Thembelihle Zwane
14 August 2026
Njengoba abantu abaningi baseNingizimu Afrika bephila impilo yokuhlala kakhulu, ochwepheshe bathole ukuthi ukuhlala isikhathi eside ngosuku kunomthelela obanzi empilweni. Abanye basebenzisa umfanekiso wokuthi “ukuhlala kufana nokubhema.” Uma umsebenzi wakho uhlanganisa ukusebenza kukhompyutha ehhovisi, ukuhlala emgwaqweni ushayela noma usemathekisini isikhathi eside, kanti izinto ozithandayo zihlanganisa ukubukela i-TV noma ukuhlala ezitolo zecoffee, kungesabeka ukucabanga ukuthi uchitha amahora amaningi kangakanani uhlezi.
Iminyaka eyizigidi eziyisithupha, abantu babengabazingeli nabaqoqi, imizimba yabo yakhelwe ukunyakaza. Kodwa manje, abantu bahlala kakhulu emgwaqweni ophithizelayo, ehhovisi noma phambi kwe-TV. UBlaire Palmer, umbhali nomeluleki wobuholi, waguqula impilo yakhe lapho ethola izindlela zokungenisa ukunyakaza osukwini lwakhe. “Abantu bakhelwe ukufuna ukukhululeka, futhi kulula ukukuthola namuhla,” kuchaza yena. “Imisebenzi eminingi ihlanganisa ukuhlala, kanti abaningi baphinde bacabange ukuthi ukuphumula kusho ukuchitha amahora phambi kwe-TV noma kumasocial media.”
Ucwaningo lwe-WHO lwathola ukuthi ama-38.2% abantu baseNingizimu Afrika awenzi umsebenzi womzimba owanele, lokhu kuhlanganisa amanani aphezulu kakhulu kwabesifazane (47%) uma kuqhathaniswa namadoda (29%). Ucwaningo olwenziwe emsebenzini waseNingizimu Afrika luthole ukuthi izisebenzi zasehhovisi zichitha cishe amahora ayi-17 ngosuku zihlezi noma zilele – okuhlanganisa ukulala, umsebenzi, kanye nokuhamba. Ukuhlala esihlaweni samatekisi noma emgwaqweni ophithizelayo, njengaseGoli, eThekwini noma eKapa, kuqhubeka kwandisa isikhathi somuntu esihlezi ngosuku. Lokhu kubaluleke kakhulu, ngoba iNingizimu Afrika inesibalo esiphezulu sezifo ezingathelelani (NCDs) njengesifo sikashukela, umfutho wegazi ophezulu, kanye nezinkinga zenhliziyo.
Ukuhlala isikhathi eside kwandisa ubungozi bezifo ezingathelelani, ubunzima bomzimba, kanye nezinkinga zengqondo njengokucindezeleka nokukhathazeka. Ukuhlala izinhlangano ezinjenge-Heart and Stroke Foundation SA nazo zigcizelela ukuthi ukunyakaza kubalulekile ekuvimbeleni izifo zenhliziyo, ezingumbulali omkhulu eNingizimu Afrika.
UBlaire wazalwa nesifo sofuzo esithuthukayo esibizwa nge-Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). “Lapho ngibheka ikusasa lami, ngangibona ngizodinga induku yokuhamba, bese kuba isihlalo sabakhubazekile – njengomama phambi kwami,” kusho yena. Wagcina esengumuntu oqinile kunakuqala eneminyaka engu-55, ngokushintsha indlela adla ngayo, ekuphumuleni okuhle, kanye nokunyakaza nsuku zonke.
“Ngifuna amathuba okunyakaza,” kusho uBlaire. ‘Kubalulekile ukwazi ukuthi ukunyakaza kudinga umzamo – njengokukhwela izitebhisi kunelifti, noma ukuya ohambweni lwemizuzu eyi-15 ngesikhathi sesidlo sasemini.”
Emsebenzini, endaweni yokulinda ithekisi noma imoto ehamba umgwaqo omfushane. Uma uya estolo esingekude, hamba khona ngezinyawo. Ekhaya, isikhathi somndeni singaba nokunyakaza – ukugijima nabantwana emgwaqweni waseklasini, ukulima engadini noma esivandeni, noma ukuhamba usuya edolobheni kunokushayela imoto amabanga amafushane. “Uma uya esitolo njalo ngesonto, yenza kube nemisebenzi eminingi enyakazayo,” kusho uBlaire. “Ngipaka kude nestolo bese ngibuyisa itrolley endaweni ekude, ukuze ngihambe ibanga elide.”
Uma ucabanga ukuthi awunaso isikhathi sokunyakaza, cabanga ukuthi uchitha isikhathi esingakanani uhlezi, futhi ngani. “Abaningi bavula i-TV ngo-7pm bahlale kuze kube phakathi kwamabili,” kusho uBlaire. Uphinde aphike umqondo wokuthi ukuhlala yiyona ndlela kuphela yokuphumula: “Ukukhathala ngengqondo nangomzimba yizinto ezimbili ezahlukene. Uma ukhathele ngengqondo, usenganyakaza umzimba wakho.”
Uma uthanda ukubukela amabhayisikobho ekupheleni kosuku olude, zama ukulalela i-podcast noma incwadi ekhulunyayo ngesikhathi uhamba, ulima, noma wenza imisebenzi yasekhaya. Umculo we-amapiano nawo ungasiza – vula umculo bese udansa ngesikhathi wenza imisebenzi yasekhaya.
Ekugcineni, izinyathelo ezincane zibalulekile. “Yenza ushintsho olulodwa kuphela,” kusho uBlaire, “bese ulwakha osukwini lwakho kuze kube umkhuba. Bese wengeza okunye.”
