Isigqibo Sokunceda Abantwana
IZOLO itshoba liye lalal’ umbethe kubantwana abangama-40 000 abangaphantsi kweminyaka emihlanu ubudala kumazwe asakhasayo. Namhlanje kuza kufa abanye abangama-40 000. Ngomso kuza kufa abanye abangama-40 000. Inkoliso yoku kufa inokuthintelwa.
Kangangeminyaka le meko ibibizwa ngokuba “yingozi engaqondakaliyo” okanye “intlekele ethe cwaka,” okuthetha ukuba iye ayaphawuleka ngokubanzi ehlabathini. UPeter Teeley osisithethi saseUnited States kwiNgqungquthela Yehlabathi Yamagosa Aphezulu Ezizwe Ezimanyeneyo Ngemicimbi Yabantwana eyaqhutyelwa kwikomkhulu leZizwe Ezimanyeneyo eNew York ngowe-1990 wakhalaza esithi: “Ukuba mihla le bekusifa amafubesi angama-40 000, bekuya kubakho into eyenziwayo. Kodwa abantwana abangama-40 000 bayafa, yaye loo nto ayiphawulwa.”
Bambi bavakalelwa kukuba le ngqungquthela ekugqibeleni isenokukuguqula konke oko. Oosomaqhuzu, ndawonye nezinxiba-mxhaka zesizwe ezingama-71, zazilapho zisuka kumazwe ali-159. Zizonke zazimela abemi behlabathi abangama-99 ekhulwini. Indlela ababevakalelwa ngayo yashwankathelwa nguMikhail Gorbachev, owathi: “Uluntu alusenakuyinyamezela into yokuba izigidi zabantwana zife nyaka ngamnye.”
Kwiintsuku ezingaphambi kwaloo ngqungquthela, ihlabathi labonisa igalelo lalo. Ngokoqobo amakhulu-khulu eentlanganiso zamazwe nezabantu abahlala kummandla omnye, iintlanganiso zabafundi, iinkqubo zokufundisa amaqela neengxoxo zazijoliswe kule ngxaki yabantwana. Abantu abangaphezu kwesigidi kumazwe angama-80 bakhanyisa amakhandlela befuzisela ithemba labo lokuba phezu kwazo nje iingxaki neengozi ezizayo, ihlabathi linokwenziwa indawo elunge ngakumbi.
Usuku lokugqibela lwaloo ngqungquthela lothulelw’ umnqwazi yiUNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund [INgxowa-mali Yeemfuno Zabantwana YeZizwe Ezimanyeneyo]) “mhlawumbi njengolona suku lwakhe lwabalasela kubantwana ehlabathini jikelele.” Kwakutheni ukuze kubekho ihlombe elingaka? Kungenxa yokuba iinkokeli zehlabathi ziye zamkela “Icebo Lokuthabatha Amanyathelo” angqalileyo ukuze zinciphise ukubandezeleka nokufa kwabasakhulayo emhlabeni jikelele.
Kuyinyaniso ukuba, imbali yeengxoxo zeentlanganiso izaliswe zizithembiso ezingazalisekiswayo. Sekunjalo, abaninzi bavakalelwa kukuba kwabakho umoya omtsha wokunyaniseka nowentsebenziswano ngenxa yokuphela kweMfazwe Yomlomo. UJames Grant, ongumlawuli weUNICEF, ngehlombe wathi: “Ngokungathi kunjalo, izinxiba-mxhaka zeLizwe noRhulumente, bathabatha inyathelo lokuqala ekumiseleni intlalo-ntle yoluntu lonke—‘yabantwana abakhulileyo’ ndawonye neentsana—njengeyona njongo iyintloko yenkqubela-phambili kwinkqubo yolungelelwaniso lwehlabathi elitsha.”
Eneneni, kwisithuba esingangonyaka emva kwaloo ngqungquthela, amazwe amaninzi ayesele equlunqe amacebo elizwe ngalinye okusebenzisa izigqibo zaloo ngqungquthela. Oku kwashukumisela ukuba uMlawuli uGrant athi: “Ngoku sibona ithemba elinyaniseke kakhulu lokuba bonke abantwana baya kuba sempilweni ngonyaka wama-2000.”
Kodwa iyintoni le ngxaki yabantwana, imfihlelo elusizi yeentsapho zehlabathi, eye yabhencwa ngamaziko eendaba zamazwe ngamazwe? Ngaba ngoku, kweli xesha lentsebenziswano lasemva kweMfazwe Yomlomo, kukho izizathu ezivakalayo zokukholelwa ukuba iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ziya kuvelisa ulungelelwaniso lwehlabathi elitsha elingummangaliso? Ngaba ngokwenene sinokuba nethemba lekamva eliqaqambileyo ngabantwana bethu? Amanqaku amabini alandelayo aya kuxubusha le mibuzo.