ZANELE MTHETHWA
WASIZWA yinkani eyamenza waba ngowesifazane wokuqala omnyama ukuba nesikole esizimele, uNkk Nomaswazi Veronica Pinky Mkhize, uMaVilakazi ophinde abe nguMengameli weNational African Federated Chamber of Commerce (Nafcoc) KwaZulu-Natal.
UNkk Mkhize owaqala isikole sokusiza abafeyile uGrade 12, usevulele amathuba namadodana akhe awaqashe eNomaswazi High School esiqala kuGrade 8.
Ngesikhathi ezama ukubhalisa isikole eMnyangweni wezeMfundo, ubandlululo lwaludla lubi. Uthe wasizwa ukuphikelela ukuze sibhaliseke ngokusemthethweni ngo-1990.
Lesi sikole wasiqala esanguthishanhloko eMfundwenhle Primary School eMbali, eMgungundlovu nakhona athi akukaze kube lula.
“Ngangifuna ukuba wummeli kodwa kwangenzeka, ngagcina ngifundela ubuthisha. Ngaqala ukufundisa ngingakaqeqeshwa njengoba ngangisaphase u-JC (Junior Certificate). Imali ebengiyihola ngokufundisa ngayiqongelela ngaze ngayofundela ubuthisha eMadadeni College of Education,” kusho yena.
Wabuye waqhubeza izifundo zobuthisha e-Univeristy of KwaZulu-Natal naseVista University, azenza esefundisa ngokugcwele.
Konke kwasheshe kwakhanya njengoba esheshe wanikezwa isikhundla zokuba yi-HOD esikoleni sokuqala afundisa kuso eMgungundlovu, wagcina enguthishanhloko eMfundwenhle.
Ukufika kwakhe kulesi sikole kwaqondana nezidubedube zodlame lwezepolitiki olwalubhokile naseMbali lapho ayesebenzela khona.
Uthe: “Bekuthi usekilasini uze kuqhuma izibhamu. Kuningi okwenzekile ngikulesiya sikhundla ngagcina ngiyisisulu sokuhlukunyezwa wumphakathi. Ngiyakhumbula ngithenge iMercedes okokuqala, ngavukelwa umphakathi kuthiwa ngiyithenge ngemali yesikole. Ngalesi sikhathi ingane ibikhona uR6 unyaka wonke, okungeyona imali ebengathenga iMercedes.”
Uthe wayesevele esivulile isikole esaqala ngezingane eziyisithupha ezazifeyile uGrade 12, kukhona abaqasha ukuthi basize kusona. Uthe kwakuvele kusegazini ukuba wusomabhizinisi, nasesikoleni wayedayisa amakota ekubeni enguthishanhloko. Echaza ngemizamo yokubhalisa isikole, uthi ngabe akaphumelelanga ukuba akasebenzisanga inkani.
“Ngase ngizame kaningi ukubhalisa ngichithwa, bagcina bengikhomba ePitoli emnyangweni. Ngangazi ukuthi ngeke kube lula ngoba kwakuphethe amaBhunu kodwa ngabeletha ingane ngaqonda khona. Ngafika ehhovisi bangihleka bengibuka njengohlanya. Bangitshela emehlweni ukuthi akekho omnyama ongasungula isikole,” usho kanje.
Uthe akaphelanga amandla njengoba waphindela ehhovisi kwathi okwesithathu wadatshukelwa ngowesifazane wamshushumbisela amafomu wabhalisa.
Ngo-1994 wathola indawo enkulu wanweba isikole esesinabafundi abangu-100, esesixhaswe nawumnyango. Womathathu amadodana akhe uwaqashile okubalwa uSboniso oyiChartered Accountant, uBlessing owenza i-IT noVictor obhekelele ezokuxhumana.
UNkk Mkhize wake waba sematheni kubangwa izikhundla kwiNafcoc naye echithwa kwesobumengameli.
Uthe: “Nalapho kwasiza inkani nokumela iqiniso. Konke lokhu ngakubona njengokudelela umuntu wesifazane ngoba ngangikhethwe abantu kulesi sikhundla.”
UNkk Mkhize ophinde abe yilungu leKZN Gaming and Betting Board, ukhonze ukuzivocavoca uma engekho emsebenzini. Ushade noDkt Mandla Mkhize owayeyisikhulu kwezemfundo esifundazweni.