Imatatu—Isithuthi SaseKenya Esimibalabala

NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EKENYA

UMNTU otyelele eKenya akanakuze aswele amazwi okubalisa ngohambo lwakhe. Engqondweni yakhe uya kuhlala eyikhumbula imazi yendlovu eyingqwayingqwayi phakathi kwezinye, ingonyama enkulu nelanga xa lithi ndithenge. Apha, kukho izinto ezininzi ezintle nezahlukahlukeneyo. Noko ke, kwiindlela ezininzi zale ngingqi kukho nto ithile inomtsalane ngokwahlukileyo—imatatu esebenza ngeendlela ezininzi. Eli gama libhekisela kwiqela lezithuthi zikawonke-wonke. Iimpawu zazo ezimangalisayo ziye zabangela ukuba zibe lolona hlobo lezothutho lusetyenziswayo eKenya.

Imvelaphi yematatu ibangel’ umdla njengendlela eqhutywa ngayo. Uhlobo lokuqala lwezi zithuthi yayiligxokogxoko leFord Thames, eyasala kwiqela lezo zazisetyenziswa ngamajoni aseBritani e-Ethiopia ebudeni bemfazwe yehlabathi yesibini. Ebutsheni beminyaka ye-1960, umhlali waseNairobi wayesebenzisa le nqwelo-mafutha ukuze ase abahlobo bakhe kumbindi wedolophu, wayecela ukuba mntu ngamnye anikele nje ngeesenti ezingama-30 ukuze agalele amafutha.a Kungekudala emva koko, nabanye bayibona ingeniso enokwenziwa zezi nqwelo-mafutha zindala. Ngoko, iqela lazo lenziwa izithuthi ezinokukhwelisa abantu abangama-21, zaza zafakwa izitulo zamaplanga ezide ezintathu ekwakuhlalwa kuzo. Le ndlela iyafana naleyo yebolekajas yakudala esetyenziswa eNigeria. Ekuqaleni mntu ngamnye wayehlawula ixabiso leengqekembe eziziisheleni ezintathu ngohambo ngalunye. Oku kunokucacisa indlela ezi nqwelo-mafutha ezalifumana ngayo igama elithi matatu—elivela kwigama lesiSwahili elithi tatu, elithetha “isithathu.” Ukususela ngoko, imatatu iye yaphuculwa ngokupheleleyo, kwaveliswa iintlobo zakutshanje ezingafaniyo nohlobo lwakuqala olwalugxokozela ngeyona ndlela. Ewe, imatatu yanamhlanje ngumgrugra wenqwelo-mafutha elathi elinye iphephancwadi laseKenya “yinqwelo-moya ehamba ngamavili emibalabala.” Le ayenziwanga ngabantu nje abambalwa ngokufuthi abangenalwazi lungako ngomsebenzi njengezo zeminyaka ye-1960!

Ukukhwela imatatu kunokuba ngamava abangel’ imincili, ingakumbi xa umqhubi esenza amatshe phakathi kweenqwelo-mafutha ezininzi edolophini! Makhe sithabathe uhambo olufutshane sijikeleze iNairobi sikhwele imatatu size singcamle obo bumnandi.

Into Ebangel’ umdla

Ukhenketho lwethu luza kuqala eyadini apho kukho inkitha yezi nqwelo-mafutha ezilindele ukuya kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo. Yintsimbi yokuqala emva kwemini, yaye le ndawo iyaphithizela, abantu bazama ukufumana imatatu ethile eza kubasa kwindawo abafuna ukuya kuyo. Abanye abantu baya kumantla eli lizwe, uhambo oluza kuthabatha iiyure eziliqela. Bambi baza kuhamba iikhilomitha nje ezimbalwa ukusuka kumbindi wedolophu, mhlawumbi ukuze baye kutya ngokukhawuleza. Imatatu iluncedo ngokwenene.

Ngaba uphawule ukuba inkoliso yezi nqwelo-mafutha zinemibala emininzi eqaqambileyo? Kaloku, le asiyondlela nje yokuzihombisa kuphela. Kukho abantu abafuna ukuhamba ngeyona matatu intle. Xa uzijonga ngokusondeleyo ezi nqwelo-mafutha uya kuphawula ukuba kukho amagama aliqela abhalwe kuzo aph’ emacaleni. Amanye awo athetha ngemixholo engundaba-mlonyeni—ngokomzekelo zibhalwe “El Nino,” “Millennium,” “The Website,” “Internet” nelithi “Dot Com.” Ezinye zibhalwe “Meek” (ukuthozama) nelithi “Missionary” (umvangeli wasemazweni) abonisa iimpawu abantu abazinqwenelayo nezinto abafuna ukuba zizo. Enye inqwelo-mafutha ephantse ifane nematatu eqaqambileyo yijeepney yakwiiPhilippines. Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, nayo ijeepney yimveliso yemfazwe yehlabathi yesibini.

