Ngoobani Abangamakhoboka Namhlanje?

KHAWUCINGE nje ngala manani. Kuqikelelwa ukuba abantwana abangama-200 nama-250 ezigidi abangaphantsi kweminyaka eli-15 ubudala bachitha elona xesha labo lininzi emsebenzini. Isiqingatha sesigidi sabantwana, abanye beneminyaka esixhenxe ubudala, bathunyelwa kumadabi abantu abaxhobileyo ebudeni bowe-1995 nowe-1996 nje kuphela, ngaloo ndlela abanye babo baba ngamakhoboka emfazwe. Kuqikelelwa ukuba angaphezu kwesigidi amabhinqa nabantwana abathengiswa njengamakhoboka nyaka ngamnye.

Kodwa amanani nje ewodwa akanakuyichaza intlungu abakuyo aba bantu. Ngokomzekelo, kwelinye ilizwe lakumntla Afrika, umbhali uElinor Burkett wadibana noFatma, ibhinqa eliselula elakwaziyo ukubaleka inkosi yalo ekhohlakeleyo. Noko ke, emva kokuthetha naye, uBurkett waphawula ukuba uFatma “uya kuba likhoboka ubomi bakhe bonke.” Ngaba uFatma angaze abe nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wekamva elibhetele? UBurkett uthi: “Akanakuze alibone ikamva. Ikamva liphakathi kwezinto ezininzi azisweleyo.”

Ewe, kanye ngoku, izigidi zabantu zingamakhoboka angenathemba. Kutheni yaye kwenzeka njani ukuba bonke aba bantu babe ngamakhoboka? Baphoswa kuluphi uhlobo lobukhoboka?

Abo Barhweba Ngabantu

Incwadana enemifanekiso ethengiswa eUnited States ikuchaza ngqo oku ngokuthi: “Ukhenketho lokuya kuzifica ngesini eThailand. Amantombazana asemgangathweni. Isini esisemgangathweni. Esingabizi mali ininzi. . . . Ngaba ubusazi ukuba ungafumana intombi enyulu ngemalana nje engangee-$200 [ii-R1 230]?” Le ncwadana inemifanekiso ayisixeleli ukuba la “mantombazana anyulu” asenokuba aye aqweqwediswa okanye athengiswa ngenkani kwimizi yoonongogo, apho anomlinganiselo wabathengi abamalunga ne-10 ukuya kuma-20 ngemini. Ukuba akathengisi ngesini, ayabethwa. Xa kwaqhambuka umlilo kwenye indlu yoonongogo ePhuket Island, kwindawo yokuchitha iholide kumazantsi eThailand, oonongogo abahlanu batsha bafa. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba abaphathi babo babebabophelele koomandlalo babo ukuba bangabaleki.

Asuka phi la mabhinqa aselula? Kuye kwanikelwa ingxelo yokuba olu shishino lwesini luzaliswe zizigidi zamantombazana namabhinqa ehlabathini lonke aye aqweqwediswa, anyanzelwa aza athengiswa ukuze abe ngoonongogo. Ushishino lwesini ehlabathini lonke luhambela phambili ngenxa yobuhlwempu kumazwe asakhasayo, nokutyeba kwamazwe afumileyo, nemithetho ekuqwabazel’ iliso ukuthengiswa nokuthuthwa kwamakhoba ehlabathini lonke.

Imibutho yamabhinqa kuMzantsi-mpuma Asia iye yaqikelela ukuba ukususela phakathi kwiminyaka yee-1970 ukuya kutsho ebutsheni beminyaka yee-1990, kuye kwathengiswa amabhinqa angama-30 ezigidi ehlabathini lonke. Abathengisi babantu banyusa besihlisa izikhululo zikaloliwe, amaphandle ahlwempuzekileyo nezitrato zedolophu bekhangela amantombazana aselula namabhinqa akhangeleka engenakuzilwela. Amaxhoba idla ngokuba ngabantu abangafundanga, abaziinkedama, abashiyiweyo okanye abangamahlwempu. Ngobuqhetseba bathenjiswa ngomsebenzi, banqumle imida, baze baye kuthengiswa kwizindlu zoonongendi.

Emva kokuqhekeka komanyano lwamazwe obuKomanisi ngowe-1991, kwabakho amantombazana namabhinqa angamahlwempu. Ukungabikho kwemigaqo, ukuthengiswa kwamashishini ebantwini nokungalingani kwabantu kuye kwaphumela ekwandeni kolwaphulo-mthetho, ubuhlwempu nokungaqeshwa. Amabhinqa namantombazana amaninzi aseRashiya naseMpuma Yurophu ngoku aye azizisulu zokwenza ingeniso ngobunongogo behlabathi obulungelelanisiweyo. UAnita Gradin, owayesakuba ngumKomishinala Wezobulungisa eYurophu wathi: “Akuyongozi kangako ukuthengisa ngabantu kunokuthengisa ngeziyobisi.”

