Bazali, nithule nithini ngokukhulelwa kwentsha?

SEKUYI NSAKAVUKELA, umchilo wesidwaba ukubona abafundi abakhulelwe abangaphansi kweminyaka engu-19 emiphakathini esihlala kuyona.

Ucwaningo olusanda kwenziwa lutshengisa ukuthi iNingizimu Africa inesibalo esiphezulu kakhulu sentsha ekhulelwayo kunawo wonke amazwe emhlabeni, kanti iminyaka yamantombazane akhulelwayo isukela ku-10 weminyaka!

Ezweni lonke, abalelwa ngaphezulu kuka 90 000 amantombazane akhulelwa esafunda ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi phakathi kuka 2021 no 2022, kanti KwaZulu-Natal khona, kubikwa ukuthi amantombazane angaphezulu kuka 22 500 akhulelwa esafunda ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi ngonyaka u 2022.

Ukukhulelwa kwabafundi ngalendlela kuyasehlisa kakhulu futhi kusithunaze isithunzi sabazali, kube sengathi umzali akanazimfundiso ezakhayo emntwaneni.

Ekhuluma ohlelweni i-Morning Live ku-SABC2, loyo okhulumela uMnyango wezeMfundo yamaBanga aPhansi kuzwelonke, uMnu Elijah Mhlanga, uthe into eyenzekayo kulezi zinsuku iyabakhathaza nabo njengo Mnyango, kanti bayazama ukwethula izindlela zokuqwashisa abafundi ngobungozi bokukhulelwa kwabo besebancane.

“Kuningi okwenziwayo ezikoleni, kanti ezinye izinhlelo sizenza ngokuhlanganyela nezinye izinhlaka ezizimele. Isibonelo, ezikoleni kukhona izifundo ezifana no-sexual health, prevention, ukuzihlonipha uhloniphe nomzimba wakho, nezinye. Sibuye sisebenzisane nezinhlangano ezifana no-Love Life, nalapho intsha ibuye ifundiswe khona ngocansi nokuzivikela.”

UMnu Mhlanga uyakuveza ukuthi nakuba bezama ukunqanda lesi simo, kukhona izinhlangano ezingahambisani nezinhlelo ezikhona ezikoleni zokufundiswa kwentsha ngocansi (sex education). “Inhlangano yezepolitiki i-African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) ingenye yezinhlangano ezingahambisani nalokhu esikwenzayo, njengoba bethi lezi zifundo zizokhuthaza intsha ukuba izimbandakanye nocansi. Okumangazayo-ke kepha ukuthi njengoba kuphume lolu cwaningo, i-ACDP ithule ithe du, ayisho lutho ngale nkinga esibhekene nayo njengezwe, yokukhulelwa kwezingane zamantombazane. Besingalindela ukuthi uma iphikisana nezinhlelo esinazo, ifike-ke nezixazululo ezizosiza ekunqandeni lesi sihlava sokukhulelwa kwezingane.” 

UMnu Patrick Kulati oyisikhulu esiphezulu (CEO) kwa-Love Life uveze ukuthi umphakathi wanamhlanje unawo umthelela ekukhulelweni kwentsha. “Phambilini, kwakunabantu besilisa abanjengabazali besilisa, othisha, omalume, abefundisi, njalonjalo, ababaziswa kakhulu ngeqhaza ababelibamba ezimpilweni zabantu emphakathini. Namhlanje, iningi lalabantu yibona kanye othola ukuthi sebengamasoka, bashela izingane ezincane, abanye bayazinukubeza.

“Namhlanje, kunabantu besilisa ababizwa ngama ‘blesser’ okuyibona abagabisela intsha yamantombazane ngemali nempilo ‘engcono’. Uma ingane yentombazane iqhamuka emndenini ohlwempu, isikhathi esiningi iyaheheka ngakho konke lokhu okuza ne ‘blesser’ bese ingena kanjalo ekulaleni nomuntu omdala kunayo ngoba ezoyinika imali.

“Namakhaya izingane ezikhula ngaphansi kwawo namhlanje awasafani nawakuqala, lapho okwakuba khona ubaba nomama, ababebambisene ekukhulisweni kwezingane zabo. Eziningi izingane sezikhula ngaphandle kwesandla somzali wesilisa okuyake kwenze ezinye zichanase, zenze noma ikanjani ngoba zazi ukuthi umphakathi ngeke ube nawo amandla okuzinqanda nokuzikhalima.

“Okunye esikutholayo ukuthi iningi labantu abasha lizitshela ukuthi alisekho igciwane i-HIV/AIDS, ngakho zenza ucansi nanoma ubani ngoba zizitshela ukuthi ngeke zigule. Lokhu kusenza sibone ukuthi alufinyeleli kahle ulwazi olubhekiswe kubantu abasha.”

INTUTHUKO idonsele eceleni amalungu omphakathi ambalwa ukuthola ukuthi luthini uvo lwawo ngalenkinga yokukhulelwa kwamantombazane okukhungethe lelizwe.

 UNKK Zuma waseMlazi ubeke kanje: “Kwaba buhlungu ngendlela eyisimanga ngenkathi umntwana wami ekhulelwa okokuqala. Emva kwesikhathi saxola ekhaya, sathi akaphindele esikoleni ayofunda. Samtshela ukuthi ingane sizoyigada ngoba sithi simzamela ikusasa lakhe. Njengamanje uneminyaka engu-16, kanti usekhulelwe ingane yesibili…”

 UMNU Ngubane oyisakhamuzi saseThekwini ubeke kanje: “Ngokucabanga kwami, imbangela yokukhulelwa kwabantwana ukunganeliseki, ukufuna impilo ephezulu nokududana kwabangane.Okubuhlungu ukuthi abafana bayabaleka uma sekukhuleliswene, kugcine kungenelela thina bomkhulu nogogo.”

