Ingabe Abampofu Bangakwazi Ukwethembeka?
UAmelia wayenezinsuku ezingu-29 kuphela ubudala lapho ugogo wakhe emletha kudokotela. Umama ka-Amelia wayengenakukwazi ukuza, ngoba wayegula esekhaya enabanye abantwana abane. Uyise wayekwenye indawo efuna umsebenzi. Udokotela waluxilonga lolusana. Kwakunezimpawu zokungondleki kahle, okuyinto evamile eNtshonalanga Afrika. Kodwa inkinga eyinhloko kwakuyisifo “secellulitis.” Isifutshana sika-Amelia sasonakaliswa isifo esinzima.
Njengoba udokotela ayenikeza ugogo incwadi yokuthola imithi, wabuza: “Lomuthi uzobiza malini?”
“Ama‘dollar’ amane kuya kwayisihlanu,” ephendula.
Ugogo wabubula. Wayengenawo ngisho nama“dollar” amabili okukhokha imali yokubonana nodokotela. “Kazi siyoyithathaphi imali engaka!” ebabaza.
“Kuyomelwe uyithole lapho ungase uyithole khona,” kugcizelela udokotela. “Nxusa abangane nezihlobo zakho. Uma ningaselaphi lesisifo, siyosakazekela egazini, futhi lomntwana uzofa.”
Ngandlela-thile umkhaya wakubo ka-Amelia wayithola leyomali, futhi lolusana lwaphila lwaze lwadlulela enyangeni yesibili. Nokho, izigidi emazweni asathuthuka emhlabeni wonke azinakukwazi ukuboleka imali kubangane nasezihlotsheni. Futhi amathemba okuthuthuka ngokomnotho afiphele.
IState of the World’s Children Report 1989 yeUNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund [Isikhwama Sabantwana SeZizwe Ezihlangene]) ithi: “Ngemva kwamashumi eminyaka okuthuthuka okuqhubekayo kwezomnotho, izindawo ezinkulu zomhlaba zihlehlela emuva ebumpofwini.” EAfrika naseLatin America, isilinganiso somholo sehla ngamaphesenti angu-10 kuya kwangu-25 ngawo-1980. Futhi phakathi neminyaka embalwa edlule, kwezingu-37 zezizwe zomhlaba ezimpofu kakhulu emhlabeni, ukusebenzisa imali ekunakekeleni impilo kuye kwehla ngamaphesenti angu-50.
Lokhu kusho ukuthini ngezigidi eziphila ebumpofwini? Kwabaningi, kusho ukuthi abanakukwazi ukuthenga ukudla noma imithi abakudingayo. Ngakho-ke, abantwana babo, abangane bomshado, noma abazali bangase babhekane nesigwebo sokufa esingadingekile, ngaphandle kokuba baphendukele ekutholeni imali ngendlela ebonakala iwukuphela kwayo ebavulekele—ngokweba! Yebo, ubumpofu bungasho ukulwisana nezinkinga ezibuhlungu ngokwezimiso zokuziphatha: ubusela noma ukufa? ukuqamba amanga noma ukubulawa indlala? ukufumbathisa noma ukuntula?
ENtshonalanga Afrika kunesisho esithi: “Lapho ubophela khona inkomo, yilapho iyoklaba khona.” Ngamanye amazwi, abantu bayosisebenzisa ngokunenzuzo noma isiphi isimo esibavumela ukuba bazicebise. Ngokuvame kakhulu, labo abasegunyeni emazweni emhlabeni wonke basebenzisa izikhundla zabo ukuze bafune ngenkani ukufunjathiswa, ukukhwabanisa, noma bebe. Ukucabanga kwabo kuwukuthi ‘Zisize lapho usengakwazi. Ungase ungabi nalo ithuba lokwenza kanjalo kamuva.’ Njengoba isimo esibucayi sezomnotho samazwe asathuthuka siba sibi ngokwengeziwe, ukuswela kungase kuwugcizelele ngokuqhubekayo umqondo wokuthi ukwethembeka akunakuba isimiso esingcono kakhulu kwabampofu.
IBhayibheli lithi: “Ungebi.” (Eksodusi 20:15) Kodwa uma abampofu bengenakukwazi ngempela ukwethembeka, ingabe ukusebenza kwezimiso zokuziphatha ezingokweBhayibheli kuyangabazisa? Ingabe imithetho kaNkulunkulu ayilona usizo, ayizicabangeli izidingo zangempela zabantu? Okuhlangenwe nakho kwezinkulungwane zamaKristu eqiniso emazweni asathuthuka kunikeza impendulo ephawulekayo yalemibuzo.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 4]
“Lapho ubophela khona inkomo, yilapho iyoklaba khona”
[Isithombe ekhasini 4]
Abampofu baphakathi kwalabo abasebenza ngokuzikhandla emazweni asathuthuka