LALA NGOKUTHULA: Usedlule ummeli wabantu uMnu uComfort Ngidi
Umufi uMnu uZibuse Comfort Ngidi ungowendlu kaBhomo owazala uMashaya owabe enamadodana amane uShafini, uNtethe, uStimela noSbhara. UShafini wabe esezala uJeremiah owazala uMangaqa ongubaba kaComfort. Unina kwabe kuyintombi yakwaSindane. Bobabili abazali bakhe abasekho.
UNgidi wazalelwa eRichmond ngesikhathi abantu aboHlanga belwela inkululelo ukuze bazibuse. Wabe esenikwa igama elithi uZibuse. Amabanga aphansi uwafunde eMagoda Primary School. Wabe usephothula ibanga lesi-8 eNdala Secondary School waqedela umatikuletsheni eSibusisiwe High School, eMbumbulu. Emveni kokuphothula umatikuletsheni wabe eseyosebenza ePinetown kwaRegina Carpet eyagcina isihlangene neVan Dyk Carpet. Ngesikhathi esebenza kwaRegina waveza amagalelo ekusukumeleni izinkinga zezisebenzi. Wabe esengenela umkhankaso wokuba izisebenzi zasemafemini asePinetown zijoyine izinyunyana. Wakhethwa ukuba ngusihlalo wabamele izisebenzi (Shop Steward) ngaphansi kweNational Union of Textile Workers manje esibizwa ngeSouth African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU). Wagcina esewumphathi wosihlalo wazo zonke izinyunyana ezazingaphansi kweFederation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU). Wahlanganisa zonke izinyunyana ukuthi zingene kumfelandawonye owodwa. Lapho wayebambisene nabafana noMnu u-Aleck Erwin, uMnu uJay Naidoo, uMnu uChris Dlamini noMnu uMaxwell Xulu. Wayesexoxa nezinyunyana ezazingekho kuFOSATU njengeNational Union of Mineworkers (NUM) eyayiholwa nguMengameli uCyril Ramaphosa noMnu u-Elijah Barayi, nalezo ezazingaphansi kwe-United Democratic Front (UDF) njengeNational Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) ezaziholwa ongasekho uMnu uThemba Nxumalo. Ngaleso sikhathi wabe esebambe iqhaza ezinhlakeni ze-UDF njengeClermont Youth League. Izinhlaka zaseClermont zanquma ukuthi kufanele abe ngumholi wezisebenzi abhekane nokugqugquzela ezazihlala eKranskloof Hostel. Umbimbi lwezinyunyana lwabe selunquma ukuthi akayeke ukusebenza efemini asebenzele izinyunyana ngokugcwele.
Ube eseqokelwa ukuba umgqugquzeli ozinze ePinetown. Emveni kwesikhashana wabe esenyuselwa esikhundleni sokuba uNobhala wesifunda sasePinetown. Lesi kwabe kuyisifunda esikhulu kunazo zonke eNingizimu Afrika ngoba izinkampani eziningi zendwangu zazinezinhlokohhovisi ePinetown. Ngaleyo ndlela wayenomsebenzi wokugqugquzela imiphakathi eminingi njengeClermont, iKranskloof Hostel nakwaDabeka ukuba iqhubeke nokulandela izinhlelo ze-UDF nokuthi izisebenzi zijoyine izinyunyana zeCongress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).
