Izixhobo Ezincinane Zibangela Izintsompothi Zeengxaki
KANGANGAMASHUMI eminyaka, uthethathethwano lokunciphisa izixhobo belusoloko lugxininise kwizixhobo zenyukliya. Oko akothusi, ekubeni ibhombu enye yenyukliya inokutshabalalisa isixeko siphela. Kodwa, ngokungafaniyo nezixhobo ezincinane, sele kudlule ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-50 ezi zixhobo zinamandla angathethekiyo zingasetyenziswa emfazweni.
UJohn Keegan ongumbhali-mbali obekekileyo ubhala athi: “Ukususela ngoAgasti 9, 1945, akukho zixhobo zenyukliya ziye zabulala mntu. Ama-50 000 000 aye abulawa emfazweni ukususela ngaloo mhla, phantse abulawa zizixhobo ezixhaphakileyo ezincinane zexabiso eliphantsi, elingaphezulu kancinane kunelikanomathotholo neebhetri, zinto ezo nazo ezixhaphakileyo ehlabathini lonke. Ngenxa yokuba izixhobo zexabiso eliphantsi zingabulalanga bantu bangako kumazwe ahambele phambili kwezoqoqosho, ngaphandle kwakwiindawo apho ushishino lweziyobisi nobugrogrisi bezobupolitika buxhaphakileyo khona, abemi bamazwe atyebileyo abayiqondi kakuhle indlela le ngxaki ebangele imiphumo emibi ngayo.”
Akukho mntu uqiniseke kakuhle ukuba zingaphi izixhobo ezincinane nezilula ezisele zithengisiwe, kodwa iingcali ziqikelela ukuba oombayimbayi bomkhosi basenokuba zizigidi ezingama-500. Ukongezelela, amashumi ezigidi emipu eqhelekileyo yeyabantu ngokubanzi. Ngaphezu koko, kuveliswa kuze kuthengiswe izixhobo ezitsha nyaka ngamnye.
Izixhobo Ezithandwayo
Kutheni zithandwa kangaka izixhobo ezincinane kwiimfazwe zakutshanje? Esinye sezizathu lunxibelelwano olukhoyo phakathi komlo nobuhlwempu. Uninzi lweemfazwe eziye zaliwa kwiminyaka yee-1990 bezikumazwe ahlwempuzekileyo—amazwe ahlwempuzeke gqitha ukuba angathenga uburhocorhoco bezixhobo. Izixhobo ezincinane kwanezilula azibizi mali ininzi. Ngokomzekelo, iirandi ezingama-380 ezigidi, mali leyo emalunga nexabiso lenqwelo-moya enye yemfazwe, zinokuthengela umkhosi oombayimbayi abangama-200 000.
Maxa wambi, izixhobo ezincinane kwanezilula zifumaneka ngexabiso eliphantsi gqitha. Amashumi ezigidi ezi zixhobo zithengiswa ngexabiso eliphantsi yimikhosi edendayo okanye zihlaziyelwe iimfazwe ezilandelayo. Kwamanye amazwe baba baninzi gqitha oombayimbayi kangangokude bathengiswe ngama-R45 okanye batshintshiswe ngebhokhwe, inkuku, okanye ingxowa yeempahla ezindala.
Kodwa, ngaphandle kokungabizi kakhulu nokuxhaphaka kwazo, zikho ezinye izizathu ezibangela ukuba izixhobo ezincinane zithandwe kakhulu. Ziyabulala. Umbayimbayi unokudubula izihlandlo ezingamakhulukhulu ngomzuzu. Kwakhona kulula ukuzisebenzisa nokuzilungisa. Umntwana oneminyaka elishumi ubudala unokufundiswa ukuqhaqha aze aphinde adibanise umbayimbayi. Kwakhona umntwana unokufunda ngokukhawuleza ukujolisa aze adubule ngombayimbayi kwisiqhu sabantu.
Esinye isizathu sokuthandwa kwemipu sikukuba yomelele yaye ihlala isebenza kangangeminyaka emininzi. Oombayimbayi abafana neAK-47 neM16, ababesetyenziswa kwiMfazwe yaseVietnam, basasetyenziswa ezimfazweni nanamhlanje. Abanye oombayimbayi abasetyenziswa eAfrika babesetyenziswa emva phayaa kwiMfazwe Yehlabathi I. Ngaphezu koko, kulula ukuhambisa imipu nokuyifihla. Ihashe elinye linokuthwaliswa oombayimbayi abaninzi abasetyenziswa liqela lomkhosi elikwintshinyela yehlathi okanye kwiintaba ezikwanti. Uthotho lwamahashe lunokuthwala oombayimbayi abaneleyo bomkhosi omncinane.
