By Jeff Mkhwanazi
Lo nyaka uphawula ingqophamlando ebalulekile eNingizimu Afrika njengoba sikhumbula iminyaka engu-30 yentando yeningi. Eminyakeni engu-30 kusukela okhethweni lokuqala lwentando yeningi thina njengesizwe sibhekene naso, sinethemba elikhulu nezifiso. Kwabonwa njengenguquko ekuqinisekiseni ikusasa lapho sinqoba khona imizabalazo yokungalingani, ubuphofu, izinsiza, kanye nokuthola imfundo. Nakuba senze inqubekela phambili enkulu ekubhekaneni nezinye zezindaba ezibhekene nezwe, singabanga impumelelo kulezi zinhloso, ikakhulukazi uma kukhulunywa ngesimo samanje esibhekene nentsha yethu?
Ngemva kweminyaka engamashumi amathathu, sisabhekene nenselelo enkulu yezenhlalo nezomnotho ekudaleni isimo esibonisa intuthuko yentsha nentuthuko ngezinga elikhulu futhi elizinzile. Eqinisweni, kwezinye izici siye sabuyela emuva, abantu abasha basesimweni esibi nakakhulu uma kuziwa kumathemba okuqashwa okungalungile, ubuphofu, amazinga aphezulu obugebengu, ukufinyelela okulinganiselwe kwemfundo, ukuhlukunyezwa ngokocansi, kanye nezifo eziningi zomphakathi.
Kukhona nezinsongo “ezingabonakali kangako” empilweni nasekulungeni kwabantu bethu abasha. Isihloko sempilo yengqondo, ngokwesibonelo, sisahlambalazwa futhi asivunywa ngomthelela enawo empilweni yentsha, inhlalakahle, kanye nekhono labo lokuhamba ngokuphila nsuku zonke. Ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kungesinye isihloko esingabonakala singabalulekile noma sikude nemiphakathi ebiyelwe yizindaba eziyisisekelo ezifana nobuphofu nendlala. Kodwa-ke, yile miphakathi esengozini kakhulu ehlangabezana nomthelela omubi kakhulu wezinhlekelele ezihlobene nesimo sezulu ezifana nezikhukhula kanye nezimo zezulu ezimbi kakhulu.
Uma kubhekwa isilinganiso esikhulu sezinkinga ezibhekene nentsha, isimo sibonakala sidlulele. Kodwa iqiniso liwukuthi manje yisikhathi esihle kakhulu sokuhlanganisa umphakathi ukuze kube noshintsho oluhle – ubunzima esibubonayo manje buzoba bubi kakhulu, ngaphandle kokuthi sithathe izinyathelo ezisheshayo nezinomthelela.
Sibhekana Kanjani Nezindaba?
Izinhlelo zikahulumeni kumele zibeke phambili ukuthuthukiswa kwentsha. Njengoba lonke ikusasa lesizwe lihleli ezandleni zentsha yethu, le yindlela enengqondo kakhulu.
Ukwelapha nje izimpawu akusona isimo sesikhathi eside – ukugcizelelwa kudingeka kube ngezixazululo zamasu ezibhekana nomsuka wezinkinga. Isibonelo, ukugxila okuphakeme kudingeka kube ekuthuthukiseni izingane zokuqala. U-81% wokufunda ibanga le-4 eNingizimu Afrika abakwazi ukufunda ngencazelo, ngokusho kombiko we-2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Lokhu kufanele kuphathwe njengenkinga yemfundo yezwe kanye nezinyathelo ezithathiwe ukubhekana nesimo njengento ephuthumayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukufinyelela emfundweni esezingeni eliphezulu kusenesikhathi kungafaka isandla esihle ekunciphiseni amazinga obuphofu, ubugebengu, ukusetshenziswa kwezidakamizwa nokunye kamuva ekuphileni.
Ukutholakala kokunakekelwa kwezempilo okusezingeni kanye nemfundo yezempilo kungaholela ekwehleni kwenani lokukhulelwa kwentsha engafuneki kanye nokusabalala kwezifo ezithathelwana ngocansi phakathi kwentsha. Imfundo yokunakekelwa kwezempilo kanye nokwesekwa kungasiza nabantu abasha abalwisana nezinkinga zengqondo nokusebenzisa kabi izidakamizwa. Ukwehlisa isibalo sokufa kwentsha ngokuzibulala kanye nokugula komphakathi kuyinto ebaluleke kakhulu.
