Ukubuka Okwezwe
Abavela Kwamanye Amazwe Bancamela Ukufa
Unyaka ngamunye izinkulungwane zabantu abathuthela kwamanye amazwe ngokungemthetho zincamela ukufaka ukuphila kwazo engozini zizofuna umsebenzi nezinga elingcono lokuphila eNingizimu Afrika. Kuthiwa izinkulungwane zabo ziye zadliwa izingwenya lapho ziwela uMfula iLimpopo. Abanye bagxotshwa izindlovu noma babulawe amabhubesi lapho benqamula iKruger National Park behamba ngezinyawo. Muva nje izikhulu zale ndawo kuye kwadingeka zidubule amabhubesi ayisihlanu abesedla abantu. Iphephandaba laseGoli i-Star lembula ukuthi “ukuhlinzwa kwezidumbu zala mabhubesi ayisihlanu, kwaveza ukuthi izinsalela zabantu zazisekhona emathunjini awo.” Akwaziwa ngokuqondile ukuthi bangaki abantu abeqa ngokungemthetho ababulawa izilwane zasendle. Leli phephandaba lithi “amaphoyisa agada njalo kule ndawo aye athola imikhondo yabantu evele nje iphelele esithubeni. [Ibhubesi] elidala leduna lingadla inyama engamakhilogremu angu-70 ngesikhathi esisodwa. Mancane amathuba okuthola izinsalela zomuntu ezisele njengobufakazi, ikakhulukazi uma kufike izimpisi namakhanka.”
Usizi Lwezingane Ezisempini
Izinhlangano ze-Terre des Hommes zinakekela izingane eziswele. NgokukaPetra Boxler, usihlalo wale nhlangano eJalimane, “eminyakeni eyishumi edlule, cishe izingane eziyizigidi ezimbili ziye zalahlekelwa ukuphila kwazo ezimpini, eziwombeni zokulwa nasezimpini zasemgwaqweni.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Süddeutsche Zeitung ibika ukuthi ezinye izigidi eziyisithupha zezingane ziye zalimala kakhulu emzimbeni, kanti eziyizigidi eziyishumi ziye zalimala kakhulu ngokomzwelo. UBoxler ukhala ngokuthi izimpi muva nje ziye zaba nomphumela omubi kakhulu ezinganeni. Kwamanye amazwe izingane ziqeqeshwa ngenkani ukuba zibe ababulali, kanti kwamanye amazwe “zisetshenziswa njengabavumbululi bamabhomu agqitshiwe.”
Kutholakale Izilwane “Ezintsha”
“Emashumini eminyaka ambalwa adlule, kwakucatshangwa ukuthi izilwane eziningi ezincelisayo emhlabeni—ezinoboya, ezinegazi elishisayo, ezinobisi—ziyaziwa. Akusenjalo,” kusho i-U.S.-News & World Report. “Phakathi kuka-1983 no-1993 emakhophini e-Mammal Species of the World, kwanezelwa ezingu-459. Eminyakeni emine edlule, izazi zesayensi yezinto eziphilayo ziye zathola ezinye eziningi—izilwane eziququdayo, amalulwane, izinyamazane, izinkabi zasendle ngisho nanezinkawu.” Kubikezelwa ukuthi inani lezinhlobo zezilwane ezincelisayo ezingu-4600 ezaziwayo manje lizokhula lifinyelele ku-8000. Ezinye “izilwane ezincelisayo ‘ezitholakalayo’ zitholakala kumamnyuziyamu, lapho izazi zesayensi zihlolisisa izinhlobo ezaqoqwa eminyakeni ethile edlule.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, lesi sihloko sithi “izinhlobo eziningi ezintsha zihlanganisa izilwane eziphila ngezinye nezinye izidalwa ezincane ezingaziwa emkhakheni wesayensi,” futhi “isilwane esincelisayo esisodwa kwezintathu ezisanda kuchazwa siyisilwane ebesikade singaziwa nhlobo izazi zesayensi.” Eziningi ezitholakalayo zitholakala emahlathini asezindaweni ezishisayo nakwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba. Isazi sezilwane ezincelisayo uGeorge Schaller sithi: “Kuyangimangalisa ukubona abantu benkamunkamu kangaka ngokuthi kungenzeka kune-bacterium kuyi-Mars kuyilapho iplanethi yethu igcwele insada yezinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo ezingakatholakali.”
