Iphulo Elingapheliyo Lokufuna Izicombululo
UKUSUSELA ekusekweni kwawo, umbutho weZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ubusoloko unomdla ebantwaneni nakwiingxaki zabo. Ekupheleni kowe-1946, wamisela iUnited Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) njengenyathelo lokwexeshana lokunyamekela abantwana kwimimandla eyayithwaxwe yimfazwe.
Ngowe-1953 eli nyathelo lokwexeshana latshintshwa laba ngumbutho osisigxina. Nangona ngoku sele ubizwa ngokuba yiUnited Nations Children’s Fund, kodwa usagcine esa sishunqulelo sokuqala sithi UNICEF. Ngenxa yoko, ngaphezu kwesiqingatha senkulungwane, iUNICEF ibisoloko inika abantwana ehlabathini lonke ukutya, impahla, nonyango lwezamayeza yaye ibizama ngamandla ukunyamekela iimfuno zabantwana xa zizonke.
Iimfuno zabantwana zazibekwe kweyona ndawo iphambili ngowe-1959 xa iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo zamkela iSindululo Samalungelo Omntwana. (Bona ibhokisi, kwiphepha 5.) Zazinethemba lokuba olu xwebhu lwaluya kukhulisa umdla kwiingxaki zabantwana luze lube negalelo ekuzicombululeni ngokukhuthaza inkxaso yoluntu ngokubanzi, ngemali nangezinye iindlela.
Kodwa i-1980 Year Book kaCollier ithi: “Kwiminyaka engama-20, la ‘malungelo’—ingakumbi lawo aphathelele ukondliwa, impilo, nezinto eziphathekayo—ayengekafunyanwa luninzi phakathi kwabantwana abali-1,5 lamawaka ezigidi ehlabathini.” Ngoko ziqonda ukuba kukho imfuneko enkulu yokucombulula iingxaki zabantwana, nangokuvisisana nosukelo lwazo, iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo zamisela unyaka we-1979 njengoNyaka Womntwana Ehlabathini Lonke. Imibutho karhulumente, eyoluntu, eyonqulo nexhasa ngezimali ehlabathini lonke yakhawuleza yasabela kweli phulo lokufuna izicombululo.
Ngaba “Yayiyinto Nje Engekho Ngqiqweni”?
Kulusizi ukuba, ngokutsho kwengxelo yeUNICEF, abantwana kumazwe asakhasayo abazange baphile kamnandi ebudeni boNyaka Womntwana Ehlabathini Lonke. Ekupheleni kwaloo nyaka, abangama-200 ezigidi kubo babengondlekanga, yaye isiqingatha sabazizigidi ezili-15 abafayo besengaphantsi kweminyaka emihlanu ubudala basenokuba babulawa kukungondleki. Kubantwana abali-100 ababezalwa mzuzu ngamnye ngaloo nyaka kuloo mazwe, abali-15 babesifa ngaphambi kokugqiba unyaka wabo wokuqala. Bangaphantsi kwama-40 ekhulwini ababesigqiba isikolo sabaqalayo. Egqabaza ngengxelo yeUNICEF, umhleli wephephandaba i-Indian Express wakhalaza ngelithi uNyaka Womntwana waba “yinto nje engekho ngqiqweni.”
Abanye abantu bayibona kwakudala le ngxaki. Ngokomzekelo, kwasekuqaleni kwaloo nyaka uFabrizio Dentice wabhala wathi kwiphephancwadi iL’Espresso: “Ukuze iphele le meko kufuneka into engaphezu koNyaka Womntwana.” Eli phephancwadi lagqabaza lathi: “Indlela yokuphila yanamhlanje yiyo le isenza sibe nje, yaye leyo yeyona nto kufuneka itshintshiwe.”
Kwiphulo elingapheliyo lokufuna izicombululo kwiingxaki zabantwana, kwabakho ingqungquthela yehlabathi lonke kwikomkhulu leZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ngoSeptemba 1990. Yayiyenye yezona ntlanganiso zinkulu zeenkokeli zehlabathi ezimbalini. Kwakukho ngaphezu kweenkulumbuso ezingama-70. Le ntlanganiso yayisusela kwiNkomfa Yamalungelo Omntwana, eyamiswa ngoNovemba 20, 1989, yaza yaqalisa ukusebenza ngoSeptemba 2, 1990. Ngasekupheleni kwaloo nyanga kwakusele kuvunyelwene kuloo nto ngamazwe angama-39.
