Abanye bashonile, abanye basinda ngokulambisa kuhlasele izikhukhula ezishiye kukhalwa emijondolo

Ihunyushwe NguSibongiseni Gumbi

Ngesikhathi imvula enamandla iyishaya izinsuku ezinhlanu zilandelana eThekwini ngo-1987, yagcina seyidala izikhukhula kwashona abantu abangamakhulu amahlanu nesithupha (506). Izakhiwo zabhidlika, kwabhodloka namabhuloho okunenangi angu-14 futhi kwakhukhuleka namathuna. Kwasala nemihosha emikhulu ezindaweni ezehlukene eThekwini. 

Lezi zikhukhula zahamba nezindlu ezibalelwa ezinkulungwaneni ezingamashumi amathathu (30 000), zashiya abantu abangaphezu kwezinkulungwane ezingamashumi amahlanu (50 000) beswele indawo yokulala. Umonakalo owenzeka ngaleso sikhathi walinganiselwa kwizigidigidi eziyisikhombisa zamarandi (R7 billion).

Izikhukhula zangempelasonto yePhasika lango-2019 nazo zashiya kukhalwa kuleli dolobha nezindawo ezakhelene nalo. Zaholela ekufeni kwabantu abangamashumi ayisishiyagalombili nanhlanu (85), kwabhidlika imizi ebalelwa ezinkulungwaneni namakhulukhulu abantu basala bengenandawo yokufihla ikhanda, ikakhulukazi labo ababehlala emijondolo. Zawisa namabhuloho zashiya nemigwaqo nenye ingqalasizinda kumagebhugebhu. Nalapho, umonakalo wabalelwa kwizigidigidi zamarandi. 

Izikhukhula zakamuva zona zizongena emabhukwini omlando njengezimbi kunazo zonke ezake zahlasela kulesi sifunda. 

Kushaye umhla ka-20 kuMbasa isibalo sabantu abese beshonile kungamakhulu amane namashumi amane nesishiyagalombili (448), kodwa bekusalindeleke sikhule lesi sibalo njengoba kusekhona abantu abangamashumi ayisithupha nantathu (63) okwabikwa ukuthi badukile abebengakatholakali.  

Ubungako bomonakalo owenzekile bebusaqoshwa, kodwa undunankulu waKwaZulu-Natal uSihle Zikalala uthe imigwaqo nje iyodwa izodla izigidi ezinhlanu nengxenye zamarandi (R5.6 billion) ukuyibuyiselwa esimweni esifanele.

Abenhlangano eqagela isimo sezulu kuleli, iSouth African Weather Service bathe ubungako bemvula ene eThekwini ngoMsumbuluko womhla ka-11 kuMbasa bungalinganiswa naleyo ena uma kunesishingishane ezindaweni eziseduze nolwandle. 

UMmeli Sokhela, oneminyaka engamashumi amathathu nesishiyagalolunye (39), ungufakazi womonakalo osale ngemuva kwale mvula. Bese kudlule izinsukwana imvula idlulile kodwa ubesadidekile futhi engakholwa. 

USokhela wayelele endlini aqashe kuyo eClermont ngalowo Msombuluko ngesikhathi kuwa izindonga zesonto le-United Methodist Church of Southern Africa elingumakhelwane nala ehlala khona. Zawela phezu kwendlu yakhe zayishaya phansi. 

Yena nezingane zakhe ezine ezineminyaka ephakathi kweyishumi nambili (12) neyishumi nesithupha (16) bagqibeka ngaphansi ngesikhathi izindonga ziwela kubo. Akakwazanga ukubona noma ezwe izingane zakhe. 

“Ngamemeza amagama abo, kodwa kwathuleka. Ngabe sengimemeza omakhelwane ukuba bazosisiza, kodwa kwakukhona izinto eziningi phezu kwethu – kusukela ezitinini, ifenisha, izingodo nothayela – namanzi ke ayeseqala ukunyuka,” kusho yena. 

Kwabathatha amahora amabili omakhelwane bakhe ukuba bamtakule, bamkhiphe. Wayenethemba lokuthi ngasimanga thize nje izingane zakhe nazo zisindile. “Kodwa ngebhadi zishone zonke izingane zami,” kusho uSokhela ngosizi. 

Balahlekelwe yikho konke abebenakho

UThulani Gumede, oneminyaka engamashumi amane nanhlanu (45), oyisakhamizi yaseNanda Glebe, walahlekelwa yiyo yonke into anayo ngesikhathi izikhukhula zigugula konke okusendleleni yazo kule ndawo. 

Indlu yakhe ewumkhukhu onamagumbi amabili uhambile, nakho konke umndeni wakhe obunakho obekuphakathi okukhona kukho nomazisi nezitifiketi zokuzalwa zezingane. Umkakhe nezingane zakhe ezintathu basinda ngokulambisa. 

Lo mndeni wakwaGumede neminye imindeni, okumanje seyiqutshiswe ehholo lomphakathi kule ndawo, abazi ukuthi bazothathani bahlanganise nani, nokuthi ikusasa libaphatheleni. 

