“Silapha sikhona nje sidlule kokuningi sing’Abahlali Basemjondolo”
Ngonyaka ka 2007 uhulumeni wakuleli wawulungiselela indebe yomhlaba yebhola likanobhutshuzwayo. Kwathi ngenxa yengcindezi yokuzibandakanya nokuzibophezela nemigomo yeNhlangano yeZizwe eyaziwa ngeMillinium Development Goal, okwakuhloswe ngayo ukuthi izimpilo zabantu abahlala emijondolo umhlaba wonke kumele zibe sezithuthukisiwe isimo sazo sabangcono.
Uhulumeni wakithi wabe usukuhumusha lokhu ngokungeyiko uthi kwakusho ukuthi kufanele kuqedwe ngemijondolo. Indlela okwakuyo qedwa ngayo kwakungukuthi ichithwe kusetshenziswa isihluku kushiywa imindeni dengwane.
Kwaba yilesizathu esaholela ukuthi uhulumeni waKwaZulu-Natal ashaye umthetho wokuqedwa kwemijondolo owawubizwa ngeKwaZulu-Natal Elimination and Eradication of Slums Act, 2007. Lo mthetho wawuzokwenza kube yicala ukuba mpofu, ukwenze kube yicala ukwakha umjondolo, ukube ungaboshwa nembala, noma uhlawuliswe imali.
Ngokubona ukuthi uhulumeni akaqondile ukuqeda imijondolo ngokwakhela abantu izindlu, kodwa ngokudiliza lokhu abantu abazakhele kona ngamandla abanawo nabakubiza ngamakhaya, saphikisana nalo mthetho. Ngokunjalo lo mthetho wawungakuhloniphi ukuthi kulowo mjondolo noma ngabe utsheke kangakanani kodwa kuhlala imiphefumulo enemindeni nabantwana. Futhi ukubona kuyiphutha nobuwula bomuntu ohluphekile ukuhlupheka bese uhlala emijondolo. Babenza sengathi lelizwe alinamlando oholele ekuhluphekeni kwendlu emnyama ngoba bona sekubalungele empilweni.
Yingakho kwaphoqelela umbutho waBahlali baseMjondolo ukuthi usukume uvikele imiphakathi ehlala kulezakhiwo. Emva kokufunda lomthetho umbutho wabe usubandakanya ongothi bezomthetho nezifundiswa ukuhlaziya lomthetho nokuthi singalwisana kanjani nawo. Nebala saphuma iqhubu nesigaba seshumi nesithupha esasibona ukuthi uma sihlasele sona kuphelile ngalo mthetho.
Nebala sanikela eNkantolo ePhakeme eThekwini, lapho uMehluleli uVuka Shabalala wasichitha isicelo sombutho sokuvimba lomthetho. Sabe sesilidlulisa eNkantolo yoMthethosisekelo weZwe. Lapho iNkantolo yanquma ngomlomo kaMehluleli uDegang Moseneke ukuthi lomthetho wabe ungahabmisani noMthethosisekelo weZwe, ngakho ke, awukho semthethweni.
Kwabe sigadlile kosopolitiki nakuhulumeni waKwaZulu-Natal ngoba phela nezinye izifundazwe zase zisibheke ngabomvu lesinqumo ukuze zisike iphethini KwaZulu-Natal. Kusuka lapho yabankulu inzondo ebhekiswe kubahlali.
Yathi uma iNkantolo yoMthethosisekelo imemezela isinqumo sayo kwahlaselwa ikomkhulu lombutho kuKennedy Road, kwahlaselwa, futhi kwashiswa imizi yabaholi babahlali. Kwabulawa abahlali ababili kwalimala abantu abaningi. Kwaba nomkhankaso owawuhlelwe ezingeni eliphezulu losopolitiki esifundazweni wokuthi kuqedwe ngombutho waBahlali baseMjondolo. Abanye abaholi balo mbutho bamanxebanxeba nje osopolitiki abawusola ngokuthi ubadlisa kabi. Abakufihli ke ukuthi uma bejutshwa eMkhandlwini noma kusiShayamthetho basuke beyokudla beyozicebisa bona.
Noma kunjalo lombutho uphumelele ukuheha izinkumbi zabantu abahlala emijondolo nasezifundazweni ezahlukene okubalwa lesi sikaMthaniya, eGauteng, eMpumalanga, e-Eastern Cape naseWestern Cape. Ukwazile ukuba yizwi labahlali odabeni oluthinta umhlaba nezindlu, kanye nokuhlinzekwa kwezidingo nqgangi kanye nengqalasizinda. Sikwazile ukuvimbela amabhunu amnyama ekufuduleni ngendluzula abantu bakithi. Sabafundisa abahlali ngamalungelo abo noMthethosisekelo wezwe kanjalo nokuthanda izwe lethu ngokungancethezi.
Lo mbutho usuyahlonishwa ezwenikazi lakithi i-Afrkha nasemhlabeni jikelele. Kulonyaka ophelile amazwe enhlangano yezizwe azwakalise ukunengeka ngokubulawa kwabahlali kwelomkhulu lalen hlangano eGeniva, kwelaseSwitzerland ngalesikhathi iNingizimu Africa iphendula odabeni lwamalungelo.