23 October 2025
Inyanga kaMfumfu, inyanga yokubungaza ezokuthutha eNingizimu Afrika- iskhathi sokucabangisisa ngokuthi ukuhamba okuphephile kuhlanganisa kanjani abantu namathuba. Njengoba sibungaza iNyanga Yezokuthutha u-Equal Education(EE) kanye ne-Equal Education Law Centre(EELC) uqinisekisa ukuzibophezela kwethu ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi wonke umfundi uyakwazi ukuya esikolweni ngokuphepha, ngokwethembeka nangokuhlonipheka. Uhlelo lokuthutha abafundi akusilo ilungelo elikhethekile, kodwa liyingxenye ebalulekile yelungelo lokuthola imfundo eyisisekelo ikakhulukazi kubafundi abavela emiphakathini entulayo. Noma kunjalo unyaka nonyaka abafundi abaningi basaqhubeka behamba amabanga angaphephile, kwesinye isikhathi edlula ku-10 KM ngosuku ukuze bafinyelele esikoleni.
Eminyakeni edlule, amalungu abafundi e-Equal Education(ama-Equaliser), intsha eseziphumele esikoleni kanye namalungu omphakathi esifundazweni saKwaZulu-Natal abephambili emkhankasweni wethu wokulwela uhlelo lokuthutha abafundi, lapho beqhubeka nokuphakamisa amazwi abafundi futhi befuna ukunikezwa kohlelo lokuthutha olubhekele ukuphepha kwabafundi ezikoleni-ikakhulukazi lezo ezisemiphakathini yasemakhaya nasezindaweni zasemalokishini.
Le mizamo iveze ukwehluleka okukhulu ekusetshenzisweni kwenqubomgomo yokuthutha abafundi, okuhlanganisa ukunikezwa okungaguquki, ukungahleleki phakathi koMnyango Wezemfundo noMnyango Wezokuthutha, kanye nokungabi khona kokuqapha okuqinile kwabahlinzeki bezinsizakalo.
U-EE kanye ne-EELC ukhathazeke kakhulu ngesimo sohlelo lokuthutha bafundi esifundazweni saKwaZulu-Natal. Akwamukelekile ukuthi iziqondiso zokuphepha ezibalulekile ziqale ukusetshenziswa kuphela ngemumva kwezehlakalo ezibuhlungu lapho abafundi belahlekelwa izimpilo zabo noma belimala kanzima ngendlela eshintsha ukuphila kwabo. Lomonakalo ubungagwemeka ukube imithetho ekhona yayisetshenziswa kahle kusekela ekuqaleni. Imicabango nemikhuleko yethu ejulile iya emindenini nasemphathini ethintekile yilezi zehlakalo ezidabukisayo.
Yize uhulumeni ebelokhu ezibophezela izikhathi eziningi, izinkulungwane zabafundi zisalokhu zingafakiwe ohlelweni lokuthutha lwabafundi. Abafundi abaningi basaqhubeka behamba amabanga amade angaphephile ngenxa yokubambezeleka kokuphathwa kwezinhlelo, ukuncishiswa kwesabelomali, nokuhleleka okungesihle. Kuyo yonke iKwaZulu-Natal naseMpumalanga Kapa, abahlinzeki bezinsizakalo zokuthutha babike ukungakhokhelwa, okuholele ekumisweni kwezinsizakalo nokushiya abafundi bengasakwazi ukuya esikoleni. Lezi zinselelo zidicilela phansi ukufinyelela kwemfundo kanye nokuphepha kwabafundi, futhi zikhombisa ukwehluleka okubanzi ekubekeni phambili amalungelo nenhlalakahle yabafundi abasemiphakathini yasemakhaya nasezindaweni ezingaphansi kwenhlalakahle.
