Imeya Xolani Ngwezi yaseMhlathuze ohlanganisa idolobha elinothile kwezomnotho elisenyakatho nesifundazwe sakwaZulu elaziwo ngeRichards Bay. Ukhala ngokuthi kukhona ababulala izinsiza kusebenza njengo jantshi abahamba amaguzu athutha impahla kanye namalahle lawa asethuthwa kakhulu amaloli okuyiwo asevimbanisile kakhulu kulomsebenzi wamalahle, imeya ibalule ubungozi ezweni labantu abasebenzisa isandla semfene ukuze bezohlale bekleza kwegwansile ngokungaphazanyiswa lutho. Ukubalulile ukuth abamaloli mele begadwe ukuth akukho yin abakwenzayo okusiza ukuth kuzuze bona kakhulu lapho izinqalasizinda zikahulumeni zicekelwa phansi.
Umaspala uMhlathuzo unezinhlelo zokubakhokhisa abamaloli lawa aletha amalahle ecwebeni laseRichards Bay lapho kulinganiselwa emalolini angaphezulu kwe33 000 angena ngenyanga echebeni laseBay ukuyothulula amalahle ukuze ezoshushumbiswa kwamanye amazwe ngokohwebo. Lelichweba lithathwa njengelikhulukazi ezwenikazi laseAfrica ngokuhambisa amalahle kwamanye amazwe ngoba kulinganiselwa kumathani ayisigidi ngonyaka lokho okwenza lendawo idlule wonke amanye amachweba kulelizwe kazi laseAfrica. AboMhlathuze bakhala ngokuthi ukuletha amalahle kulelichweba kuyawulimaza umgwaqo kuphinde kudale nezinye nje izinqinamba, nalapho umkhandlo usuqale izinhlelo ezintsha zokuqinisa ukuphepha emgwaqeni nakwabanyeke nje abantu abasebenzisa umgwaqo.
Imeya iphawule kokubulawa kwezinqalazisinda zikahulumeni lapho ekubeke kwacaca ukuth lezozenzo ziwukuhlasela izinqalazizinda zikahulumeni lapho enxuse amaphoyisa alelizwe laseNingizimu eseAfrica ukuth kumele esukume elwe naso lesihlava, ngoba ebhonini yamagulukudu kunezindlela zobuqophololo abasebenza ngazo ukwandisa umsebenzi kulelizwe futhi uma kunganakiwe lelizwe logcina seliphethwe imigulukudu lena ebulala ojantshi bezitimela ukuze amaguzi engahambi kusebenze bona bodwa ekuletheni amalahle echwebeni laseBay, lapho abasabisa khona abantu ngokubayisa kwagoqa nyawo lapho abakhona naseBay bayabasabisa.
Okunye okukhulu okwenziwa uMhlathuze uzoqeqesha amaphoyisa omgwaqo azohlale eme ngomumu elindele ukubizwa ezosiza emgwaqeni ukulawula isimo kanye nesiminyaminya. Kuhlelwe ukuth babe ngamashumi amabili abazoqeqesha ukuth behlale belindele ukubizwa ngezimo zokuqeda isiminyaminya emgwaqeni kanye nasechwebeni laseBay esidalwa amaloli asuke engena namalahle noma esephuma. Lokho kuzoqinisekisa ukuth amanye amabhizinisi aseRichards Bay awaphazamiseki kulesimo sobuningi bamaloli asuke engena ephuma kulendawo.
Ngonyaka odlule enyangeni kaLwezi umungameli wezwe uCyril Ramaphosa wavakashela kulelidolobha echwebeni ukuyobheka ukusebenza kwakhona nalapho owafike wabalula ukwenziwa kohlelo olusheshayo lokwenza ukuthi kube lula ukungena nokuphuma kwamaloli echwebeni, nje noTransnet usanda kulungisa ibhandi lokuhambisa amalahle elalishile ngenhloso yokwenza umsebenzi usheshe uphinde ube lula.