Thembelihle Zwane
22 July 2026
Ngesikhathi kufika uJulayi, unyaka usuvele uzwakala sengathi usuphelile ngaphambi kokuba uqale ngempela. Ukukhuphuka kwentengo kaphethiloli nokudla, umsindo wezimoto emgwaqweni, kanye nokungaqiniseki ngezomnotho – konke lokhu kunomthelela ngaphambi kokuba amaholidi kaDisemba abonakale. Kwabaningi baseNingizimu Afrika, uJulayi akuwona umgqigqo okumele ugujwe – kuyisikhathi lapho amandla asuke eseqala ukuphela.
Kodwa ukuqala kabusha phakathi nonyaka akudingi ukuguqula konke ngokushesha. Ochwepheshe bezempilo yengqondo bathi ngempela kumayelana nokubona ukuthi amandla akho ashona kuphi, futhi ubuye wenze izinqumo ezincane, ezihlelekile, ukuze uvikele lokho okusele.
Izibalo zikhomba isimo esibucayi. INingizimu Afrika yayivele inenkinga yezempilo yengqondo ngisho ngaphambi kokufika kweCOVID-19, futhi le nkinga ayikapheli. Ukukhwantalala manje kuthinta abangaphezu kuka-27% wabantu baseNingizimu Afrika, futhi cishe oyedwa kwabayisithupha wabantu abadala uphila nokukhathazeka, ukudangala, noma inkinga yokusetshenziswa kwezidakamizwa. Emsebenzini ngokukhethekile, cishe oyedwa kwabathathu babasebenzi baseNingizimu Afrika ubhekana nokukhathala okweqile (burnout), futhi abangaphezu kwesigamu sabo babika ingcindezi yansuku zonke eyeqile.
Nezimali zibonisa okufanayo. Ukucindezeleka emsebenzini – lapho umuntu esesihlalweni kodwa engekho ngokoqobo – kubalelwa ekubeni yizindleko ezingaba ngu-R96,500 ngamunye umsebenzi unyaka nonyaka okuthinta ngamandla umsebenzi kunokuqhelelana nomsebenzi ngokwakho. Uma sibheka izwe lonke, ukukhathala okweqile kubalelwa ekubeni izindleko ezingu-R235 billion unyaka nonyaka eNingizimu Afrika, okulingana no-4.2% we-GDP.
Akusiyo nje ingcindezi yezomnotho eyenza abantu bakhathale kangaka. UProf Renata Schoeman, wobuholi bezempilo eStellenbosch Business School, uxwayise ngokuthi amathuluzi okwakumele asize ekwehliseni umthwalo wemisebenzi angase abe iwona anezela kuwo. Njengoba izinkampani zigijimela ukusebenzisa i-AI, uthi izindleko zempilo yengqondo ziyanyuka: “Sinezingxoxo ezijulile mayelana nokulawulwa kwe-AI, ukuziphatha, kanye nokuphepha kwezobuchwepheshe, konke lokhu okubalulekile. Kodwa sishiya ngaphandle kakhulu umthelela walokhu emphakathini.” Iphuzu lakhe elikhulu ukuthi lokhu akuyona nje indaba yezobuchwepheshe – kuyindaba yobuholi nengozi yengqondo edinga ukubhekwa nangabaqashi baseNingizimu Afrika.
Uma ubuza ochwepheshe bezempilo yengqondo ukuthi kudingekani ngempela ukuze uqale kabusha, kuvela indaba eyodwa njalo: imingcele.
UDkt Bavi Vythilingum, udokotela wezengqondo okhethekile osebenza eNetcare Akeso Kenilworth, uthi ukufunda ukubamba umugqa kubalulekile ekuvikeleni impilo yengqondo nomzimba, ikakhulukazi kwabesifazane abavame ukuvumelana nabanye kuqala. Iseluleko sakhe sengxenye yesibili yonyaka ukuthi uzihlomise ngolwazi – ngamakhono okumelana nezinselelo, ukuqina komqondo, kanye nokuthi ungathola kuphi usizo ngaphambi kokuba kufike inkinga enkulu.
