Umkhaya Uyahlaselwa!

“UMKHAYA uyinhlangano yabantu endala kakhulu. Ngezindlela eziningi ungebaluleke kakhulu. Uyingxenye eyisisekelo yomphakathi. Ukusinda nokunyamalala kwayo yonke impucuko kuye kwaxhomeka ekutheni ukuphila komkhaya kuqinile noma kubuthakathaka.”

Yasho kanjalo iWorld Book Encyclopedia emuva ngo-1973. Nokho, uma ebhekwa ngokombono wanamuhla, lawomazwi abonakala esongela, cishe eyibika lokubi. Eminyakeni embalwa edlule kuye kwaba nalokho okufana nokuhlasela ukuphila komkhaya ngokuqondile. Umeluleki odumile uJohn Bradshaw uyabhala: “Kukhona isimo esibucayi emkhayeni namuhla. . . . Izinga eliphakeme lezehlukaniso, izibhelu zentsha, ukusetshenziswa kabi kwemilaliso okukhulu, ubhememe lokuhlangana kwezihlobo ngokobulili, ukuphazamiseka kwemikhuba yokudla kanye nokushaywa ngokoqobo kuwubufakazi bokuthi kunokuthile okukhulu okungalungile.”

Ngempela, “ubufakazi bokuthi kunokuthile okukhulu okungalungile” emkhayeni bungatholakala emhlabeni wonke. IUnesco Courier yathi ngokuqondene nesimo eYurophu: “Kusukela ngo-1965, kuye kwaba nokwanda okukhulu enanini lezehlukaniso kulo lonke izwekazi. . . . [Kuye] kwaba nokwanda enanini lemikhaya enabazali abangabodwa.” Amazwe asathuthuka nawo ngokufanayo abona ukwanda ekucindezelekeni komkhaya. Umbhali uHélène Tremblay uyaphawula: “Ngezigidi eziningi zabantu eziphila emiphakathini eye yaba nendlela yokuphila evamile, eqondakalayo nengashintshi amakhulu eminyaka, namuhla yisikhathi sesiyaluyalu.”

Okwethusa ngokukhethekile isimo esikhona emakhaya amaningi namuhla. EUnited States kuphela, izigidi ngezigidi zezingane zikhuliswa abazali abayimihuqa yotshwala. Futhi kuye kwaba nokwanda okunyantisayo kobudlova basekhaya. Encwadini yabo ethi Intimate Violence, abacwaningi oRichard Gelles noMurray Straus bayabika: “Kunethuba elikhulu lokuba uhlaselwe ngokomzimba, ushaywe, futhi ubulawe ekhaya lakho kunakunoma iyiphi enye indawo, kwenziwe othandekayo wakho kunokuba kwenziwe yinoma ubani omunye emphakathini wethu.”

Uma ukusinda kwempucuko ngempela kuxhomeke ekuqineni komkhaya, kunesizathu sokukhathazeka ngekusasa lempucuko. Noma kunjalo, ukuthi impucuko iyophelelaphi kungase kungabi yinto oyikhathalela kangako. Cishe okukhathalelayo yilokho lesiyaluyalu esingase sikusho ngomkhaya wakho. Uyoba yini umphumela? Impendulo ephuma emthonjeni onegunya ingase ikumangaze.