I-matatu—Inqola YaseKenya Emibalabala

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EKENYA

ISIVAKASHI saseKenya asiwasweli amazwi okuchaza uhambo lwaso. Ukubona indlovukazi, ibhubesi elikhulu nokushona kwelanga okubomvu, kuyimifanekiso ecacile isivakashi esisala nayo. Lapha, kunezinto ezinhle eziningi nezihlukahlukene. Kodwa, emigwaqweni eminingi kule ndawo, kunenye into ekhangayo—i-matatu eya ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene. Leli gama libhekisela eqenjini lezimoto ezithutha umphakathi. Izici zazo ezithakazelisayo ziye zazenza zaba yizinto zokuhamba ezithandwayo eKenya.

Umsuka we-matatu uthakazelisa njengendlela esebenza ngayo. Eyokuqala ngqá kwakuyi-Ford Thames ewumkhehlekhehle, insalela yeqoqo lezimoto ezazisetshenziswa amasosha aseBrithani eTopiya phakathi nempi yezwe yesibili. Ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1960, isakhamuzi saseNairobi sasebenzisa lo mkhehlekhehle ukuze sithuthe abangane abathile sibayise edolobheni, sabacela ukuba bakhokhe osheleni abathathu umuntu emunye ukuze sifake uphethiloli.a Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, abanye bayibona inzuzo yemali engangeniswa yilezi zimoto ezindala. Ngakho eziningi zashintshwa zaba yizimoto ezithwala abagibeli abangu-21, zinamabhentshi amathathu okhuni okuhlalwa kuwo, elinye phambi kwelinye. Lokhu kwakhiwa kufana nokwama-bolekaja amadala aseNigeria. Umuntu ngamunye wayekhokha imali yakuqala engosheleni abathathu. Yingakho nje le nqola yaqanjwa ngokuthi i-matatu—igama elivela kwelesiSwahili elithi tatu, elisho “okuthathu.” Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, i-matatu iye yashintsha ngokuphelele, izimoto zanamuhla azisafani nhlobo nezakudala ezazikhehlezela. Yebo, i-matatu yanamuhla iyimoto kanokusho eyachazwa elinye iphephandaba laseKenya eliphuma nsuku zonke ngokuthi “inqola emise okwendiza nenemibalabala.” Lona akuwona umkhiqizo wemboni encane yangawo-1960!

Ukugibela i-matatu kungaba isenzakalo esijabulisayo, ikakhulu uma umshayeli ethubeleza phakathi kwezimoto eziningi edolobheni! Ake sithathe uhambo olufushane eNairobi nge-matatu sike sizizwise.

Into Ethakazelisayo Edonsa Abantu

Uhambo lwethu luzoqala endaweni lapho zima khona lezi zimoto eziningi zilinde ukusuka ziye ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene. Sekuyihora lokuqala ntambama, futhi le ndawo iyaphithizela, abantu bezama ukuthola i-matatu ezobayisa lapho befuna ukuya khona. Abanye abagibeli baya enhla nezwe, uhambo oluzothatha amahora amaningana. Abanye bahamba amakhilomitha ambalwa ukusuka edolobheni, mhlawumbe ukuze bayodla ngokushesha. I-matatu iwusizo.

Uphawulile yini ukuthi eziningi zalezi zimoto zinemibala eminingana egqamile? Nokho, ayenzelwe nje ukuzihlobisa kuphela. Kunabagibeli abakhetha ukugibela i-matatu enhle kakhulu. Uma uzibukela eduze lezi zimoto uthola nokuthi kunamagama abhalwe emaceleni. Amanye awo achaza izenzakalo zamuva—ngokwesibonelo, “El Nino,” “Inkulungwane Yeminyaka,” “Internet,” “Dot Com.” Amanye anjengokuthi “Thobekile” nathi “Ntshiseko” abonisa izimfanelo zomuntu ezifiselekayo noma okuthile okufinyelelwe. Inqola ecishe ifane ne-matatu ekhazimulayo yi-jeepney yasePhilippines. Ngokuthakazelisayo, i-jeepney nayo iwumphumela wempi yezwe yesibili.

Ukunxuswa kwabagibeli kuyathakazelisa. Naphezu kwezimpawu ezibonakalayo emafasiteleni ezimoto ezibonisa ukuthi ziyaphi, abasizi babashayeli bamemeza kakhulu kuyilapho abashayeli nabo bebalekelela ngamahutha emoto. Ungamangali ukubona izimpawu kwamanye ama-matatu ezithi “Jerusalema,” noma “Jeriko.” Uma ugibela enye yalawa, ngeke uye eMpumalanga Ephakathi, kodwa uzoya kwenye yezindawo ezisemaphethelweni eNairobi ngasempumalanga ezinala magama eBhayibheli. Njengoba abasizi babashayeli bezama ukufaka abagibeli kuwo wonke ama-matatu, akumangalisi ukuthi abaningi banenkinga yokuthi bakhethe yiphi!

