Ukubuka Okwezwe
AMANANI ASHAQISAYO
“Namuhla umhlaba unosozigidigidi abangu-157, mhlawumbe osozigidi abayizigidi ezingu-2, nabantu abangenamakhaya abayizigidi ezingu-100,” kubhala uAlan Durning, umcwaningi oyinhloko kamagazini iWorld Watch. “Unengxenye yezigidi eziyinkulungwane [500,000,000] zabantu abadla kakhulu, nenani elilingana nalo labantu abadla okuncane kakhulu okungenele ukuba kubagcine bephila. . . . Isimiso sokwabiwa kwemali sibi kakhulu namuhla kunanoma isiphi isikhathi kusukela amarekhodi agcinwa. Abantu abayizigidigidi abacebe kakhulu bathola izinto nezinkonzo okuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-20 kunalokho abantu abampofu abanakho. . . . Thina bantu sisebenzisa [R520] ngonyaka indoda ngayinye, owesifazane nengane ezintweni zezempi, kodwa asiwutholi [uR2,60] ebesiyowukhokha ngabanye ukuze sisindise izingane eziyizigidi ezingu-14 ezifa minyaka yonke zibulawa yizifo ezilula njengesifo sohudo.” Ngokokulinganisela kweWorldwatch Institute, abantu abathi ababe inkulungwane yesigidi esingu-1,2 bampofu ngokuphelele—amaphesenti angu-23,4 engqikithi yezakhamuzi zomhlaba.
“ISIKHATHI ESIKAHLE KAKHULU SAMASELA”
“Isikhathi esikahle kakhulu samasela, abagqekezi, abashushumbisi bezidakamizwa, nezinye izephula-mthetho” sokuba benze imisebenzi yabo engekho emthethweni esigodini saseAttica eGrisi “singamahora antambama ngamaSonto,” kusho iphephandaba laseAthene iElefterotypia. Ngani? Ngenxa yokuthi cishe amaphoyisa angu-3,800 neziphathimandla ezingu-500 ngalesosikhathi basuke benake ukulondoloza “imithetho yokuhleleka nokulondeka” emidlalweni yebhola likanobhutshuzwayo nakweminye imincintiswano yezemidlalo. Futhi uma kwenzeka ukuba iSonto libe futhi elomncintiswano “wamaHhashi,” umbutho wenyuswa ngamaphoyisa angu-700 neziphathimandla ezingu-100. Iphepha liyenezela: “Ukuba khona kwamaphoyisa emdlalweni ngamunye kubaluleke ngaphezu kokuba khona kwabadlali.”
UKUCUSHWA KABUSHA KWEWASHI
Eminyakeni engu-43 “iWashi Lenhlekelele” leBulletin of the Atomic Scientists liye labonisa isimo sokulondeka komhlaba wonke ngokuphathelene nempi yenuzi. “Ingozi yokuba impi yenuzi yembulunga yonke ithungeleke eYurophu incishiswe ngokuphawulekayo,” kwasho lomagazini ngoApril. “Nakuba impumelelo ingaqinisekiswa neze, leli yithuba elikhulu kakhulu eminyakeni engamashumi amane lokudala izwe elilondekile nelingagcineka. Ekusabeleni kulokho, sihlehlisa izinti zewashi leBulletin ngemizuzu emine, ukuba isikhathi kulo sibe imizuzu engu-10 lingakashayi elaphakathi namabili.” Nokho, lena akuyona imizuzu eminingi izinti zaleliwashi eziye zahlehliswa ngayo. Kokubili ngo-1963 nango-1972, izinti zabekwa emizuzwini engu-12 ngaphambi kwelaphakathi kwamabili lapho kusayinwa izivumelwano phakathi kweUnited States neSoviet Union, nakuba iMpi Yomshoshaphansi yaqhubeka. “Ingxabano yayiwumshoshaphansi ngoba ayibanga khona iMpi Yezwe III,” kusho leBulletin. “Phakathi neminyaka engu-45 edlule kwalwiwa cishe izimpi ezingu-125, kwafa abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-20.”
IZISULU ZEBHOMU I-A
Bangaki ngempela abantu abafa ngenxa yamabhomu eathomu awiselwa eHiroshima naseNagasaki ngo-1945? Ngokokuhlola kwamuva okwakhishwa uPhiko Lwezempilo Nezenhlalo lwaseJapane, abantu abangu-295,956 abafa kuye kwathiwa babulawa amabhomu kusukela ngo-1988. Kulaba, abantu abangu-25,375 eHiroshima nabangu-13,298 eNagasaki kwathiwa bafa ngosuku olulodwa lokuqhunyiswa kwebhomu; abanye baye bafa kusukela lapho, abaningi phakathi nezinsuku ezimbalwa zokuqhunyiswa kwebhomu, bebulawa ukugula okubangelwa imisebe. Izihlobo zabafa ziye zagxeka uhulumeni ngokulinda isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba enze ukuhlola. Ngaphezu kwalokho, “awusingathi ngempela zonke izici zokuqhunyiswa kwamabhomu noma ingqikithi yenani lalabo abafa ngenxa yawo,” kusho uYoshio Saito, isekela likanobhala-jikelele weNhlangano Yezinhlangano zaseJapane zeziSulu zeBhomu i-A ne-H.
IZWE ELISHA ELIYINGQAYIZIVELE
NgoMsombuluko, ngoApril 23, 1990, iNamibia yamukelwa iZizwe Ezihlangene njengezwe le-160 eliyilungu layo. Lelizwe elisha, elathola inkululeko yalo eNingizimu Afrika ngoMarch 21, 1990, liyingqayizivele ngezindlela eziningi. Okokuqala, likhulu kunePakistan, kanti linabantu abahlala kulo abangaphansi kwezigidi ezimbili. IGreenland neMongolia kuphela okungamazwe amakhudlwana kuneNamibia nanezakhamuzi ezingaphansana kwezaseNamibia. INamibia iyingqayizivele futhi ngezinhlobo zezilimi ezikhulunywa abantu abahlala khona abambalwa uma beqhathaniswa nabamanye amazwe, iningi lazo elaziwa ngemisinjwana yazo engavamile. “Kunezilimi eziningi zendabuko zabantu abaNsundu nemixhantela yazo engenakubalwa,” kusho incwajana yezivakashi yaseNamibia. Nakuba kunjalo, ulimi olusemthethweni isiNgisi.
“IZINGANE” ZIKAFULAWA
Emzamweni oyingqalabutho wokufundisa abafundi bakhe umthwalo wemfanelo nokuba ngokoqobo kokuba umzali, uthisha wasesikoleni esiphakeme saseSan Francisco ubelokhu enika ngamunye wabafundi bakhe isaka likafulawa elingamakhilogremu angu-2,5 njengengane. Uyabatshela, “Kumelwe ninakekele ingane yenu njengokungathi amahora angamashumi amabili nane ngempela ngosuku isikhathi esingamasonto amathathu ezayo.” Lokhu kuhlanganisa ukugqokisa lelisaka izingubo zezingane, kuhlanganisa ukulifaka inabukeni, ibhayi, nebhodlela, nokuliphatha ngothando nangokunakekela ngaso sonke isikhathi. Lapho abafundi bekude nezingane zabo, kumelwe bathole imizanyana. Uma ingane ilahleka noma iphuka, umfundi uzithola esenengane esinda ngisho nangaphezulu—isaka likafulawa elingamakhilogremu ayisihlanu. Abafundi bafunda ngokushesha indlela ukuba nezingane okuyokuthinta ngayo ukuphila kwabo, futhi isikole siye saba nenani eliphansi lokukhulelwa kwentsha. Omunye umfundi wathi: “Kwakumane kuyisaka likafulawa elalingakhali noma liklabalase, elalingadingi ukufunzwa noma ukulaliswa, nakuba kunjalo ngangijahe kabi ukuhlukana nalo.”
ISAKHIWO ESIYISIKHUMBUZO SOKUZAZISA
Ngobukhulu sisiphinda kathathu isigodlo saseVersailles, sinezitezi ezingu-12 ukuya phezulu, sinendawo ephansi engamamitha-skwele angu-360,000, sinesibani esingesesibili ngobukhulu eYurophu okuthiwa ichandelier esinamagilobhu angu-980, futhi ngaphansi sinendawo engamamitha angu-90 yokucashela ibhomu. IWall Street Journal ithi, “isakhiwo saseRomania esiqhakambe kunazo zonke sokunethezeka kukaMnu. Ceaucescu, owabusa izwe iminyaka engu-24, futhi singesinye sezinkathazo [a]zishiyela abantu.” Lesigodlo sakhiwa izisebenzi ezingu-100-000 eminyakeni eyishumi eyedlule ngezindleko ezingu-R2 600 000 000. Kwaze kwadilizwa ngisho nengxenye yesine yeBucharest esigugile ukuze kuvulwe indawo yesakhiwo esikhulukazi uCeausescu ayala ukuba sakhiwe ngaphandle kwesango elikhulu—amamitha amabili ububanzi kuneChamps Élysées. Manje akekho owazi ngokuqondile okumelwe kwenziwe ngaso. Isazi-mlando saseBucharest uprofesa Stefan Andreescu sithi, “Kwakuyiphupho lababusi baseGibithe.”
ISIKWELETI SASE-U.S.
NgoApril 1990, isikweleti sezwe lonke laseUnited States safinyelela emaRandini ayizigidi zezigidi ezingu-8 (u-8 onamaqanda angu-12) ngokokuqala ngqá, kwabika uMnyango Wezimali waseU.S. Itrillion yokuqala yafinyelelwa ngo-1981. Izinga elisha lesikweleti, lisakazekela kuzo zonke izakhamuzi, lifinyelela ku-R31 200 indoda, owesifazane, nomntwana ngakunye. Uma kuthathwa ngokuthi asikho esinye isikweleti esisha esenziwayo futhi ayikho inzalo enqwabelanayo, ukuqeda isikweleti sezwe lonke ngesilinganiso sika-R2 600 ngomzuzwana, umshawushile, bekungathatha cishe ikhulu leminyaka.
UMNYUZIYAMU WEMFUCUMFUCU
Lapho iminyuziyamu ngokuvamile izinikela ezimweni zobuhle obukhulu, ezweni laseNew Jersey, eU.S.A. kuye kwavulwa umnyuziyamu, ozinikele emfucumfucwini. Umnyuziyamu omusha unikeza izivakashi umuzwa wokuthi kunjani ukuba phakathi kwendawo yemfucumfucu, ubonisa izinto ezilahliwe ezigcwele phansi, ezindongeni, nasophahleni. Zonke lezinto zavela emigqonyeni yemfucumfucu, umthetho owodwa kuwukuthi ayikho kuzo okumelwe inuke. Umbukiso wokuwohloka kwendawo ezungezile usiza izibukeli ukuba zibone lokho okwenzeka emfucumfucwini njengoba iminyaka ihamba. Nakuba izitshalo namabhokisi ekhadibhodi konke kuye kwanyamalala esikhathini esiyiminyaka engu-100, izitsha zepulasitiki namabhodlela esoda kuyasala. Obunye ubufakazi bugcizelela ukulondoloza indawo nokuvuselela izinto eziyimfucumfucu. Kuthenjwa ukuthi umnyuziyamu uzokwenza ikakhulukazi ukuba intsha iqaphele izinkinga zomhlaba ezandayo zokulahlwa kwemfucumfucu.
ISICI SOKULAWULA ISISINDO SOMZIMBA
Akukhona nje kuphela ukuthi yini umuntu ayidlayo kodwa futhi ukuthi uyidla nabanye abantu abangaki manje okubonwa njengesici ekulawuleni isisindo somzimba. Abacwaningi eYunivesithi yaseDolobheni laseGeorgia, eU.S.A., baye bathola ukuthi uma inani labantu abadlayo lilikhulu, umuntu ngamunye uthambekela ekudleni kakhulu. IUniversity of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, iphawula ukuthi, “lokhu kusikisela ukuthi ukuhlangana kobungane kungenza umuntu abe nesifiso esinamandla sokudla, nokuthi abantu abazama ukunciphisa umzimba kumelwe baqaphele kakhulu lapho bedla nabanye.”
INKINGA YABANGAFUNDILE YOMHLABA
“Abantu abayinkulungwane yesigidi [1 000 000 000] emhlabeni abakwazi nokufunda—ngokuvamile abakwazi ngisho ukufunda amagama abo siqu,” kusho umagazini iAsiaweek. Futhi izinga lokungafundi alipheli, njengoba abantu abaningi abafundile bethanda ukucabanga kanjalo.” INdiya iyahola emhlabeni ngabantu abayizigidi ezingu-290 zabantu abangakwazi ukufunda noma ukubhala, kuyilapho iShayina ilandela ngabayizigidi ezingu-250. Emazweni amaningi, abafana bavame ukuthola imfundo kunamantombazane. Isilinganiso sembulunga yonke singowesilisa oyedwa kwabangu-5 abangakwazi ukufunda, beqhathaniswa noyedwa kwabangu-3 kwabesifazane.
IZILWANE EZITHANDWAYO
Amaqembu omphakathi ancenga ngokungenampumelelo izikhulu zaseCalifornia ezilwa nezimpukane zaseMediterranean ezidla izithelo ukuba ziyeke ukufutha isibulala-zinambuzane iMalathion ezindaweni ezihlalwa abantu, kubika umagazini iTime. Izikhulu zaphikelela ngokuthi ukufutha kwakungeyona ingozi kubantu. Kodwa lapho iU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ixwayisa ngokuthi ukufutha kungalimaza isilwane esingamasentimitha angu-8 ubude esihamba ebusuku esiququdayo esibizwa ngokuthi igundane lekangaroo likaStephen, okuyizilwane ezisengozini, izikhulu zavuma ukungafuthi indawo engamakhilomitha-skwele angu-13 lapho kutholakala khona amagundane. ITime ithi, “Amagundane ayacatshangelwa, abantu abacatshangelwa.”