Ngaphandle kokukhulela kumbindi wezolimo nemfuyo wakwaQoboqobo eMpuma Koloni, yaba kukusweleka kukamama wakhe awayemthanda ngowama2014 ukukhuthaza uSiphosihle Maseko ukuba alandele ukuba ngumfama, ubizo lokwenene lwakhe.
Namhlanje, ifama yakhe ezihektare ezili10 iphumelele, kodwa uMaseko usawakhumbula amaxesha anzima awaye wathi emva kokusweleka kumama wakhe efumana ubunzima ukungenisa imali eyaneleyo yokuphila. Umama wakhe, uXoliswa Maseko, wayephila ngegranti kaSassa, naye kwanyanzeleka ukuba akhawuleze anakekele umakhulu wakhe, onguNtombomzi Maseko.
“Ndaqalisa ifama ngenxa yendlala,” uyavuma.
“Ndandingasebenzi, ndinesiqinisekiso samabanga emfundo, kodwa ndandingaqeshwanga.”
UMaseko unediploma kulawulo lwezolimo nemfuyo yaseNelson Mandela University. Enesiqinisekiso samabanga emfundo kuye, wenza isicelo kwimisebenzi emininzi kwicandelo labucala nakwelikarhulumente, kodwa zange zimamkele xa zizonke.
Uthe ekugqibeleni akufumana umsebenzi, akonwaba walahla apho emva kweenyanga ezimbalwa.
Ukuhamba umgama ongaphezulu
Uthi, “Ekhaya umakhulu wam wandibonisa umhlaba owawufumaneka wandicebisa ukuba mandingene kwezolimo nemfuyo. Ndingafuni enyanisweni ukukwenza oko kuba ndandingenalwazi oluyintsukaphi kwezolimo nemfuyo. Ndandingafuni, kodwa kwanyanzeleka ukuba ndenjenjalo. Ke ngoko, ndawuyeka umsebenzi ndangumqhubi weeteksi iinyanga ezingephi ukunyusa ingxowamali yefama yam.”
UMaseko wayeqhuba iteksi katatomncinci phakathi koQoboqobo neQonce. Xa kuyimfuneko, wayedla ngokuqhuba kwiihambo zemigama emide ukuya eKapa okanye eMthatha. Wakwazi ukonga ukuya kutsho kwiR18 000 neyayonele ukuqalisa ubomi obutsha bakhe njengomlimi wombona oluhlaza.
Uninzi lwemali wayeyenza kwiihambo ezimfutshane, ubalisa atsho uMaseko. Iteksi yakhe yayithandwa kakhulu lulutsha olwaluthanda inkangeleko entsha neengoma ezishukumisa igazi awayezidlala. Iingoma zeGqom namaPiyano yayiziintlobo awayezithanda kakhulu, kodwa ingoma u-“66” kaFelo le Tee X Mystro yayimkhuthaza ukuba aye phambili.
Ngamanye amaxesha, wayedla ngokufumana imali engaphezulu ngeetriphu zokuqhuba ebusuku ukulungiselela abantu ababeye ezithaveni nakwiibhari.
Konke okumalunga nekamva
“Ndaye ndayigcina [uninzi lwayo] imali endayifumanayo,” utsho. “Umzekelo, ukuba ndandinamaR2 500, ndandisebenzisa iR1 000 kwipetroli ndiyigcine iR1 000. Yayilixesha elinzima elo kodwa ndaba nalo ixesha lokuqalisa ndizenzele ingeniso yam.
“Ukufumana imalinkunzi yokuqalisa ngumngeni kodwa ukuyigcina, ukuthetha nabantu nokubonisana nabantu kuyanceda. Andizange ndafumana naluphi na uhlobo lwenkxaso yemali okanye yoncedo. Ndisoloko ndisenza yonke into ngemali ephuma epokothweni yam.”
