Sibonga uMadiba noCastro ngolwaseCuba
NGESIKHATHI lapho iNingizimu Afrika ibungaza iminyaka engu-100 kwazalwa iqhawe lomzabalazo, uDkt Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela nesinye isishoshovu senkululeko esasiwumhlengikazi umama u-Albertina Sisulu, kuyintokozo enkulu kuthina ukwamukela abantwana baKwaZulu-Natal abawu-260 abebenza unyaka wesihlanu wezifundo zobudokotela eCuba.
Kusithintile kakhulu ukubona abazali nezihlobo zalaba bantwana bekhala izinyembezi zenjabulo ngoba sasingazi ukuthi njengezwe elisathuthuka nelingenazo izikhala ezanele zokuqeqesha odokotela emanyuvesi ethu, kuyofika isikhathi esifana nalesi. Laba bantwana asebezoba wodokotela baqhamuka emindenini ehlwempu. Nakuba babephase kahle ku-matric, ngenxa yokuntula izimali bekungeke kube lula ukuthi babe wodokotela ngaphandle kwemifundaze abayithole kuhulumeni.
Sifisa ukubonga izingqalabutho zethu uFidel Castro noMadiba okuyibona abahlela indlela esibeke la sikhona, ngesivumelwano abasisayina ngo-1994 sokubambisana phakathi kweCuba neNingizimu Afrika.
Ngenxa yalokhu kubambisana kube sekuqala uhlelo lokuqashwa kodokotela abaqhamuka eCuba lapha kwelakithi, kanjalo neCuba yathatha abantwana bakuleli ukuyobaqeqeshela ubudokotela.
Abafundela ubudokotela eCuba baqale bafunde ulwimu lweSpanish unyaka wonke, bese begxila ezifundweni zobudokotela iminyaka emihlanu, ngaphambi kokubuyela emanyuvesi aseNingizimu Afrika bazoqedela izifundo zabo izinyanga eziwu-18.
Abafundi abanikwe imifundaze yokufundela ubudokotela eCuba phakathi kuka-2009 no-2015 bawu825. Bebonke abenza izifundo zobudokotela kwelaseCuba abasemazingeni ehlukene bawu2885. Abacela ku-590 sebevele baziphothulile izifundo zabo zobudokotela kanti abangu-98 benza unyaka wabo wokugcina wobudokotela. Phezu kwalezi zibalo kukhona abangu-1320 abahlomule ngemifundaze yezempilo abakweminye imikhakha eyehlukene emanyuvesi aseNingizimu Afrika.
Sibonga noNgqongqoshe wezeMpilo owaqala lo msebenzi uDkt Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, noNgqongqoshe ophethe manje uDkt Aaron Motsoaledi. Ngenxa yabo siyaqhubeka siya phambili. Bazobe sebethweswa imiyezane bese befakwa ezibhedlela ezisezifundeni abaqhamuka kuzo, baqale basebenze. Lokhu kuzosisiza kakhulu ngoba iningi labo liqhamuka ezindaweni ezisemakhaya, lapho beshoda khona kakhulu odokotela.
Konke lokhu kusho ukuthi abantu bakithi sebezoba nochwepheshe bezempilo nasezindaweni okwakungakaze kucatshangwe ukuthi kuyotholakala odokotela ngelinye ilanga. Impela lesi yisikhathi esikhethekile emlandweni wezwe lakithi.
Omunye umuntu angazibuza ukuthi kungani sihlale siqhakambisa uqeqesho lodokotela lwaseCuba. Okwenza ohulumeni basemazweni asathuthuka anjengakuleli, elase-Angola namanye amaningi bathumele abafundi kwelaseCuba yindlela yabo ehlukile nesezingeni eliphezulu yokuqeqesha odokotela.
E-Cuba udokotela ufundiswa ngokubaluleka kokufundisa umphakathi ngezempilo, nokugxila ekugwenyweni kwezifo kunokwelashwa kwazo. Ufundiswa nokungena emiphakathini nasemitholampilo ahambe ehlola abantu abelaphe. Udokotela oqeqeshwe eCuba akahlonishelwa ukukwazi ukushumpula imilenze yabantu abanoshukela nabalimele, kodwa kubhekwa igalelo lakhe ekugwemeni izimo ezingaholela kulokho.
Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu, abantu baseCuba nakwamanye amazwe asebenza njengayo baphila kahle nakade. Ngenxa yenqubo yayo iCuba ayinazo izifo ezifana neTB, neHIV. Empeleni, abesifazane bakhona abaseneminyaka eko-20 bathi uma kukhona okubaxakayo empilweni babuze komama babo abaneminyaka eko-40. Nabo uma bexakeka babuza kwababo abaneminyaka eko-60, kuzo kuyofika kwizaguga ezineminyaka eko-80. Lokhu kusho ukuthi izwe longa imali ngoba bonke laba bantu babamba iqhaza emnothweni wezwe. Ngokunjalo nomlando wezwe nesikompilo lalo – okuyizinto eziyigugu kuyalondolozeka. Kungakho sizama ukusika iphethini kubona ukuze sigcine sesifana nabo.
Okunye okusithokozisayo ngalaba bantwana abaqeqeshwe eCuba wukuthi izingane zabo ngeke zisaludinga uxhaso lukahulumeni ngoba bona bazokwazi ukusebenza bondle nezingane zabo, bazifundise.
Ngaleyo ndlela uhulumeni uzokwazi ukonga imali, bese itshalwa nakwezinye izindawo lapho idingeka khona.
Sengivala, ngifisa ukuthatha leli thuba ngikhumbule imindeni yabantwana abathathu abebefunda eCuba abadlule emhlabeni ngaphambi kokuphothula izifundo zabo.
Bekulindeleke ukuba babuye nabo bajabulise imindeni yabo kodwa akwenzekanga. OwakwaNgeleka ePort Shepstone; owakwaMakhaye KwaMhlabuyalingana, nowakwaMkhize eMpendle. Sithi akwehlanga olungehliyo. Mabalale ngenxeba, bahlale kuJehova. Bangalilahli ithemba. UDkt Dhlomo uNgqongqoshe wezeMpilo KwaZulu-Natal