Ingxolo ababizwa ngayo abantu ngomnye umbono omangalisayo. Nangona indawo eziya kuyo ezi nqwelo-mafutha ibhalwe ngokucacileyo kwifestile yangaphambili, abafana abaqokelela imali babile bethe xhopho bakhwaza abantu ngoxa abaqhubi bekhalisa amaxilongo amnandi eenqwelo-mafutha zabo. Ungothuki xa ubona ezinye iimatatu zibhalwe “Jerusalem” okanye “Jericho.” Ukuba ukhwela enye yazo, uya kuzifumana, ungekho kuMbindi Mpuma, kodwa kumahlomela-dolophu aseNairobi akwimpuma athiywe ngala magama eBhayibhile. Njengoko abafana abaqokelela imali bezama ukubizela abantu kuzo zonke iimatatu ezikhoyo, akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba abantu abaninzi besiba nengxaki yokukhetha leyo bafuna ukukhwela kuyo!

Wamkelekile kuStrawberry! Mhlawumbi uhambo luza kuba mnandi njengesi siqhamo. Kubonakala ngathi abaninzi bakhetha le matatu, kuba ikhawuleze yazala. Umculo odlalelwa phantsi ovela kwisandisi-lizwi esixhonywe eluphahleni utsho kamnandi ezindlebeni zabantu abakhweleyo. Noko ke, ungacingi ukuba zinjalo zonke iimatatu. Ezinye zaziwa ngokuba nezandisi-lizwi ezinkulu apha phantsi kwezitulo ezinomculo ongxolayo. Ngoku sele kuphele imizuzu elishumi abantu behleli kuzo zonke izitulo. Ukanti imatatu yethu ayikanduluki. Ilinde ntoni bethu? Kusafuneka abanye abantu abaza kuma kwipaseji ephakathi kwezitulo. Kungekudala akukho nendawo le incinane yokushukumisa uzwane. Enyanisweni, imatatu iza kuhamba isima endleleni iqokelela abantu abangakumbi.

Ekugqibeleni siyanduluka. Abantu abangazange babonane nasemdudweni bancokola ngobuhlobo ngezinto ezidl’ umzi ngaloo mini. Kuba ngathi yindawo yentengiso. Noko ke lumka, ungayiphulaphuli kakhulu le ngxoxo. Bambi baziwa ngokudlula kwiindawo ebebemele behle kuzo ngenxa yokubandakanyeka kakhulu kwezi ngxoxo.

Siye sathi imatatu iluncedo ngeendlela ezininzi. Akunyanzelekanga ukuba ihambe ngendlela enye. Ukuze umqhubi afike ngexesha elithile azimisele lona, uhamba naphi na apho athanda khona, kwanakwindledlana eyenzelwe abantu abahamba ngeenyawo—maxa wambi aphantse atshayise abathile. Kwangaxeshanye, umsebenzi wokuqokelela imali awuyondlwan’ iyanetha. Umfana oqokelela imali uzama ukuqokelela imali kubantu abathethela phezulu, yaye bambi abanantsebenziswano konke-konke. Sekunjalo, akabayeki badlale ngaye. Mntu ngamnye umele ahlawule okanye imatatu ima ngokukhawuleza aze axelelwe ukuba makehle—maxa wambi egxagxanyiswa! Umfana oqokelela imali uyamxelela umqhubi xa kukho abantu abafuna ukuhla, ngoxa kwangaxeshanye ejonge abo bafuna ukukhwela. Uxelela umqhubi ngokubetha umlozi, ngokunkqonkqoza eluphahleni okanye ngokukhalisa intsimbi efakwe ngobuchule ngasemnyango. Nangona kukho iindawo ezithile zokumisa zazo zonke izithuthi zikawonke-wonke, imatatu imisa naphi na nangaliphi na ixesha, mhlawumbi ukuze ikhwelise okanye yothule abantu.

Ngoku siphumile kumbindi wedolophu, yaye sikwihlomela-dolophu elincinane, apho inkoliso yabantu yehla khona. Ngoku lixesha lokuba imatatu ibuyele kwiyadi ebivela kuyo. Iza kukhwelisa abanye abantu apha endleleni. Nabo baza kuva le nto siyivileyo. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, uhambo lwethu ngoStrawberry, nangona belunamagingxi-gingxi, belumnandi.

Ziya Kuhlala Zikho

Ekubeni kukho iinqwelo-mafutha ezinokuba ngama-30 000, ishishini lezothutho leematatu eKenya liye latshintsha ekubeni lishishini elincinane elaqala ngexesha lemfazwe kumashumi eminyaka eyadlulayo laba lishishini elikhulu elenza izigidi ngezigidi zeerandi. Noko ke, iindlela zalo eziluncedo ezahlukahlukeneyo ziye zabangela ezinye iingxaki. Ngokomzekelo, abaqhubi baye babekw’ ityala lokungayithobeli imithetho yendlela elawula abanye abaqhubi, yaye abasemagunyeni baye bamisela imiqathango emininzi ukuze balungelelanise eli shishini. Ngamathuba athile eli shishini liye lasabela kwezi zityholo ngokurhoxisa iinkonzo zalo, ngaloo ndlela liphazamisa amawaka abantu asebenzisa imatatu imihla ngemihla. Ngoxa ingengabo bonke abayithandayo indlela esebenza ngayo imatatu, ezi nqwelo-mafutha ziyenye indlela yothutho ekhawulezileyo kubantu bale ngingqi abangenangeniso ingako.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

IFord Thames

[Inkcazelo]

Noor Khamis/The People Daily