uBeauty Skefile
Ukufika kwam eKapa ndafumana umsebenzi kwa Mrs Dodson, umama olungileyo, eGreen Point. Iminyaka esibhozo ndandimsebenzela kwaye ndihlala kwakhe. Abantwana bam babehlala eGugulethu ndibabona ngempela veki. Losisi babehlala naye wayebaphethe kakuhle kwaye ndandivuya bephaya. Kodwa ke uMrs Dodson wayokuhlala phesheya, ndaphulukana nomsebenzi.
Ndandingena mali yokubhatala losisi wayendigcinela abantwana, ndabathumela eTranskei apho utata waye hlala khona, bayokuhlala naye. Nangona eyindoda, waye jonga abantwana abahlanu ngokwakhe, utata waye baphethe kakuhle.
Xa besithi abafuni kujonga imfuyo, inkomo negusha, mhlawumbi kubanda wayebavumela bahlale bangayi. Bayebaphethe kakuhle. Kodwa ngo 1972, emveni kweminyaka esibhozo ndahamba ndayokubathatha abantwana bam. Ndandi bakhumbula kakhulu ndifuna bahlale nam. Ndabathatha bonke beza eKapa.
uFelicia Mfamana
Ndandine minyaka eyi 39 kwaye ndingazange ndisebenze ekhitshini ngaphambili, kodwa ke ndandi nabantwana abahlanu ekwakumele ndiba xhase. Kwakungekho kukhetha. Mna nodadewethu uNeliswa sasi sondelelene kakhulu. uMyeni wakhe wayesebenza eKapa ze wazenyula ukujonga abantwana bam, nabakhe abane.
‘Ngabantwana baka dadewethu,’ watsho. ‘Kakade ndizakuba khathalela.’ Abasoze balambe. Babe nokutya okusuka emasimini nobisi lwenkomo, ndandi cwangcise okokuba ndizaba thumela imali yempahla zesikolo, incwadi nako konke ababekudinga. Ndandi gula ukukhwela esasithuthi ndishiya abantwana bam ngemva, ndingayazi nokuba ndakupinda ndibabone nini.
uTenjiwe Tutu
Babephi abantwana bam loxa ndihlala emsebenzini? Ndibuze ngalonto uzisa uku khathazeka okukhulu. Lomntu wayegcina abantwana bam wayengaba phethanga kakuhle. Yayikuku khohlakala okokuba singahlali nabantwana bethu, ngoku xa bengaziphethanga kakuhle siye sicinge kukuba bengakhulelenga kuthi.
Ndathatha umntwana wam wokuqala wayokuhlala nomntu eGugulethu. Ndathi xandisiya khona ngenye yempelaveki endandifumene ikhefu ngayo, lomfazi wayelungile kum wandinika isiselo nesonka, kodwa umntwana wam owayene minyaka emibini okanye emithathu, esiza ecela isonka naye, wathi ‘Hayi’, uhluthi.
‘Ndandibona umntwana uyakufuna ukutya ngenene. Yayibuhlungu kakhulu intliziyo yam. Yintlungu enkulu, abantwana bakhule ngaphandle komama. Ndazama ukusa abantwana bam empuma –lizwe, kodwa zange kuncede ngoba ngenye imini uMrs Truter wafumana umnxeba othi mandizokuba landa kwiveki ezimbini. Ndandingayazi ndibasephi, ngoba ndandi dinga ukuqhubeka ndisebenza. Wathi uMrs Truter, ‘Musa ukuxhalaba. Hamba ubone ubasaphi abantwana bakho.
Thatha ixesha lakho ubone ngubani ozakuba phatha kakuhle.’ Abantu endandibasebenzela babe novelwano kakhulu ngathi. Babesithi nje, ukuba umthetho ubuhlukile, kwaye uba bekuxhomekeke kubo bebenokundinika indawo yokuhlala nabantwana bam. Kodwa ngenxa yomthetho kwakungekho nto babenoyenza.