Imfazwe Yenyukliya—Ngaba Isesisisongelo?
Ngumbhali kaVukani! eJapan
“Wonk’ umntu ozikisayo ukucinga uyayoyika imfazwe yenyukliya, yaye onke amazwe ahambele phambili kwezobugcisa ayixhobele. Bonke abantu bayazi ukuba ibubudenge, yaye onke amazwe ayazithethelela ngokufuna kwawo izixhobo zenyukliya.”—UCarl Sagan, osisazi ngeenkwenkwezi.
NGOAGASTI 6, 1945, inqwelo yomkhosi yaseMerika yahlasela iHiroshima, eJapan ngebhombu yeathom, yaye ngokuqhwanyaza kweliso kwafa inyambalala yabantu konakala nempahla. Le yaba yibhombu yeathom yokuqala ukusetyenziswa emfazweni. Le bhombu yavuthulula ummandla ozizikwemitha ezili-13 kweso sixeko, nesasinabemi abangama-343 000. Kwatshabalala izakhiwo ezibini kwezithathu, ubuncinane kwafa abantu abangama-70 000 kwaza kwenzakala abangama-69 000. Kwiintsuku nje ezintathu emva koko kwahlaselwa okwesibini ngebhombu yeathom, kwesi isihlandlo eNagasaki; yaye kwafa abantu abangama-39 000 kwenzakala abangama-25 000. Malunga nesiqingatha sezakhiwo zeso sixeko saba yingqushu okanye sonakala. Izixhobo ezinamandla ngolo hlobo zazingazange zisetyenziswe ngaphambili kwimbali yabantu. Ihlabathi latshintsha. Langena kwixesha lokusetyenziswa kwezixhobo zenyukliya. Kwiminyaka nje embalwa, iUnited States, elo lalisakuba yiSoviet Union, iBritani, iFransi neTshayina zenza iibhombu zehydrogen ezinobungozi ngakumbi.
IMfazwe Yomlomo—ukruthakruthwano lwamazwe obuKomanisi nalawo achase ubuKomanisi—lwakhuthaza ukwenziwa kwezixhobo zenyukliya ezinamandla neendlela zokuzisebenzisa. Ihlabathi lagubha luloyiko ngenxa yokuveliswa kweeICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) ezazinokuhlasela ngenyukliya kumazwe akude ngomgama ongaphezu kweekhilomitha ezingama-5 600 kwisithuba semizuzu. Iinkwili zomkhosi zafakelwa imijukujelwa yenyukliya enokuhlasela kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo ezili-192. Kwakha kwaqikelelwa ukuba oovimba bezixhobo zenyukliya bazaliswe ziintolo ezifikelela kuma-50 000! Ebudeni beMfazwe Yomlomo, abantu babesemngciphekweni woko abanye bathi yiArmagedon yenyukliya—imfazwe ekungekho mntu woyisayo kuyo.
Ukuphela KweMfazwe Yomlomo
IThe Encyclopædia Britannica ithi, ebudeni beminyaka yee-1970, amaxhala eMfazwe Yomlomo ehla “ngenxa yezivumelwano kuthethathethwano lweSALT I neyesi-II [Strategic Arms Limitation Talks], apho amazwe amabini angoongalo-nkulu amisela imiqathango yokusetyenziswa kwezixhobo zawo ezithwala imijukujelwa yenyukliya.” Kwandula ke, ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yee-1980 iMfazwe Yomlomo yathomalala, de yaphela ekugqibeleni.
Ingxelo eyenziwa yintlangano iCarnegie Endowment for International Peace ithi: “Ukuphela kweMfazwe Yomlomo kwazisa amathemba okuphela kokhuphiswano lwezixhobo zenyukliya nokujongana ngezikhondo zamehlo kweUnited States neRashiya.” Ngenxa yemigudu yokunciphisa izixhobo zenyukliya, kutshanje kuye kwachithwa amakhulu oovimba bezi zixhobo. Ngowe-1991, iSoviet Union neUnited States zatyikitya isivumelwano iTreaty on Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, esasinyanzela la mazwe mabini angoongalo-nkulu ukuba angapheleli nje ekuthobeleni imiqathango yenani lezixhobo zenyukliya afanele abe nazo kodwa, okokuqala embalini ngalinye kula mazwe lalifanele linciphise inani lezixhobo zalo ezihlala zilungele ukuhlasela libe ngama-6 000. Ekupheleni kowama-2001, omabini la mazwe abonisa ukuba ayahambisana neso sivumelwano ngokunciphisa iintolo zawo zenyukliya. Ukongezelela, ngowama-2002, kwenziwa iSivumelwano saseMoscow esasinyanzelisa ukuba kwiminyaka elishumi ezayo ezi zixhobo zincitshiswe ngakumbi nge-1 700 ukusa kuma-2 200.
Noko ke, phezu kwayo nje loo migudu, “eli asiloxesha lokungasikhathaleli isisongelo semfazwe yenyukliya,” watsho njalo uSosiba-jikelele weZizwe Ezimanyeneyo uKofi Annan. Wongezelela wathi: “Ungquzulwano lwenyukliya lusekho, yaye loyikisa ngokwenene kule nkulungwane yama-21.” Okubuhlungu kukuba intlekele yenyukliya—embi kakhulu kunaleyo yaseHiroshima naseNagasaki—isesisisongelo nanamhlanje. Ngubani lo usongela ngentlekele yenyukliya? Okubaluleke ngakumbi, ngaba inokuphetshwa?