Nothando Makhubela
UGogo u-Ester Mgidi waqala ukusebenza erenki yamatekisi yendawo njengomhlanzi waze wakhuphukela phezulu.
Ubeqashwe iminyaka engu-37 engumshayeli wamatekisi erenki yase-Ogies Phola futhi ubehlezi enephupho lokuba netekisi yakhe – nokuthi aziphathe.
UMgidi ufeze iphupho lakhe ngomhlaka-20 kuNtulikazi ngesikhathi ethenga i-Toyota Quantum.
“Ngijabule kakhulu ngokuba netekisi lami lokuqala namuhla. Kube umshikashika omude kodwa nginetekisi lami futhi ngithutha abagibeli ngisuka e-Witbank ngibayisa e-Ogies,” kusho yena etshela i-Scrolla.Africa.
“Kulo mkhakha kumele uqale uzihloniphe ngaphambi kokuthi uhlonishwe ngabanye abantu.”
Uthe umndeni wakhe ubulokhu uphikisana nokuthi abe netekisi ikakhulukazi uma kubhekwa udlame oluqhubekayo embonini yamatekisi.
“Kodwa manje sengiwumshayeli wetekisi wokuqala wase-Witbank ophinde abe umnikazi wetekisi,” esho.
“Sengineminyaka engu-37 ngishayela amatekisi, ezinye izinsuku ziyakhathaza kimina ngoba sengikhulile, umzimba wami uyakhathala ikakhulukazi uma sekumele ngirenke izikhathi eziyisithupha ngosuku kodwa ngiyawuthanda umsebenzi wami. Ngihlezi ngithutha abasebenzi base-Kusile Power Station abasuka e-Phola/Ogies beya emayini yabo. Ngiyathanda ukushayela.
“Abesifazane abaningi baseMpumalanga nakwezinye izifundazwe bebehlezi bengigqugquzela ukuthi ngizikhandle ngoba sisebenzela i-SANTACO Women’s Desk. Ngaluthola kanjalo usizo lokufaka isicelo sokuthola itekisi kanye nokufanelekela ukuthi ngithole itekisi.
“UNkulunkulu uhlezi ethembekile. Bengingenalutho esandleni, kodwa isicelo sami ebhange lakwa-ABSA saphasiswa ngemuva kokuthi ngihambise wonke amaphepha abedingeka,” esho.
Washiya umsebenzi wokuhlanza ezindlini ngo-1983 ngoba imali ayeyithola yayinganeli ukuthi ondle izingane zakhe ezintathu.
Wathola umsebenzi wokuhlanza erenki yamatekisi nokuyilapho uthando lwakhe lokushayela olwaqala khona.
Wazama ukuthola ilayisensi ye-code 10 ukuze akwazi ukushayela amabhasi kodwa imingcele yangaleso sikhathi yayisho ukuthi angathola izincwadi zokushayela ze-code 8 kuphela. Ngokuzinikela kwakhe nangokufuna okwengeziwe wathola ithuba lokuba umshayeli wetekisi ngo-1985.
“Ukusebenza namadoda kunzima. Abanikazi bamatekisi basakholelwa ekutheni owesifazane ngeke akwazi ukusebenza kulo mkhakha futhi babukela abashayeli besifazane phansi,” esho.
Ngemali ayeyithola wakwazi ukunikeza izingane zakhe ikusasa elingcono. Futhi usize umphakathi wangakubo ngokunikela ngemifaniswano yesikole.
Izingane zakhe uSizwe noBafana basekolishi kanti indodakazi yakhe uBontle unguthisha oqeqeshiwe.
Ukhuthaza abesifazane ukuthi bangalokothi bayeke ukuphupha nokufeza amaphupho abo.
“Akufanele abesifazane banqunyelwe izinto. Noma yimuphi umsebenzi ongenziwa ngowesilisa, nowesifazane angawenza kangcono nakakhulu uma esebenza kanzima.”
UMnu Solly Vilane onguSihlalo wenhlangano yamatekisi yendawo uthe: “Sijabule kakhulu ukusebenzisana no-Ester. Ungugogo ozothile futhi onomusa kithi sonke. Simhlonipha kakhulu.”