Imipu, Iziyobisi Needayimani
Ukuthutyeleziswa kwezixhobo ehlabathini lonke kuyintsonkotha. Intaphane yemipu ithunyelwa ngokusemthethweni kumazwe ngamazwe. Emva kweMfazwe Yomlomo, imikhosi yaseMpuma naseNtshona yancitshiswa, yaye oorhulumente banika okanye bathengisa izixhobo eziseleyo kubahlobo namahlakani abo. Ngokutsho komnye umbhali kwiPeace Research Institute eOslo, eNorway, ukususela ngowe-1995 eUnited States kuphela kuye kwachithwa ngaphezu koombayimbayi abangama-300 000, iilopisi, imikhono yekati nemijukujelwa. Kuye kwathiwa iindleko zokuchithwa kwezixhobo zingaphantsi kwezokuziqhekeza nokuzigcina nokuzilinda. Abanye abahlalutyi baqikelela ukuba zixabisa malunga nama-R20 amawaka ezigidi ezixhobo ezincinane kwanezilula ezithunyelwa kumazwe ngamazwe nyaka ngamnye.
Noko ke, ukuthengiswa kwazo ngokungekho mthethweni kwesamele gqitha. Kudla ngokuthengiswa izixhobo ngondlela-mnyama. Kwezinye iimfazwe zaseAfrika, amaqela omkhosi aye athenge izixhobo ezincinane kwanezilula ezixabisa amakhulu ezigidi zeerandi, engazithengi ngemali, kodwa ezithenga ngedayimani ehluthwe kwimigodi yedayimani. IThe New York Times yagqabaza yathi: “Kumazwe anoorhulumente abaqhathayo, abavukeli benza unothanda yaye baphumela lula emideni . . . Amazwe anobukhazikhazi aye angoonobangela bokusetyenziswa kwamakhoboka, ukubulala, ukuphulukana namalungu omzimba, ukungabi namakhaya kwabantu abaninzi, nokuwa kwezoqoqosho.” Hayi indlela engumnqa ngayo into yokuba ilitye elinqabileyo ekutshintshiswa ngalo umbayimbayi kamva lithengiswe lisisacholo esihle esifuzisela uthando olungapheliyo!
Kwakhona izixhobo zinento yokwenza nokuthengiswa ngokungekho mthethweni kweziyobisi. Kuyinto eqhelekileyo ngemibutho yezaphuli-mthetho ukunaniselana ngezixhobo neziyobisi. Ngenxa yoko, izixhobo ziye zaba yintlawulo yeziyobisi.
Emva Kokuphela Kwemfazwe
Xa iimfazwe ziphela, imipu esetyenziswa apho idla ngokuwela ezandleni zezaphuli-mthetho. Khawucinge nje ngoko kwenzeka kwelinye ilizwe kumazantsi eAfrika elasuka ekubeni nogonyamelo olubangelwa zezobupolitika laba nogonyamelo olubangelwa lulwaphulo-mthetho. Ugonyamelo olubangelwa zezobupolitika apho lwasuba imiphefumlo yabantu abamalunga nama-10 000 kwiminyaka nje emithathu. Ukuphela kwaloo mfazwe, ugonyamelo olubangelwa lulwaphulo-mthetho lwahambela phambili. Ukukhuphisana kwabaqhubi beeteksi kuye kwaphumela “kwimilo yoonoteksi,” apho izikrelemnqa zaqeshwayo ukuze zidubule abakhweli nabaqhubi bemibutho ekuliwa nayo. Ngakumbi, oombayimbayi basemkhosini baye basetyenziswa xa kuphangwa nakwezinye iindidi zolwaphulo-mthetho. Kutshanje inani labantu ababulawa ngemipu lenyuka laya kutsho kuma-11 000 kunyaka nje omnye, umlinganiselo okwindawo yesibini ehlabathini kumazwe angekho mfazweni.
Ukwazi ukuba izaphuli-mthetho zixhobile kwaye ziyingozi kubangela uloyiko nokunganqabiseki. Kumazwe amaninzi asakhasayo, izityebi zihlala kwiindawo ezifana neenqaba, ezijikelezwe ziindonga neengcingo zombane ezilindwa imini nobusuku. Kwanabemi bamazwe asele ehambele phambili balumkile. Oku kunjalo nakwiindawo ezingakhange zibe neengxwabangxwaba zasekuhlaleni.
