Thembelihle Zwane
26 October 2026
Kulolu Suku Lomhlaba Lokwelapha Ngomsebenzi (World Occupational Therapy Day), olugujwa mhla zingu-27 Okthoba ngaphansi kwesihloko se-World Federation of Occupational Therapists esithi “Ukubamba Iqhaza Kubalulekile” (Participation Matters), ongoti bokwelapha ngomsebenzi baseNingizimu Afrika badonsa ukunakekelwa komsebenzi komunye wemisebenzi engabonakali kakhulu yalo mkhakha kodwa obaluleke kakhulu: ukusiza abantu ukuba babuyele emsebenzini ngemuva kwesimo esibucayi sempilo yengqondo. Ukwelapha ngomsebenzi ukwelashwa okusiza abantu ukuba bakwazi ukuphila kahle, benze imisebenzi yabo yansuku zonke, nokuzimela noma benenkinga noma ukukhubazeka. Kumuntu owakha kabusha umsebenzi wakhe ngemuva kokucindezeleka kwengqondo, ukukhathala okweqile emsebenzini, ukuhlanya noma ukuwohloka, lokho kubamba iqhaza kuvame ukuqala ngombuzo osemqoka kunayo yonke: ngingakwazi yini ukuqhubeka ngenze umsebenzi wami?
Lowo mbuzo uhlala phakathi nendawo yokuqashwa kwabantu abakhubazekile emsebenzini (vocational rehabilitation), umkhakha okhethekile wokwelapha ngomsebenzi. Iphepha lesikhundla se-Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA) mayelana nalo mkhakha lichaza indlela ehleliwe – ukuvimbela, ukuhlolwa, ukuhlaziywa, ukungenelela, ukubekwa emsebenzini kanye nokulandelela – eyakhelwe ukuhambisa umuntu esuka esimweni esibucayi abuyele emsebenzini onenjongo, ozinzile, esikhundleni sokumane amsayine njengofanele noma ongafanele ukusebenza. Ukungenelela ngesikhathi, kusho i-OTASA, kungenye yezinto ezibonisa kakhulu impumelelo yokubuyela emsebenzini. Kodwa le nhlangano iyaqondisisa isikhala esikhona phakathi komgomo nokwenzeka ngempela: “kuze kube ilapho uMnyango Wezabasebenzi uqasha ongoti bokwelapha ngomsebenzi abenele futhi wakhe izikhungo ezanele zokuqashwa kwabantu abakhubazekile, lesi simo siyoqhubeka njengoba sinjalo.”
Ucwaningo lwaseNingizimu Afrika luyakuveza lokhu kuvinjezelwa endaweni yokusebenza ngempela. UProfesa Mogammad Shaheed Soeker, oyiNhloko yoMnyango Wokwelapha Ngomsebenzi e-University of the Western Cape, uchithe iningi lomsebenzi wakhe efunda imiphumela yokubuyela emsebenzini kubantu abane-schizophrenia, abakhubazeke ngenxa yesitroki, abalimale ekhanda, nezinye izimo eziphazamisa indima yomuntu njengomsebenzi. Ucwaningo lwakhe lwango-2021 lwabantu abaphuma ezikhungweni zezempilo yengqondo ezihlobene nomthetho abangena emsebenzini ovulekile eKapa lwathola ukuthi ihlazo, izimpawu ezisele, ingozi yokubuyela esimweni, kanye nokuntuleka kwenkuleko yomndeni kwakuyizihibe ezinkulu kunazo zonke ekubuyeleni emsebenzini – kodwa ohlelweni lwe-OT olwakhelwe kanye nosizo lwasemsebenzini kanye namaqembu wokwelashwa kwakungaguqula lokho. Njengoba ucwaningo lusho, ukubamba iqhaza emsebenzini onenjongo kufaka ithemba kubantu abanezimo zempilo yengqondo, kuqinise ukubaluleka komsebenzi ngokwawo.
Lokhu kusebenza ngazo zombili izinhlangothi, njengoba kusho uProfesa Lana van Niekerk we-Division of Occupational Therapy e-Stellenbosch University, ucwaningo lwakhe lugxile ekubambeni iqhaza elilinganayo kwabantu ababhekene nezimo ezikhubazayo emhlabeni womsebenzi. Ukulahlekelwa umsebenzi – noma ukwesaba ukuthi ngeke ukwazi ukuwugcina – ngokwakho kuyingozi yempilo yengqondo; ukuphinde uthole indima yomsebenzi esebenzayo kuyavikela, hhayi ngokwezimali kuphela kodwa nangokwengqondo. Yindaba abacwaningi bokwelapha ngomsebenzi baseNingizimu Afrika abaye bayigqamisa kakhulu: i-South African Journal of Occupational Therapy izonikela uhla lwayo lukaDisemba 2026 ngokugcwele endabeni yokwelapha ngomsebenzi emsebenzini, oluhlelwe ngu-Dokotela Tania Buys wase-University of Pretoria, uProfesa van Niekerk, kanye noNaazneen Ebrahim wesibhedlela iTara Moross eGauteng – ubufakazi bendlela lo mbuzo osuguqukele waba ngomqoka kakhulu kulo mkhakha ezweni lonke.
Ekwenzekeni ngempela, lo msebenzi awuvamile ukubukeka unothi. Umelaphi ngomsebenzi ohlaziya umuntu ngemva kwesimo esibucayi sengqondo angase enyuse imisebenzi kancane kancane ngohlelo lomsebenzi wokuxhumana, aqondise umqashi mayelana nezinguquko ezifanelekile ngaphansi koMthetho Wokulingana Emsebenzini (Employment Equity Act), akhe kabusha ukugxila nokuqina ngezinqubo ezihlelekile, noma amane asize iklayenti lizilolonge ingxoxo elesaba ukuba nayo nomphathi wayo. Awuwona umsebenzi ogqamile – kodwa, njengoba ubufakazi bukhombisa, ungenye yezinhlelo zokungenelela empilweni yengqondo ezisebenza kakhulu ohlelweni lwezempilo laseNingizimu Afrika, ngenxa yokuthi luphatha ukubuyela emsebenzini hhayi njengesengezo sokululama kodwa njengengxenye yakho.
Kwizinkulungwane zabaseNingizimu Afrika ezibhekene naleyo mpumelelo kulo nyaka, “Ukubamba Iqhaza Kubalulekile” akusona nje isiqubulo sosuku. Kuyisisekelo sokwelapha umsebenzi asebenze ngokuthula – usuku ngalunye lomsebenzi owakhiwa kabusha kancane kancane.
