Ungoti wezemfundo nobuchwepheshe uthi intsha iyinsika ekukhuleni kwe-Afrika, inqobo nje uma izokwesekwa ngezindlela ezifanele. Uxoxe noSLINDILE KHANYILE

I-AFRIKA inabantu abaningi abasebancane nabasengakwazi ukusebenza. Loku yiyonanto eyenza ihluke futhi engadlisela ngayo ogageni amanye amazwekazi.

Lona wumbono kaSolwazi uTshilidzi Marwala, osanda kuqokwa wangumphathi omusha weNyuvesi yeNhlangano yeZizwe, isikhundla azoqala ukusiphatha ngoJanuwari wango-2023. Okwamanje usaqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe wokuba ngumphathi we-University of Johannesburg (i-UJ), umsebenzi aneminyaka emine ewenza.

“Umbuzo uthi kungabe labo bantu abancane bahlala emathaveni baphuze badakwe noma bayafunda, bayasebenza? Ukuthi loku yinto esingakwazi ukudlisela ngayo ogageni kuncike ekutheni le ntsha izoba ngabantu abanjani. Uma singezukubafundisa ukuphuza ngendlela ehlelekile nokuthi basebenze, ngeke siwafeze amaphupho ethu,” kusho yena.

Ngokusho kweNhlangano yeZizwe, u-70% wabantu abase-sub-Saharan Africa baneminyaka engaphansi kwewu-30. UMarwala uthi enye yezinto ezizothuthukisa leli zwekazi wukuqonda ukuthi i-Afrika iyimakethe eyodwa. Ugcizelele nokubaluleka kwemfundo njengoba ethi izindlela ezinqamulelayo ngeke zisize ngalutho.

“Kumele sakhe izinhlaka eziqinile, izikhungo zemfundo, ezepolitiki… Kufanele siqede indluzula ebhekiswe kubantu besifazane, iwubulwane leya nto. Ukuthula nezokuvikela emiphakathini yethu wumsebenzi wethu sonke.

“Kufanele siqonde ukuthi i-Afrika iyimakethe eyodwa, kufanele senze kube lula ukuthi abantu bahambe ezwenikazi, asikwazi ukuloku sihlehlisa ukuhlanganiswa kwezinto. Kufanele sakhe kabusha imiphakathi yethu. Uma ingane yakwamakhelwane ingafundi, asingenelele sisize,” kusho uMarwala.

UMarwala uzalelwe eThohoyandou, eLimpopo. Uthi kunezinto eziningi azifunda kunina nogogo wakhe ngobuchule obehlukene bemisebenzi ayenzayo. 

Uthi ukukhula etshelwa wukuthi ayikho inkomo yobuthongo yiyonanto esamsiza namanje ngoba akakunqeni ukuzikhandla. 

UMarwala uwunjiniyela owaphasa ngamalengiso iziqu ze-Mechanical Engineering eCase Western Reserve University eMelika ngaphambi kokuthola i-Master’s eNyuvesi yasePitoli wase edlulela e-United Kingdom, lapho enze khona i-PhD e-University of Cambridge. Ziningi ezinye izifundo azengezile njengezokuphatha, i-Programme for Leadership Development ayenze e-Harvard University.

Usecathulise abafundi abawu-47 ababenza izifundo ze-Master’s nabawu-21 ababenza i-PhD baze baphothula. Useshicilele izincwadi eziyisishiyagalolunye, enye yazo esike yahunyushelwa kwisiMandarin.

Ephawula ngomsebenzi wakhe omusha, uMarwala uthi usazoqhubeka nabekwenza e-UJ kuphela nje wukuthi usezokwenzela umhlaba wonke. “Umsebenzi wami wukuthi ngihambe ngiyoshintsha umhlaba. Ngihambe ngiyobhekana nalezo zinto ezinqinda ukuthi sifeze amaphupho (aziwa ngokuthi) ngama-Sustainable Development Goals. Lapha sikhuluma ngobubha nendlala, ukungalingani, ukuphucula ezemfundo, imisebenzi ehlelekile, amanzi ahlanzekile, ukuguquguguquka kwesimo sezulu.

“Sikhuluma ngokuhlanganisa umhlaba wonke ukuxazulula lezi zinkinga. Kimina kuwukuyokwenza umsebenzi omkhulu ongihlalele kunokugubha,” kusho yena.

UMarwala uthi nakuba azi ukuthi kuningi okunye abebesangakwenza nethimba abebambisene nalo e-UJ kodwa uyaziqhenya ngabakuzuzile. Ezinye zalezi zinto wukuthi u-15% kagesi abawusebenzisayo wugesi abawuphehla ngelanga, nathi kungaphezu kwawo wonke amanyuvesi eNingizimu Afrika. Uthi wathatha izintambo bekleliswe endaweni yesithupha ngokukhiqiza ucwaningo kodwa manje basendaweni yesibili. Uma kubhekwa ukukhula kwamanyuvesi, yibona kuphela abakhulayo. Bathuthukise nengqalasizinda yabo njengoba bethenge nebhilidi elisha okuyilona okufundelwa kulo izifundo zamabhizinisi nokuphatha iJohannesburg Business School. Uthi uthathe bengenisa uR1 billion kodwa manje le mali icela kuR4bn.

Okunye uMarwala aziwa ngakho wukuthanda ezobuchwepheshe besimanje kanti ubhale nezincwadi ngalesi sihloko njengethi Rational Machines and Artificial Intelligence nethi Closing the Gap: The Fourth Industrial Revolution in Africa.

Ungomunye wongoti abahlonishwayo uma kukhulunywa ngalesi sihloko kanti uqinisekisile ukuthi lapho ephethe khona yinto eseqhulwini. Uvumile ukuthi imizamo eyenziwa ukuqikelela ukuthi wonke umuntu uyasizakala ayanele futhi ayisoze yanela. “Kepha ngicabanga ukuthi ukwenza kube yimpoqo ukuthi wonke umfundi owenza iziqu zakhe zokuqala e-UJ akenze izifundo ze-artificial intelligence yinto eyinqubekelaphambili futhi okufanele siyamukele.”

Okunye ngaye:

• Uganiwe futhi unabantwana abathathu;
• Unepulazi alilimayo kanti ufuye izimbuzi nezinkomo futhi balima nombila;
• Ukhonze ukudla kwamaNdiya, amaveji ikakhulukazi imuxe (iveji elidliwa kakhulu ngamaVenda;
• Unakekela umzimba wakhe ngokuhamba nokudlala ingqathu;
• Uthando lwezemidlalo lwaqedwa wuyise “owayebagxisha” iMoroka Swallows;
• Ukhonze izincwadi ezibhalwe ngababhali base-Afrika abafana noChinua Achebe, Ngugi wa’Thiongo nezingezomnotho;
• Ukhonza eLuthela.