Umlenze wesibili wephupho ngemfundo yaboHlanga
Kunesisho sesiZulu esithi “Ubucu obuhle buhamba ngabubili”. Ubudlelwano nobungani boMntwana wakwaPhindangene nenjinga uSir uHarry Oppenheimer bungena khaxa kulesi sisho. Ubungani nobudlelwano balezi zingqongqo, enye engusopolitiki osadla amabele kuthi enye eyabe ingusomabhizisini nengasekho emhlabeni buthele izithelo ezinhle, busabatshazwa futhi busatuswa nanamhlanje.
Ngesikhathi kwethulwa isikhwama iPrince Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Harry Oppenheimer Trust ngoMsombuluko, esikhumulweni sezindiza esidala eThekwini, bekungathi uzoyibona ngamehlo indoda endala engu-Oppenheimer ngesikhathi uShenge echaza ibanga elide alihambe nalo somabhizinisi. Umchaze njengendoda eyayingahambisani nenqubo yobandlululo. Isikhwama lesi singumfundaze njengoba nanjengoba kunxenxwa abantu nezinkampani ukuthi baphose itshe esivivaneni baseseke. Inhloso yesikhwama wukwelekelela abafundi abasemanyuvesi emikhakheni eyehlukene. Senganyelwe nguSolwazi u-Otty EHM Nxumalo (uSihlalo) nosekelwa nguMnu. uVelenkosini Fiki Hlabisa.
Lokhu kwethulwa kuwumlenze wesibili nolufezekisa iphupho likaOppenheimer noMntwana ngemfundo yaboHlanga. Owokuqala kwaba wukwethulwa kwesikhungo semfundo ephakeme esiseMlazi, iMangosuthu Technikon ngowezi-1979, eyagcina isiyiMangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) kusukela ngowezi -2007.
Umlenze wokuqala
Ngenxa yenqubo yobandlululo, aboHlanga babengavuyelwe ukufundiswa izifundo ezincikene nezobuChwepheshe. Kuze kwaba ngunyaka wezi-1974, lapho uMntwana aba nezingxoxo no- Oppenheimer (enguSihlalo we-Anglo American Corporation neDe Beers Consolidated Mines). UShenge wayefi sa kusungulwe isikhungo semfundo ephakeme esizogxila kwezobuchwepheshe. Kwenziwa ucwaningo lokuthi isikhungo salolu hlobo esizosiza aboHlanga singaba khona.
ISouth African Labour Development Research Unit yase Nyuvesi yaseCape Town, yathola ukuthi sikhulu isidingo sochwepheshe baboHlanga kuleli zwe. Kwatholakala ukuthi uma intsha yaboHlanga ingaqeqeshwa emkhakheni wezobuchwepheshe, linganda inani lonjiniyela.
UMntwana uthi sokheleka kanjaloke isihlonti sethemba, izinkampani zikaMnu u-Oppenheimer zaxhasa ngezigidi ezi-5 ukuze kwakhiwe isikhungo sobuchwepheshe (iTechnikon), eMlazi, eningizimu yeTheku.
Lolu daba uShenge walwethula esigungwini sakhe kuHulumeni waKwaZulu ngonyaka wezi-1977, lwemukelwa ngelikhulu isasasa. NguDkt u-Oscar Dumisani “OD” Dhlomo owayephathiswe ezemfundo, kwaZulu ngaleso sikhathi owaqhamuka nombono wokuthi lesi sikhungo esasiyivelakancane kwaboHlanga ezweni siqanjwe kuthiwe yi “Mangosuthu Technikon,” ukuhlonipha umbono, iqhaza, nentshisekelo yoMntwana ekuthuthukiseni imfundo.
Uqale lapho-ke lowo mshikashika abanye becabanga ukuthi ngumdlalo. AbaMhlophe abebengabafi seli impumelelo aboHlanga babecabanga ukuthi iMangosuthu Technikon izoba ngu”mlilo wamaphepha”, into ezobuye ishabalale. Isikhungo lesi siqale sinabafundi abayi-15, befundela ezakhiweni zesikhashana nothisha abayisi-9. Kwakugcizelelwe ukuthi yisikhungo sezobuchwepheshe lesi esizokhiqiza onjiniyela bemikhakha eyahlukene. Manje iMUT iyisikhungo semfundo esikhiqiza ochwepheshe abafunwa ngumhlaba wonke, ikakhulukazi emkhakheni wobunjiniyela.
Abafundi bokuqala
Abafundi bokuqala abaphumelela eMangosuthu Technikon babebangwa yizimboni, abanye baya kosebenza eSingapore enkampanini yakwaPhillips abanye baqashwa yinkampani uMondi. Othisha ababefundisa kulesi sikhungo imvamisa kwakungamakhehla abelungu. Amanye ayesethathe umhlalaphansi ezimbonini ezahlukene engonjiniyela khona ayebizwa ezonikeza ulwazi esikhungweni
Omunye webutho lokuqala labafundi abayi-15, uMnu uGordon Msimang nongunjiyela emkhakheni kagesi (Electrical Engeneering), echaza ukuxhumana kwakhe nesikhungo uthi: “Kungathi yinganekwane uma siyixoxa le ndaba yethu neMangosuthu Technikon, thina zingqalabutho zakhona. Thina esiyi-15 esaqala khona ngowezi-1979 sasiyizinsizwa sodwa, kungekho mfundi wesifazane. Umphakathi jikelele wawungazi ukuthi yini esiyifundayo futhi kwakungashona ilanga uma uwuchazela. Ngesikhathi sesethweswa iziqu ziyi-16 kuMfumfu ngowezi-1985, imikikizo yenjabulo kubazali nasezihlotsheni zethu, yayihambisana nezinyembezi. Sase siyibekile iMangosuthu Technikon ebalazweni,” kuchaza uMnu Msimang, ezishaya isifuba.
