Izixeko—Kutheni Zisenkathazweni Nje?
“Yizani! Masizakhele isixeko kwanenqaba encopho yayo ifikelela emazulwini. . . kuba hleze sichithakale emhlabeni wonke.”—Genesis 11:4.
LA MAZWI athethwa ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-4 000 eyadlulayo, ebhekisela ekwakhiweni kwesixeko esikhulu saseBhabheli.
IBhabheli, eyathi ekugqibeleni yabizwa ngokuba yiBhabhiloni yayikumathafa awakha achuma aseShinare eMesopotamiya. Noko ke, ngokwahlukileyo kwimbono eqhelekileyo yayingesosixeko sokuqala esikhankanywe eBhayibhileni. Enyanisweni izixeko zaqala ngaphambi koNogumbe womhla kaNowa. Umbulali onguKayin waseka esokuqala esikhankanyiweyo. (Genesis 4:17) Esi sixeko, sibizwa ngokuba yiEnoki, kusenokwenzeka ukuba sasiyidolophana okanye indawana nje enqatyisiweyo. Kanti yona iBhabheli yayisisixeko esikhulu—isazulu esidumileyo sonqulo lobuxoki esasinenqaba enomtsalane yonqulo. Noko ke, iBhabheli nenqaba yayo edume kakubi yayimvukela ngokupheleleyo uThixo. (Genesis 9:7) Ngoko ngokutsho kweBhayibhile, uThixo wangenelela waza wadubaduba ulwimi lwabakhi, ephelisa iqumrhu lonqulo elinamabhongo. IGenesis 11:5-9 ithi, uThixo “wabachithachitha bathi saa emhlabeni wonke.”
Akumangalisi ukuba, oku kwakhokelela ekusasazekeni kwezixeko. Ngapha koko, izixeko zazikhusela kuhlaselo lotshaba. Izixeko zaba ziindawo apho abalimi babegcina baze bathengise imveliso yabo. Kwakhona ukuvela kweendawo zentengiso kwavulela ithuba abemi abaninzi bezixeko ukuba bafumane ezinye iindlela zokuphila ngaphandle kokulima. IThe Rise of Cities ithi: “Emva kokukhululwa kumakhamandela okufuna into yokutya kuphela, abemi bezixeko baye baqalisa iindlela ezininzi zorhwebo: ukwenza iingobozi, ukwenza izinto zodongwe, ukuluka, ukuphotha, ukusebenza ngethwathwa, ukuchwela nokusebenza ngamatye—nantoni na eyenye enokwenziwa kwindawo yentengiso.”
Izixeko zaziyindawo efanelekileyo yokusasaza ezo zinto. Khawucinge nje ngengxelo yeBhayibhile engendlala eqatha eYiputa. Inkulumbuso, uYosefu, yakufumanisa kufanelekile ukuhlalisa abantu ezixekweni. Ngoba? Kuyabonakala ukuba oku kwenza kwaba lula ukusasazwa kokutya okuseleyo.—Genesis 47:21.
Kwakhona izixeko zenza kwaba lula ukunxibelelana phakathi kwabantu xa ezothutho zazicotha kwaye zingekho kangako. Oku kwakhawulezisa ukutshintsha kwezinto ekuhlaleni. Izixeko zaba zizazulu zeenguqu nenkqubela kwezobugcisa. Njengoko kwakuvela iingcamango ezintsha, kwavela iinguqu kwezenzululwazi, kwezonqulo nakwezentanda-bulumko.
Amaphupha Angazalisekiswayo
Kumaxesha akutshanje izixeko ziseneengenelo ezininzi ezifanayo. Ngoko, akumangalisi ukuba zisathandwa zizigidi zabantu—ingakumbi kwiindawo apho ubomi emaphandleni bunzima ngendlela engathethekiyo. Noko ke, kubantu abaninzi abafudukela ezidolophini, amaphupha obomi obuphucukileyo akazalisekiswa. Incwadi ethi Vital Signs 1998 ithi: “Ngokohlolisiso lwakutshanje olwenziwa yiPopulation Council, umgangatho wobomi kwizixeko zamazwe amaninzi asakhasayo ungaphantsi namhlanje kunasemaphandleni.” Kutheni kunjalo nje?
UHenry G. Cisneros ubhala athi kwiThe Human Face of the Urban Environment: “Xa abantu abahlwempuzekileyo bexinaniselana kwindawo enye, iingxaki zabo ziba ninzi. . . . Ukwanda kokuxinaniselana kwabahlwempuzekileyo, ingakumbi abo bohlanga olujongelwe phantsi, badla ngokubhuqwa kukungaqeshwa, ukusoloko bexhomekeke kwabanye, iingxaki zempilo, yaye eyona ide yangakumbi lulwaphulo-mthetho.” Ngokufanayo incwadi ethi Mega-city Growth and the Future ithi: “Ukungena kwabantu abaninzi ezixekweni kudla ngokubangela ukungaqeshwa nokwenza imisebenzi yesingxungxo ngenxa yokuba ezengqesho azikwazi ukuqesha abantu abaninzi abafuna imisebenzi.”
