Izwe Likhungethwe Ukwesaba
IBHOMU elikhulu elalithukuswe emotweni lahlakaza i-World Trade Center eyizitezi ezingu-110 eNew York City ngo-February 26, 1993. Izinkulungwane zezisebenzi zavaleleka emakheshini angasasebenzi noma kwadingeka zibaleke zehle ngezitebhisi ezigcwele intuthu. Zazizwa ukwesaba osekugcwele emhlabeni manje.
Abantu emazweni amaningi baye besatshiswa amabhomu, aseyinto ejwayelekile emazweni anjenge-Ireland neLebanon. Ingani kwaqhuma angu-13 ngosuku olulodwa nje—ngo-March 12, 1993—eBombay, eNdiya, abulala abantu abangaba ngu-200! Enye ingqapheli yathi: “Kunokwesaba kulo lonke elaseBombay.” Ngokusho kukamagazini i-Newsweek, ‘ukuvama kwamabhomu athukuswe emotweni kwenza asabeke nakakhulu.’
Ukwesaba Inuzi Kusaqhubeka
Kunokwesaba kokuthi iziteshi zenuzi zokuphehla amandla kagesi zisengozini yokuhlaselwa ngamabhomu. Ukuhlaselwa ngempumelelo kwesiteshi senuzi sokuphehla amandla kagesi kungabangela umonakalo nenhlupheko engenakulinganiswa. Okunezela kulokhu kwesaba umzamo wenye indoda wokushayisa ngemoto isango lesiteshi senuzi sokuphehla amandla kagesi sase-Three Mile Island e-United States.
Abaningi besaba ukuthi amaphekula nababusi abahahela ukuphatha bangathola izikhali zenuzi. Abanye besaba ukuthi izinkulungwane zezazi zesayensi zaseSoviet ezingasasebenzi zizodayisa ngamakhono azo. Futhi, nakuba isivumelwano se-START kanye nezinye izivumelwano zifuna ukuba kuncishiswe kakhulu izikhali zenuzi ezigadla eduze, lezizivumelwano ngeke zisebenze ngokuphelele iminyaka eminingi. Okwamanje, ukuthi lezizikhali zisengasetshenziswa imfundamakhwela ethile eshiseka ngokweqile kuyohlala kusibekele isintu njengefu elimnyama.
Ubudlova Bandisa Ukwesaba
Ukwanda okusakazekile kobugebengu obunobudlova kwenza abantu besabe besemizini yabo nasemigwaqweni. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi abantu baseMelika abangu-23 200 babulawa ngo-1990. Ngokwesibonelo, edolobheni laseChicago, ukwanda kokusetshenziswa kwe-crack cocaine kwabangela ukubulawa kwabangu-700 onyakeni owodwa. Izindawo ezithile kwamanye amadolobha seziye zaba izinkundla zempi lapho abazidlulela ngendlela, kuhlanganise nezingane, beye badliwa khona inhlamvu ebingaqondile nakubo. Omunye umagazini uthi: “Ubudlova budlanga kakhulu emadolobheni amaphakathi ngobukhulu. . . . Akekho ongathinteki njengoba umphakathi kulo lonke [elase-United States] ugcwele izidakamizwa nezigelekeqe eziyintsha. Minyaka yonke umkhaya [owodwa] kwengu-4 eMelika ubhekana nobugebengu obunobudlova noma ukwebelwa.”—U.S.News & World Report, October 7, 1991.
Ukwesaba ukudlwengulwa kwenza abesifazane bahlale benetwetwe. EFrance ukudlwengula okubikiwe kwanyuka ngamaphesenti angu-62 kusukela ngo-1985 kuya ku-1990. Eminyakeni eyisithupha nje ukuhlaselwa ngokobulili kwase kuphindeke kabili kwafinyelela ku-27 000 eCanada. IJalimane yabika ukudlwengulwa kowesifazane oyedwa njalo emizuzwini eyisikhombisa.
Izingane nazo zisabela ukuphepha kwazo. I-Newsweek ibika ukuthi e-United States, “izingane, ngisho nezisemakilasini aphansi esikoleni, ziyahloma, futhi othisha nabaphathi besikole bafikelwa ukwesaba.” Isimo sesisibi kangangokuba ingxenye eyodwa kwezine yezikole zasemadolobheni zisebenzisa imishini yokuhlola okuphethwe abantu ezikhwameni, kodwa lentsha engenakuvinjelwa iyayigwema ngokudlulisela izibhamu kwabanye ngamafasitela.
Ukwesaba Ingculaza
Bayanda abantu abesaba ingculaza. Bangu-230 000 ebaphethe e-United States kuphela. Ingculaza isiye yaba imbangela yesithupha eyinhloko yokufa kwabaneminyaka engu-15 kuya ku-24. “Ikusasa linethemba elisabekayo lokugula okusakazeke kakhulu,” kusho i-Newsweek.
Ukufa okubangelwa ingculaza sekwande kakhulu phakathi kwabantu abasemikhakheni yezomdanso, imidlalo yaseshashalazini, amabhayisikobho, umculo, izimfashini, ithelevishini, ezobuciko, nokunye. Omunye umbiko wathi amaphesenti angu-60 amadoda aseParis ayizintatheli, akwezobuciko, nakwezokuzijabulisa aseminyakeni engu-25 kuya ku-44 ubudala abulawa ingculaza. I-WHO (World Health Organization) ibika ukuthi abantu ababalelwa ezigidini ezingu-8 kuya ezigidini ezingu-15 emhlabeni wonke banegciwane le-HIV. UDkt. Michael Merson, ongumqondisi we-WHO, uthi: “Sekusobala manje ukuthi ababulawa igciwane le-HIV emhlabeni wonke bayanda kakhulu, ikakhulukazi emazweni asathuthuka.”
Yebo, kukhona ukwesaba okuphathelene nendawo ezungezile nokunye. Kodwa, imibiko okusanda kukhulunywa ngayo iyodwa nje ikwenza kukhanye ukuthi izwe likhungethwe ukwesaba. Kukhona yini okuphawuleka ngokukhethekile ngalokhu? Kungenzeka yini silindele ukujabulela inkululeko ekwesabeni?
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 2]
Cover photos: Left: Tom Haley/Sipa Press; Bottom: Malanca/Sipa Press
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]
Bob Strong/Sipa Press