Isikhathi sotshalomali olukhulu esibonelelweni sesibonelelo sempesheni yabantu abakhulile
NguKoketso Moeti
* Lo mbhalo washicilelwa okukuqala yiDaily Maverick.
Njengoba amalungu ePhalamende ehamba kukhaphethi obomvu minyakayonke lapho umongameli eyothula iNkulumo Yesimo Sezwe Kazwelonke (i-SONA), abantu abakhulile abahola impesheni bakuPietermaritzburg Pensioners Forum bame phandle bethemba ukuthi bazokwethulela uMongameli umkhankaso wabo. Babethi impesheni mayinyuswe ibe ngu-R2 500 ngenyanga okwamanje, njengesinyathelo sokulinganisa nokunyuswa koMholo Oyisisekelo Kuzwelonke kube kubhekwe emholweni wokuphila. Bafuna nokuthi abahola impesheni bathole umbhanselo njalo ngoDisemba.
Kusobala ukuthi lokhu kuyisinyathelo esidingekayo sokuqinisekisa isithunzi nempilo yezigidi zabantu ezweni lethu.
Lesi sinyathelo sifika emuva kokuba abahola impesheni behalele uMongameli noNgqongqoshe Wezezimali incwadi evulelekile eyendlala inhliziyo yabo equkethe izicelo zabo, kwalandela uhambo lokuya eKapa ukuze kwenziwe izethulo ekomidini lezezimali ePhalamende. Inqwaba yezincwadi ezazibhalelwe izikhulu zikahulumeni nosopolitiki aziphendulwanga lapho osopolitiki bendlala izikhalo zabo.
Ngenkathi buqhubeka ubuhle nobukhazikhazi be-SONA, abantu besifazane abama amazwini abo baba yisikhumbuzo ezinamandla sezimo bona – kanye nezigidi eziy-3.5 zabanye abantu abahola impesheni ababhekene nazo. Laba bantu abahola impesheni bebebandakanya uDineo Makgema oneminyaka engama-67, ohlala nabazukulu bakhe abane emkhukhwini onamagumbi amabili, kube omdala kubo ekuBanga le-10. Lo mkhukhu uconsa kabi lapho linile izulu, kodwa ngokuvamile kumele bakhethe phakathi kokulungisa ikhaya labo noma ukuthenga ukudla. Njengoba kunesiphakamiso sokunyusa impesheni ifinyelele emholweni wokuphila oyisisekelo, uMakgema angakwazi ukuphilisa umndeni, okuthe ngoJanuwari yanyukela ku-R3,234.25, bese abe nemali eyanele esele yezinye izidingo eziyisisekelo, okubandakanya ukulungisa uphahla oluconsayo.
NgoJulayi wangonyaka odlule, uMakgema waphathwa yisifo sohlangothi esamshiya elimele ehlombe. Uzoya kohlinzwa ngasekupheleni kwale nyanga, kodwa ukhathazekile ngokuthi ngeke akwazi ukuya kohlinzwa ngoba umzukulu wakhe akazukuba naye umuntu azosala naye. Abazali bezingane, izingane zakhe ngqo uMakgema, zanyamalala kube enye yashona. Ngaphandle kwempesheni yabantu abakhulile, ayivamile ukwanela, imizi enjengeyakhe incike emuseni wabanye abantu – njengothisha abahlinzeka izingane zakhe ngemifaniswano yesikole.
Ngeshwa lokho uMakgema abhekana nakho kuyisimo esivamile nakwabanye abantu. Imininingo evela kuStatistics South Africa (iStats SA) iveza ukuthi “imizi elinganiselwa kuma-32.5% ephethwe abantu abakhulile inamalungu amahlanu noma ngaphezulu,” futhi uhhafu wabo uhlala emakhaya angenaye umuntu omdala osebenzayo. Inkinga yemindeni eholwa abantu abakhulile ibonisa ubungako bemithwalo yezomnotho nezenhlalakahle abantu abakhulile abaqhubekayo nokuyihlinzekela imindeni yabo. Lo mthwalo uthwalwa kakhulu abantu besifazane, okuthi ngokwemininingo efanayo, kwatholakala ukuthi bekuyibo kunamadoda abangase babele ikhaya impesheni yabo. Ngokocwaningo lweStas SA lowezi-2016, isibalo semizi eholwa abantu besifazane sinyukile kusukela eminyakeni engama-70 kuya phezulu futhi kulaba bantu abangenisa imali ekhaya, cishe ama-67% engeniso yabo aba ngawezidingo ezingale kwalokho okubonakala kuyindlela yokuba kuphile abantu abampofu. Ngoba impesheni yenza umsebenzi ofanayo nomholo futhi iletha ingeniso emakhaya, kumele nayo ibonwe njengemali engase isize esimweni sezomnotho ekuthuthukiseni umnotho wasendaweni okumele kutshalwe kuwo.
