Lubhalwe nguPalesa Matlala
ULungile Mafu uphuma ekhaya ekuseni kakhulu futhi ugibela izitimela eziningi ukuze afike emsebenzini ngesikhathi.
Naphezu kokubambezeleka kanye nobungozi, isitimela siseyindlela eshibhe kakhulu yokuhamba kubahlali abaningi baseSoweto.
Kule ngxenye yochungechunge lwethu lwezokuthutha eSoweto, uLungile Mafu uvuka ngo-3:30 ekuseni ukuze agibele isitimela esigcwele phama.
Isikhathi ngu-5:20 ekuseni kanti uLungile Mafu usuke esevele esesitimeleni sakhe sokuqala esuka esiteshini iMerafe, eMletsane eSoweto.ULungile oneminyaka engu-34 ubudala kanye uhlanganyela nabanye ku-coach 5 enkonzweni yasekuseni yesonto njengoba belibangise enkabeni yeGoli.
Ukhokha u-R160 ngenyanga ithikithi lesitimela futhi uxhuma e-Midway, e-Protea South, ngaphambi kokwehla e-Johannesburg’s Park Station. “Ngiyisisebenzi futhi angitholi mali eningi. Isitimela siyindlela engcono kakhulu kimi, futhi nakuba ngixhuma e-Midway, asizi nezindleko ezengeziwe,” esho.
UMafu uvuka ngo-3:30 ekuseni elungiselela umsebenzi futhi uthi kunzima, kodwa ubonga ukuqashwa. Uhambo lwesitimela luthatha cishe imizuzu engu-55 ukuya nokubuya, kodwa ukubambezeleka ngenxa yokucisha kukagesi noma imvula kungase kwengeze amanye amahora amabili.
Ngesikhathi sokuvalwa kwe-Covid-19, izitimela zimiswa ngenxa yokweba nokucekelwa phansi kwempahla, uMafu ubekhokha u-R1,400 ngenyanga emalini yokugibela amatekisi futhi ehamba imizuzu engu-35 ukuze afike emsebenzini.
“Ngangisebenza ukuze ngikhokhele imali yokugibela ngaleso sikhathi,” usho kanje.
Manje njengoba izitimela seziphinde zabuya, ngezinye izikhathi uyalala ohambweni oluya ekhaya. “Umsebenzi wami uyangiqeda amandla. Leso sikhathi esitimeleni siyangisiza ngiphumule,” esho.
I-Prasa iphinde yavula amathrekhi ngo-2022 futhi yethula izitimela ezintsha ezinokuvikeleka okuqinile. Ukuthengisa amaswidi noma izithelo kuvinjelwe, futhi abagibeli ababanjwa benza lokho bangahlawuliswa noma baboshwe. Onogada manje bagada amapulatifomu nezitimela, futhi akekho ovunyelwe ukudla noma ukuphuza esitimeleni.
Ngaphandle kokuminyana kanye nokubambezeleka, isitimela esiluhlaza nesimhlophe sihlala siyindlela engabizi kakhulu kubasebenzi abaningi baseSoweto.
NgoLwesibili ngomhlaka-13 kuNhlaba, engxenyeni yesibili yochungechunge lwethu lwezokuthutha eSoweto, sizohlangana nowesifazane osechithe isikhathi esingaphezu kwesigamu sempilo yakhe ebhasini likaPutco nokuthi libiza malini.
Umthombo wesithombe: Palesa Matlala