Abantwana abaninzi abahlala ezitratweni banikela ubungqina obubangela intlungu bobuhlwempu obungaphaya kwengqondo kwizixeko zamazwe asakhasayo. Ngokutsho kolunye uhlolisiso, bangangezigidi ezingama-30 abantwana abahlala ezitratweni ehlabathini lonke! Incwadi ethi Mega-city Growth and the Future ithi: “Ubuhlwempu nezinye iingxaki buye bawonakalisa amaqhina eentsapho kangangokuba abantwana abahlala ezitratweni kuye kwanyanzeleka ukuba baziphandele.” Abantwana abanjalo badla ngokuphila ebunzimeni ngokunqika inkunkuma, ukucela okanye ukwenza umsebenzi ophantsi kwiindawo zentengiso zasekuhlaleni.
Enye Intlungu Yokwenene
Ubuhlwempu bunokukhokelela kulwaphulo-mthetho. Kwesinye isixeko esikuMzantsi Merika esaziwa ngenkqubela yaso kubugcisa bakutshanje, ulwaphulo-mthetho lwesamele kangangokuba eso sixeko saziwa ngokunqatyiswa kwaso ngeentsimbi. Ukususela kosisityebi ukuya kutsho kwihlwempu, abemi bazibiyela ngeentsimbi ngelokukhusela bona nezinto zabo. Loo nto ibangela ukuba babe ngathi basehokweni. Abanye babiya ngeentsimbi ngaphambi kokuba bagqibe ukwakha.
Kwakhona abemi abaninzi baphazamisana nokunikelwa kweenkonzo ezisisiseko ezinjengamanzi nenkqubo yogutyulo esixekweni. Kuqikelelwa ukuba kwesinye isixeko saseAsia, kufuneka izindlu zangasese zikawonke-wonke ezingama-500 000. Kodwa uhlolisiso lwakutshanje luye lwabonisa ukuba zingama-200 kuphela izindlu zangasese ezisebenzayo!
Enye into emele inikelw’ ingqalelo yimiphumo engemihle edla ngokubangelwa kukuphuphuma kwabemi ekuhlaleni. Imihlaba yeefama ekufuphi iyaphela njengoko izixeko zisanda. Owayesakuba yintloko yeUnited Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, uFederico Mayor, uthi: “Izixeko ziwusebenzisa kakhulu umbane, zigqiba amanzi zize zigqibe ukutya nezimbiwa. . . . Ziyaphelelwa kuba azisakwazi kuvelisa nokwamkela imveliso.”
Iingxaki Zezixeko Ezikhulu Kumazwe AseNtshona
Imeko yamazwe aseNtshona isenokungabi mbi kangako, kodwa nalapho zikho iingxaki ngezixeko. Ngokomzekelo, incwadi ethi The Crisis of America’s Cities ithi: “Namhlanje izixeko zaseMerika zizaliswe lugonyamelo olungaphaya kwengqondo. . . . Ukwanda kogonyamelo kwizixeko zaseMerika kuphakame kangangokuba kuxutyushwa ngokubanzi koolindixesha bezempilo njengomnye wemiba yempilo yomhla wethu.” Kambe ke, ugonyamelo lungubhubhane kuninzi lwezixeko ezikhulu ehlabathini lonke.
Ukudodobala kobomi ezixekweni kusesinye sezizathu zokuba izixeko ezininzi zingathandwa ngoosomashishini. Incwadi ethi The Human Face of the Urban Environment ithi: “Amashishini aye afudukela kumahlomela-dolophu okanye phesheya kolwandle, evala imizi-mveliso yawo, eshiya ‘imimandla eyonakalisiweyo’—izakhiwo ezikhal’ ibhungane ezikwindawo eyonakalisiweyo nenenkunkuma eyityhefu, engakwazi ngokupheleleyo ukusetyenziswa.” Oku kuye kwaphumela ekubeni izixeko ezininzi zibe nabantu abaxinaniseleke kwimimandla “apho iingxaki zokuhlala zingahoywanga kangako—apho inkqubo yogutyulo ingasebenziyo; apho amanzi angacocekanga ngokwaneleyo; apho kubhubhuza khona izinambuzane eziyingozi kwiindawo ezinenkunkuma zize zingene kwiindawo ekuhlalwa kuzo; apho abantwana abancinane batya ipeyinti enelothe kwiindonga zezakhiwo eziwohlokayo. . . apho kungekho mntu ukhathalayo.” Kwimeko enjalo, kuzele ulwaphulo-mthetho, ugonyamelo nokuphelelwa lithemba.
