SELIQOKELWE ethimbeni elikhethekile elilwa nobugebengu iphoyisa laseThekwini eliphume isine kwiNdebe yoMhlaba yomkhalambazo phesheya kwezilwandle.
Engxoxweni ekhethekile neSolezwe, uMnuz Mhlengi Khoza (26), oyiphoyisa likaMasipala waseThekwini, ufakwe ethimbeni iStrike Unit elisungulwe emuva kwempumelelo yakhe eSantiago, eChile ngoDisemba 2023.
UKhoza ongowaseMlaza, oqale lo msebenzi ngoNovemba 2022, uthe ethimbeni elisha bazofaka emgqeni osikhwiliphambana nobhoko ababamba inkunzi edolobheni futhi bathungathe izimoto ezebiwe.
“Ukunqoba kwami eNdebeni yoMhlaba kungivulele amathuba. Kumanje sengisebenza kwelinye ithimba lamaphoyisa elilwa nobugebengu. Emsebenzini bayakholelwa kimina ukuthi ngingakwazi ukubhekana nezigebengu,” kuchaza uKhoza.
Ulandise wathi waqala ukujimela i-karate esemncane, efundiswa nguyise ayehlala emlandela uma eyozivocavoca.
“Ngazibona nami sengidlondlobala kwi-karate. Ukuya kwami eChile kuze emuva kochungechunge lwemincintiswano yokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba. Ngakhethwa ngo-Agasti ukuthi ngiyomela izwe,” kusho uKhoza.
Uthe kusukela ngoSepthemba nyakenye ubelokhu ezilolonga ngokuzinikela.
UKhoza uthe uthando lomkhalambazo lwahlwayelwa nguyise owayemkhuthaza ukuba azivocavoce naye.
“I-karate wumdlalo wenhlonipho. Ngabona ukuthi lo mdlalo uzongithatha ungibeke ezingeni eliphezulu uma ngiqhubeka nawo. Ngisembuthweni wamaphoyisa nje kungenxa yayo i-karate,” kuchaza uKhoza.
UKhoza udalule ukuthi yena noyise sebesebhandeni elimnyama kwi-karate yize uyise esekwelesine yena ekwelesibili.
Uthe kwiNdebe yoMhlaba uphume isine esisindweni sosondonzima eselwe imizuliswano eyisikhombisa eqhuthana nabamanye amazwe.
“Ngiphume kowandulela owamanqamu ngihlulwa umuntu wase-Australia. Angibange ngisayilwela indawo yesithathu noma eyesine ngoba ngase ngilimele kakhulu,” kusho uKhoza.
Umphathi wamaphoyisa kaMasipala waseThekwini obambile, uMnuz Sbonelo Mchunu, uthe bajabule futhi bayaziqhenya ngempumelelo kaKhoza.
“UKhoza nabanye sengibahlanganisile bazoba wu-12 sebebonke abanamabhande amnyama kwi-karate asebenethimba labo bodwa. Ngixhumene nobajimisayo ozobanika izifundo ezikhethekile ezizobenza babhekane nomphakathi ngaphandle kokuwulimaza,” kusho uMchunu ngenjabulo.
Uthe njengamanje bayisithupha abasafakwe kuleli thimba alihlinzeke ngezimoto zalo ezine.