Ingxaki Yokubandezeleka Kwabantu
“KUTHENI THIXO?” Loo mxholo mkhulu wawukwiphepha lokuqala lephephandaba elasasazwa kakhulu emva kwenyikima etshabalalisayo eAsia Minor. Umfanekiso ohambisana nawo wabonisa utata okhathazekileyo efunqule intombi yakhe eyenzakeleyo ephuma kwikhaya labo elidilikileyo.
Iimfazwe, iindlala, izihelegu neentlekele zemvelo ziye zabangela intlungu enkulu, iinyembezi nokufa kwabantu abaninzi. Ngaphezu kwezi zinto kukho amaxhoba okudlwengulwa, ukuxhatshazwa kwabantwana nolunye ulwaphulo-mthetho. Cinga ngenani elikhulu labantu abenzakalayo nabafayo ngenxa yeengozi. Yaye amawaka ezigidi zabantu ayabandezeleka ngenxa yokugula, ukwaluphala nokufa kwabathandekayo.
Inkulungwane yama-20 yayinokubandezeleka okukhulu okwakhe kwabakho. Ukususela ngowe-1914 ukusa ngowe-1918, IMfazwe Yehlabathi I yabulala phantse amajoni azizigidi ezilishumi. Abanye ababhali-mbali bathi yabulala nabantu abaninzi ngokufanayo. KwiMfazwe Yehlabathi II, kwabulawa amajoni nabemi abamalunga nezigidi ezingama-50, kuquka nezigidi zamabhinqa, abantwana namadoda akhulileyo angenakuzikhusela. Ukutyhubela inkulungwane edlulileyo, izigidi ezingakumbi zazingamaxhoba okutshatyalaliswa, imvukelo, ugonyamelo lohlanga, indlala nobuhlwempu. IHistorical Atlas of the Twentieth Century iqikelela ukuba ngaphezu kwabantu abazizigidi ezili-180 bafa ngenxa “yokubandezeleka okuninzi.”
Isifo soMbathalala sowe-1918/19 sabulala abantu abazizigidi ezingama-20. Kumashumi amabini eminyaka edluleyo, malunga nezigidi ezili-19 zabulawa nguGawulayo, yaye malunga nezigidi ezingama-35 ngoku zinentsholongwane ebangela esi sifo. Izigidi zabantwana zishiywa zingenabazali—babulawe nguGawulayo. Yaye inani elingenakubaleka leentsana zibulawa nguGawulayo, ngenxa yokuba zasulelwa ngoxa zazikwisibeleko.
Abantwana bayabandezeleka ngakumbi ngezinye iindlela. Icaphula inkcazelo efumaneka kwiUnited Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), ekupheleni kowe-1995, iManchester Guardian Weekly yaseNgilani yathi: “Kwiimfazwe zeminyaka elishumi eyadlulayo, kuye kwabulawa abantwana abazizigidi ezi-2, abazizigidi ezi-4-5 baba yimilwelwe, abazizigidi ezili-12 balahlekelwa ngamakhaya, abangaphezu kwesigidi esi-1 baba ziinkedama okanye bahlukana nabazali babo yaye abazizigidi ezili-10 benzakala engqondweni.” Ukongezelela koku, kuqhomfwa abantwana abamalunga nezigidi ezingama-40 ukuya kwezingama-50 emhlabeni wonke—nyaka ngamnye!
Kuthekani Ngekamva?
Abaninzi balijonga ikamva njengelibangel’ amanwele. Iqela leenzululwazi lathi: “Imisebenzi yabantu . . . ukusa kumlinganiselo othile itshintsha ihlabathi esiphila kulo ukuze lingakwazi ukulondoloza ubomi ngendlela esiyaziyo.” Zongezelela ngelithi: “Nangoku, umntu omnye kwabahlanu uhlwempuzekile engenakutya kwaneleyo, yaye omnye kwabalishumi akondlekanga.” Ezi nzululwazi zasebenzisa esi sihlandlo “ukulumkisa bonke abantu ngoko kuza kwenzeka” yaye zathi: “Indlela esiwuphatha ngayo umhlaba nabantu abaphila kuwo kuya kufuneka itshintshe kakhulu, ukuba sifuna ukuphepha ukuba uluntu lube sentlungwini nokuba ikhaya lethu kwesi sijikelezi-langa lingenzakali ngendlela engenakulungiswa.”
Kutheni uThixo evumele ukubandezeleka nobungendawo obungaka? Uzimisele ukuyilungisa njani le meko? Nini?
[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 3]
Top, wheelchair: UN/DPI Photo 186410C by P.S. Sudhakaran; middle, starving children: WHO/OXFAM; bottom, emaciated man: FAO photo/B. Imevbore