Ukongezelela, kwizixeko zaseNtshona kunzima ukuba kubekho iinkonzo ezisisiseko. Emva phayaa ngowe-1981, umbhali uPat Choate noSusan Walter babhala incwadi enomxholo obangela umdla othi America in Ruins—The Decaying Infrastructure. Kuyo bathi: “Izakhiwo zikawonke wonke zaseMerika ziwohloka ngokukhawuleza kunokulungiswa kwazo.” Aba babhali babonisa umothuko obangelwa ziibhulorho ezidilikayo, iindlela ezikumgangatho ophantsi neenkqubo zogutyulo eziwohlokayo kwizixeko ezikhulu.
Kwiminyaka engama-20 kamva, izixeko ezinjengeNew York zikwimeko engaginyisi mathe. Inqaku leNew York Magazine lathetha ngephulo elikhulu eliyiThird Water Tunnel. Beliqhubeka ukuza kuthi ga ngoku kangangama-30 eminyaka, yaye kuthiwa lelona phulo likhulu eNtshona. Liquka inkcitho yemali engangeerandi ezingama-40 zamawaka ezigidi. Xa ligqityiwe, eli tonela liya kukhupha iilitha ezizizigidi ezingamawaka amahlanu zamanzi acocekileyo ngemini kwisiXeko saseNew York. Lo mbhali uthi: “Kodwa kuwo wonke lo msebenzi mkhulu kangaka wokumba, eli tonela lenzelwe ukuthabathela indawo imibhobho ekhoyo, ukuze ikwazi ukulungiswa okokuqala ukususela ekufakweni kwayo ebutsheni bale nkulungwane.” Ngokutsho kwelinye inqaku leThe New York Times, ukulungisa ezinye izinto eziwohlokayo zesi sixeko—iziporo zaso ezingaphantsi komhlaba, imithombo yamanzi, iindlela zaso, iibhulorho zaso—bekuya kuxabisa imali eqikelelwa kuma-695 amawaka ezigidi zeerandi.
Ayisosixeko saseNew York kuphela esinobunzima ekunikeleni iinkonzo ezifunekayo. Enyanisweni, ziliqela izixeko eziye zangqineka zingamaxhoba okonakaliswa zizinto ezahlukeneyo. NgoFebruwari 1998, iAuckland, eNew Zealand, yaphazamiseka kangangeeveki ezimbini ngenxa yokumka kombane. Abemi baseMelbourne, eOstreliya, baphelelwa ngamanzi ashushu kangangeentsuku ezili-13 xa indawo ababefumana kuyo igesi yavalwayo ngenxa yengozi eyenzeka kumzi-mveliso eyenziwa kuwo.
Kukho ke nenye ingxaki ekho phantse kuzo zonke izixeko—ukubambezeleka kwezithuthi. Igcisa lezokwakha uMoshe Safdie lithi: “Eyona ngxaki inkulu—ukungalungelelani—kuphakathi kobungakanani bezixeko nenkqubo yezothutho esebenza kuzo. . . . Izixeko ezidala kuye kwafuneka zenze imibindi yeedolophu yamkele iinqwelo-mafutha ezininzi ezazingekho mhla zakhiwa.” Ngokutsho kweThe New York Times, kwizixeko ezinjengeCairo, iBangkok, neSão Paulo, “kusoloko kukho ukubambezeleka kwezithuthi.”
Phezu kwazo nje zonke ezi ngxaki, kubonakala ngathi akusayi kuyekwa ukufudukela ezidolophini. Njengoko elinye inqaku leThe UNESCO Courier libonisa, “ngendlela efanelekileyo nengafanelekanga, isixeko sibonakala sibanika inkqubela nenkululeko abantu, yaye sikwabavulela namathuba athile.” Kodwa ikamva lizifumbathele ntoni izixeko ezikhulu zehlabathi? Ngaba zikho izicombululo zokwenene kule ngxaki?
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 5]
“Ukungena kwabantu abaninzi ezixekweni kudla ngokubangela ukungaqeshwa nokwenza imisebenzi yesingxungxo”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Ukubambezeleka kweenqwelo-mafutha kuyingxaki kwizixeko ezininzi
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Izigidi zabantwana abahlala ezitratweni bayaziphandela
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Kubantu abaninzi abahlala ezixekweni, amaphupha obomi obuphucukileyo akaze azaliseke