Amahla ndiNyuka

AbaNgcwele beMihla yokuGqibela eZimbabwe bazingise ngamaxesha obunzima obukhulu.

Ukusukela ngo 2007 ukuya ngo 2009, isizwe siye sagagana nembalela, ukuhla kwamandla emali okurekhodiweyo, ukuqhambuka kwekholera, nentlupheko enxulumene noko nokungazinzi kwezentlalo. “Yayingumceli mngeni ngokwenene. Ngenxa yokuba abantu babebandezelekile, kwaye kwakungekho ngokwaneleyo,” uNyikadzino Madzonga, ngoko owayekhonza njengomongameli weSebe laseChitungwiza, wakhumbula. “Wawunokuhamba ngekiriva ezele yimali uyokuthenga ibhokisi yematshisi.” Amalungu esebe awayenezinto zokutya ayekuzisa ecaweni, kwaye amalungu oMbutho waManina aye ndwendwela iintsapho kwaye achonge abo babefuna olu ncedo ngokukhawuleza. EMutare, iinkokeli zesithili zanika ingxelo yokuba xa zityelele iintsapho ezingamalungu, zizisa ukutya nezinye izinto eziyimfuneko, maxa wambi zazifika zifumane abantwana bephethe imbiza nje yamanzi abilayo yokutya.

Ngo 2012, ivenkile enkulu yaseBindura apho uPlaxedes Nyasondo Nyanhamo wayesebenze kuyo iminyaka emininzi yavalwa ngequbuliso. “Ndandinonyana kwisikolo ekuhlalwa kuso. Sasiqeshisile. Ndandingenayo enye into endinokuyenza ngelo xesha,” wakhumbula. “Ndandinengxaki ekubhataleni isishumi sam kwaye ekugqibeleni ndayeka. Ndandingenayo imali yokunakekela usapho lwam.”

Emva kokuphulukana nomvuzo, uPlaxedes waziva enoxinzelelo olukhulu. “Ndachaphazeleka ngokwenyama nangokomoya,” wakhumbula. “Akunakukwazi nokunikela ingqalelo, ngoko uyafa ngokomoya, kancinci kancinci.” Wagqiba ekubeni aqalise ishishini lokupheka ukutya. Wathengisa iimpahla zakhe waza nge $20 wathenga umilimili (umbona ocoliweyo), inyama, imifuno, iitumato netswele. Wawapheka ngeembiza ezine ezinkulu encediswa ngudade wabo nomtshana wakhe. “Ibiyi-100% yengeniso,” watsho. “Okokuqala ngqa ndifumana i-$40. Emva koko kwafuneka ndithathe loo $40 kwakhona, ndithenge kwakhona nantoni na eyayiza kusetyenziswa. Ndandifunda. … Ndandithandaza kwiNkosi ukuba iyakundikhokela.”

Ngo 2014, wangenelela iqela lokuQala noKuhulisa iShishini Lam kunye nenkqubo yeBandla yokuzimela. Wafunda ngokwahlula imali yeshishini kwimali yosapho nokugcina iingxelo ukuze azi ukuba wayesenza ingeniso kusini na. Isiganeko esibalulekileyo kwishishini lakhe senzeka xa kwafuneka aqeshe abasebenzi abaliqela. Esinye yayisisivumelwano sokutya kwinkomfa yeentsuku ezintathu yebandla yasekuhlaleni eyayinabantu abangaphezu kwama 600 abazileyo.

Ngabasebenzi abaqeqeshwe kakuhle nenkqubo yogcino-zincwadi eyomeleleyo, uPlaxedes wakwazi ukuwuyeka umsebenzi ukuze athathe inxaxheba kwimisebenzi yeBandla. “Ndibeke izinto ezininzi esiqhelweni,” watsho. “Ndiyarekhoda ukuba kukho nakuphi na ukushwabana. Kwaye ndibhala yonke into endiyenzayo: iintlawulo, iirisithi. … Ngoku ndiyakwazi ukuhlawula isishumi sam.”

“UThixo akanakuze asibeke kwimeko Yena anokuthi azi ukuba asinakukwazi ukudlula kuyo,” wacinga. “Ukanti nakwishishini, alizukuhamba kakuhle—ngamanye amaxesha amahla ndinyuka. Kodwa kufuneka sizingise kwaye sibe nokholo kuYesu Krestu, ukuba Yena uya kusitsala siphumele.”