“Eyona nto iphambili kwiMfundo KaZwelonke kukulwa nomkhethe nokungalingani.”—Iiofisi ZikaNobhala KwiSebe LezeMfundo, ngoJuni 12, 2014.

Kangangeminyaka emininzi, abantwana bamaNgqina eDemocratic Republic of Congo bebegxothwa ezikolweni eziphantsi kweecawa ngenxa yokungathathi nxaxheba kwiinkqubo zecawa. Le nto iye yaba yingxaki kuba izikolo ziye zazibekela eyazo imithetho kunokuba zilandele imithetho karhulumente, kwaye ziye zawakhaba amalungelo abafundi abangamaNgqina. Abasemagunyeni eCongo baye bayibona le nto yokungaphathwa ngobulungisa baza balwela ilungelo labantu bonke lokufumana imfundo ngaphandle komkhethe.

Iinkonzo zenze izivumelwano norhulumente waseCongo zokuba zixhase izikolo kwiindawo ezidingayo. Izivumelwano zitsho phandle ukuba “abantwana bafanele bakhuselwe kuyo nantoni na ekhuthaza umkhethe nokunganyamezelani.” Kodwa ke, izikolo eziphantsi kweecawa, zizibekele imithetho efuna ukuba abafundi babe nenxaxheba kwiinkqubo zonqulo. Eziliqela zazo ziye zayinyanzelisa le mithetho, zasisingela phantsi isivumelwano sazo norhulumente nelungelo labafundi lenkululeko yonqulo.

Le ngxaki yaqala ukubonakala ngo-2005, xa abafundi abangamaNgqina abayi-52 bagxothwayo kwisikolo esiphantsi kwecawa eAbumombazi, kwiPhondo lase-Equateur, ngenxa yokuba becele ukungabi nanxaxheba kwiinkqubo zecawa ezazisenziwa esikolweni. Yanwenwela nakwamanye amaphondo. Ethubeni, abafundi abangamaNgqina abangaphezu kwe-300 baseCongo bagxothwa kuwo onke amabanga, kuquka abo babesele beza kugqiba.

Emva kokuba egxothwe esikolweni ngendlela engenabulungisa ngo-2009, uKanyere Ndavaro ona-13 wabhala wathi: “Iyandikhathaza nyhani le nto. Andazi ukuba ikamva lindiphathele ntoni.” UKambere Mafika Justin, owagxothwa ngo-2010 sele eza kugqiba ukufunda, wathi ubomi bakhe “buvele batshintsha esithubeni.” Nangona abafundi yayibacaphukisa le nto yokunganikwa imfundo okanye isidanga, zange bavume ukulalanisa kwiinkolelo zabo.

Abazali babantwana abagxothiweyo bathetha nabaphathi besikolo bezama ukulungisa le nyewe, kodwa babuya nemband’ esikhova. Ngenxa yaloo nto, amaNgqina aye abhenela kurhulumente, kwathi kanti akho amagosa angenamkhethe aye asebenzela ukuwuphelisa lo mkhethe ongokonqulo.

Ngo-2011, uBazizane Maheshe, uMphathiswa WezeMfundo kwiPhondo LaseMntla Kivu, wabhala ileta enomxholo othi “Ukugxothwa Ngenxa Yomkhethe Ongokonqulo,” eyayibiza le ngxaki ngokuthi “ngamasikizi.” Le leta yayibeka yacaca eyona ngxaki ngokuthi: “Abafundi abanezinye iinkolelo bayakhethwa kusetyenziswa imithetho yesikolo kunokuba kulandelwe imithetho yelizwe laseCongo.”

NgoSeptemba 4, 2013, le nto yaba yingxaki yelizwe lonke xa uMwangu Famba, uMphathiswa WezeMfundo eDemocratic Republic of Congo, wakhupha umyalelo oya kuzo zonke izikolo. “Ileta Ekhaba Umkhethe Ongokonqulo” yatsho phandle yathi: “Bonke abantwana banelungelo lokufunda nakwesiphi na isikolo ngaphandle kokukhethwa ngokonqulo.” Lo myalelo waphinda wathi ukugxothwa kwabantwana ngenxa yonqulo “kukwaphula imithetho yaseDemocratic Republic of Congo.”

Izikolo ezininzi zawuthobela lo myalelo zaza zababuyisela abafundi abangamaNgqina. Kodwa ke, zikho ezimbalwa ezaqin’ enyaleni. Ngenxa yaloo nto, ngoJuni 12, 2014, uMphathiswa WezeMfundo waphinda wabhala ngomyalelo owawukhutshwe ngoSeptemba 2013 waza wacaphula nomthetho omtsha kwezemfundo * owawukhutshwe nguMongameli waseCongo. Xa ethetha ngale ngxaki kwesi sikhumbuzo sakhe, wabalaselisa indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukulwa nomkhethe waza wagxininisa ukuphakama kwemithetho yelizwe neyehlabathi ngaphezu kwemithetho yesikolo. UMphathiswa WezeMfundo wamisela abahloli ukuba batyelele izikolo kulo lonk’ ilizwe ukuze baqinisekise ukuba kulandelwa umthetho. Ngokuqinisekileyo, la manyathelo karhulumente aza kuza nemiphumo emihle eza kuhlala ihleli.

Njengoko izikolo zaseCongo ziwulandela umyalelo, bonke abafundi balindele ukufumana imfundo ngaphandle komkhethe ongokonqulo. Abafundi baza kufunda ukuhlonipha bonke abantu, kungakhathaliseki ukuba baneziphi iinkolelo. Ngaloo ndlela, izikolo zaseCongo aziyi kuphelela nje ekulandeleni uMgaqo-siseko waseCongo nomyalelo kaMphathiswa WezeMfundo kodwa ziya kuba ngumzekelo wempatho-ntle kulutsha lwaseCongo.