Ngixoxisane noMnumzane Zithulele Shange mayelana nezinto zokuhamba ababezisebenzisa ezikhathini zakudala. Uthi ukhumbula ukuthi uqale ukuhlakanipha ugogo wakhe egibela iloli lakwaMoya kodwa futhi babekujwayele ukuhamba ngezinyawo amabanga amade uma beya ezitolo noma bevakashela izihlobo zabo, nezinkomo babezilusela kude ngoba babelandela utshani olubuhlaza ukuze izinkomo zisuthe. Uma beya ezitolo bebethenga endaweni yaseNkambathawini (Camperdown). Kwaze kwabakhona iloli elalibathatha ngasemakhaya libayise esiteshini sesitimela. Ucabanga ukuthi kwakuwo 1920 lisebenza elibona, ngoba wayelusa ngalesosikhathi. Umndeni wakwaMoya yiwo owaba nesithuthi sokuqala ikwathi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi bathenga ibhasi. Kokunye babehamba amabanga amade uma beyofuna umsebenzi ezimayini eGoli noma eKhimbali (Kimberley) lapho kumbiwa amalahle. Baningi abantu ababehamba beyofuna umsebenzi kulezindawo futhi kwakubathatha isikhathi ukuthi bavakashele emakhaya ngoba iningi lalibuyela emakhaya ngemuva kwezinyanga eziyisithupha. Lokhu kuhamba amabanga amade abantu befuna imisebenzi yingoba basebesibonile isidingo semali.
Ukuthatha uhambo olude
Iningi labantu lalilalela izingxoxo zalabo abasuke sebebuya kosebenza ngezehlakalo ezenzekayo endleleni nokuthi kuhanjwa kanjani. Abanye abantu babevumelana nemindeni yabo ukuthi bayofuna umsebenzi kodwa abanye babeqa bangaziwa ukuthi bashonaphi. Kwaqala kungabesilisa kuphela ababehamba beyofuna umsebenzi kwathi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi nabesifazane balandela ikakhulukazi yilabo ababeyibafelokazi ngoba wayengekho umuntu owayezobabheka ekhaya nezingane. Abantu besifazane bona babesebenza emajalidini. Kulabo abavumelana nemindeni yabo ngokuhamba bebenzelwa umphako abazowudla ngendlela, bekuba inyama ebilisiwe ibekwe ngendlela yokuthi yome bese igoqwa ngephepha noma ngendwangu; kosiwe ummbila omningi okokuphuza ngamanzi azowathola emfuleni azohlangabezana nayo endleleni.
Bebengakufaki ukudla kwabo ezitsheni, bebekufaka esakeni lendwangu elisuke kade liphethe uflawa lase liyabekwa ukuze lisetshenziswe ekhaya. Bebephatha nenduku ebazwe yacwija ohlangothini olulodwa lokhu bekwenzelwa ukuthi induku ibasize uma befikelwa ukukhathala belala ibakhumbuze ukuthi umuntu ubelibhekise kuphi izwe. Lenduku bebeyibeka kuthi indawo ebaziwe ibheke lapho belibangise khona. Futhi lenduku ibisiza nasekuzivikeleni kodwa uma kwenzekile wathuswa okuthile bebeyithatha induku ngokunganaki bese beyakhohlwa ukuthi bebeyibeke kanjani lokhu okungadala ukuthi umuntu abuyele emuva ngoba indlela engasayazi.
Ngesinye isikhathi bebesizwa ngabantu abahlangana nabo endleleni bababuze ukuthi indlela ihamba kuphi bakhonjiswe. Kwakungekho ukuthi ukwazi ukubona lapho osudlule khona ngoba indlela yabe iwugwadule. Endleleni babehlangana nezilwane ezinhlobonhlobo kodwa bezingabenzi lutho, uveze ukuthi izilwane bezihlalelana nabantu. Uthe indoda eyayihamba ehlathini yezwa kuhlofoza ehlathini yalindela ukulwa kanti ibhubesi, uthe lamane lalala phansi laveza isidladla salo kanti linento eliyihlabile, wabe eselibangula lasukuma lahamba, laphinda lahlangana naye lomuntu seliphethe inyamazane bakholelwa ukuthi lalibonga. Babelala emahlathini nesezihlahleni. Imali ababeyihola babethenga izinkomo bese beziqamba ngamagama ezindawo abebesebenza kuzo ukuze bathole imali leyo njengokuthi uKhimbali noma baziqambe ngezigameko ezenzeka besemsebenzini.
By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane
