Owadlwengulwa nguyise kusukela eneminyaka eyisikhombisa, akhulelwa eno-13, uZizo Izabelo Zami Apleni, useqwashisa abantu abasha.
Ekhuluma esithangamini ebesisakazwa kuFacebook, uZizo uthe uyise waqala ngokumphika ngesikhathi unina esamkhulelwe waze wakhuliswa ngugogo wakoninalume. Uthe eseneminyaka eyisikhombisa uyise wamcela ukuba azohlala naye emzini wakhe osesilungwini eMtata, e-Eastern Cape, ukuze ezofunda ezikoleni ezixube izinhlanga.
Ubhala kanje uZizo:“Wathi ufuna ngithole imfundo engcono. Ngaphambi kwalokho sasesazana kangcono nobaba futhi sinobudlelwano obuhle obuphakathi kwendodakazi noyise. Ngase ngimethemba ngempilo yami yonke. Eyiqhawe lami. Sasinobudlelwano obuhle. Ngesikhathi ethi angizohlala naye angibanga nalo uvalo.”
Uthe ngesikhathi efika eMthatha, wathola ukuthi uyise useshade nomunye umuntu wesifazane kodwa emhlukumeza umkakhe.
“Emqondweni wami ngazitshela ukuthi mhlawumbe lo mama wayehlupha. Kwaqhubeka (ukushawa kwalo mama) izinyanga ezimbalwa kwaze kwaba lo mama uthatha ingane yakhe, uyahamba. Ngalobo busuku ubaba wangidlwengula, okuyinto eyaqhubeka iminyaka eyisikhombisa, kwaze kwaba ngiyakhulelwa ngineminyaka ewu-13. Emqondweni wami ngangingazitsheli ukuthi ubaba wayenza into engalungile ngoba ngaphila nayo. Ngangizitshela ukuthi yinto ejwayelekile. Mhlawumbe nezinye izingane zazihlangabezana nento efanayo. Ungacabanga-ke ngineminyaka ewu-13, angazi lutho ngokuhlukunyezwa ekhaya.”
Uthe waze wathola ukuthi uyise umkhulelisile emuva kokuba unina emchazelile ukuthi umuntu wesifazane ukhulelwa kanjani.
“Ngamtshela ukuthi ngubaba ongikhulelisile. Ubaba wayephika ayekwenze kimi. Kwakuyimi naye kuphela owayazi obekwenzeka... Cabanga nje ngineminyaka ewu-13 ngizobhekana nobaba enkantolo. Wayehlonishwa ngoba wayenguthisha futhi eyilungu lomphakathi eliqavile. Enkantolo kwakunabantu ababethi ayikho lento, ‘le ngane imqambela amanga.’ Ngase ngimsaba ubaba ngoba ngangingazi noma wayezongibulala ukugqiba ubufakazi.”
Uthe waqala ukuhlaselwa wukhwantalala esemncane. Eseneminyaka ewu-23, uthe uthathe isinqubo sokuba aqale athethelele uyise obhadla ejele njengamanje ngaphambi kokubhala incwadi esihloko sithi My Father Took Away My Innocence: Purified and Sanctified at Last.
Useqale umkhankaso wokuhambela izingane zamantombazane, eziqwashisa futhi eziluleka ngokudlwengulwa ngaphansi kwenhlangano yakhe iRise Black Girl Foundation. UZizo uthi inhloso yakhe ukusiza ingane yomuntu omnyama ecindezelwe neyake yadlwengulwa. Uthe ubuye agqugquzele abantu abake badlwengulwa ukuba bangathuli.