Ngenxa yalo msebenzi wakhe amaphoyisa ayegasela njalo lapho ayehlala khona nomfowabo uMfu uMzomuhle Ngidi. Emveni kwesikhathi eside amaphoyisa engamtholi ngoba wayeshintshashintsha izindawo zokuhlala, abe esethatha umfowabo amshaya ephindelela emhlukumeza. Amaphoyisa abe esethumela umyalezo wokuthi uma engamthola ayombulala. Izinhlaka zikaKhongolose zabe sezinquma ukuthi aphume aphele eClermont naKwaZulu-Natal. Wahanjiswa eGoli kusuka ngowe-1986 kuya kowe-1988. Kwanqunywa ukuthi akezukuphumela ngaphandle kodwa kufanele abuyele esikoleni. Ngesikhathi eyiShop Steward wayemele amalungelo abantu futhi kwakukhona abameli abanjengoMnu u-Archie Gumede, uMnu uKwenza Mlaba, uMnu uGriffith noNkk uVictoria Mxenge. Lokhu kwamgqugquzela ukuthi afundele ubumeli. Abanye ababemgqugquzela kwakungoMnu uBheka Shezi, uLinda Zama nabanye abaningi. UKhongolose wamtholela umfundaze kusukela ngowe-1988 kuya kowe-1992. Wabe esephothula iBA Law neLLB eNyuvesi iDurban Westville. Ngenkathi esenyuvesi wabe esekhethelwa ukuthi aphathe umkhandlu wabafundi njengonobhala waphinde wakhethelwa ukuba nguMengameli weLaw Students Council. Onyakeni wakhe wokugcina wakhethelwa ukuba uSihlalo weSouth African Students Congress (SASCO). Waphinde wangena ekomitini okwakuthiwa yiMandela Reception Committee. Leli komiti laliqondene nokwamukela ababelindwe ukuthi babuye ekudingisweni nababezobuya eRobben Island ikakhulukazi, uMadiba nabanye. Ikomidi labe selimnikeza ukuthi aqale uhlaka lwamamarshall kuso sonke isifundazwe.
Isimo samamarshall sasinzima ngoba akukho lapho ayebukela khona. Ukuze akwazi ukusebenza wabe esenxusa uMnu uMo Shaik, uNks uThandi Sgodi, uMnu uSibusiso Chamane nabanye abaningi ababe semakomitini emigwaqo kuwona wonke amalokishi ukwelekelela. Waphinde wathintana nalabo ababenza umshoshaphansi woMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) ukuthi bezomlekelela ukwakha uhlaka lokuqeqesha oluqondene nokulawula isixuku ukuvikela abaholi. Lezi zinhlaka zawuthwala lo msebenzi ngokuzinikela. UMadiba wathi uma ephuma ejele wavakashela wonke amalokishi egadwe yilolu hlaka lwamamarshall waze wayophelela eKings Park. Lapho cishe kwakukhona abantu abangaphezulu kwezi-200 000 kodwa amamarshall akwazi ukugcina ukuthula ebambisene nezinhlaka ze-UDF nolwangaphansi lwe-African National Congress (ANC).
Kuthe ngowe-1993 waqokelwa ukuthi ahole ithimba laKwaZulu-Natal elalizofundisa ngokuvota nokuletha ukuthula esifundazweni. Emveni kokhetho olwaba enkulu impumelelo wabe esegqugquzelwa yiPhini likaMehluleli Omkhulu uRaymond Zondo ukuthi aqedele izifundo zakhe zobumeli. Kusukela ngowe-1994 wajoyina ifemu yabameli iLivingston Leandy lapho ahlala khona waze waba omunye wabaqondisi. Wasuka lapho wayoqala inkampani yakhe yabameli iNgidi & Company Incorporated. Ilapho-ke eziveze khona ubuchule bokuphatha amacala amakhulu emela uHulumeni nezinkampani ezinkulu nabantu nje. Inkampani isizakhele igama elihle ngokuqeqesha abameli abancane iphinde inikeze abesilisa nabesifazane amathuba ngokulinganayo.
Uthando lokufundisa uze waliveza kakhulu ngenkathi efundisa ophikweni lweNyuvesi iZululand lapho ekhiqize khona inqwaba yabameli abenza imisebenzi eyahlukahlukene kubandakanya nabasemajajini.
Uzunywe ukugula emasontweni ambalwa edlule wasishiya emhlabeni zingama-29 kuNcwaba wezi-2020. Ushiye emhlabeni umkakhe uPhila, izingane zakwabo eziyisi-7, amadodakazi amahlanu, amadodana amane, nabazukulu abathathu.
Lala kahle Hlomuka, uyibekile induku ebandla.
