Lepati											Zulu

Uthando lokulima luletha umpumelo omuhle



Instructions: 

Folio strap: U Lepati Macaphasa

Byline: Elmarie Cronje, Pula-Imvula editorial team



“Namuhla ngingumuntu obongayo othokozayo. Ngibonga uNkulunkulu ngoba nguye owangipha lolu thando lokulima.” Lawa ngamazwi aLepati Macaphasa, Umkhiqizi Wokudla Okuzinhlamvu Omkhulu Wonyaka weGrain SA/Absa; kuyakhombisa ukuthi ukuthanda ukulima kuyasiza ukuphumelea phambili. 



ULepati wazalwa epulazini esifundeni saseFouriesburg, waba nothando lokulima esemncane. Emva kokuya esikoleni iminyaka emithathu, uLepati waqala ukusebenza epulazini eFouriesburg wakhula waba induna masinya – ususebenze ekulimeni iminyaka engu-54. 



Ekugcineni walandela inhliziyo yakhe wazithengela ipulazi lakhe. Ngaphandle kokungafundile kakhulu, waliphendula lelo pulazi lakhula laba ibhizinisi elihle ngeminyaka engu-14. “Mina ngimuntu odumisekile ukuthola uthando lokukhiqizela abanye abantu ukudla. Lolu thando lubekwe nguNkulunkulu enhliziweni yami.” 



“Ukuqala ukulima kwami bekulula ngoba bese ngisebenza emapulazini isikhathi eside,” kusho uLepati. Kwamanje ungumnikazi wamahektheli angu-506 futhi uqasha amahektheli angu-200 esifundeni saseKestell. Ibhizinisi laLepati liquketfwe izinto ezimbili: ukudla okuzinhlamvu nganhlanye nokufuya izimfuyo nganhlanye. 



ULepati uyilunga leSifundo Sabalimi Abasakhulayo seGrain SA, futhi usebenza noJohan Kriel, isiphathimandla sephrogremu laBalimi Abasakhulayo leGrain SA eFreyistata. Ujohan uthi, “uLepati uyindoda enesithunzi. Bonke abahlangana naye bayamhlonipha. Uphatha abanye abantu ngokwabamukela futhi abazukulwana bakhe ubathanda kabi.”



ULepati ulima amahektheli angu-320 futhi unohlelo lokulandelanisa izinhlobonhlobo zezitshalo ezinjengommbila, ukolo nobhontshis kashukela. Uthatha amasampula omhlabathi njalo ngeminyaka emibili ukuqinisa ukuthi umanyolo othelwayo ufanele umhlabathi. Ukhula lubulawa ngamakhemikeli nangokuhlakula ngemishini. Ngonyaka odlule uLepati uhlwanyele ummbila ongu-GM ngemphumelelo enhla. Uthi, “Ngizoqhubeka ukuhlwanyela ummbila ongu-GM ngeminyaka ezayo ngoba izifo ziphathwa kalula.” 



Imishini yakhe uyiphatha kahle futhi kuyabonakala ukuthi ziyakhanya ziphilile. Ngo-1974, umlimi wezomnotho wamnikeza iFord 5000. Ugandaganda lo usasebenza kahle – akuvuzi lutho uwoyela! Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ibhizinisi likaLepati lakhula, manje uneMassey 188, iFord 66, iFord 7610 neNew Holland 6640. Ogandaganda baseviswa njalo futhi kuphathwa amarekhodi.



Abafana bakhe ababili nabo basebenza naye bashayela ogandaganda. Kukhona abasebenzi ababili abahlalanjalo, kodwa uma kudingeka uqasha abanye abasebenza isikhashana. 



Alikho ibhizinisi lokulima elingenazo izinkinga. ULepati uhlushwa ukushoda kwelektrisiti. Usuhambise isicelo kuEscom ukumfakela i-elektrisiti epulazini lakhe okuzomsiza kakhulu ngemisebenzi yakhe. 



ULepati ufuya izimvu nezinkomo. Izinkomo zingamaBonsmara ahlanganiswe nezinye izinhlobo. Kukhona izinkomazi ezingu-85 nezimvu ezingu-100. ULepati uthi izimfuyo zakhe zimlethela ikhota lenzuzo – uthengisa amankonyane alunyuliwe ngekwindla ezindaleni eziduze naye. Anankonyane ache mahla kakhulu futhi wake wawina umncintiswano wesiqumbi samankonyane alunyuliwe. Lo mncintiswano ubendalini eduze naye futhi ubencintisana nabalimi bezomnotho. Idlelo lezimfuyo lilingana namhekteli angu-386. 



ULepati ukhetha ukuhlala futhi usebenza ePhuthaditjhaba nomkakhe uNooi nabafana ababili. Ngemali ayiwinile ngokuphumelela emncintiswaneni weGrain SA/Absa uthe kuJohan: “Johan uyazi, manje sengikwazi ukuthenga ezinye izimbewu zokutshala emasimini amanye.” Thina sithi, unwele olude kulo mkhiqizi omuhle! 