Kutshanje iUNICEF iye yathi: “Le Nkomfa yeyona ngqungquthela yamalungelo abantu eye yamkelwa ngokubanzi nangokukhawuleza, nto leyo eye yaphucula imeko yabantwana ehlabathini lonke.” Eneneni, ngoNovemba 1999, le Nkomfa kwakusele kuvunyelwene kuyo ngamazwe ali-191. IUNICEF yaqhayisa ngelithi: “Kwenziwe inkqubela engakumbi ekuqondeni nasekukhuseleni amalungelo abantwana kwishumi leminyaka elilandela isivumelwano seNkomfa Yamalungelo Omntwana kunalo naliphi na elinye ixesha kwimbali yoluntu.”
Phezu kwayo nje le nkqubela, uMongameli waseJamani uJohannes Rau washukunyiselwa ukuba enze la magqabaza: “Ilusizi into yokuba kwixesha lethu kufuneke sikhunjuzwe ukuba abantwana banamalungelo.” Okanye sikhunjuzwe ukuba baneengxaki ezinzulu! NgoNovemba 1999, ivuma ukuba “iseninzi into ekufuneka yenziwe,” iUNICEF yathi: “Ehlabathini lonke, abantwana abamalunga ne-12 lezigidi abangaphantsi kweminyaka emihlanu ubudala bayafa nyaka ngamnye, ubukhulu becala ngenxa yezizathu engeziphetshiwe. Abantwana abamalunga ne-130 lezigidi kumazwe asakhasayo abakho kwizikolo zabasaqalayo . . . Abantwana abamalunga ne-160 lezigidi bayashiyana ngokungondleki. . . . Abantwana abaninzi abangafunwayo baphelela kumakhaya okugcina iinkedama nakwamanye amaziko, bavinjwe imfundo nonyango lwezempilo olusemgangathweni. Aba bantwana bayaxhatshazwa. Abantwana abamalunga nama-250 ezigidi basetyenziswa nzima ngandlel’ ithile.” Kwakhona kwathethwa ngabantwana abangama-600 ezigidi abangamahlwempu ngokupheleleyo nabali-13 lezigidi abaya kuba bengenaye omnye umzali ngenxa kaGawulayo ekupheleni kowama-2000.
Iinkokeli zezobupolitika zibonakala zisoyiswa kukuza nezicombululo ezanelisayo. Sekunjalo, iingxaki zabantwana aziphelelanga kumazwe asakhasayo. Kumazwe aseNtshona, abantwana banezinye iingxaki.
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 4]
“Ilusizi into yokuba kwixesha lethu kufuneke sikhunjuzwe ukuba abantwana banamalungelo”
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 5]
Isindululo Samalungelo Omntwana SeZizwe Ezimanyeneyo:
● Unelungelo lokuba negama nohlanga.
● Unelungelo lokufumana ububele, uthando nokuqonda nokukhuseleka ngokwezinto eziphathekayo.
● Unelungelo lokondliwa kakuhle, ahlale endlwini, aze afumane iinkonzo zonyango.
● Unelungelo lokunyanyekelwa ngendlela ekhethekileyo ukuba akakwazi kuzenzela nto, enoba kusemzimbeni, engqondweni, okanye ngokwasekuhlaleni.
● Unelungelo lokuba phakathi kwabantu bokuqala ukukhuselwa nokufumana uncedo kuzo zonke iimeko.
● Unelungelo lokukhuselwa kuzo zonke iintlobo zokugatywa, inkohlakalo, nokuxhatshazwa.
● Unelungelo lokudlala aze azihlaziye nelungelo elilinganayo kwimfundo yasimahla neyimfanelo, ukuze lo mntwana akhulise ubuchule bakhe aze abe lilungu eliluncedo kwibutho labantu.
● Unelungelo lokukhulisa ubuchule bakhe kwimo enoxolo nesidima.
● Unelungelo lokukhuliswa ngokuqonda, anyanyezelwe abe nobuhlobo nabantu, abe seluxolweni aze anandiphe ubuzalwana behlabathi lonke.
● Unelungelo lokunandipha la malungelo kungakhathaliseki uhlanga, ibala, isini, unqulo, iqela lobupolitika okanye enye imbono, ngowelizwe elithile okanye ngowebutho elithile, nomhlaba, enoba uzalelwe phi, okanye ngowaluphi udidi.
[Inkcazelo]
Ushwankathelo lusekelwe kwiEveryman’s United Nations
[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 3]
UN PHOTO 148038/Jean Pierre Laffont
UN photo
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
Photos on pages 4 and 5 Giacomo Pirozzi/Panos Pictures