BULAWAYO —
Abasebenza ukukhangela amalungelo abantwana lenhlalakahle yabo sebekhuthazwe ukusebenzelana lohulumende ukuze kulungiswe udaba lwabantwana abavalelwe labonina emajele bebotshelwe amacala atshiyeneyo.
Imbiko evela kugatsha lwezemithetho iveza ukuthi kulabantwana abangaba ngamatshumi amathathu lanhlanu abavalelwe emajele ngenxa yokuthi onina bagwetshwe iminyaka ethile ukuhlala khona kumbe bamelele ukuthi amacala abo athethwe besentolongweni ezingaphezu kwamatshumi amane – 42 elizweni.
Omunye walababantwana useqede iminyaka yakhe yonke yokuzalwa – esimine entolongweni ngemva kokubelethelwa khona ngemva kwensukwana unina esanda kuvalelwa emelele ukumiswa phambi komthethwandaba.
Abantwana laba, abanye abamunyayo labanye osokumele ukuthi baye ezikolo baphathwa njengezibotshwa, beswela ukudla kumbe ithuba lokufunda ngoba uhulumende engelaso isikhwama sokukhangela indingeko zabo.
Inhlanganiso ye Inmate Child Care Trust, ekhangela indingeko zabantwana abasemajele labonina, ithi kumele ilungiswe imithetho yokuvikela abantwana njalo inhlanganiso zabantwana zincedisane lohulumende ukuthi abantwana laba bengaqhubeki befela izono zabazali babo
UNkosikazi Margaret Mlotshwa, oyisakhamuzi, uthi ngumlandu kahulumende ukuthi akhuphe lababantwana ekubotshweni ngoba sebefela abangakwaziyo njalo lokhu kuzenza impilo yabo ingafani leyabanye impilo yabo yonke.
Uqhubeke ethi zinengi indlela uhulumende angaphathisa ngazo ezigoqela ukusa abantwana laba endaweni ezondliwa intandane onina baze baphume kumbe ukubakhela indawo zabo bodwa entolongweni lapho abangahlala khona bekhululekile bangahlanganiswanga lezibotshwa ezikhulileyo.
UNkosikazi Gloria Tshuma, isakhamuzi njalo, ugcizelele ukuthi umntwana akumelanga agwetshwele icala likanina kodwa abelethuba lokuthi impilo yakhe iqhubeke abe ngumtwana laye njengabanye.
Osebenza labesifazana, uNkosikazi Sibusisiwe Bhebhe, uthi udubo lolu aluqalanga lamhlanje ngoba sokulabantwana abaleminyaka emine besemajele okuveza ukuthi uhulumende ukutshaya indiva lokhu ngoba nxa ebekubona kuludubo aluba sowadinga amaqhinga okuphathisa lababantwana.
Uqhubeke ethi manengi amaqhinga angasetshenziswa agoqela ukusa abantwana endaweni abangahlala kuzo, ukunika abesifazana abalabantwana abamunyayo kumbe abazithweleyo izigwebo ze Community Service kumbe benzele abesifazana laba ama Open Prisons lapho abangaphila labantwababo.
UNkosikazi Tshuma wengeze esithi udubo lwabantwana abakhulela emajele luzakuya lukhula ngoba umntwana ozalelwe wakhula ejele uyakhula evele elodubo ngenxa yempilo ayabe eyibonile esemncane elakho ukumphazamisa kusasa lalapho esephumile.
UBhebhe uthi udubo lolu luvela ngoba uhulumende engahlanganisanga amakhanda ukunceda lababantwana ngokudinga uncedo kunhlanganiso ezikhangela abantwana ngoba akudingeki imali eyethusayo ukuthi abantwana laba baphathiswe.
Amajele aweZimbabwe lawo ahlutshwa ludubo lokuswelakala kwemali elizweni lakuhulumende osokutshiye izibotshwa zingatholi ukudla okwaneleyo, izembatho kanye lezinye indingeko ikakhulu eziphathelane labomama.
