ININGI labantu uma libona utolika osebenzisa ulimi lwezandla, sign language, liye licabange ukuthi umuntu owenza lo msebenzi akakhulumi, kanti akunjalo.
UNksz Khethukuthula "Khetha" Mbatha, otolika izindaba zesiZulu, Izindaba Zethu, esiteshini sethelevishini iNewzroom Afrika, esebenzisa izandla, uthe baningi abethukayo uma bezwa ukuthi uyakhuluma futhi uyezwa.
UNksz Mbatha odabuka eNewcastle, uthe uthando lokuxhumanisa abantu abangezwa nabanye uluthole ngesikhathi esebenza esikhungweni sabangezwa nabangaboni iBlind and Deaf Society, eThekwini, yilapho ayebaqeqesha khona esebenzisa indlela okufundwa ngayo.
"Ngagcina nami senginabangani kuso isikhungo. Uma sisekhefini besihlala sonke sidle bese sizixoxela izindaba. Ngelinye ilanga besikhuluma ngeHIV. Baphendula ngokuthi isifo asibathinti bona ngesabantu abezwayo. Ngabachazela ukuthi akunjalo nokuthi nabo bangasithola. Kwangimangaza ukuthi ulwazi thina esilutholayo emisakazweni nakwiTV bona babengalutholi ngoba akekho obatshelayo ngoba abakwazi ukuzizwela uma kuvulwe umasakazo noma iTV," kusho uNksz Mbatha.
Uthe lokhu kwamenza ukuthi afise ukuba umxhumanisi wabangezwa nabanye abantu ngokubatolikela zonke ezenzeka emhlabeni ukuze nabo bafane nabanye abantu. Uqhube wathi usuke kulesi sikhungo wayofundela iLanguage Practise, wathola iziqu zeHonours eNyuvesi iFree State, egxile kwisign language kanti wasebenza kuyo inyuvesi.
Kumanje usebenza eNyuvesi iWits, ophikweni olubhekele amalungelo abakhubazekile iDisability Rights Unit, lapho etolikela izitshudeni eziyizithuli emakilasini. Umsebenzi wakhe ukutolikela abafundisa izitshudeni ezingaboni neziyizithulu ngokushintsha izinto zokufundisa abangaboni zibe ifomethi (format) abakwazi ukuyifunda.
Ulimi lokukhuluma ngezandla lusanda kugunyazwa njengxenye yezilimi ezisemthethweni eNingizimu Afrika. Kumanje ziwu-12 izilimi ezisetshenziswayo ezweni.
UNksz Mbatha uthe ulimi lwezandla aluhlukanisi ukuthi ulukhuluma ngesiZulu, noma ngesiNgisi, noma yiluphi olunye njengoba abantu becabanga kepha luwulimi ngokwalo.
"Kuleli lukhulunywa ngendlela efanayo ehlelwe yiSouth African Sign Language (SASL). Izwe, nezwe liyazihlelela ukuthi isign language yakhona izokhulunywa kanjani njengokuthi uphawu esilusebenzisela ukuchaza ithoyilethi kuleli, kwamanye amazwe lusetshenziselwa ukuchaza igama lakho (name)," kuchaza utolika.
Uyawuthanda umsebenzi wakhe, uthi kuthe uma kuvela ithuba lokuthi atolike izindaba wagxuma wahlala ngoba ngesikhathi ethatha isinqumo sokuyofundela ukukhuluma ngezandla, wayefuna ukuba ibhuloho elizodlulisa ulwazi ukuze lufunyelele ezigidini zabantu abayizithulu.
Uqhube wathi uye azikhuthaze izintatheli ukuthi kumele zizame ukuthi zingagcini ngokwazi isiNgisi kuphela, kumele zizame nezinye izilimi njengalo lolu lokukhuluma ngezandla ngoba kuyenzeka ukuthi abanye abantu bangaluqondi lolo limi.