 UMZALI ongathandanga ukudalulwa uthe: “Undodakazi wami uneminyaka engu-14 akanawo umazisi. Ngenkathi ekhulelwe, yimina engangimgibelisa uma eya emtholampilo nakodokotela waze wabeletha.Ngenxa yokuthi undodakazi wami ungaphansi kweminyaka yokuthola umazisi, umzukulu akasitholi isibonelelo sikahulumeni (child-support grant), wondliwa yimina. Okubuhlungu ukuthi ngimkhulise ngedwa, kanzima undodakazi wami. Ngangimyala ngengozi yabafana, kodwa-ke, namhlanje sekunje. Ukungabambisani kothisha nabazali kwesinye isikhathi kwenza ukuthi ingane iphume ekhaya kwaziwa ukuthi isesikoleni kanti cha, isihambe izindlela zayo.”

 NODUMO GUMEDE (Osizweni): “Kuyashaqisa ukubhebhetheka kokukhulelwa kwentsha esafunda. Lezi zingane azikhulelwa ngoba zingenalo ulwazi. Kuningi okwenziwayo ukuziqwashisa ngokukhulelwa zisencane. Inkinga enkulu ukuthi zifuna ukuziphatha, ukunganaki, uphuzo oludakayo okudala ukuthi zenze ucansi olungaphephile kanye nokungalicabangeli ikusasa. Lezi zingane zithanda kakhulu ubumnandi obuphelayo,  zikhohlwe ikusasa lazo ukuthi kumele lincike emfundweni.

“Kuningi osekwenziwe uhulumeni ukunqanda ukwanda kokukhulelwa kwezingane zisencane okubhekiswe kubafana namantombazane. Kunohlelo lukahulumeni olubizwa nge-‘My Future, My Life, My Choice is my responsibility’, lapho kufundiswa khona ngobungozi bokukhulelwa usemncane. Bayafundiswa abantwana ngokuziphatha kahle kanti miningi futhi nemikhankaso eyenziwa abahlengikazi nosonhlalakahle ezibhedlela nasema-kliniki asezindaweni esihlala kuzona.

“Nakuba kukhona neminye imikhankaso eyenziwa o-Love Life kanye nezinhlangano eziningi ezingenzi-nzuzo (NGO), kodwa kuyake kufane nokuthi uthela amanzi edadeni. Inkinga ngentsha eningi yanamhlanje ukuthi ayizwa futhi ayilaleli imiyalelo yabazali nabantu asebekhulile kunayo. Ifuna ukwenza ngendlela yayo. Bayadudana futhi bathanda izinto ezingaphezulu kwabo kanye nemali.”

 MELTA MBATHA (Dundee): “Mina ngibona ukuthi izingane zikhulelwa zisencane ngoba abazali bazo abanaso isikhathi sokuhlala nazo phansi, bazeluleke ngoba iningi labo liyasebenza. Okunye okuyingqinamba edala ukuthi zikhulelwe lezi zingane, amadoda amadala anunusela izingane ezincane ngemali kanye nezinye izinto eziwubukhazikhazi, bese nazo ziyalutheka. Kwesinye isikhathi okudala lokhu ukuthi izingane zishonelwa abazali zisencane bese ziziphatha noma ikanjani, okunye kube wukuthi zilingwa ngoba ziswele okuya ngasethunjini.

“Lezi zingane azisayi nasemasontweni lapho okumele zithole khona izwi leNkosi ziphinde zifundiswe ngokuziphatha. Ngenxa yokuthi abazali bahamba ekuseni babuye ebusuku emakhaya, abasitholi isikhathi sokuxoxisana nezingane zabo.

“Uphuzo oludakayo kanye nezidakamizwa ngokunye okuyimbangela enkulu yokubhebhetheka kokukhulelwa kwezingane zisencane. Okunye okunomthelela omkhulu, izinkundla zokuxhumana (social media) nalapho izingane zibuka khona izithombe zocansi. Okokugcina, abazali abahlala endlini eyodwa nezingane bese benza ucansi phambi kwazo.”

 SBONISO MAZIBUKO, (Springbok, Dannhauser): “Mina ngibona ukuthi imbangela enkulu yokukhulelwa kwezingane amalungelo lawa ezanikwa wona nguhulumeni, ngoba namhlanje, abazali uma bezikhuza, bathenjiswa amaphoyisa. Okunye okwenza lokhu futhi ukuthi izingane zanamhlanje sezadla ukudla okwenza zisheshe zithombe, okuyinto eyayingenzeki kuqala.

“Lezi zingane ziwuvanzi zinjalo nje, ngenxa yamalungelo. Ingane eneminyaka engu-12 iyahamba kuze kuhlwe ingaziwa ukuthi ikuphi. Ezinye zihamba kusukela ngoLwesiHlanu zize zibuye ngeSonto, zingafuni nokusho ukuthi ziphumaphi. Kwesinye isikhathi nabazali banawo umthelela kulokhu kukhulelwa kwazo zisengamatshitshi ngoba bazinunusela kubantu abanemali ngenxa yendlala nokuntuleka kwamathuba omsebenzi. Mina ngithi azibuyele emasisweni. Izingane azihlolwe futhi zitshengiswe nendlela yokuziphatha ngoba nabazali sebanqundwa amandla okufaka izingane uswazi uma ziphuma endleleni ngenxa yamalungelo.

“Phansi ngo-sugar daddy ababhedisa ikusasa lezingane, phansi!!”

UDABA: Phumzile Khomo, Langelihle Chagwe, Mbali Dhlomo