Phezu kwalokho abesifazana abalabantwana kumele bacuphelane khonokho okuncane abalakho ngoba lababantwana bengela imali ekhangelana lendingeko zabo nxa besemajele emthethweni.
Imbiko evela kugatsha lwezemithetho iveza ukuthi kulabantwana abangaba ngamatshumi amathathu lanhlanu abavalelwe emajele ngenxa yokuthi onina bagwetshwe iminyaka ethile ukuhlala khona kumbe bamelele ukuthi amacala abo athethwe besentolongweni ezingaphezu kwamatshumi amane – 42 elizweni.
Omunye walababantwana useqede iminyaka yakhe yonke yokuzalwa – esimine entolongweni ngemva kokubelethelwa khona ngemva kwensukwana unina esanda kuvalelwa emelele ukumiswa phambi komthethwandaba.
Abantwana laba, abanye abamunyayo labanye osokumele ukuthi baye ezikolo baphathwa njengezibotshwa, beswela ukudla kumbe ithuba lokufunda ngoba uhulumende engelaso isikhwama sokukhangela indingeko zabo.
Inhlanganiso ye Inmate Child Care Trust, ekhangela indingeko zabantwana abasemajele labonina, ithi kumele ilungiswe imithetho yokuvikela abantwana njalo inhlanganiso zabantwana zincedisane lohulumende ukuthi abantwana laba bengaqhubeki befela izono zabazali babo
UNkosikazi Margaret Mlotshwa, oyisakhamuzi, uthi ngumlandu kahulumende ukuthi akhuphe lababantwana ekubotshweni ngoba sebefela abangakwaziyo njalo lokhu kuzenza impilo yabo ingafani leyabanye impilo yabo yonke.
Uqhubeke ethi zinengi indlela uhulumende angaphathisa ngazo ezigoqela ukusa abantwana laba endaweni ezondliwa intandane onina baze baphume kumbe ukubakhela indawo zabo bodwa entolongweni lapho abangahlala khona bekhululekile bangahlanganiswanga lezibotshwa ezikhulileyo.
UNkosikazi Gloria Tshuma, isakhamuzi njalo, ugcizelele ukuthi umntwana akumelanga agwetshwele icala likanina kodwa abelethuba lokuthi impilo yakhe iqhubeke abe ngumtwana laye njengabanye.
Osebenza labesifazana, uNkosikazi Sibusisiwe Bhebhe, uthi udubo lolu aluqalanga lamhlanje ngoba sokulabantwana abaleminyaka emine besemajele okuveza ukuthi uhulumende ukutshaya indiva lokhu ngoba nxa ebekubona kuludubo aluba sowadinga amaqhinga okuphathisa lababantwana.
Uqhubeke ethi manengi amaqhinga angasetshenziswa agoqela ukusa abantwana endaweni abangahlala kuzo, ukunika abesifazana abalabantwana abamunyayo kumbe abazithweleyo izigwebo ze Community Service kumbe benzele abesifazana laba ama Open Prisons lapho abangaphila labantwababo.
UNkosikazi Tshuma wengeze esithi udubo lwabantwana abakhulela emajele luzakuya lukhula ngoba umntwana ozalelwe wakhula ejele uyakhula evele elodubo ngenxa yempilo ayabe eyibonile esemncane elakho ukumphazamisa kusasa lalapho esephumile.
UBhebhe uthi udubo lolu luvela ngoba uhulumende engahlanganisanga amakhanda ukunceda lababantwana ngokudinga uncedo kunhlanganiso ezikhangela abantwana ngoba akudingeki imali eyethusayo ukuthi abantwana laba baphathiswe.
Amajele aweZimbabwe lawo ahlutshwa ludubo lokuswelakala kwemali elizweni lakuhulumende osokutshiye izibotshwa zingatholi ukudla okwaneleyo, izembatho kanye lezinye indingeko ikakhulu eziphathelane labomama.
Phezu kwalokho abesifazana abalabantwana kumele bacuphelane khonokho okuncane abalakho ngoba lababantwana bengela imali ekhangelana lendingeko zabo nxa besemajele emthethweni.