SHEILA MHLONGO
Ukusekelwa kukaMongameli Cyril Ramaphosa emizamweni yokuhlanganyela yokuqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izingane eNingizimu Afrika zinezifiso ezinhle zokufunda zisencane (ECD) kuzoba nomthelela omkhulu emphakathini.
“Ucwaningo lukhombisile ukuthi irandi ngalinye elisetshenziselwa imfundo yezingane ezisafunda lingonga kufika kumarandi ayisikhombisa ezindlekweni zesikhathi esizayo ezihlobene nemfundo yokulungisa amaphutha, izinsiza zomphakathi kanye nezomthetho,” kusho uRamaphosa, ekhuluma emhlanganweni we-Bana Pele 2030 Roadmap Leadership Summit eGoli mhla ziyi-17 kuNdasa wezi-2025.
Nakuba isabelomali sikahulumeni sika-2025-26 singakavunyelwa ukuba sibe ngumthetho, kodwa imali eyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyishumi zerandi (R10 billion) ebekelwe eceleni ye-ECD iyimpumelelo enkulu ezovumela ukuthi isibonelelo sansuku zonke sezingane ezisemabhizinisini abhalisiwe akhokhelwa uhulumeni sikhuphuke sisuke ku-R17 siye ku-R24. Lokhu kuzophinde kuvumele iziphathimandla zemfundo ukuthi zingeze ezinye izingane eziyizi-700,000 ezineminyaka engaphansi kwemine kulezi zinhlelo eziqinisekisiwe ezisekelwa uhulumeni eminyakeni emithathu ezayo. Lokhu kuzokwenza ukuthi inani lezingane ezithola lezi zinzuzo lifike ku-1.5 million.
I-Oppenheimer Memorial Trust ihlangane noMnyango Wezemfundo Eyisisekelo (DBE), izinhlangano ezizimele kanye nabatshalizimali ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukubhaliswa okukhulu kwamabhizinisi e-ECD kusukela ngoJuni 2024. Njengomphathi we-ECD & Youth Fund, ngiqashwe ngu-DBE ukuze ngibe yingxenye yeqembu eliphethe lomkhankaso. Sithuthuka ngendlela ebonakalayo siqhubekela phambili emgomweni wethu wokubhalisa izinhlelo ze-ECD ezingaphezu kuka-20,000 ezingabhalisiwe ngoDisemba 2025, ukuze zikwazi ukuthola lesi sibonelelo.
Kuze kube manje, izicelo ezingaphezu kuka-9,300 (kusukela zingama-13 kuNdasa 2025) sezifakiwe selokhu kwaqala isivivinyo se-Bana Pele. Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kuphela, izinhlelo ezingaphezu kuka-2,000 seziqalile ukubhaliswa, kanti ezinye zisahlolwa.
Ukutshalwa kwezimali ku-ECD kunomthelela osheshayo nesikhathi eside emphakathini, kuthuthukisa ukulungela kwesikole nokuphumelela kwezingane ezincane. Njengoba uRamaphosa akugcizelele ngo-17 kuNdasa, umkhankaso we-Act For Early Years wabala ukuthi uma iNingizimu Afrika itshala u-2.1% we-GDP yayo ekunakekelweni kwezingane, bangaba yizi-10.5 million abesifazane abangangena emnothweni wezisebenzi eminyakeni emithathu. Cabanga ngomthelela walokho ezimpilweni zabo, emindenini yabo nasemnotho jikelele.
Kuze kube manje, isektor ye-ECD eNingizimu Afrika ibisithola isabelo esincane sesabelomali sikazwelonke, esingu-1.5% nje kuphela ngo-2024-25. Kuyajabulisa ukuthi uRamaphosa uvumile engqungqutheleni ukuthi ukuntuleka kokugxila kwahulumeni kwe-ECD eminyakeni engama-30 edlule bekuyiphutha, waphinde wathembisa ukuthi uhulumeni uzokulungisa lokho.