USindisiwe Sibiya, isazi sengqondo esilulekayo (counselling psychologist) e-Centre of Psychotherapy Excellence (COPE), uyaqhubeka athi ukwehluleka ukubeka imingcele okuyimbangela eyisisekelo yalokho akubona kakhulu kwabaguli bakhe. Njengoba esho: “Ucwaningo lukhombisa ukuthi ukukwazi ukubeka imingcele phakathi komsebenzi nempilo yakho yangasese kungavikela impilo yakho yengqondo futhi kuvimbele ukukhathala okweqile.”
KwabaseNingizimu Afrika abaphatha imithwalo yomndeni omkhulu, imisebenzi yomphakathi, kanye nokulindeleka ngokwesiko sokuhlala njalo utholakala – okuyinto egxile ebuNtwini, kodwa engacindezela uma ingenamingcele – lesi seluleko sithinta ngendlela ehlukile. Ukuvikela isikhathi sakho akusho ukwala umphakathi; yikho okukuvumela ukuba uqhubeke ukusebenzela umphakathi ngendlela ozokwazi ukuyigcina isikhathi eside.
Ukuqala kabusha phakathi nonyaka kusebenza kangcono uma kuyimikhuba emincane ephindaphindwayo, kunokuba kube isenzo esisodwa esikhulu. Nayi imigomo yokuqala, ehambisana nesimo saseNingizimu Afrika:
- Vikela umngcele owodwa ngesikhathi. Kunokuzama ukushintsha lonke uhlelo lwakho, khetha umngcele owodwa ozowugcina kule nyanga: isikhathi esiqinile sokuyeka ukuphendula ama-imeyili omsebenzi, ukwala esinye isibopho esikukhathaza njalo, noma ihora elingenacingo ngaphambi kokulala.
- Phuma ngaphandle, ngisho okuncane. Isimo sezulu saseNingizimu Afrika siyingxenye yenzuzo yalelizwe. Uhambo olufushane olwandle, epaki lasendaweni, noma egadini nje ngesikhathi sokuphumula, sinomthelela obonakalayo ekwehliseni izinga lengcindezi – futhi akubizi.
- Xhumana nomphakathi. Ukuzihlukanisa nabanye kwandisa ukukhathala. Kungaba umhlangano wesitokofela, iqembu lesonto, iqembu lokufunda izincwadi, noma ikhofi njalo nomngane, ukuxhumana nomphakathi okuhlelekile kuyavikela.
- Yazi lapho ungathola khona usizo ngaphambi kokuba uludinge. Ingxenye yokuqala kabusha okusimeme ukuba nosizo oseluhleliwe ngaphambili, kunokulufuna phakathi nenkinga. I-South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) inezinombolo zosizo zamahhala, kanye namaqembu osizo ezweni lonke.
Mhlawumbe indlela ephusile kakhulu ukuhlola isimo sakho phakathi nonyaka akumayelana nokuzisola noma nesixuku sezithembiso ezizokwehlula ngoAgasti. Kuyisimemo nje sokuma kancane, ubone ukuthi yini esuke ithatha amandla akho, bese wenza izinguquko ezingekho kude kakhulu – ukuthuthukisa ubuthongo, ukunciphisa uhlelo oluthwele kakhulu, noma ekugcineni ubhukhe lelo sesheni lokwelulekwa (therapy) obulokhu ulihlehlisa.
Izinyanga eziyisithupha zisele ku-2026. Ukuthi zizohamba kanjani mhlawumbe akuncikile kakhulu emandleni okuzibamba, kepha kunoma ubukhona buqotho kangakanani ekubukeni lokho okusuke kukuqeda Amandla – nokuthi uzimisele kangakanani ukuvikela lokho okusele.
Uma ubhekene nezinkinga zempilo yengqondo, izinombolo zosizo ze-SADAG ziyasebenza mahhala futhi zifihlekile: 0800 456 789 etholakala amahora angu-24 ngosuku. Uma kuyisimo esiphuthumayo, i-Suicide Crisis Line ithi 0800 567 567.
