Intsha iyikusasa, ikusasa liyintsha
Isithwalandwe, ingqalabutho yomzabalazo ubaba u-Oliver Reginald Tambo owaba uMengameli kaKhongolose iminyaka eyevile ema-24 isekudingisweni waphawula kanje ekhuluma ngabantu abasha: “Izingane zananoma isiphi isizwe ziyikusasa lazo. Izwe, umbutho, noma umuntu ongakuqondi ukubaluleka kwabantu abasha akalazi ikusasa ukuthi limphatheleni.” Lawa mazwi uTambo wawakhuluma eminyakeni eyevile ema-30 edlulile kodwa nanamhlanje asezwakala, awadinge kutolikwa.
Njengoba sigubha inyanga yentsha kumele sikhumbule ukuthi umzabalazo wokulwela inkululeko wathatha elinye igxathu ngowe-1976. Kule nyanga sikhumbula siphinde sigubhe iminyaka engaphezu kwama-44 intsha yaseSoweto naseNingizimu Afrika yonkana yabhala ikhasi elisha emlandweni womzabalazo wenkululeko. Umfutho, amandla nesibindi sokuba amadelakufa omzabalazo senza inkululeko yafika ngokushesha. Bakwazi ukwenza izwe lingabuseki, babhekana ngeziqu zamehlo ngamatshe namaBhunu, ngesibindi sabo bakwazi ukuthatha amalokishi bawenza izakhiwo zentando yabantu.
Bakwazi ukuqwashisana bebodwa bakha iCongress of South African Students (COSAS) ukulwa nemfundisoze yeBantu Education. Bakuqonda ukuthi ngeke bebodwa balethe inkululeko kwelengabadi. Bakuqonda ukuthi kumele kube nezakhiwo eziyizinhlangano zomphakathi, ezokugqugquzela intsha, abasebenzi eziyizinyunyana, eziyizinhlangano zokugqugquzela intsha ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme njengeSASO, AZASO nezinye. Imibhikisho yowe1976 yafaka iningi lentsha umfutho nokuqonda okubanzi ngesimo sepolitiki kwelengabadi. Yaqala yazikhulumela imicabango yayo ngale kokwesaba, yenza eyabo imikhankaso, yakha ezayo izakhiwo, yazabalaza ngeyayo indlela ayilindanga umkhombandlela kwabadala bazibambela bona ijoka baya phambili.
Yingakho lesi sizukulwane sentsha sasithakazelwa ngamagama ahlukile. Abanye babebabiza ngamadelakufa, amabhubesi amancane (Young Lions), noma ibutho likaVukayibambe. La magama abawatholanga kungenzakalanga lutho kepha ngamagalelo namava abo ekwenyuseni umfutho womzabalazo. Babezimisele ngokunikela ngempilo nekusasa labo ukuze izwe likhululeke. Babengalindele mvuzo ngokuzinikela kwabo emzabalazweni, babelwela inkululeko. Uma sikhuluma ngalezi zingqalabutho angeke sabalibala oMnu uSteven Bantu Biko, uMnu Tsietsie Mashinini, uHector Peterson, uMbuyisa Makhubo. Emagameni omlando igama likaMnu uHastings Ndlovu liyalibaleka ekubeni waba ngowokuqala ukudutshulwa abulawe ngamaphoyisa.
Okwakhe akubanga nedumela njengokukaHector Peterson ngoba akekho umthwebuli owaba nenhlanhla yokuqopha leso sigigaba. Yilesi sizukulwane okumele sisikhumbule, sisihloniphe, sisibonge ngeqhaza laso emzabalazweni wenkululeko. Inselelo ebhekene nentsha yanamhlanje ayisafani neyasekuqaleni. Sesiyitholile inkululeko inselelo ukuswela imisebenzi, ububha, ubuphofu nobhubhane lwezifo ingculazi, ukhuvethe nokunye. UHulumeni wentando yeningi wakhe izakhiwo zokubhekela intuthuko yentsha ezifana neYouth Commission eyabekelwa umsebenzi wokwakha uHlaka Lokuthuthukisa Inqubomgomo Yentsha (Youth Policy Development Framework) nokunye.
Ngowezi-2001 uHulumeni wakha isikhwama sokwakha amathuba omsebenzi, ukuzisebenza nokuvuselela amakhono kubantu abasha- Umsobomvu Youth Fund. Sakheka ngoba kwasekucacile ukuthi iminyango kaHulumeni iyahluleka ukulekelela intsha ezinselelweni eyayibhekene nazo. Sagcina sihluleka ukufeza izinhloso esasisungulelwe zona. Saba nephutha lokufuna ukusebenza njengamabhange amakhulu, sabeka imigomo eminingi obekumele abafaka izicelo bayigcine okwaphonsela intsha inselelo ngoba okuningi okwakufuneka babengenakho ngoba babeqala bezama ukungena emkhakheni wokuzisebenza.
Kungakho ngowezi-2006 ingqungquthela yentsha kuzwelonke yahlangana ukuhlaziya ibuke iminyaka eli10 kwakhiwa izakhiwo zokuthuthukiswa intsha ukuthi sezihambe zafikaphi. Leyo ngqungquthela yavumelana ukuthi izakhiwo ezikhona ziyibekile induku ebandla kepha azifikanga ekujuleni kwezinkinga nezinselelo zabantu abasha. Kwavunyelwana ngo-‘elethu’ ukuba kuqedwe iKhomishini Yentsha noMsobomvu bakhe iYouth Development Agency (NYDA).
UNhlakanipho Ntombela owayenguSihlalo we-ANCYL KZN (20032008) noSihlalo weKhomishini Yentsha KwaZulu-Natal (2004-2008)