Ngoko kumazwe aneemfazwe “naseluxolweni,” imipu inegalelo ekupheliseni inzolo. Akakho umntu onokulinganisa ubungozi bemipu; singenakho nokubala ababulewe yiyo, abenzakeleyo, abafelweyo, neendwayinge. Kodwa siyazi ukuba izixhobo ziyintaphane ehlabathini kwaye nenani lazo liyanda. Okungakumbi, abantu bathi makwenziwe into. Kodwa yintoni enokwenziwa? Yintoni eya kwenziwa? Le yimibuzo esiza kuyixubusha kwinqaku elilandelayo.
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Owayesakuba Lijoni Uzisol’ “Ubudenge”
Enye inkwenkwe elijoni eyayisilwa kulaa mfazwe yabangela iimbacu ekhankanywe kwinqaku lokuqala yakhawuleza yanesithukuthezi ayabi namali kwesa sixeko yayincedisa ekuthinjweni kwaso. Yayikrakra ngaphakathi isakubona unyana wenkokeli yayo ezulazula idolophu ngesithuthuthu esingayiwayo yaye abantu ababesemkhosini besalwela amandla nokuhlonelwa. Eli joni lathi: “Xa ndicinga ngeminyaka emihlanu endiyichithe ehlathini, ndibulala abantu yaye ndidutyulwa, ndizisol’ ubudenge. Sinikezela ngobomi bethu ngenxa yabantu abaza kulibala ngomso ukuba bephumelele nje sithi.”
[Inkcazelo]
Boy soldier: Nanzer/Sipa Press
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“Akukho Apho Ungazimela Khona”
Umbayimbayi wakutshanje nangona ubulala, usikelwe umda. Ukhupha nje iimbumbulu. Awunakubabulala abantu abasemva kweendonga ezomeleleyo. Xa kusiliwa, ijoni lisenokungajolisi kakuhle. Umpu obanjwe ngesandla, unokujoliswa ngokuchanileyo kuphela kumgama weemitha ezingama-460.
Umkhosi waseUnited States unaso isicombululo kwezo “ngxaki”—umbayimbayi omtsha, wala maxesha nosebenza kwiimeko ezininzi obizwa ngokuba yi-Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW). Njengoko ikhaphukhaphu ngokwaneleyo ukuba ingabanjwa lijoni elinye, iOICW ayikhuphi iimbumbulu kuphela kodwa ikhupha neemilimitha ezingama-20 zebhombu—iziqhushumbisi. Enye into ekhetheke ngayo: Inokubulala iintshaba ezingaphaya kweendonga. Ekuphela kwento eyenziwa lijoni kukujolisa lo mpu ngasentla okanye ecaleni kwexhoba elo. Ngokuzenzekelayo lo mpu uyazikhethela umgama oya kwixhoba elo, uze ulungelelanise ifyuzi encinane ekwisiqhushumbisi ukuze siqhushumbe kumgama ofanelekileyo, utshiza ixhoba ngomgubo onqunqa iimpahla zokuzikhusela. Ummeli wenkampani eyenza esi sixhobo wathi: “Amandla ayo anokwenza kube lula ngamajoni aseUnited States ukuba adubule ejikela embombeni.” Isibane esibomvu esincinane senza esi sixhobo sikwazi ukudubula kakuhle nasebumnyameni.
“Akukho apho ungazimela khona” kulo mpu, batsho xa bezigasa abenzi bawo, abathi esi sixhobo sinokubulala ngokuphindwe kahlanu kuneM16 nemijukujelwa iM203 yaye sinokudubula kwisithuba somgama ophindwe kabini. Amajoni asisebenzisayo akuyomfuneko ukuba axhalabele ukujolisa kakuhle; kufuneka nje ajonge kumngxuma olapho aze athulule iimbumbulu ezininzi neziqhushumbisi. Ukuba inkqubela yenziwa ngendlela ekucetywe ngayo, umkhosi wokuqala uza kunikwa iOICW ngonyaka wama-2007.
Noko ke, abahlalutyi banale mibuzo: Lo mpu uya kusetyenziswa njani xa amajoni elinda iindawo ezinabantu abaninzi apho iintshaba ziphakathi kwabantu abamsulwa? Kuya kwenzeka ntoni xa iOICW ithengiselwa imikhosi esehlabathini lonke nesenokuyisebenzisa nxamnye nabantu bayo? Yaye kuya kwenzeka ntoni xa esi sixhobo sisiwela ezandleni zabagrogrisi okanye izaphuli-mthetho?
[Inkcazelo]
Alliant Techsystems
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Izixhobo ezincinane kwanezilula zidla ngokutshintshiswa ngedayimani neziyobisi