Sekusobala ukuthi uhulumeni uzimisele. UNgqongqoshe Wezemfundo Eyisisekelo, uSiviwe Gwarube, ekhuluma kulo mcimbi, uthe umnyango wakhe ufisa ukuthi zonke izingane eNingizimu Afrika zithole ukufinyelela ezinhlelweni ze-ECD zekhwalithi enhle ngo-2030 – okuyiminyaka emihlanu nje kuphela esele.
Njenge-OMT, siyathokoziswa yilokhu kugxila okusha kwehulumeni ku-ECD. Kujabulisa ukuzwa uGwarube ethi umnyango wakhe uzoshintsha uhlelo lwawo ukuze ugxile ekufundeni okuyisisekelo, okubandakanya i-ECD.
Kunomsebenzi omningi okufanele wenziwe, kanti i-OMT ilungele ukuqhubeka nokusekela lo mkhankaso.
I-OMT iyakholelwa ekwenzeni izinqumo ezisekelwe kudatha, futhi siyajabula ukuthi uhulumeni usuqale ucwaningo oluhlala lwenza isibalo esiphelele – i-Thrive by Five index – ukuze sinikeze isithombe esiqondile sekhwalithi yezinhlelo ze-ECD ezixhaswayo. Sazi lapho izikhala zikhona, futhi singakwazi ukuzilungisa ngendlela ehlelekile.
Ingqungquthela ye-Bana Pele 2030 Roadmap Leadership Summit lapho uRamaphosa noGwarube bekhuluma khona iyinkomba eqinile yentuthuko enhle. Ayizange yenzeke ngaphandle kokuthi uhulumeni kanye nezinye izinhlangano – kufaka phakathi abaxhasi, ama-NGO, abaphathi bezinhlelo kanye nezinkampani ezizimele – sebeqalile ukusebenza ndawonye ngendlela ebonakalayo.
Lokhu kusho ukuthi, esikhundleni semizamo ehlakazekile neyingasebenzi kahle, lapho ukuntuleka kwamakhono nokuqondisa kahle kuholela ekuchithweni kwezimali kanye namathuba alahlekile, manje sesisebenzisana ngendlela engakaze ibonwe ngaphambili.
Lokhu kuyinguquko enkulu yokuqonda. Isivumelwano senhlalo sesivela, futhi angikaze ngizizwe ngigqugquzeleke kangaka noma ngibe nomdlandla wokufeza leli phupho.
Isici esibalulekile, futhi mhlawumbe esingakaze sibonwe, salokhu kubambisana kwe-ECD indlela esisebenzisana ngayo. Kulokhu, amaqembu awazelekeleli nje kuphela uhulumeni; kumele nawo asebenze, afinyelele kulawo mandla okufanele aweze kuhulumeni.
Ukwenziwa kocwaningo lwe-Thrive by Five ngo-2021 lwabonisa ukuthi cishe izingane eziyizi-1.3 million ezineminyaka emi-3 kuya kwemi-5 azikho ezinhlelweni zokufunda zisencane. Futhi, kwavela ukuthi izingane eziphuma emakhaya ampofu angu-60% zihamba kancane ekuthuthukeni kwazo.
Ucwaningo lwe-ECD Census 2021 lwathola izikhungo ze-ECD ezingu-42,420 kulo lonke elaseNingizimu Afrika, iningi lazo ezingabhalisiwe.
U-Bana Pele uyingxenye yezinhlelo ezintathu eziqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izinhlelo ze-ECD eNingizimu Afrika ziyabhaliswa futhi ziyathuthuka zifinyelele amazinga afanele.
Sidinga abanye abatshalizimali abazimele ukuthi bajoyine lo mkhankaso. Kumele singanikeli ngemali kuphela, kodwa futhi sabelane ngolwazi, amakhono nezinsiza zokushintsha ikusasa lezingane zaseNingizimu Afrika.
Ngu Nomsa Muthaphuli
Umphathi Wezimali Ze-ECD & Youth e-Oppenheimer Memorial Trust