Kodwa akukho mayelana nokukhula komnotho kuphela – izinzuzo zokunyusa impesheni yabantu abakhulile futhi ukwethula umbhanselo wabahola impesheni kuzoguqula impilo yabantu abayizigidi ngokusimamisa izingaqophelo lokuphila labantu abayizigidi. Njengoba kube nenkulumo yesabelomali yaseNingizimu Afrika kamuva nje, uNgqongqoshe wezezimali uphuthwe yithuba lokumemezela izinyathelo ezinkulu zokwenza lokhu kwenzeke. Impesheni yabantu abakhulile yanyuswa ngemali edabukisayo engu-R80 okungama-4.7%, futhi engaphansi kwenani lerandi elingu-R100 ekunyukeni kwemali kwangonyaka odlule.
Kunokuba akhulume ngezithiyo zesabelomali sonyaka njengesizathu sokungabhekani nezinkinga zabaholi bempesheni, kungaba nomzamo wokuhlela kabusha kubekwe phambili indlela imali engasetshenziswa ngayo. Lokhu – kuhlangene nokunyuka kweNtela Yengeniso Yezinkampani (i-CIT) ebilokhu yehla eminyakeni edlule; ukwethulwa kwentela yengcebo – kuhambisana nohlelo lwesinyathelo esiphuthamayo sokuvala izinkampani ezingayilandeli imithetho yentela singenye yezindlela zokuba kwakheke ingeniso engeza ukuba kube nezibonelelo zomphakathi. UTholani Ngubani oneminyaka engama-75, okhulisa abazukulu abayisithupha, nguye kuphela ongenisa imali yokuphila ekhaya. Impesheni yabantu abakhulile yiyona ngeniso anayo engena njalo, kodwa ayanele nhlobo, futhi uvame ukufuna “amatoho” okusiza emizini yabantu.
Uzoba khona othi angeke ikwazi ukunyuka impesheni yabantu abakhulile, uma kubhekwa isimo sezimali saseNingizimu Afrika. Nokho, njengoba kuveze iPietermaritzburg Pensioners Forum, “ukuhlinzekela abantu abahola impesheni abayizigidi eziyi-3.5 ngombhanselo ngoDisemba 2028 bekuzobiza izigidigidi ezilinganiselwa ku-R5.8. Baveze ukuthi, “kuyezwakala ukuthi imali iye ngqo emaphakhetheni ezakhamizi zaseNingizimu Afrika kusizwe abantu abahola impesheni abayizigidi eziyi-3.5 kanye nemindeni yabo bese kube yindlela yokufukula umnotho engenisa imali emnothweni wasendaweni kunokuba izigidigidi ziye ohlelweni lwama-e-toll lapho imali eningi iya phesheya kwezilwandle, kunokuba ibuyele kuhulumeni ngezindlela ezihlobonhlobo njengeValue-Added Tax (i-VAT), imiphumele engcono kwezemfundo nezempilo, ukwanda kokushintshanisana ngemali emalokishini kanye namazinga aphansi ezikweletu enqwaba yezakhamizi zaseNingizimu Afrika.
Lesi simo siqinisekiswe ngocwaningo oluveze ukuthi ukunyusa isabelo sengeniso sabampofu kukulungele ukukhula komnotho. Ithimba lezobulungiswa kwezomnotho, iPietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (i-PMBEJD), lithe ukuqonda izibonelelo zomphakathi ezinjengempesheni yabantu abakhulile
Izimo zemizi njengezikaDineo Makgema noTholani Ngubane ziqinisekisa ukubaluleka kokuphuthuma kulandelwe izindlela eziqalisa usizo lwezomnotho oluqondakalayo emizini ehlulekayo wukubhekana nezidingo zayo.
UKoketso Moeti unomlando omkhulu wokuba yizishoshovu sasemphakathini futhi eminyakeni edlule usebenze ngezindaba zezokubusa, ezokuxhumana kanye nezinyathelo zezakhamizi. UnguMqondisi omkhulu owasungula i-amandla.com Ngowezi-2019 waba yi-Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity. Futhi waba yi-fellow ye-Obama Foundation yokuqala kanye ne-fellow ye-Aspen New Voices Enkulu. Mlandele kuTwitter ku-@Kmoeti
