ubaba wami uphila ngokukhubazeka. Ngikhethe ukuyokwenza izifundo zoLimo iCommunity Extention eMangosuthu University of Technology (MUT). Kumanje ngiqalile ukufunda ngikholelwa ekutheni izwe lethu iNingizimu Afrika umnotho walo ulele kwezolimo futhi bayingcosana abantu besifazane ababonakala kulo mkhakha njengoba waziwa ngokuthi umsebenzi wabantu besilisa. Ngifuna ukunezezela isibalo sabantu besifazane kuwo ngihambe ngiyoshintsha nesimo sempilo yasekhaya,” kuchaza uSnenhlanhla.