UMaseko uthi wakhuliswa ngabantu ababhinqileyo abathathu kuQoboqobo: umama wakhe, umakhulu wakhe, kunye noanti wakhe, onguThobeka Nciza. Ubuchaza ubuntwana bakhe njengobabumnandi yaye, kangangokuba enako ukukhumbula, wayephupha ngokusebenza njengogqirha wezidumbu.
“Ndandinomdla kakhulu kwizidumbu ngokuya ndandisemtsha,” uyahleka. “Naphi na apho kwakukho isingcwabo khona ndandiye ndifune ukusichukumisa isidumbu ndifumanise nangonobangela wokufa. Ndandizithanda izidumbu.”
Izinto zahamba kakuhle kwade kwenzeka okulandelayo…
Ngomlinganiselo ofanelekileyo wenkuthazo neziphumo zezifundo ezihle, uMaseko wadlula tshebelele kwimfundo ephakamileyo waza waba ngumfundi osemagqabini eBreidbach Secondary School, eQonce, eyayikade isaziwa ngokuba kuseKing William’s Town.
“Kwimfundo ephakamileyo ndandikrelekrele,” uyongeza, ecacisa indlela awayegqwesa ngayo kwiisayensi zobomi, kwiifizikhali sayensi nakwimathematika ezaye zamfumanisa indawo eWits University eJohannesburg.
Nakuba kunjalo, ubomi basevasiti kungakwenza nizive nithobekile ningabafundi bematriki yaye uMaseko ngokunjalo wakubhaqa oku. Nangona amanqaku esimesta yokuqala ayengekho sezantsi kakhulu, ehla kakhulu kwisimesta yesibini amenza ukuba ayeke esithubeni eWits.
Ukufudukela kumadlelo aluhlaza
Ekugqibeleni wazigqibezela izifundo zakhe eNelson Mandela University, kufutshane nekhaya. Eli yaba linyathelo elikhulu kuba ngoku wayenako ukusebenzisa amava akhe kuhlahlo lwabiwomali lwamashishini ukwazisa utatomncinci wakhe owayengumniniteksi kwamanye amathuba ayegcinwe ngumhlaba oyinkqantosi wasekhaya.
Aba bobabini bahlanganisana baza, ngowama2020, baqalisa ezolimo ngombona oluhlaza kwiihektare ezimbini. Ekudluleni konyaka emva koko, baye bahlukana waza uMaseko ukususela ngoko wongeza ngokutyala amakhaphetshu lo gama wayesandisa umsebenzi wakhe.
Sele evelisa amakhaphetshu angama45 000 yaye uthengisela iimarike ezisesikweni nezingekho sesikweni. “Ndiqinisekisa ukuba xa befuna isiveliso sam ndiyakwenza oko, yaye kungeso sizathu ndityala izixa ezininzi qho ngenyanga,” uyacacisa.
Ukudlula kwimingeni emininzi
Nakuba kunjalo, njengaye namphi na umfama oya kungqina, lo asingomsebenzi wabantliziyo zibuthathaka. UMaseko wayesele esindile kwiisizini ezimbini ezazimbi kwanakwisichotho sangoDisemba 2021 esatshabalalisa iihektare zontathu zombona oluhlaza inyanga nje phambi kokuba uvunwe.
Kunyaka ophelileyo, ifama yakhe kwakhona yantlithwa kukuqhambuka kweenkumbi, kodwa uqhubeka njalo esiya phambili. Yaye uyaqhubeka ngokuthe ngcembe kodwa eqinisekile ukwakha iphupha lakhe lokuba ngenye imini eya kuba ngumnini wefama eziihektare ezingama200 eziquka ukufuya imfuyo.
“Ndinolwazi [lwemfundo] lweendidi zombini zokulima yaye ndifuna ukuzidibanisa kungekudala,” utsho. “Kukho kwakhona intshisakalo engapheliyo ngaphakathi kum. Ndisebenza nzima yaye ndenza ingeniso, kodwa ndifuna ukwenza ngaphezulu.”
Fumana amaBali angeNguqu: Amabali akhuthazayo asuka kubantu abondla uMzansi.
