Amaxhoba Ajongene Nezaphuli-mthetho

INDAWO: Inkundla Yenqila Yentlanganiso Yamaxhoba eDWI eGenesee kumantla eLizwana laseNew York. Okwenzekayo: Abantu abathandathu, bonke babuhlungu yaye baphethe imifanekiso yabathandekayo babo, bakwiphulo elibuhlungu lokuzama ukuzenza zicinge nzulu izaphuli-mthetho ezibanjelwe ukuqhuba zinxilile.

La alandelayo ngamagqaba-ntshintshi oko bakuthethayo, ehlanganiswe nguVukani!

Amaxhoba

Ubawo: “Lo ngunyana wethu uEric. Ebengunyana olungileyo, ethanda ukuhleka, esoloko encumile. Ngoku ndingubawo oselusizini nosentlungwini yokufelwa ngunyana oneminyaka eli-17 ubudala. Ngephanyazo, yaphela iminqweno esasinayo ngaye, amathemba ethu ngekamva, uthando lwethu​—⁠wabulawa ngumqhubi onxilileyo.

“Ndihamba nomfazi wam ukuya emangcwabeni. Kuphela kwethemba esinalo ngoku. Sifunda amazwi kaEric abhalwe kwilitye lengcwaba: ‘Ndiya kunikhumbula ngentliziyo yam yonke, yaye ndinethemba lokuba asisayi kusithelana kangako; yaye ukuba kuye kwanjalo, ndiya kulila kuba zange ndicinge ukuba siya kuze sahlukane.’ Yaye nathi asifuni kwahlukana naye.”

Umhlolokazi oselula: “Le yintsapho yam. Indoda eneminyaka engama-22 ubudala yahamba kumsitho womtshato isithi ayinxilanga. Ihamba ngeveni yayo, iwanyathele amafutha yehla kwindlela engenazibane, engaqhelekanga, yasondela kumqondiso othile wendlela yaza ayawusa-so, emva koko zange imise kumqondiso wokumisa yaza yasigila. Emva koko into endiyikhumbulayo kukuba ndavuka ndisiva iintlungu esifubeni sam. Njengoko ndandizama ukuvula amehlo, ndamthi tshe nje umyeni wam ethe natya phezu kwevili lokuqhuba. Ndeva usana lwam lukhala. Ndikhumbula ndibuza, ‘Kwenzeke ntoni?’

“Akuzange kubekho uphendulayo. Umyeni wam, uBill, oneminyaka engama-31 ubudala; unyana wam wamazibulo, oneminyaka emi-⁠6 ubudala; amakhwenkwe am angamawele, aneminyaka emi-⁠4 ubudala, bonke babefile. Ekuphela kwethemba endandisele nalo, yayiyintwazana yam eneenyanga ezisithoba ubudala, eyayilaliswe esibhedlele yenzakele kakhulu entloko.

“Njengoko ndandilele esibhedlele ndinesizungu ngentsasa yangoLwesithathu eyayinetha, umyeni wam namakhwenkwe amathathu bangcwatywa. Ndacinga ngeebhokisi zomngcwabo ezine, izidumbu ezine ezaphukileyo, abantu abane endingasokuze ndiphinde ndibabone, ndibave, okanye ndibachukumise. Ndandiza kuphila ubomi obunjani?

“Mna nentombazanana yam kwanyanzeleka ukuba siqale ubomi obutsha. Ndayithengisa indlu yam, njengoko ndandingakwazi ukuphila nale nkumbulo. Kunzima ukuyamkela into yokuba umyeni wam namakhwenkwe amathathu amahle balele kobandayo. Yonke inyameko, inkxalabo, nothando endandibabonisa lona aluzange lwanele ukubakhusela. Intlungu endinayo, unxunguphalo kwanokuziva ndingento akunakuchazwa ngamazwi. Baphila ixesha elifutshane gqitha.

“Umntu owabulala amalungu entsapho yam wayengesosaphuli-mthetho esinguncanyelweni okanye ikhoboka lotywala okanye isaphuli-mthetho esaziwayo​—⁠kuphela nje yayingumntu oqhelekileyo owayevela kuzonwabisa ngaloo ngokuhlwa. Ngoku ndijongene nobu bunzima kuba umntu othile wakhetha ukusela aze aqhube. Ngamana oku kungangaze kwenzeke kuwe okanye kumntu omthandayo.”

Umama: “Igama lentombi yam nguRhonda Lynn. Wayeza kugqiba kwisikolo semfundo ephakamileyo ngoJuni 21. NgoJuni 10 wayekuqeqesho lwakhe lokugqibela lokufunda ukuqhuba. Ngolo suku abantu ababini ababesethekweni nababesela ngamandla benza isigqibo sokungakhathali sokuqhuba. Ngesihlandlo nje esinye esifutshane, balwenza olo lwaba lusuku lokugqibela lukaRhonda lokuphila, kuquka nolwalowo wayemfundisa ukuqhuba nababini kwabo wayefunda nabo.

“Ngaloo mva kwemini ndafumana umnxeba othi uRhonda ufumene ingozi yenqwelo-mafutha. Ekuphela kwento endayicingayo kukuba kwakufuneka ndibe naye. Xa ndafikayo esibhedlele, ndaxelelwa ukuba mandingayi kumbona uRhonda. Kodwa kwakufuneka ndiqiniseke. Ndabanyanzela ukuba balisuse elo laphu wayegqunywe ngalo. Ubuso bakhe babudumbile yaye bukrweleke kakubi. Ndahlala ndijonge loo mehlo akhe mahle ndibambe nengalo yakhe, kodwa ndingenakuwupholisa umzimba wakhe owawenzakele. Ekuphela kwento endandinokuyenza kukuphulula iinwele zakhe ezintle. Zange asabele. Wayefile.

“Kwafuneka ndenze into enzima yokuxelela uyise nabantakwabo ukuba wayefile. Ngoku ukuphila kwethu akusafani nakuqala ngenxa yeli shwangusha. Ukuba nje besinokumgona, sibambane nje kwakhona. Ubomi abusokuze buphinde bufane. Ekuphela kwento esisele nayo ziinkumbulo.”

Isaphuli-mthetho

Umfana oselula: “Elam ibali lahlukile kula sele niwavile ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. Elam liqalisa kwiinyanga ezingama-23 ezidluleyo. Ndilikhumbula ngokungathi belenzeke izolo oku. Isithandwa sam sasikukhuphiswano lwebhola eqengqwayo ngobo busuku, ngoko ndagqiba kwelokuba khe ndithi laqa nje amathamo ambalwa ndize ndisibukele ngoxa sidlala. Ndasela iiglasi ezintlanu okanye ezintandathu zebhiya kwiiyure ezimbini ezinesiqingatha ezilandelayo. Ndacinga ukuba ndiya kwenza ngobulumko ndilinde iyure ibenye ngaphambi kokuba ndiqhube ndigoduke.

“Malunga nomgama owandithabatha imizuzu engama-30 endleleni egodukayo, kwakukho inqwelo yezigulana endleleni, yaye kwakukho nendoda ethile endleleni eyayisalathisa ukuhamba kwezithuthi. Andizange ndiyibone le ndoda de ndakufuphi gqitha kuyo. Ndazama ukuyiphepha nokunyathela iziqhoboshi. Yathi yakwaphuka iglasi yangaphambili yenqwelo-mafutha ndathi ndizithethela: ‘Ngamana kuthi kanti lixhama okanye yinja leyo!’ Kodwa ndandisazi ukuba asiyiyo. Ndaphuma kwinqwelo-mafutha ndaza ndaya kuyo, ndidanduluka, ‘Akwenzakalanga? Akwenzakalanga?’ Ayizange indiphendule. Ndikhumbula ndimi phezu kwayo, ndiyikhangele ebusweni. Kwakungumbono olusizi.

“Amajoni karhulumente eza kum aza andibuza imibuzo. Andula ke athi: ‘Usebenzisana gqitha nathi, kodwa indlela ohamba nothetha ngayo ayiqhelekanga. Ngaba ubusela?’ Andithabatha andisa kwisikhululo samapolisa aze andixilonga. Umlinganiselo wotywala egazini lam wawusisi-0,08 [umlinganiselo ongekho mthethweni kwinkoliso yemimandla yelaseUnited States]. Andizange ndikukholelwe ukuba oku kwakusenzeka kum. Ndandisoloko ndicinga ukuba into enje yayingenakuze yenzeke kum. Kanti, ngoku ndandijongene nesimangalo sokubulala njengesaphuli-mthetho esingakhathaliyo, iDWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired [Ukuqhuba Ngoxa Amandla Okwenjenjalo Engaphelelanga]).

“Kwakusele nje inyanga enye ngaphambi kokuba ndifumane isiqinisekiso sokuba ngumfundisi-ntsapho. Cinga nje ngendlela ibutho elibajonga ngayo abafundisi-ntsapho. Lilindele ukuba babe ngabangenakumangalelwa ngokuziphatha. Leyo yayiyinto endandiyisebenzela, yaye ngoku ndandijongene nokulahlekelwa yiyo yonke loo nto.

“Ndabekw’ esweni kangangonyaka, ndahluthwa isiqinisekiso sam sokuqhuba kangangeenyanga ezili-19, ndahlawuliswa iirandi ezingama-625, ndachitha impela-veki entolongweni, ndasebenza iiyure ezingama-600 ndisenza umsebenzi wesinyanzelo, ndaze ndaya kwizifundo zokululeka ngobunxila kangangeeveki ezisithoba. Ngaphezu koko, ndikhumbula ubusuku endandidla ngokothuka ndingcangcazela, ndinomfanekiso wobuso baloo ndoda engqondweni yam. Yaye kwafuneka ukuba kwakhona ndiye kujamelana nabo bonke abahlobo bam nentsapho yakowethu. Kwabonakala kunzima gqitha ukuqhubeka ndiphila. Ndandingaqinisekanga enoba ndandisamele ndiphile kusini na. Kwafuneka ndiye kufundisa ndize ndijongane nabo bonke abo bantwana. Ndandisoloko ndizibuza enoba bangaphi na kubo ababeyazi into endandiyenzile. Yaye ndandisoloko ndiziva ndinetyala yaye ndinosizi ngentsapho yaloo ndoda.

“Ngobusuku bale ngozi, kwafuneka ndenze eyona nto inzima endakhe ndayenza ebomini bam​—⁠nditsalele umama umnxeba ndize ndimxelele ndithi, ‘Mama ndibulele umntu kwingozi yenqwelo-mafutha. Ndicela ukuba uze kundiphuthuma.’ Ukufika kwakhe apho, sasuka sabambana saza salila. Andinqweneli ukuba nolona tshaba lwam lukhulu lufumane oko mna ndakufumanayo. Kuni bantu abasela baze baqhube​—⁠ndifuna ukuninceda kuloo ngxaki. Xa niphuma kule ntlanganiso, hambani nicinga ngathi. Ningaze nisilibale.”

Ukuqukunjelwa Kwale Ntlanganiso

UPatricia Johnston, umququzeleli wale ntlanganiso yamaxhoba, uqukumbela ngamava akhe abuhlungu engozi enkulu kayise owayelinxila. Wathi: “Ukuba bendinokuyifaka ebhotileni intlungu ebangelwa butywala ndize ‘ndiyiseze aba baza kuqhuba,’ bekungasayi kuphinda kubekho mfuneko yankqubo injengale!”

Ekugqibeleni, umlungelelanisi wabuza enoba kwakukho mntu unemibuzo kusini na. Akuzange kubuzwe mibuzo. Kodwa abaninzi benamehlo agwantye iinyembezi bathi: “Andisokuze ndiphinde ndisele ndize ndiqhube kwakhona.”

Ukuba ezi ntlanganiso zaba nayiphi imiphumo kumlinganiselo wamanani abo babanjelwe ukuqhuba benxilile oku kuya kucaca ekuhambeni kwexesha. Kodwa okona kubangela ukuba le ngxaki ibe yexhomis’ amehlo ngamanani amakhulu gqitha, izigidi, zabo baqhuba benxilile baze bangabanjwa.

Iingxelo zakutshanje ezivela kwiOfisi Yezobalo Yakwandaba-zabantu Yesebe Lezobulungisa laseUnited States zibonisa ukuba kunyaka omnye wakutshanje, abantu abanokuba zizigidi ezibini babanjwa ngenxa yeDUI (Driving Under the Influence [Ukuqhuba Ngoxa Bephantsi Kwempembelelo]). Kodwa kwakhona amanani abonisa ukuba ngomntu ngamnye obanjelwa iDWI (Ukuqhuba Ngoxa Enxilile), abasenokuba ngama-2 000 abangakumbi basenokusinda bangabhaqwa kwimimandla ekungahlolisiswayo kuyo, yaye kulindeleke ukuba babangele iingozi ezingakumbi.

Yintoni le ibangele imeko-bume eyingozi ngolu hlobo nesenzo sokungakhathali okunje ngoku? Yintoni ebangela ukuba kuqhutyekwe kusiliwa imfazwe yokusela kuze kuqhutywe kodwa kungekho mpumelelo? Makhe sibone ezinye zeempendulo.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Ukuqulunqwa komthetho wokuba abo benze oku bajamelane nentlanganiso yamaxhoba