Owayesakuba sisithethi seSebe lezeMpilo laseMpuma Koloni uSizwe Kupelo uxelele iNkundla yoLwaphulo-mthetho lwezoRhwebo yaKuGompo ukuba yayiyiminyaka yakhe yamava obuntatheli—hayi isatifikethi sematriki—esakhokelela ekuqeshweni kwakhe kurhulumente wephondo ngo-2002.
Ethatha umkhumbi ezithethelela ngoLwesithathu umhlaweshumielinesihlanu(15) kweyeKhala, uKupelo uchithe iiyure ezininzi echaza amava awafumene ngaphambi kokuba angene kwinkonzo karhulumente. UKupelo umi enkundleni ngezityholo zobuqhetseba, kunye nokuthetha okunxulunyaniswa nesatifikethi sematriki sobuqhetseba.
UMbuso uthi utyhola urhulumente wephondo laseMpuma Koloni ngemali engaphezulu kwe-R16 yezigidi ngokufumana umsebenzi ngaphandle kwesatifikethi sematriki okanye isidanga seminyaka emithathu, idiploma okanye isiqinisekiso esilinganayo esifunekayo kwisithuba esipapashiweyo.
Nangona kunjalo, amagqwetha okhuselo athi uKupelo wahlaselwa ngentloko kwaye akazange aphendule kwintengiso.
Enkundleni, uKupelo wangqina ukuba waqala ukusebenza njengentatheli ezimeleyo ye-SABC ngo-1998, efaka amabali eendaba zamva nje avela eMthatha kwizikhululo ezininzi zerediyo ze-SABC kwaye ehlawulwa ngetsheki ngebali ngalinye elithunyelweyo.
Uxelele inkundla ukuba ukwanegalelo kwiimpapasho ezininzi zeendaba ngelixa efumana uqeqesho lobuntatheli kwiYunivesithi yaseRhodes, elinganisa izifundo zakhe nemisebenzi yokubika.
“Mhlawumbi ndingumbhali weendaba wokuqala, ingakumbi kwisikhululo sikanomathotholo soluntu, ukuhlala phantsi noMongameli welo xesha uNelson Mandela ekhayeni lakhe laseQunu,” utshilo uKupelo.
UKupelo uthe ekuqaleni wahambisa amabali kwisidlo sakusasa se-Umhlobo Wenene FM, echaza iziganeko zeendaba ngosuku olungaphambi kolo, ehambisa iingxelo ezibukhoma kusasa olulandelayo. Kamva waqala ukunika ingxelo ngqo kwisebe leendaba lesikhululo.
Uxelele inkundla ukuba ingxelo yakhe yamfumana udumo, kuquka ibhaso lokugubungela ukubulawa komlimi omhlophe odumileyo ngelixa wayehlala eMakanda.
Ngo-1999, uKupelo wangqina ukuba i-SABC yamqesha ukuba apapashe unyulo lukazwelonke, indima eyamthintela ekubeni asebenzele abanye abasasazi ngelo xesha.
Uthe kamva wafumana uqeqesho oluphezulu lwerediyo ngaphambi kokuba abe yiNtloko yeendaba kwi-Unitra Community Radio, apho wayeqhuba khona inkqubo yemicimbi yeendaba.
Ngokutsho kukaKupelo, le nkqubo yaba liqonga elibalulekileyo leengxoxo ezimalunga neengxabano kwindawo ngoku eyaziwa ngokuba yiWalter Sisulu University.
Ukhumbule ngesinye isihlandlo xa umboniso wakhe wasindisa iYunivesithi ekubeni ivalwe.
“Ngeyure yeshumi wlinanye (11), ndagqiba ekubeni ndibambe inkqubo ekhethekileyo eyayicwangciselwe ukuqala ngentsimbi yesithandathu (6) ukuya kweyesixhenxe (7) emva kwemini. Ndangenisa uLawulo lweYunivesithi kumagumbi osasazo, kwaye ndangenisa uMlawuli weMfundo weSizwe. Loo mboniso wasindisa oko kubizwa ngokuba yiWSU namhlanje, kuba iyunivesithi yakwazi ukujongana neSebe leMfundo,” esithi le nkqubo yaqhuba iiyure ezintathu endaweni yeyure enye.
UKupelo uxelele inkundla ukuba ngenxa yamava akhe amaninzi, wabanjwa ngenyanga yomSintsi ka-2001 nguMlawuli woNxibelelwano kwiSebe lezeMpilo laseMpuma Koloni, ngaphambi kokuba adlan’ indlebe ngeyoMnga ngaloo nyaka.
Ungqina ukuba wamangaliswa kukufumana ileta yakhe yokuqeshwa ngefeksi ngomhla weshumi elinesibhozo (18) kwinyanga yoMdumba ka-2002 waza wathabatha isikhundla sakhe ngokusesikweni ngoTshazimpuzi ka-2002.
Iqela lamagqwetha liphikisa ngelithi ubungqina bukaKupelo bujolise ekuboniseni ukuba ukuqeshwa kwakhe kwakusekelwe kumava akhe nodumo lwakhe njengentatheli endaweni yeziqinisekiso zemfundo.
Inkqubo yamiswa ngaphambi kokuba uKupelo agqibezele ubungqina bakhe ngenxa yokuba uluhlu lwenkundla lwalugcwele.
Le ngxaki ihlehliselwe umhla weshumi elinesithandathu (16) ukuya kumhla weshumi elinesibhozi (18) kwinyanga yeNkanga, apho uKupelo aza kuqhubeka enikela ubungqina.
Emva koko, iqela lamagqwetha kulindeleke ukuba libize amangqina amabini: elinye livela kwiSebe lezeMpilo kunye nelinye elalikwiqela lodliwanondlebe elalicebisa ukuqeshwa kwakhe.
Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku babambelele kwelokuba isatifikethi sematriki esityholwa ngokuba sinikwe ngumphathi kaKupelo, uSiyanda Manana, njengoko uKupelo engazange avelise isatifikethi sematriki ngexesha lokuqeshwa kwakhe.