Ukulahlekelwa Bubuntwana

Komnye umzi-mveliso omncinane owenza iikhaphethi eAsia, abantwana abaneminyaka emihlanu ubudala basebenza ukususela ngentsimbi yesi-4 ekuseni de kube yeye-11 ebusuku bengahlawulwa. Kwiimeko ezininzi la makhoboka angabantwana ajamelana neengozi zempilo: ukusebenza ngoomatshini abangakhuselekanga, besebenza iiyure ezininzi kwindawo engakhanyi kakuhle nengangeni moya kakuhle, nokuchanabeka kwimichiza eyingozi esetyenziswa kwimizi-mveliso.a

Kutheni kukhethwa abantwana xa kufunwa amakhoboka? Kuba akuhlawuli kakhulu xa unamakhoboka angabantwana yaye ngokwemvelo abantwana balulamile, kulula ukubaqeqesha yaye bayoyika ukukhalaza. Iminwe yabo emincinane nethambileyo ijongwa ngabaqeshi abanganyanisekanga njengenokukwazi ukwenza imisebenzi ethile enjengokuluka iikhaphethi. Ngokufuthi imisebenzi inikwa aba bantwana ngoxa abazali babo besemakhaya, bengaqeshwanga.

Ukongezelela kule ntlungu yabo, abantwana abasebenza emizini basengozini enkulu yokuxhatshazwa ngokwesini nokubethwa. Abantwana abaninzi bayaqweqwediswa, bahlaliswe kwiinkampu ezikwanti, baze babotshelelwe ngamakhamandela ebusuku ukuze bangabaleki. Emini, banokusiwa emsebenzini wokwakha iindlela, bembe namatye.

Enye indlela abalahlekelwa ngayo bubuntwana babo kukutshatiswa inkani. IAnti-Slavery International ichaza into eyakha yenzeka: “Intombazana eneminyaka eli-12 ubudala yaxelelwa ukuba intsapho yakowayo ilungiselele ukuba itshatele kwindoda eneminyaka engama-60. Inalo ilungelo lokwala, kodwa ayikwazi ukulibonisa elo lungelo yaye ayiyazi into yokuba inelungelo elinjalo.”

Ngamakhoboka Ngenxa Yetyala

Amakhulu amawaka amakhoboka asebenzela abaphathi bawo nakwezinye iindawo ngenxa yeemali azibolekiweyo okanye ezibolekwe ngabazali bawo. Ngokuqhelekileyo, ukuba likhoboka ukuze uhlawule imali kuxhaphake ubukhulu becala kwiindawo zolimo, apho amakhoboka esebenza njengezicaka okanye abalimi. Kwezinye iimeko, amatyala adlula esuka kwesinye isizukulwana esiya kwesinye, ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuba amalungu entsapho ethile ahlala engamakhoboka. Kwezinye iimeko, abaqeshi abatyalwa imali badlulisela eli tyala kumqeshi omtsha. Kwezona meko zigabadeleyo, amakhoboka asebenzela ukuhlawula imali akahlawulwa nangantoni na ngomsebenzi awenzayo. Okanye anokugcinwa ngokunikwa imalana ngaphambi kokuba awugqibe umsebenzi wawo, nto leyo esoloko isenziwa, ukuze angemki kubaqeshi bawo.

Ukuba Likhoboka Ngenxa Yesithethe

UBinti, waseNtshona Afrika, uneminyaka eli-12 ubudala yaye ungomnye wamawakawaka amantombazana asebenza njengeetrocosi, nto leyo ngolwimi lwesi-Ewe ethetha “ikhoboka loothixo.” Wanyanzelwa ukuba aphile njengekhoboka nokuze azikhulule kulwaphulo-mthetho angazange alwenze—kuba wazalwa ngenxa yodlwengulo! Ngoku wenza imisebenzi yekhaya yegqirha lamakhubalo. Kamva umsebenzi kaBinti uza kwanda uquke ukunikisa ngesini kweli gqirha, lingumnini wakhe. Xa sele eliqina, uBinti uza kuthatyathelwa indawo ngomnye—eli gqirha liya kukhangela amanye amantombazana anomtsalane ukuba abe ziitrocosi zalo.

Kanye njengoBinti, amawakawaka abo bangamakhoboka ngenxa yesithethe banikelwa ziintsapho zabo ukuba basebenze njengamakhoboka ukuze bahlawulele izenzo ekuthiwa sisono okanye izenzo nxamnye nommiselo ongcwele. Kwiindawo ezininzi ehlabathini, amantombazana okanye amabhinqa anembopheleleko yokwenza imisebenzi yonqulo nokunikisa ngesini kubefundisi okanye kwabanye—kuxokwa ngelithi la mabhinqa atshate nothixo. Kwiimeko ezininzi la mabhinqa enza neminye imisebenzi ngaphandle kokuhlawulwa. Akakwazi kutshintsha indawo ahlala kuyo okanye umsebenzi ngokukhululekileyo yaye ahlala engamakhoboka kangangeminyaka emininzi.

Ubukhoboka Bamandulo

Nangona amazwe amaninzi esithi abuphelise ngokusemthethweni ubukhoboka, kwezinye iindawo kuye kwaphinda kwavuseleleka ubukhoboka bamandulo. Oku kwenzeka kwiindawo ezidlakazwe yimfazwe yamakhaya okanye ngamaqela axhobileyo. IAnti-Slavery International inikela le ngxelo: “Kwiindawo zemfazwe ukusebenza komthetho kuye kwabekelwa bucala, yaye amajoni okanye imikhosi exhobileyo iyakwazi ukunyanzela abantu ukuba bayisebenzele baze bangahlawulwa . . . ingoyiki kohlwaywa ngaloo nto; ezo zinto ziye zenzeka kakhulu kwimimandla elawulwa ngamaqela axhobileyo angaziwayo ehlabathini lonke.” Noko ke, lo mbutho ukwamnye wathi, “kutshanje kuye kwanikelwa iingxelo zokuba amajoni karhulumente aye anyanzela abantu abangalwiyo ukuba basebenze njengamakhoboka, ngokungekho mthethweni. Amajoni nabezomkhosi kuye kwathiwa babandakanyeke nasekuthengiseni amakhoboka, bethengisa abo baye babathimba ukuze basebenzele abanye.”

Okulusizi kukuba, eli shwangusha lobukhoboka lisahleli phezu kwabantu ngeendlela ezininzi nezingabonakaliyo. Khawukhe ume nje ukhe ucinge ngamanani abantu ababandakanyekileyo—izigidi ngezigidi zabantu abangamakhoboka ehlabathini lonke. Phinda ke ucinge ngekhoboka elinye okanye amabini ofunde ngawo kweli phephancwadi—mhlawumbi uLin-Lin noBinti. Ngaba ufuna ukubona ulwaphulo-mthetho lobukhoboka bakutshanje luphela? Ngaba ubukhoboka buya kuze bupheliswe ngokwenene? Ngaphambi kokuba yenzeke le nto, lukhulu utshintsho olufanele lwenziwe. Nceda ufunde ngalo kweli nqaku lilandelayo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 6]

UKUZAMA IZICOMBULULO

Imibutho emininzi esemthethweni, njengeUnited Nations Children’s Fund neInternational Labor Organization, izimisele ekuveliseni nasekumiseleni iindlela zokuphelisa ubukhoboka bale mihla. Ukongezelela, imibutho emininzi engeyiyo ekarhulumente, njengeAnti-Slavery International and Human Rights Watch, iye yenza umgudu wokwazisa abantu ngokubanzi ngobukhoboka bale mihla nokukhulula amaxhoba abo. Eminye yale mibutho iququzelela ukuveliswa kwamaphetshana abonisa ukuba izinto ezivelisiweyo zenziwe ngaphandle kokukhotyokiswa nokuqotywa kwabantwana. Eminye imibutho iququzelela ukumiselwa kwemithetho kumazwe apho “ukuhamba ngenjongo yokufuna isini” kwavela khona, ukuze abantu ababa neentlobano zesini nabantwana bohlwaywe xa bebuyela kumazwe akwamawabo. Abanye abantu abalwela amalungelo abantu bade bahlawula nabo bathengisa ngamakhoboka neenkosi zabo imali eninzi ukuze bakhulule amakhoboka amaninzi kangangoko benako. Oku kuye kwabangela ingxaki, ekubeni ukwenza ngolo hlobo kusenokulichumisa ishishini lamakhoboka kuze kunyuse ixabiso lawo.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Amantombazana amaninzi amancinane anyanzelwa ngomtshato

[Inkcazelo]

UNITED NATIONS/J.P. LAFFONT

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]

Umgca wokutya wamakhoboka asebenzela amatyala

[Inkcazelo]

Ricardo Funari

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]

Maxa wambi abantwana abaselula bayanyanzelwa ukuba bangenelele emkhosini

[Inkcazelo]

UNITED NATIONS/J.P. LAFFONT