Ukuzinikela Emfundweni Impilo Yonke

UKhumbulani Mdletshe wakhulela KwaMashu, elokishini eliseduzane neTheku, ngasogwini lolwandle oluseningizimu engasempumalanga yezwe. Abazali bakhe, uSoka John noQondeni Florence, babengafundile. UJohn kwakumele asebenze kanzima, ngesinye isikhathi amahora angaphezulu kwe-12 ngosuku ukuze akwazi ukondla uKhumbulani nazalwa nabo abayisithupha. USoka John noQondeni Florence bafundisa bonke abantwana babo ukubaluleka kwemfundo ukuze bathole amathuba angcono kunabazali babo. Uyise wayevamise ukuthi, “Yinye into ezoletha ukulingana eNingizimu Afrika, yimfundo.”

UKhumbulani wasifaka enhliziyweni lesi seluleko sikayise, waya esikoleni, wasebenza ngokukhuthala. Ngenxa yokuthi abazali bakhe babengakholwa, waqala ukwazi ngenkolo esikoleni, ngenkathi kuthandazwa, kufundwa imibhalo engcwele, futhi kwenziwa nezifundo zenkolo.

Ngonyaka ka-1980, ngenkathi uKhumbulani eseneminyaka eyi-15 ubudala, indawo yaKwaMashu yayihlala abantu abamnyama bodwa ngesikhathi sobandlululo, futhi bancane abelungu ababeza lapho. Ngenye intambama, ngesikhathi edlala ibhola nabangani bakhe emgwaqweni, uKhumbulani wabona imoto ima maduzane nabo kwehla amadoda abelungu egqoke amahembe amhlophe nothayi. Ngenxa yokungezwani phakathi kwabamnyama nabelungu nokungalingani nabo okwakuvele kukhona, uKhumbulani wayesefunde ukungabethembi abelungu. Okwafika kuqala kuKhumbulani ukuthi abaleke, ngoba wayecabanga ukuthi babengamaphoyisa.

Lamadoda, ayengabefundisi bebandla labaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina, abamemeza abafana ebacela ukuthi bengabaleki. UKhumbulani nabangani bakhe bababuza ukuthi yingani kwakumele bebalalele—ngoba abelungu babeze ezweni labo, babephuca umhlaba wabo. Abefundisi babaqinisekisa ukuthi abazile ukuzokhuluma ngezepolitiki kodwa babefuna ubungani kuphela. “Babengenandaba nebala lethu,” kwasho uKhumbulani. “Babehlukile kunabo bonke abelungu engake ngababona ngaphambilini.” Emasontweni ambalwa alandela, abefundisi beza elokishini ukuzodlala ibhola naleliqembu labafana futhi babafundisa nevangeli elibuyiselwe. Emva kwezinyanga ezimbili, abafana abambalwa, kanye noKhumbulani babhabhadiswa.

Emva kweminyaka embalwa, uKhumbulani wemukela umsebenzi wokuthunywa ukuyofundisa abanye ivangeli eNgilandi. Esalapho wahlangana nelungu lebandla elafuna ukumsiza ayofunda eNyuvesi yaseBrigham Young–eHawaii, lapho athola khona iziqu kwezomlando nezepolitiki ngonyaka ka-1991.

Nangempela njengoba uyise ayebafundisile, wafuna imfundo impilo yakhe yonke. Wathola iziqu zobungcweti kwezemfundo enyuvesi yaseBrigham Young ngonyaka ka-1992 nezobudokotela ngokuphathwa kwezemfundo enyuvesi yaseRand Afrikaans ngonyaka ka-1999. Ngenxa yolwazi lwakhe ayesenalo wakwazi ukuzolekelela intsha yeBandla kulelizwe ngokusebenzela i-Church Educational System ephethe eze seminari nezemfundo ngevangeli emazweni cishe angamashumi amathathu.

UKhumbulani ukholelwa ukuthi abantwana bakhe kuyothi uma bebuka emuva bayothi, “Ukungena kukababa kuleli Bandla kwenza umehluko omkhulu.” He continued, “If they look before that, it was a history of uneducated people that had no hope, and the Church came and broke all of that and gave us a different hope.”