“Angikholwanga ukuthi ngavele ngasala ngingenakhaya ngobusuku obubodwa nje. Ngisho lezi zimpahla engizigqokile ngizinikelelwe abantu khona la ehholo. Ngilahlekelwe yikho konke,” kusho uGumede otohoza emafemini.

Yena nomndeni wakhe babesheshe balala ngalowoMsombuluko kwazise ugesi wawungekho kule ndawo. 

“Kwathi phakathi nobusuku, ngezwa ukuthi liyishaya ngamandla impela. Emizuzwini embalwa ukusuka lapho, ngabona amanzi esengenisa endlini ngabe sengimemeza umkami nezingane ngathi asibalekeni siyofuna usizo.” UGumede wayevele esehlala eNanda ngesikhathi sezikhukhula zango-1987, kodwa uthi umonakalo kulokhu mkhulu kakhulu. “Lezi zinto, ezifana netsunami, sigcina ukuzibona kumabonakude zenzeka kwamanye amazwe. Kodwa kulokhu bezenzeka lakithi, Akukholakali namanje.” 

Ebangeni elingamakhilomitha ambalwa ukusuka eNanda, kuseNtuzuma la izakhamizi zithi azizange zikholwe zibona izidumbu zintanta zisuka ngasemathuneni akule ndawo. 

“Ezinye wawubona ukuthi ngezabantu abebesanda kungcwatshwa bese kuba khona nobesekungamathambo – egcwele yonke indawo,” kusho uGugu Ndlovu, oneminyaka engamashumi amabili nesishiyagalolunye (29) owakhelene nalamathuna. 

“Amabhokisi okungcwaba ayentanta futhi kugcwele nezingubo zokulala (okwembathiswa ngazo amabhokisi) zazigcwele yonke indawo. Iphunga ke lona belingabekezeleleki.” 

Kwabathatha usuku abosizo oluphuthumayo nabasebenzi bakamasipala ukukhuculula konke lokhu. 

UMthoko Khuzwayo, oneminyaka engamashumi amane nanhlanu (45), oyisakhamuzi yasemijondolo yaseBurlington, ubonga uMdali ukuthi usaphila namanje. Uhlala endlini engaphandle kwendlu enkulu emzini oseduze nomfula Umhlatuzana. “NgoMsombuluko ngabona amanzi esengena endlini yami, eya ngokukhula impela. Ngabe senginquma ukuthatha izintambo ngibophele umkhukhu wami endlini enkulu. Wasinda kanjalo ekumukeni. Eminye yakomakhelwane yemuka nomfula,” kusho uKhuzwayo. 

Abanye kule ndawo ababanga nayo leyo nhlanhla. Izingane ezinhlanu zakomunye umndeni wakhona endaweni zashona zilele ngesikhathi indlu yakubo, eseduze nojantshi wesitimela esihamba phakathi kweGoli neTheku, yavele yabhidlika bagqibeka phakathi. 

Kusaqoqwa izidumbu

Abosizo oluphuthumayo basasebenza ngokuzikhandla ukuthola izidumbu zabantu abadukile. Omunye osebenza lo msebenzi endaweni yasePhayindane uthe izidumbu, iningi lazo ezingakahlonzwa, ziyanqwabelana ezikhungweni ezigcinwa kuzo kuleli dolobha. 

“Kule minyaka engamashumi amabili nane (24) ngisebenza lapha, asikaze sisebenze kanjena. Asikaze siqoqe izidumbu eziningi kanjena,” kusho lo msebenzi ongathandanga ukuba adalulwe ngoba akagunyaziwe ukukhuluma nabezindaba. “Izincingo zikhala zikhalile abantu besibiza ukuba sizoqoqa izidumbu, sifice inqwaba yazo.” 

Ngokwenhlangano ekhulumela abahlala emijondolo, Abahlali baseMjondolo, imijondolo ekhahlamezeke kakhulu ngeyaseNkanini, eCato Crest, eKhenana, Ekukhanyeni, eZamokuhle, eForeman Road, eKennedy Road, eBriardene, eKuphumeleleni, KwaMamsuthu eQuarry Road, eLindelani naseBarcelona 2. Esitatimendeni, ithe: “kuzo zonke izindawo eziyimijondolo imizi yabantu igugulekile”. 

“Njalo uma kunesimo esibi eThekwini – kusukela ekuvalweni kwezwe kuya kwimibhikisho nezikhukhula – kushayeka kakhulu laba abavele behlwempu.

“Izimo ezimbi ezenzeka ngokwendalo zigcina sezihlanganiswe nepolitiki, bese kugcina kugqilazeke abavele bezihluphekela. Kusukela ngo-2005 silokhu sisho ukuthi lezi zimo esiphoqeleke ukuhlala kuzo azilungile, ziyingozi futhi azimniki umuntu isithunzi esimfanele. Izikhukhula zaKwaZulu-Natal zidale umonakalo kakhulu kubantu basemjondolo, nasezindaweni ezisemakhaya. Abanye bahlengwa ngesikhathi imifula igola izintethe kodwa baningi nabasholine.”

Chris Makhaye

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