Kungani Bungekho Ubunye Emhlabeni?
“Kuyaqala ngqá selokhu kwaphela iMpi Yezwe II ukuba izizwe zomhlaba zibe munye. . . . Ngakho-ke umhlaba usungasebenzisa leli thuba ukuze ugcwalise isithembiso esesikade silindelwe sohlelo lwezwe elisha.”
WASHO kanjalo owayengumongameli wase-United States ngawo-1990. Ngaleso sikhathi, izinto ezazenzeka emhlabeni wonke zazenza kubonakale sengathi ubunye bomhlaba busemnyango. Ohulumeni bobushiqela bawa ngapha nangapha. UDonga LwaseBerlin lwawa, kwaqala inkathi entsha eYurophu. ISoviet Union, abantu abaningi baseNtshonalanga ababeyibheka njengomphehli wezingxabano zomhlaba, yaphela, futhi lokho kwashiya izwe lonke likhexile. IMpi Yomshoshaphansi yaphela, futhi kwaba nezingxoxo ezithembisayo zokuqedwa kwezikhali, kuhlanganise nezikhali zenuzi. Kuyavunywa, kwaba nempi ePersian Gulf, kodwa leyo mpi yabonakala nje iyingxabano edlulayo, eyenza umhlaba wonke wafuna nakakhulu ukwakha umhlaba onokuthula.
Kwakubonakala kuthembisa impela, hhayi nje kuphela kwezombusazwe, kodwa nakweminye imikhakha yokuphila. Impilo yayithuthuka ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba. Inqubekela-phambili emkhakheni wezempilo yenza odokotela bakwazi ukwenza izinto ezazingabizwa ngokuthi izimangaliso eminyakeni engamashumi ambalwa edlule. Amazwe amaningi aqhubeka ethuthuka ngokomnotho ngezinga elabonakala lisho ukuthi kuzokhonjwa ngophakathi emhlabeni. Kwakubonakala sengathi zonke izinto zizohamba kahle.
Akukadluli minyaka emingaki, kodwa siyazibuza namuhla: ‘Konakalaphi? Buphi lobu bunye bomhlaba obathenjiswa?’ Kunokuba kube nobunye, kubonakala sengathi izinto zibheda okokugcina. Njalo ezindabeni kubikwa ngokuziqhumisa kwamadelakufa ngamabhomu, ukuhlasela kwamaphekula, ukubikwa kokwanda kwezikhali ezibulala uyaca, nezinye izenzakalo ezingajabulisi. Lezi zenzakalo zenza umhlaba ube kude kakhulu nokufinyelela ubunye. Muva nje, umtshelekisi wezimali oqavile uthé: “Silokhu singena obishini olwesabekayo lobudlova obandayo.”
Umhlaba Uzoba Nobunye Noma Uzohlukana Phakathi?
Ngesikhathi kwakhiwa inhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene, omunye wemigomo yayo “kwakuwukwakha ubungane phakathi kwezizwe ngesisekelo sokuhlonipha isimiso sokuba abantu babe namalungelo alinganayo futhi bazikhethele uhulumeni abamfunayo.” Njengoba sekudlule iminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-60, iwufinyelele yini lowo mgomo omuhle kangaka? Cha! Kunokuba zifune “ukwakha ubungane” into izizwe ezibonakala zinesithakazelo kakhulu kuyo ‘ukuzikhethela uhulumeni ezimfunayo.’ Izizwe nezinhlanga ezizama ukuzimela futhi zizibuse zihlukanisa umhlaba nangokwengeziwe. Lapho inhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene imiswa, yayinamazwe angu-51 ayengamalungu ayo. Namuhla, angu-191.
Njengoba sesibonile, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka lama-20, abantu abaningi babethemba ukuthi umhlaba uyobe usunobunye. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, lelo themba livele laphenduka indumalo njengoba isintu siye sabona izizwe zomhlaba ziqhubeka zihlukana phakathi. Ukuhlakazwa kweYugoslavia ngobudlova, ukuklwebhana kweChechnya neRussia, impi yase-Iraq, nokubulawa kwezindimbane zabantu eMpumalanga Ephakathi—konke lokhu kube ubufakazi bokuthi umhlaba awunabo neze ubunye.
Akungatshazwa ukuthi eminingi yemizamo yokuletha ukuthula beyenziwa ngobuqotho nangezinhloso ezinhle. Kodwa naphezu kwalokho, kubonakala kunzima ukuletha ubunye bomhlaba. Abaningi basala bezibuza: ‘Kungani kunzima kangaka ukwakha ubunye emhlabeni? Lo mhlaba uphokophelephi?’
[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 3]
AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau
Arlo K. Abrahamson/AFP/ Getty Images