Sixoxisane noBaba uSithole owazalwa ngenyanga kaNhlolanja ngonyaka ka 1923. Usilandise ngokuthi imali babeyilondoloza kuphi zingakabikho izindawo noma izakhiwo zokulondoza imali, amabhange. Ezikhathini zakudala imali abantu babengenayo noma babengayazi kwaze kwafika abelungu okuyibo abafika nemali kuleli nokunye okuningi okwakungaziwa ezwenikazi laseAfrika. Abantu baseAfrika babezikhonzele noma babeziphilisa ngokuzilimela nokufuya. Imali abantu baqala ukuyithola ngokuthi bashintshane nabelungu ngemfuyo yabo okungukudayisa kanye nezindawo. Lokhu okwenza ukuthi bakhe nemizi yabo ngendlela eyehlukile kweyayejwayelekile ezindaweni abafikela kuzo.
Izindlu lezo ababezakha zaziba nendawo lapho begcina khona imali yabo. Kube sekuvela amathuba emisebenzi ezindlini zabo lapho babedinga abantu ababezosebenza emakhishini nasemasimini abo lapho kwakutshalwe khona izinhlobo ezahlukene zemifino njalonjalo. Amasimu ayesetshenzwa kakhulu ngabantu besilisa kuthi ezindlini kusebenze abantu besifazane. Zazikhona izindawo lapho abanye babethanda ukusetshenzelwa ngabantu besilisa emakhishini abo. Yingalesisikhathi lapho abantu abamnyama ababebona futhi befunda izinto ezahlukene ngendlela yokuphila kwabelungu.
Labo ababenenhlanhla yokusebenza babebuyela emindenini yabo baxoxe ngezinto abazibonile. Ngenxa yokuthi kuningi ababengakuqondi njengokungezwani ngenkulumo ngoba babekhuluma izilimi ezingafani nezinkoleloze zaziziningi njengokuthi emzini womlungu kwakuba nendlu ekungangeni noma ngubani kuyona, eyayisetshenziselwa ihhovisi njengoba wayengumlimi umninimuzi. Ngenxa yokungazi abantu abaningi bagcina sebezitshela ukuthi kuhlala imali kuphela. Wayengekho umuntu owayenesibindi sokuvula leyondlu ngenxa yenhlonipho abantu ababenayo.
Kuningi okungabalwa ngenhlonipho njengokungagaguli umuntu okuphethe emsebenzini ngegama. Ngokuhlukana kwezindawo maningi amagama ayesetshenziswa ukubiza abaqasi. Okuphawulekayo ukuthi ngisho nezingane ezincane babengavunyelwe ukuzibiza ngamagama azo njengokuthi uma kuyingane yomfana yayibizwa ngenkosana kuthi umphathi noma umninikazi womuzi abizwe ngomnumzane. Lokhu kwenza ubudlelwano bazozombili izinhlangothi babenokuhloniphana nokuzwana kakhulu kangangokuba kwaqala ukuthi abelungu bavumele abantu ababebasebenzele ukuthi bahlale emapulazini abo. Inhloso enkulu yalomkhuba kwakungukusondela emsebenzini ngenxa yokuthi umsebenzi wawusumningi kakhulu. Ukuhlala emapulazini kwakuba nemibandela eminingi abantu bengenzi ngendlela abathanda ngayo. Ukuhlala ndawonye kwenza nokuthi ngisho nezingane zisebenze epulazini njengabazali bazo ngezikhathi izikole zingakabikhona. Iningi lezingane laqala ukuya ezikoleni sezikhulile kodwa kwakufanele ziqale zenze imisebenzi yasepulazini ngaphambi kokuya esikoleni.
Abanye babekholelwa ukuthi uma isigcwele indlu egcina imali yayithathwa ifakwe emasakeni igqitshwe ngaphandle komuzi. Ukuyifaka esakeni kwakwenzelwa ukuthi ivikeleke emhlabathini. Umnikazi womuzi wayetshela lowo amethembile emndenini wakhe ukuthi ikuphi nendawo. Ngalezinkoleloze ziningi izinto abantu abaqala bazikhuluma njengokuthi uma kudukile noma kweqile umuntu ngenxa yokungakwazi ukubekezelela umsebenzi onzima kuthiwe ubulewe khona ezogada imali yomlungu ekwagcina sekuthiwa yimali yezipoki. Bekwenzeka ukuthi ngokuhamba kweminyaka kuzwakale ukuthi kukhona umuntu othole imali egqitshelwe phansi kodwa ayisebenzise budedengu kungabonakali ukuthi uyenzeni bese kuthiwa yingoba imali yezipoki abanye bebekholelwa ukuthi lowo osuke ethole leyomali kusuke sekufike ngephupho lowomuntu wakubo owalahleka abanenkolelo yokuthi wagqitshwa nemali ebatshela ukuthi ukuphi nendawo.
By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane