“Isimo Esibucayi”
AKE ubone lesi sigemegeme ngeso lengqondo. Abashokobezi basakaza igciwane lengxibongo bengabonwa muntu ezitolo ezinkulu ezintathu e-United States. Leli gciwane lingena kubantu abazithengelayo abanganakile. Ngokushesha—ngesikhashana esingaphezudlwana kwesonto—odokotela bathola lesi sifo kubantu abangu-20. Njengoba isikhathi sihamba, leli gciwane lingena nakwabanye. Abantu banovalo. Kusuka isidumo. Izibhedlela zigcwele ziyachichima. Imingcele iyavalwa. Umnotho uyantengantenga. Ngemva kwezinsuku ezingu-21 leli gciwane lisakaziwe, isifo sesibhebhethekele ezifundazweni ezingu-25 nakwamanye amazwe ayishumi. Selingene kubantu abangu-16 000 futhi abayinkulungwane sebefile. Odokotela balinganisela ukuthi ngemva kwamanye amasonto amathathu, liyobe selingene kubantu abangu-300 000. Kuyokufa abangu-100 000.
Lena akuyona indaba eqanjiwe yesayensi. Kwakuprakthizwa kusetshenziswa ukwaziswa okutholakale nge-computer, okubonisa lokho okungenzeka uma kungavela imbedumehlwana enjalo. Lokhu kuprakthiza kwakwenziwa yiqembu labacwaningi abahloniphekile ngo-June 2001. Kwabizwa ngokuthi “Isimo Esibucayi.”
Kwabaningi, inkulumo ethi “Isimo Esibucayi” yaba nencazelo entsha nethusayo ngemva kwesehlo sango-September 11, 2001. Ukuhlaselwa kwe-World Trade Center eNew York City nePentagon eWashington, D.C., kwabonisa ngokucacile ukuthi kunabantu abanonya nabanenzondo abazimisele ukuqothula abantu ngobuningi. Kwabuye kwabonisa nokuthi i-United States kanye namanye amazwe kungahlaseleka. Siphila ezweni elinabashokobezi abazimisele ukubulala izinkulungwane zabantu ngokuphazima kweso.
Ngokushesha ngemva kokuhlasela kwango-September 11, izazi zezombusazwe zase-United States nabasebenza emithonjeni yezindaba bathola izincwadi ezine-anthrax, igciwane elibulalayo. Abantu babesaba. Okwenza besaba nakakhulu ukuthi abezindaba kanye nochwepheshe babethi abashokobezi bangase bahlasele ngamagciwane abulala nakakhulu kune-anthrax—ngokwesibonelo, amagciwane esifo i-black death noma ingxibongo. Mhlawumbe kakade “amazwe [athile] anabashokobezi” ayesewakhiqiza ngobuningi lawo magciwane ezindaweni zawo zokuthaka imithi. Cabanga ngalokhu okusanda kulotshwa:
“I-World Medical Association iyabona ukuthi luyanda usongo lokuthi izikhali ezingamagciwane zingase zisetshenziselwe ukubanga izifo ezingumshayabhuqe ezingasakazeka emhlabeni wonke. Wonke amazwe angase abe sengozini. Ukudedelwa kwamagciwane anjengawengxibongo, esifo i-black death, nawe-anthrax kungaba yinhlekelele ngenxa yezifo ezingaba khona nenani labantu abangafa elingandiswa nawukwethuswa yilezo zifo.”—I-American Medical Association.
“Ngokungefani namabhomu namagesi akhubaza izinzwa, izikhali ezingamagciwane zishayela phansi: isikhathi elisuke lisacashe ngaso igciwane senza ukuba umonakalo wakheke kancane kancane kungabonakali. Baqale babe mbalwa abantu abangena ezibhedlela. Izimpawu abanazo zingase zibadide odokotela noma zifane nezezifo ezivamile. Izisebenzi zasezibhedlela zingathi ziqambe zithola ukuthi kwenzenjani, wonke amadolobha angabe esewatholile la magciwane.”—Umagazini i-Scientific American.
“Uma igciwane lengxibongo belingadedelwa namuhla, iningi labantu emhlabeni belingeke likwazi ukuzivikela, futhi uma sicabangela ukuthi kubantu abanaleli gciwane bangamaphesenti angu-30 abafayo, cishe bekungafa abantu abayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili.”—Umagazini i-Foreign Affairs.
‘Wonke amazwe angaba sengozini. Wonke amadolobha angawathola la magciwane. Kungafa abantu abayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili.’ Kuyethusa lokhu. Kodwa angakanani amathuba okuba kwenzeke inhlekelele yokuhlaselwa ngamagciwane? Ochwepheshe bayacabanga ngalo mbuzo. Isihloko esilandelayo sizokusiza uqonde ezinye zezinto ezihilelekile.
[Isithombe ekhasini 24]
Amasosha abonisa lokho angakwenza lapho kuhlaselwa ngamagciwane
[Umthombo]
DoD photo by Cpl. Branden P. O’Brien, U.S. Marine Corps