Abantwana besikolo bathakazelela ukuba sebekukhefu leKhisimusi kulandela ukufunda nzima umnyaka wonke. Lesi yisikhathi sokuthi behlangane labangane.
Abazali bathi lesi yisikhathi esibi kubo ngoba abantwana abanengi bahamba emidlalweni ebizwa ngokuthi ngama vuzu parties lapho abanatha khona utshwala njalo bethathe izidakamizwa beye lemacansini mahlayana.
Abasakhulayo, ikakhulu labo abafunda emakolitshini kanye lezikolo zemfundo ephezulu ama-secondary schools, benza okutshiyeneyo ngesikhathi sekhefu ngoMpalakazi kusiya kuZibandlela, okugoqela ukunatha utshwala, ukuthatha izidakamizwa lokuya emacansini emidlalweni yabatsha eyama vuzu parties.
UNkosikazi Sharon Sithole, osakhulayo ohlala eKwekwe, ulandisa obunye ubugelekeqe obungenwa ngabasakhulayo besithi bayazithokozisa ngesikhathi sekhefu.
“Banatha okudakayo, kanye lokubhema izinto ezifana lembanje. Kodwa kulezinsuku sokubhenywa okunengi, engingakwaziyo lami amabizo akho. Abanye yibo abangenana lezokuthatha bengaphiwanga, ngoba bayabe bedinga izimali zeKhisimusi. Kuthi njalo, ezemacansini ziyenziwa, abanye besenza bengavikelekanga. Kuleqembu elihamba libanga umsindo mahlayana ikakhulu emalokitshini, besithi bayazikholisela.”
Omunye osakhulayo ohlala eGwanda, uSibongumusa Ncube, uthi kwesinye isikhathi baswela ulwazi abatsha ngengozi abangahlangana lazo ngenxa yokungezwa.
“Ubungezwa buyanda, ikakhulu kule ikhefu kaNgcwabakazi kodwa kufunakala ukuthi bafundiswe ontanga, phezu kwalokho abangakuthola, kumbe abangaba yikho, uma sebefune ukuba yizigilamkhuba. Bengaba kwazi ngengozi lezi, ingxenye abasoze behugeke kalula ekuphathekeni kwendaba zokungezwa.”
Omunye njalo osakhulayo wakoBulawayo, uMpumelelo Nyoni, uthi abathengisa izidakamizwa bakhuthala kakhulu ngesikhathi abantwana besikolo bekukhefu.
“Angiboni ukuthi kungaba lokuganga okutsha esingakujwayelanga, kodwa kungaba sokusesibangeni esiphezulu ngoba izifundi zasemaBoarding ziyabe sezikhona, njalo ngenxa yeKhisumusi, abathengisa izidakamizwa bazakhuthala ngokuzithengisa. Sizabona izinto ezinjengomtoriro, imbanje, onjengu lokunye, kusanda; kuthi njalo ukugwazana lokutshontshelana emabhawa, ikakhulu lapha koBulawayo, konke lokhu kutsho ukuthi impilo zabatsha zingabe zisengozini. Ngezwa njalo kuthiwa nxa beqeda ukubhala imhloliso, bayenza okuthiwa ngamaPants Down party, lapho amankazana efoliswa phansi, kuthi abafana belale labo, kubalwa ukuba olale labanengi ngowuphi.”
Abazali bathi kunengi okonakala ngesikhathi sekhefu loba bethakazelela ukuba labantwana babo. Umzali waseGokwe, uMnu. Emmanuel Sibanda, uthi sokufuna ukumanyana komphakathi ukuze ukungezwa kwabatsha kuvinjwe ngesikhathi sekhefu.
“Sekudingakala ukuthi thina njengabantu abansundu sibuyele ebuntwini bethu obasidalayo, lapho esasikwazi ukuthi umuntu, ngumuntu ngabantu, njalo umntwana ngowomzali wonke. Ngakhoke, ngumlandu womzali wonke wokubona ukuthi umntwana wonke osemehlweni akhe, uziphatha kahle- akathathi lokuphuza izidhakamizwa, kumbe ukugenana lezemacansini. Singayenza lokhu, singenqabela ubungezwa phakathi kwabontanga.”
Ocubungula indaba zabatsha njalo efundisa ekholitshini leLupane State University uMnu. Mbulisi Ndlovu uthi abazali kumele beqaphele ukubotshwa nxa betshiya abantwababo besenza umathanda.
“Kahle kahle, umthetho weZimbabwe Children’s Act uthi kungumlandu womzali ukubakwazi ukuthi umntwana ungaphi, wenzani ngaso sonke isikhathi. Kutsho ukuthi konke okungenziwa ngumntwana, kumbe ukungena endaweni ezingavunyezwayo ngokusemthethweni, umzali engakubotshelwa ngoba kuveza ukuba ubengakwazi ukuthi umntwana wakhe ubengaphi, njalo esenzani. Njengabazali silomlandu wokubona ukuthi abantwabethu abaphatheki ezintweni ezilakho ukuphambanisa elakusasa labo.”
UNdlovu Ndlovu uthi abazali balomsebenzi wokuziphatha ngendlela engumzekeliso omuhle ebantwaneni ukuze ubugelekeqe buphele kwabatsha.
“Mina njengomzali kumele ngibe yisibonelo esiqondileyo ngoba umntwana uba yilokho akubonayo. Nxa ngiphatheka ezintweni ezingaqondanga emphakathini, ingxenye ngithatha izidakamizwa, kodwa sengifundisa umntanami ukuthi etshiyane lokudakayo, akusoze kusebenze. Kumele mina eyami impilo ibe yisibnelo esihle emntwaneni.”
Isikhulumeli samapholisa uAssistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi uthi amacala ajwayele ukudalwa ngesikhathi sekhefu leKhisimusi abalisa ukutshontsha, ukubulala, ukuthatha izidakamizwa kanye lokuphatheka kudlame.