Impumelelo uhlala eyilangazelela umgwedli osemncane
Kuze kube yinamuhla umgwedli wezikebhe osemncane waseShongweni Dam, ngaphandle kwasePinetown, usakhala ezimathonsi ngakubiza ngokugilwa abomqhudelwano wokugwedla iDusi Canoe Marathon. Lo mqhudelwano ongomkhulu kwezokugwedla obanjwa minyaka yonke usuka eMgungundlovu uphelele eThekwini, ubumhla zingama-29 kuNhlolanja nonyaka. UNosipho Mthembu oneminyaka yobudala eli-18, ukukhathazeka kwakhe ukuvezele leli phephandaba ngesikhathi enengxoxo ekhethekile nalo. “Izinyanga ezinhlanu zonke ngishintshe indlela engidla ngayo. Ngizilolonga ngokuphindiwe, ngizinikela ngakho konke. Imivuzo emihle ngayithola ngokuthi nginqobe ibanga lamakhilomitha ali-120 kulo mqhudelwano (iDusi Canoe Marathon). Kuthe sekumele ngijabule nganikwa iphepha elisho ukuthi nginqobile kwathiwa imali ngizoyithola emuva kokuhlolelwa izidakamizwa (Drug Test).
Kodwa ngikhuluma nje kuze kube inamhlanje ayikho inkece engayithola. Lesi senzo asingithenanga neze amandla njengoba ngisazimisele ukuzuza izinto eziningi kulo mdlalo,” kusho uNosipho. Omunye ongayitholanga imali nguPhumlani Mngwengwe obehambisana naye uNosipho kulo mqhudelwano. Ngokusho komqeqeshi wakhe, uThemba Ngcobo, kuthatha isikhathi ukuthi labo abasuke benqobile bathole imali. Uthe kungenzeka baze bayithole ngenyanga ezayo. Ngokusho kwale ntokazi enesizotha, iqale amabanga emfundo aphansi eDamini Primary School yasonga eThokozamnganga High School. Iqede umatikuletsheni nyakenye. Ithe ukuqala kwayo lo mdlalo odlalwa kakhulu ngabebala elimhlophe ibineminyaka yobudala eli-11. UNosipho uthe okuyikho okwamenza waqoma ukudlala lo mdlalo ukuthi abantu akhule nabo babewudlala, naye wabe esethatheka.
Nyakenye umele iNingizimu Afrika emqhudelwaneni i-African Champs owawubanjelwe eRabat, eMorocco, ngaphansi kweK4 okusho ukuthi babebane esikebheni ebangeni lamakhilomitha angama-500. Le ntokazi neyayibambisene nabo u-Esti van Tonder, uBridgette Hartley kanye noDonna Hutton abazange baphoxe njengoba babuya nendondo yegolide. Lo mgwedli weMzinyathi Canoeing Club, ngawo unyaka odlule uqophe umlando eba ngowokuqala wesifazane waboHlanga ukudlala emqhudelwaneni womhlaba eChina. Kulo mqhudelwano wayebambisene no-Army Perkett baphuma indawo ye-16 kuwona wonke amazwe. izinto zokugwedla zibiza imali eshisiwe nje yena uzithenga kanjani, uthe: “Zonke izinto engizisebenzisayo zimahhala. Noma ngiya emiqhudelwaneni ethize ngihamba mahhala, ingakho ngaso sonke isikhathi ngihlezi ngikulangazelele ukunqoba ukujabulisa abaphathi, umqeqeshi kanye nomndeni wami.” Le ntokazi iphinde yatshela iBAYEDE ukuthi ibonga umndeni wayo ohlezi uyeseka njengoba noma kuthiwa idlala kuphi uba khona. Uma iya kwelinye izwe uyayiphelezela uyibeke esikhumulweni sezindiza. Ibe isibonga noSibonelo Khwela ohlezi eyikhuthaza. IBAYEDE iphinde yakhuluma noNgcobo, imbuza ukuthi ngabe ungumuntu onjani futhi umbona ekuphi eminyakeni ezayo. “UNosipho sengimqeqeshe iminyaka eminingi, uyisithixo senkosi, uzithobile uyahlonipha kakhulu. Ngibonga ugogo nomama wakhe ngendlela abamkhulise ngayo.
Ngekhono analo ngimbona ezogcina egwedla emazingeni aphezulu. Uma ngimqeqesha ngimhlanganisa nabantu besilisa ngoba unesibindi futhi indlela ayiyo ihluke kakhulu. Uyakwazi ukubekezela ngisho engazilolonga amahora amabili uze aqede kuyima ephumula,” kusho uNgcobo. Eqhuba uNgcobo uthe: “Iqiniso lithi thina aboHlanga into ezosifaka emanzini siyayisaba, ingakho sinabantu abancane kwezemidlalo abadlala izinto ezibandakanya amanzi. Umbuzo engike ngizibuze wona sisabani? UNosipho kwabesifazane ngiyakuqinisekisa ukuthi akekho omelana naye, ingakho ekwazile ukuyosimela eChina futhi usazowuzungeza umhlaba. Okuzomenza azifake emlandweni yisibindi anaso, akanaye umuntu athi uyamhlonipha kulo mdlalo.