Uyamukelwa kuyiStrawberry (iJikijolo)! Mhlawumbe ukugibela lapha kuzoba mnandi njengalesi sithelo. Kubonakala sengathi abaningi bayayithanda le matatu, ngoba akuthathanga sikhathi ukuba igcwale. Umculo okhalela phansi ovela emibhobhweni emincane elenga ophahleni upholisa abagibeli. Nokho, ungacabangi ukuthi kunjalo kuwo wonke ama-matatu. Amanye anemibhobho emikhulu ngaphansi kwezihlalo, okuphuma kuyo umculo odabula izindlebe. Nokho, manje sekuphele imizuzu eyishumi zonke izihlalo zigcwele. Kodwa le matatu yethu ayikahambi. Ilindeni? Iphasishi eliphakathi kwezihlalo kusafanele libe nabagibeli abamile. Ngokushesha akusekho nendawo yokuphenduka. Eqinisweni, le matatu mhlawumbe izoma kaningana endleleni ukuze igibelise abanye abagibeli.

Ekugcineni, sesiyahamba. Abantu abangazani baxoxa ngomdlandla, ikakhulu ngezihloko zosuku. Kunjengasemakethe. Kodwa qaphela ungagxili kakhulu engxoxweni. Abanye baye badlula nemoto ngenxa yokulibala ukuxoxa.

Sishilo ukuthi i-matatu iya ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene. Ayiyi endaweni eyodwa kuphela. Ukuze afike ngaphambi kwesikhathi azinqumele sona, umshayeli uzosebenzisa noma iyiphi indawo ekhona kuhlanganise nendawo yabahamba ngezinyawo—ngezinye izikhathi abageje ngenhlanhla. Kanti nomsebenzi womsizi womshayeli awulula. Uzama ukuqoqa imali kubagibeli ababanga umsindo, abanye babo abangabambisani neze naye. Kodwa akachithi sikhathi ngobala. Kuphakathi kokuthi umgibeli uyakhokha noma i-matatu iyama futhi atshelwe ukuba ehle ngokushesha—ngezinye izikhathi ngokhahlo! Umsizi utshela umshayeli ngalabo abafuna ukwehla, ngesikhathi esifanayo ebe egade abanye abafuna ukugibela. Utshela umshayeli ngokushaya ikhwela, ngokushaya uphahla noma ngokushaya insimbi eseduze nesicabha. Nakuba kunezitobhi zazo zonke izimoto zomphakathi, i-matatu ingama noma kuphi nganoma yisiphi isikhathi, ukuze igibelise abantu noma ibehlise.

Njengoba sesiphumile edolobheni, manje sesisendaweni encane esemaphethelweni edolobha, lapho kwehla khona abagibeli abaningi. Sekuyisikhathi sokuba i-matatu iphindele emuva. Izogibelisa abantu abaningi endleleni. Nabo bazozwa lokhu esikuzwile. Belumnandi ngempela uhambo lwethu ngeStrawberry, nakuba besixukuzeka nje.

Awayi Ndawo

Njengoba inezimoto ezibalelwa ku-30 000, imboni ye-matatu yokuthutha eKenya isishintshile ekubeni insalela yempi eyayiyiyo emashumini adlule eminyaka, yaba umkhakha ovelele ongenisa izindodla zamaRandi. Nokho, ukuya kwayo ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene kuye kwaletha izinkinga ezithile. Ngokwesibonelo, abashayeli bayo baye babekwa icala ngokuhluleka ukulalela imithetho yomgwaqo elawula abanye abasebenzisa umgwaqo, futhi iziphathimandla ziye zashaya imithetho eminingi ukuze zilawule le mboni. Ngezikhathi ezithile le mboni iye yasabela kulokho ngokuvala izinkonzo zayo, ngaleyo ndlela iphazamisa izinkulungwane zabantu abathembele kuyi-matatu nsuku zonke. Nakuba kungebona bonke abayithandayo indlela yokusebenza ye-matatu, lezi zimoto ziyindlela yokuthutha esheshayo esiza abantu abahola imali encane abahlala kule ndawo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 22, 23]

Imoto yohlobo lwe-Ford Thames

[Umthombo]

Noor Khamis/The People Daily