“Ibhasi lithatha izindawo ezinhlanu ezahlukene njalo ekuseni, ligcwala ngokweqile- kugibela abafundi abalinganiselwe ku-200 ebhasini elilodwa. Ebhasini sihlala kabuhlungu awukwazi nokunyakaza uze uyofika esikoleni, izimpilo zethu zisencupheni njengoba nezingozi zenzeka manje namanje sihlala ovalweni uma siya esikoleni. Kuyenzeka abanye abafundi bagcine bengakwazanga ukugibela ngenxa yokuthi kusuke sekugcwele kakhulu, kusuke sekumele bahambe ngezinyawo ukufinyelela esikoleni. Isikhathi esiningi ngizizwa ngingaphephile njalo mangiya esikoleni ngenxa yesimo sezithuthi- nabashayeli bagijima ngokweqile emgwaqeni bejahe ukujika beyolanda ezinye izindawo.”
Ukuphepha kwabafundi kusalokhu kuyinkinga enkulu edinga isinyathelo esiphuthumayo. Izimoto ezigcwele ngokweqile, ezingasebenzi kahle emgwaqeni, abashayeli abangafanelekele, kanye nokushoda kokuqondisa kwabantu abadala kusewumkhuba ovamile odinga ukungenelela ngokushesha. U-Equal Education (EE) kanye ne-Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) zibiza uMnyango Wezemfundo noMnyango Wezokuthutha ukuthi ngokushesha:
- Baqinise ukuqapha nokusebenzisa imithetho, baqinisekise ukuthi zonke izimoto zokuthutha abafundi zisesimweni esifanele futhi zihambisana nemithetho yokuphepha emgwaqeni ukuze abafundi bathuthwe ngesithunzi nangokunakekelwa.
- Bathathe izinyathelo ezinzima kubahlinzeki bezinsizakalo abangayinaki ukuphepha kwabafundi.
- Bahlukanise izimali ngokwanele nangokulinganayo ukuze bonke abafundi abafanele bathole uhlelo lokuthutha oluphephile noluthembekile.
- Bathuthukise ukuhlela nokuxhumana phakathi kweminyango.
Uhlelo lwamanje lwehluleka izingane olufanele ukuzisebenzela. Uhlelo lokuthutha olubhekele ukuphepha kwabafundi akufanele lube yinto ethokozelwa abambalwa kuphela, kodwa kube ilungelo eliyisisekelo elifanele wonke umfundi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uhlala kuphi. Naphezu kwemizamo yokulwenza lusebenze kangcono, isidingo sohlelo lokuthutha abafundi sidlula kakhulu izinsiza ezikhona, kushiya izinkulungwane zabafundi besengozini. Kule Nyanga Yezokuthutha, sibiza uhulumeni ukuthi asebenze ngokuphuthuma, ngokusobala nangokuzibophezela ukuze anikele ngohlelo lokuthutha olubhekele ukuphepha kwabafundi nolweseka ukufunda.
“ Ukufika kwethu esikoleni kuba inhlanhla- amathuba ezingozi maningi kakhuli kwizithuthi ezisezikoleni. UHulumeni ngathi akanandaba nezimpilo zethu njengabafundi. Isifiso sami ukuthi sithole amanye amabhasi ukuze sizohamba sikhululekile ukufika esikoleni.”
U-EE kanye ne-EELC zizoqhubeka zizinzile empini yazo yokulwa nokungalingani ekufinyeleleni imfundo nasekuvikeleni ukuphepha kwabafundi kuyo yonke iNingizimu Afrika.
Lezi zehlakalo zakamuva ziphinde zaveza ukwehluleka okukhulu kanye nezikhala ezinkulu ezibhekene nabafundi abasuka emiphakathini empofu ngenxa yokungasebenzi kahle koMnyango Wezemfundo. Lokhu kwenzeka ngesikhathi lapho uMnyango Wezemfundo noMnyango Wezokuthutha esifundazweni bobabili bebekwe ngaphansi kokulawulwa kokuphathwa kwezezimali kweSifundazwe ngenxa yezinsolo zokuphathwa kabi kwemali yomphakathi kanye nokukhwabanisa okuhlobene nokunikezwa kwamathenda ohlelo lokudla ezikoleni (NSNP) kanye nohlelo lokuthutha abafundi. Siphinde sifune ukukhishwa kombiko ophathelene nalezi zinsolo nguNdunankulu wesifundazwe, uMnu. Thami Ntuli.