Izisongelo ze “Water Mafia” ziphazamisa uncedo eMthatha kwintlekele yezikhukula
Izisongelo ze “Water Mafia” ziphazamisa uncedo eMthatha kwintlekele yezikhukula
NguMike Mancane | Ipapashwe: 7 Septemba 2025
EMthatha, intliziyo yeSithili sase-OR Tambo esutshatyalaliswe zizikhukula eMzantsi Afrika, intlekele yabantu iya isiba nzima ngenxa yesoyikiso esitsha esoyikekayo. Njengoko izikhukula ezitshabalalisayo zithathe ubomi kwaye zashiya amawaka abantu abashiyekileyo bengenamakhaya, abasebenzi benceba abavela kwi Gift of the Givers bajongana nokoyikiswa okungathandabuzekanga kweqela elibizwa ngokuba yi “Water Mafia,” nto leyo eyonakalisa iinzame zokuhlangula abantu abasweleyo.
Izikhukula, ezithathe ubomi babantu abangamashumi alithoba ekuqaleni kukaSeptemba 2025, zishiye iMthatha isemngciphekweni omkhulu. Imilambo evuthuzayo igubungele amakhaya, iibhlorho kunye nemfuno yabantu, inyanzela abahlali ukuba bafune indawo yokuhlala kwiindawo zokuzimela ezifana neeholo zoluntu. Gift of the Givers ibe yintonga yophawu, inikezela ngamanzi acocekileyo, ukutya okushushu, kunye nezinto zococeko kubantu abangaphezu kwe-1,500 abaphelelwe ngamakhaya eButterworth naseMthatha kwiindawo ezichaphazeleke kakhulu. Kodwa umsebenzi wabo uphazanyiswe zizisongelo ezicwangcisiweyo ezivela kubaphuli-mthetho abafuna ukuxhaphaza le ntlekele. Aba bantu be “Water Mafia,” ekuthiwa baxhobile kwaye bacwangcisiwe, bajongene nabasebenzi benceba kwiindawo zokusasaza, befuna ukulawula amanzi kwaye besoyikisa ngobundlobongela.
“Sisebenza ukuze sisindise ubomi, kodwa ngoku kufuneka siqaphele,” utshilo umntu osebenza kwi Gift of the Givers, ethetha ngokungaziwa ngenxa yezizathu zokhuseleko. Iingxelo zivela eMthatha zichaza iziganeko ezoyikekayo: iikhonvoyi zoncedo zihlukunyezwa, amanzi ajoliswayo ajikwa, kwaye abasebenzi bayalunyukiswa ukuba “bahambe” kwezinye iindawo okanye bajongane nemiphumo emibi. Kwesinye isiganeko esikufutshane nendawo yokunceda eMthatha, abantu abaxhobileyo bazame ukuthatha amatanki amanzi, belibazisa uncedo kwiintsapho ezihlale iintsuku ezininzi zingenamanzi acocekileyo.
Izenzo ze “Water Mafia” zixhaphaza ukuba sesichengeni kweMthatha. Iinkqubo zamanzi esetyenziswa luluntu zaphukile zizikhukula, zishiya abahlali bexhomekeke kuncedo lwangaphandle. Abaphuli-mthetho bayasebenzisa le meko ukuze bafumane imali, kuthiwa babiza imali ephezulu yokufikelela emanzini okanye bathengise izinto ezibiweyo kwimarike emnyama. Oku kuphazamisa ukunikezelwa kwamanzi kwaye kwandisa ukubandezeleka kwabantu abachaphazelekileyo zizikhukula, abaninzi babo abaphulukene namakhaya, imisebenzi kunye nezalamane zabo.
Oorhulumente basekhaya baphantsi koxinzelelo lokusabela. INkulumbuso uOscar Mabuyane ugxekile aba baphuli-mthetho, ethembisa ukwandisa ukujikeleza kwamapolisa kwiindawo zoncedo. “Akukho mntu kufuneka enze ingeniso ngentlungu yabantu bethu,” utshilo kwintetho yakhe yakutshanje, ecebisa ukuba kusebenzelwane neqela lesizwe elijongene neentlekele ukuze kuqiniswe ukhuseleko. Nangona kunjalo, amapolisa aseMthatha, ajamelene nolwaphulo-mthetho oluphezulu kweli lizwe, ajongene nemiceli mngeni yokulawula le ntshutshiso. Iinkokeli zoluntu ziye zacela ungenelelo olukhawulezileyo, zisilumkisa ukuba ukungaphathwa kwesigqitho kunokutshabalalisa ukuthembela kwiinzame zoncedo nakurhulumente.
Iziphumo zibalulekile. Ukulibaziseka ekunikezelweni koncedo kuneengozi zokwandisa iingxaki zempilo, ngenxa yokoyika izifo ezosulela emanzini ezifana nekholera. Ukuxinezeleka kwengqondo kubasebenzi benceba nakubantu abachaphazelekileyo kuyabonakala, njengoko bejamelana nezisongelo ngelixa bezama ukunceda. Ngaphandle kwezi ngxaki, Gift of the Givers iyaqhubeka, iphumeza amanyathelo okhuseleko afana nokuhamba ngee-konvoyi ezikhuselekileyo kunye nokusebenza ngokusondeleyo noluntu lwasekhaya ukuze kukhuseleke imisebenzi yabo.
Intlekele yezikhukula eMthatha ngumvavanyo wokomelela, kodwa izisongelo ze “Water Mafia” ziveza umngeni omkhulu: indlela yokukhusela ubuntu phambi kokunganyamezelana. Njengoko isixeko silila kwaye siqala ukwakha kwakhona, ubukroti babasebenzi benceba buqhubeka bukhanya, buyintonga yethemba phambi kwesiphithiphithi.