Ukubambisana kuyi-Imperative
Uma kufanele sibe neqiniso, kungathatha uhulumeni inani elikhulu lokuhlela, isikhathi, kanye nezinsiza zokudala uguquko lwezenhlalakahle oludingekayo ukwenza ushintsho olubonakalayo maduze. Ukugqugquzela ukuthuthukiswa kwezenhlalo nezomnotho kudinga ukubandakanyeka komphakathi obanzi, kufaka phakathi umkhakha wangasese kanye nezakhamizi ezijwayelekile. Abantu bangazibandakanya ngokuzithandela noma ukunikeza ulwazi nentuthuko ngezinhlelo zokweluleka. Umkhakha wangasese nawo ubalulekile uma kuziwa ekunikezeni izixazululo elibonakalayo, njengeminikelo yezezimali kwizinhlelo zentsha noma ukusebenzisa amaphrojekthi okuthuthukisa intsha yenhlangano. Okunamandla kakhulu namanje yimizamo yokubambisana phakathi komkhakha kahulumeni kanye nomkhakha wangasese okuhloswe ngawo ukuhlinzeka ngemiphumela esebenzayo futhi eqhubekayo yentsha.
Amakhono e-Information and Communication Technology (ICT) abalulekile esizukulwaneni esilandelayo sabasebenzi, futhi kudingeka silinganise ukulethwa kwezinhlelo zokukhulisa amakhono ezisekelwe kwezobuchwepheshe ezifinyelelekayo. Ngokunwetshwa okusheshayo kwe-Artificial Intelligence (AI) kanye nokuzenzakalela, kuzoba nenani elincishisiwe lemisebenzi yokungena eqhutshwa ngabantu etholakalayo. Ngakho-ke kudingeka sandise amakhono okufunda nokubhala kwedijithali abantu abasha ukuze baphile endaweni eyandayo yezenhlalo nezomnotho eqhutshwa ubuchwepheshe. Umkhakha wangasese ungasiza ukuhlinzeka ngentuthuko yengqalasizinda, ukuqeqeshwa, kanye nokwesekwa kwezezimali ukusheshisa ukuguqulwa kwedijithali.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, sinentsha enekhono elwela ukungena emakethe yemisebenzi ngenxa yokuntuleka kokuhlangenwe nakho. Kudingeka kube nezindlela ezikhona ezivala lesi sikhala. Ngokwesibonelo, uhlelo (olungenzi inzuzo) lwe-DigiLink olugxile kwezobuchwepheshe lwe-Work Integrated Learning luxhumanisa ithalente ledijithali elisencane lokungena nabaqashi abangaba khona. Ngaleyo ndlela banikezwa ithuba lokuqashwa, bathole ulwazi emsebenzini, futhi bafunde kubasebenzi abanolwazi, kanti umqashi angakwazi ukukhulisa nokwelekelela abasebenzi babo bedijithali ngethalente lentsha. Lesi nyathelo liqhutshwa yiHarambee Youth Employment Accelerator, ibhizinisi lomphakathi elisebenzisana nabalingani bakahulumeni kanye nomkhakha wangasese ukuthola izixazululo zokungasebenzi kwentsha.
Enye iphrojekthi yokubambisana yi-Youth Employment Service (YEBO). YEBO yisinyathelo esiholwa umkhakha wangasese esiqhutshwa umthelela esingatholi mali kahulumeni. Uhlelo lusebenzisana nezinhlangano ezahlukene zamabhizinisi ukuhlinzeka ngokuhlangenwe nakho komsebenzi okusebenzayo kwezinyanga ezingu-12 kubantu abasha, abaqeqeshelwe ukuba ochwepheshe abanamakhono, abaphathi, kanye nosomabhizinisi nabo abazofaka isandla ekukhuleni komnotho wezwe esikhathini esizayo.
Naphezu kwezinselelo eziningi ezikhona, kunengcebo yamandla nethemba. Sisesethubeni lokuguqula isimo maqondana nemiphumela emihle. Ngokusebenza ndawonye, singashintsha umbono wesikhathi esizayo. Singasiza abantu abasha ukuba bazisize ngokusekela osomabhizinisi bentsha kanye namabhizinisi omphakathi okuhloswe ngawo ukushintsha izimpilo nemiphakathi ngenkathi benza okuhle emphakathini. Ake sivuthise ingqondo yethemba futhi siqashe ukuzibophezela kabusha ekudaleni ikusasa elingcono kubantu bethu abasha. Ake sisekele umoya wabo wokuphayona ngokusebenzisa izindlela eziqhutshwa yisisombululo ezizozuzisa kokubili intsha nomphakathi. Sinawo amandla okushintsha ikusasa – masenze kwenzeke.
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Issued by 1 Africa Consulting on behalf of SAAYC