Omunye umfundi wokuqala uMnu uVelaphi Myeni nowagcina eqedele izifundo zakhe zeMasters kwi Electrical Engineering eMissouri State University, e-USA yena uthi:
‘Ukwakhiwa kweMangosuthu Technikon ngowe-1979 kwaba yinkululeko isibili nokuqala kosuku olusha emfundweni yaboHlanga kuleli. Ngaba nenhlanhla yokuba yingxenye yesigejana sokuqala sabafundi abamukelwa eMangosuthu. Ngowe-1980 lelo qembu laselakhiwe ngabafundi abangama-56 abangonjiniyela kugesi, ezokwakha, amakhemikhali nezobukhenikha. Indaba yokuthi phakathi kwethu kwakunomalume uJoe owayeminyaka engama-38, umalume uSimon Nkabinde owayenama nengama-28 benza izifundo eziyisandulelo besekuthi sonke sineminyaka engaphezu kwama-20 kukhomba ukuthi singaboHlanga sancishwa kangakanani amathuba okungena ezifundweni zobuchwepheshe. Inqubo yobandlululo yayibavimbela aboHlanga ukuqeqeshwa kwezobuchwepheshe. Cishe iningi lethu lalineminyaka engama-23. Sasingabesilisa sonke ngaphandle kukaVirginia owawethayipha
“Asibakhohlwanga abafowethu nodadewethu emphakathini nothisha besayensi. Ngowe-1980 u-Irish Ngomeza, uSimo Chili, uSandile Hlongwane, u-Emmanuel Masondo nami sahlangana ngokusiza abafundi baseMenzi High School ngesikhathi sesidlo sasemini. UMphathisikole uMnu uMoses Masondo wayesilanda ngemoto yakhe ukuze sizosiza abafundi bemathematics nesayensi emakilasini amahlanu ngesikhathi esisodwa. Wayebuye asiphindisele esikoleni lingakashayi elesibili ukuze silungele ikilasi elilandelayo,” kuphetha uMyeni.
Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi osozimboni babeletha izitshudeni mawala zizokwenza lezi zifundo zobunjiniyela ezazifunwa ngamabhizinisi abo. Yahlonishwa kakhulu iMangosuthu emkhakheni wobunjiniyela, njengoba namanje kuseyiyona ingqwele kulo mkhakha.
Kuqopheke umlando ngowezi-1996, sekuheleza umoya woguquko ezikhungweni zemfundo kuleli, iMangosuthu Technikon, iba nomphathi wokuqala woHlanga, uSolwazi u-Aaron Mseshi Ndlovu, owayekade efundisa oNgoye. Imikhakha yezoLimo neyezeMpilo yasungulwa kulesi sikhungo, kwanda nenani labafundi. Ngonyaka wezi-2007 iMangosuthu Technikon, yashintshwa yaba yiMangosuthu University of Technology (MUT).
USolwazi uNdlovu, wasebenza nezinye izingqwayingqwayi zaboHlanga ezazisezikhundleni zokuphatha esikhungweni, oSolwazi uGabriel Lindumusa Ndabandaba noSolwazi u-Edmund Zungu. Ekuthatheni umhlalaphansi kukaGatsheni ngowama-2008, kufi ke uSolwazi Mashupye Kgaphola owayegogodile kwezobunjiniyela eneziqu zaseNyuvesi yaseLeeds (eNgilandi). Wafi ke wakhuphula izinga lokufunda emikhakheni eyahlukene waqinisa isandla nasekuphathweni kwezindaba zabafundi, njengokuqeda utshwala emagcekeni esikhungo.
USolwazi uKgaphola, usizane noSolwazi uMarcus Ramogale noSolwazi uKhehla Ndlovu ekubekeni lesi sikhungo ezingeni eliphezulu. Okunye iMUT eziqhenya ngakho kwaba wukuba noMntwana waKwaPhindangene njengomsunguli, nalamaShansela alandelayo, uNgqongqoshe uLindiwe Sisulu, uMfundisi uKhoza EM Mgojo wamaWeseli (ongasekho), uMnu uWillies Mchunu, obenguNdunankulu waseKZN. UMehluleli uJerome Ngwenya ube nguSihlalo woMkhandlu wesigungu, uMnu u-Obed Thembinkosi Mlaba owake waba yiMeya yeTheku, noMfundisi uBhekisipho Khulekani “BK” Dludla.
Abesifazane banikiwe izikhundla zokuphatha e-MUT njengoSolwazi uPrecious Lugayeni noSolwazi uNokwethemba Ndlanzi, noNkk uBongiwe Masuku-Mkhize (ongasekho). Baningi abagogoda kulesi sikhungo. Kulabo kungabalwa uMnu uMandisi Mphahlwa oseyinxusa manje kanti wake waba nguNgqongqoshe wezeziMboni ezweni nabanye abaningi.
