Isithethi seSebe lezeMpilo eMpuma Koloni, uSizwe Kupelo, uxelele iNkundla yezoLwaphulo-mthetho lwezoRhwebo eKuGompo ukuba ukuqeshwa kwakhe kurhulumente wephondo ngo-2002 kwakusekwe kumava akhe abanzi kubuntatheli kunokuba kusekwe kwimfundo esemthethweni efana nesatifikethi sematriki.
Ngamafutshane, uKupelo uthi amava akhe emsebenzini kunye nezakhono zakhe kumajelo eendaba nakunxibelelwano yayiyeyona nto iphambili eyamenza wafaneleka kweso sikhundla, nangona engazange agqibe iimfuno zemfundo eziqhelekileyo. Ethatha ubungqina bakhe ngoLwesithathu ezikhusela, uKupelo uchithe iiyure ezininzi echaza ngamava awafumana ngaphambi kokungena kwinkonzo karhulumente. Ujongene nezityholo zobuqhophololo, ukuxhaphaza uxwebhu (forgery), kunye nokusebenzisa uxwebhu lobuxoki olunxulumene nesatifikethi sematriki esingeyonyani.
Urhulumente uthi lo kaKupelo wakhuthuza urhulumente wephondo laseMpuma Kapa ngaphezulu kwe-R16 miliyoni ngokufumana umsebenzi engenaso isatifikethi sematriki okanye isidanga seminyaka emithathu, idiploma okanye isiqinisekiso esilinganayo esasifunwa kwisikhundla esasikhangisiwe.
Icala lakhe lokuzikhusela lona lithi uKupelo waqeshwa ngokukhangelwa (headhunted) kwaye akazange aphendule kwisibhengezo somsebenzi.
Enkundleni, uKupelo ukungqinile ukuba waqala ukusebenza njengentatheli ezimeleyo kwi-SABC ngo-1998, ethumela amabali angoku avela eMthatha kwizikhululo ezininzi zerediyo ze-SABC kwaye ehlawulwa ngecheque ngebali ngalinye alifakayo.
Uxelele inkundla ukuba wayenegalelo nakwiimpapasho ezininzi zemithombo yeendaba ngexesha efumana uqeqesho lobuntatheli eYunivesithi yaseRhodes, edibanisa izifundo zakhe nemisebenzi yokunika ingxelo.
“Ndicinga ukuba ndingomnye wokuqala, ngakumbi ophuma kwisikhululo sikanomathotholo woluntu, ukudibana noMongameli wangelo xesha uNelson Mandela ekhayeni lakhe eQunu,” utshilo uKupelo ebungqineni bakhe.
Uthe ekuqaleni wayebonelela ngamabali kwinkqubo yasekuseni ye-Umhlobo Wenene FM, echonga iziganeko zeendaba kusuku olungaphambili aze anike iingxelo ezibukhoma ngentsasa elandelayo. Kamva waqala ukunika ingxelo ngqo kwisebe leendaba lesikhululo.
Wongezelela ukuba umsebenzi wakhe wokunika ingxelo wamzuzela udumo, kuquka imbasa yokugubungela ukubulawa komlimi omhlophe odumileyo ngexesha wayeseMakanda.
Ngo-1999, uKupelo ubungqinile ukuba i-SABC yamnika isivumelwano sokugubungela unyulo jikelele, nto leyo eyamthintela ekusebenzeleni abanye abasasazi ngelo xesha.
Uthe kamva wafumana uqeqesho oluphezulu lwerediyo ngaphambi kokuba abe yiNtloko yeendaba kwi-Unitra Community Radio, apho wayesingatha inkqubo yemicimbi yangoku.
NgokukaKupelo, le nkqubo yaba liqonga elibalulekileyo lokuxoxa ngemiba yeengxabano kwiyunivesithi ngoku eyaziwa njengeWalter Sisulu University.
Wakhumbula ixesha apho inkqubo yakhe yanceda ngokwenene ukusindisa iyunivesithi ekuvalweni.
“Ngeeyure zokugqibela, ndagqiba kwelokuba ndisingathe inkqubo ekhethekileyo eyayiqale icwangciselwe ngo-6 ukuya ku-7 ngokuhlwa. Ndangenisa ulawulo lweyunivesithi estudiyo, ndaza ndadibanisa noMlawuli Jikelele wezeMfundo wesizwe ngomnxeba. Olo sasazo lwanceda ukusindisa le nto ibizwa ngokuba yiWSU namhlanje, kuba iyunivesithi yakwazi ukucela umngeni kwiSebe lezeMfundo,” watsho, esongeza ukuba inkqubo yathatha iiyure ezintathu endaweni yeyure enye.
UKupelo uxelele inkundla ukuba ngenxa yamava akhe amaninzi, waqatshelwa waza wafunwa ngoSeptemba ka-2001 nguMlawuli wezoNxibelelwano welo xesha kwiSebe lezeMpilo eMpuma Koloni, ngaphambi kokuba adliwano-ndlebe naye ngoDisemba waloo nyaka.
Uthe wamangaliswa kukufumana ileta yokuqeshwa ngefeksi ngomhla we-18 kuFebruwari 2002, waza waqala ngokusesikweni umsebenzi ngoAprili 2002.
Icala lakhe lokuzikhusela lithi ubungqina bukaKupelo bujolise ekubonakaleni ukuba ukuqeshwa kwakhe kwakusekwe kumava nodumo lwakhe kubuntatheli kunokuba kusekwe kwizifundo zemfundo.
Ityala lamiswa phambi kokuba uKupelo agqibe ubungqina bakhe ngenxa yokuba uluhlu lwamatyala enkundla lwalugcwele.
Eli tyala limiselwe umhla we-16 ukuya kwi-18 KweyeNkanga kulonyaka, apho uKupelo aza kuqhubeka nokunika ubungqina.
Icala lakhe kulindeleke ukuba libize amangqina amabini emva koko: elinye lisuka kwiSebe lezeMpilo nelinye elalikwiphaneli yodliwano-ndlebe eyacebisa ukuqeshwa kwakhe.
Kuze kube ngoku, baye bagcina besithi isatifikethi sematriki esityholwayo sanikwa nguSiyanda Manana, owayengumphathi kaKupelo ngelo xesha, kuba uKupelo akazange aveze satifikethi sematriki ngexesha lokuqeshwa kwakhe.
