Umntwana Ogama LinguNomahlwempu
KWIDOLOPHANA encinane yaseAfrika, indoda egama linguOkot nomfazi wayo, uMatina, bavuya bakufumana umntwana wabo wokuqala oyintombazana. Izalamane nabahlobo beza kwidolophana yabo bezise izipho yaye bezokuvakalisa umnqweno wabo wokuba lo mntwana uya kuba nobomi obude nobonwabisayo.
Esi sibini sasiphila ubomi obunzima yaye babengamahlwempu. Sasinentsimi encinane, yaye indlu yaso, apho uMatina wabelekela khona, yayiyindlu eyenziwe ngezitena zodaka nophahla lwengca. Sasizimisele ukusebenza nzima ukuze senze izinto zibe lula ngakumbi kwizibulo laso kunokuba kwakunjalo kuso. Ukuze sizikhumbuze ngolu sukelo, intombi yaso sayithiya igama elinguAcan, elithetha ukuthi “Ndilihlwempu.”
Ikamva limphathele ntoni uAcan? Ukuba ubomi bakhe buza kufana nabaninzi abakwilizwe lakhe, kusenokwenzeka angakwazi ukufunda ukulesa nokubhala. Njengomntu omdala, ukuba unokukwazi ukufumana umsebenzi, usenokufumana umvuzo ongangee-R925 kuphela ngonyaka. Yaye kwilizwe lakhe, kulindeleke ukuba abantu baphile iminyaka engama-42 kuphela.
Le ngxaki ka-Acan asinto ingaqhelekanga. Kubantu abaphantse babe ngamawaka azizigidi ezi-6 abasemhlabeni, abazizigidi ezili-1300 bafumana ngaphantsi kwee-R1800 ngonyaka. Umlinganiselo kwizizwe ezityebileyo zii-R105 182. Suku ngalunye, kubakho abangama-67 000 abongezelelekileyo kubuhlwempu, malunga nezigidi ezingama-25 nyaka ngamnye. Inkoliso ihlala kumazwe asakhasayo—eAfrika, eAsia, nakuMzantsi noMbindi Merika. Kodwa kwanakumazwe atyebileyo, likho iqaqobana lamahlwempu. Yaye abasi-7 kwabali-10 babona bantu bahlwempuzekileyo emhlabeni ngamabhinqa.
Inkoliso yabantu abanakububaleka ubuhlwempu bokwenene. Bubenza bangafumani izinto abazisweleyo ezisisiseko—ukutya, impahla, kwanendawo yokuhlala. Busenokubohlutha inkululeko, isidima, imfundo, kwanempilo entle. UMbutho Wezempilo Wehlabathi uthi: “Ubuhlwempu bubuphethel’ imbengwane ubomi boluntu xa bubonke, ukususela ekukhawulweni ukusa engcwabeni. Busoloko bukhatshwa zezona zifo zibulalayo nezibuhlungu ezibenza babe lusizi abo bangamahlwempu.”
Kodwa ngaba umgangatho wokuphila kumazwe asakhasayo awuphucuki? Ewe, kwamanye, kunjalo. Kwamanye amaninzi, akunjalo. Iphephancwadi lokuphucula imeko yoluntu elithi Choices lithi intetho ethi “umahluko phakathi kwamahlwempu nezityebi uya uncipha ngokuncipha” ‘lulwimi etywaleni.’ Kunoko, ithi: “Eneneni siphila kumhlaba onomahluko omkhulu kwezoqoqosho, kokubini phakathi kwamazwe nasemazweni ngokwawo.”
Ngaba ubuhlwempu buya kuqhubeka bungubhubhane kuluntu ngonaphakade? Kumanqaku amabini alandelayo, uVukani! uhlolisisa lo mbandela untsonkothileyo uze ubonise ngoko kuya kuba sisicombululo.