Uneziqu eziyinyama, usebenze ehhovisi labameli nasemabhizinisini omndeni kodwa manje unepulazi lezinkukhu zohlobo. Lo mfuyi uxoxe noLANGA KHANYILE

IMBEWU yothando lokufuya yatshalwa wuninakhulu esakhula emncane kumfuyi wesifazane waseRichmond, ngaseMgungundlovu, KwaZulu-Natali. Namuhla unepulazi lakhe elingamahektha ayisikhombisa.

UNkk uPhila Ngidi, odabuka eDikeni, eMpumalanga Kapa, uwumnikazi weShonalanga Farm, ipulazi lezinkukhu zamaqanda nemileqwa. Uthando lokulima nokufuya lwenza ukuthi uNkk uNgidi, oneziqu zeBCom Accounting, ashiye ubukhazikhazi bempilo yasedolobheni, ubuntofontofo bokusebenza ehhovisi nokuba wusomabhizinisi onebhusha nebhodlelastolo elokishini. Amabhizinisi akhe nomyeni wakhe ongasekho, uComfort, ayeseClermont, eThekwini, kanti wake wenza “loku, nalokuya” emahhovisi omyeni wakhe, owayewummeli.

“I-Richmond ifana kakhulu ne-Alice (iDikeni), lapho ngazalelwa, ngakhulela khona. Ekhaya ugogo wayenamagusha amaningi kanti uthando lwemfuyo lwangingena ngenxa yakhe; kwakufuyiwe.

“Ngenxa kagogo, ngaba nothando lokuba wumfuyi). Saxoxa nomyeni wami, ongasekho, kwathi ngo-2014 saqala sabheka i-smallholding (ipulazi elincane). Sadayisa umuzi wethu eWestville, sathola indawo eRichmond,” kukhumbula yena.

Akaqalanga ngokufuya izinkukhu ezizalela amaqanda nezenyama. “Saqala ngokulima ama-pomenagrate nokotapheya. Amandla ethu okudayisa i-pomenagrate nokotapheya athenwa wukuthi kuba yisivuno sonyaka owodwa; manje uyahlala unyaka wonke ungenzi mali.

Ngemva kwaloko balima iklabishi. Nakulona akubanga yisikhathi eside, baliyeka. “Into eyasiyekisa iklabishi ngamakhasimende; avele afune ukuthenga amakhanda eklabishi ngemali encane,” kusho uNkk Ngidi.

“Ngemva kwaloko, sabheka indaba yokudayisa izinkukhu ezizalela amaqanda. Saqala sidayisela abangani, kwase kuchuma. Ngo-2017 saya emNyangweni wezoLimo sidinga ukuxhaswa. UmNyango wabamba wayeka. Sedlulela phambili, saya kwi-Agribusiness Development Agency, ewuphiko lomNyango. Kuthe ngo-2019 basinika usizo. Namuhla sinezinyoni, izinkukhu, ezizalela amaqanda, eziwu-5 000. Sinanezinkukhu zenyama. Ezamaqanda sizithenga zinosuku, kuthi ngesonto lesi-18 zisuke sezilungele ukuzalela,” kulanda yena.

Ayashiyana amanani amaqanda nawezinkukhu zenyama. Ithreyi lamaqanda awu-30 eliphakathi nendawo libiza uR25, elikhulu libe wuR30 bese kuthi elikhulukazi (extra-large) libe wuR35 bese kuthi elezinguzunga (jumbo) libe wuR40. Umleqwa owu-1.5kg nangaphansi uwuR60 kuthi ongaphezu kwaleso sikali ube wuR75. Bayadiliva ngezikhathi ezithile. Isibonelo nje, eThekwini beza kabili ngenyanga, ngesonto lesibili nelesine.

Ubonga uyanconcoza ngosizo abaluthola kuhulumeni. Uthi okokuqala uhulumeni ukwazile ukubanaka ngesikhathi sobunzima obulethwe yiCOVID-19. EShonalanga nje bathola i-voucher kaR50 000, abayisebenzisa ukuthenga ukudla kwemfuyo nezinkukhu zamaqanda.

Zihluke ngani izinkukhu ezizalela amaqanda kwezenyama? “Zinochuku, zinomkhuhlane futhi zifa kalula”. Ngemva kwamasonto awu-48 noma unyaka nohhafu ziphelelwa yisikhathi sokuzalela.

Uthi: “Ngoba zithatha isikhashana ukuzikhulisa, sengeza ezenyama. Sizithenga zinosuku zizelwe kuze kube yisonto lesithupha.”

Ususimeme umshikashika njengoba ngale kokudayisela abantu, iShonalanga isidayisela nezindawo ezinkulu. Badayisela amakhasimende azimele, ababhaki, abenza imicimbini, i-Anderson Garage eRichmond, iFruit & Veg eWestville naseMsunduzi Market.

I-COVID-19 nokuvalwa kwezwe kubathinte kanjani? “Isiphatha kanzima i-lockdown. Sasinezisebenzi. Kwaqale akwangacaca ukuthi wubani ongasebenza, wubani ongeke asebenze. Kwakunzima ukudiliva. Salahlekelwa… singenayo imali yokuholela izisebenzi neyokudla kwezinyoni. Ngenxa yaloko, kwadingeka sihlabe eziningi, sizidayise.”

Yini abaziqhayisa ngayo eShonalanga? “Akukho okutheni… sinezisebenzi eziyishumi nezetoho ezine. Zikwazile ukuqhubeka zihole (nge-lockdown).

Ngobunzima asebeke babhekana nabo seloku baqala, uthe. “Uma ulinganisa, ushaye izibalo (ngemfuyo nemali ozoyenza), kuvele kube khona okwenzekayo, kufe izinkukhu eziwu-100; loko kukuhlehlisela emuva,” kuphetha uNkk uNgidi.

Ngezinhlelo ngekusasa, uthe bafisa ukwengeza “izindlu” amahhoko amane kwamabili akhona. “Indlu” iwu-50×20 metres.

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