KWETHULWE uhlelo lokuqwala intaba i-Mount Kilimanjaro lapho osaziwayo bezobe bebambisene nenhlangano engenzi nzuzo elekelela abafundi ngamaqakelo.
Ethula lolu hlelo umphathi weMbumba uMnuz Richard Mabaso, uthe inhloso yohlelo i-Trek4Mandela, olwaqalwa ngo-2012 lokuqwalwa kwentaba ukuthi balekelele abafundi bamantombazane abaswele ukuze kungabi nezinsuku lapho bengayi khona esikoleni ngenxa yokungabi namaqakelo. Uthe lolu hlelo luba khona minyaka yonke ukugubha usuku lokuzalwa kowayengumengameli wokuqala wentando yabantu uDkt Nelson Mandela.
“Njengenhlangano sibone kubalulekile ukubuyela esifundazweni iKwaZulu-Natal lapho saqala khona ukuze naso sikhathule indima yaso kulolu hambo. Sinezinhlelo zokufundisa abafundi ukuthi bazi ngemikhakha eyahlukene abangena kuyo kanti okubaluleke kakhulu ngamaqakelo anikekelwa izikole ezahlukene,” kusho uMabaso.
UMabaso uphinde wathi basebenzisana nezinkampani ezehlukene okubalwa inkampani yomshwalense i-Old Mutual, ibhange iFNB, inkampani yokuthuthukisa amabhizinisi i- Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) nomsakazo Ukhozi FM.
Omunye wezikhulumi uDkt Gugu Mazibuko waseNyuvesi i-UKZN ugcizelele ukubaluleka kokuxhaswa kwabafundi ngamaqakelo wathi kubuyisa isithunzi samantombazane.
Kwabebehambele umcimbi kubalwa uNonhlanhla “Mroza” Buthelezi woKhozi FM okhulume ngokuqwala kwakhe intaba.
"Ngesikhathi ngiqwala intaba ngangididekile ngisanda kushonelwa ubaba wami, ngangizibuza ngiziphendula ukuthi ngizobahola kanjani abangilandelayo ngoba kuyimi osemdala ekhaya sesingenabo abazali. Okunye okwakungihlupha ukuthi ngashiya imfundo ephakeme phakathi, nginesifiso sokuqedela izifundo zami. Ngesikhathi ngiqeda ukuqwala intaba, ngehla senginamandla okubhekana nakho konke ngaphinde ngagogoda ezifundweni zami," kusho uMroza.
Umdidiyeli wamabutho akwaMandlakazi, uMnuz Nkosikhona ‘Phakelumthakathi’ Ndabandaba (43), uthe ufisa ukuba umuntu wokuqala ozoqwala intaba ngebheshu ngonyaka ozayo.
"Ngifisa ukuyomela isizwe samaZulu ngoba akekho owake waqwala intaba egqoke ibheshu. Ngizobe ngiphethe umkhonto ngigiya. Isiqhwaga siyobe sikhona entabeni iKilimanjaro, ophikayo useyohlangana nami phezulu entabeni," kusho uNdabandaba.
Umholi wabaqwala intaba uMnuz Sibusiso Vilane owaziwa ngokuba owokuqala omnyama ukunyuka intaba i-Mount Everest, ukhuthaze abantu ukuthi baqwale intaba ngenhloso yokunikela ngamaqakelo ezinganeni zesikole.