Inkolo Ikwangqingetshe
“Njengoba siya ngasekupheleni kwaleli khulu nelale nkulungwane yeminyaka, nginomuzwa wokuthi akukhona nje ukuthi sisonqenqemeni olungokomfanekiso, kodwa ukuthi kunoshintsho olukhulu kunanini ngaphambili olwenzekayo,” kusho uKonrad Raiser, unobhala-jikelele woMkhandlu Wezwe Wamasonto. “Inkinga iwukuthi asiqondi ngempela ukuthi lolu shintsho lusiholelaphi. Khona-ke, ngandlela-thile asikwazi ukwenza noma yini ngalolu shintsho kunalokho sibhekana nalo.” UDkt. Raiser wathi “ubuningi bezinkolo” buyinkinga okufanele kubhekwane nayo. I-ENI Bulletin yamcaphuna ethi eLobukholwa “yilona eliyimbangela yenkinga kunokuba liyixazulule.” Wanezela: “Sisekude nokufinyelela izindlela zokuhlalisana njengomakhelwane, lapho umuntu onezinkolelo nemikhuba engokwenkolo ehlukile singambheki njengosongo kodwa kunalokho . . . njengomthombo wokucetshiswa.”
Seyiphelile Yini Iminyaka Eyinkulungwane?
Ngokwezazi, “empeleni iminyaka eyinkulungwane yaphela eminyakeni eminingi edlule. Nxese, ukuthi sonke asikuqaphelanga,” kusho umagazini i-Newsweek. Siyini isizathu? Ikhalenda lethu “lisekelwe ekuhlukanisweni kwesikhathi okuqageliwe,” okucatshangelwa ukuthi kusekelwe ekuzalweni kukaKristu. Kodwa lesi sihloko siphawula ukuthi izazi zanamuhla zikholelwa ukuthi uJesu empeleni wazalwa eminyakeni eminingi “ngaphambi kukaKristu.” Ngokwe-Newsweek, lokho “kusho ukuthi sesingene shí enkulungwaneni yesithathu yeminyaka.” Iphutha lenziwa uDionysius the Short, lowo ngo-525 C.E., owathunywa uPapa John I ukuba enze ikhalenda elingokomthetho elinemicikilisho engokwenkolo. UDionysius wanquma ukusebenzisa ukuzalwa kukaJesu njengesikhathi esibalulekile kodwa wabe esenza iphutha ekubaleni. I-Newsweek ithi “izazi zomlando ngeke zazi ukuthi uJesu wazalwa nini ngempela. Ngisho nosuku lukaKhisimusi, okugujwa ngalo ukuzalwa kwakhe, luyaqagelwa. Izazi zikholelwa ukuthi isonto lakhetha u-Dec. 25 ukuze luqondane—futhi luphikisane ngokwenkolo—nemikhosi yobuqaba yenjikalanga yasebusika enhla nenkabazwe.” Ukubalwa kwezikhathi okungokweBhayibheli kubonisa ukuthi uJesu wazalwa ngonyaka ka-2 B.C.E.
Manje Sekufakwe Namakati
Sekuphele amashumi eminyaka kuyicala eNew York State ukuba usuke endaweni okwenzeke kuyo ingozi ehilela inkomo, ihhashi, noma inja, ungazange uthole umnikazi waleso silwane noma okungenani wazisa amaphoyisa. Amakati asefakiwe. Nokho, umthetho-sisekelo omusha owasekelwa kakhulu futhi wagunyazwa ukuba ube umthetho usukufakile lokho. Lo mthetho owaziwa ngokuthi “i-Flat Cat,” ukwenza kube yicala ukusuka endaweni yengozi okulimale kuyo ikati, ungazange okungenani ubikele amaphoyisa ngengozi. Ukungabiki kungenza ukuba umuntu “oshayise ikati wabaleka” ahlawuliswe u-$100 (R460). “Kubathandi bamakati, lokhu kuwuphawu lokuthi ukubandlululwa kohlobo oluthile lwezilwane kungase kuqedwe,” kusho i-New York Times.
“Inkinga Yokukhuluphala”
“Inkinga yokukhuluphala eyandayo isongela izigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke,” kubika i-Journal of the American Medical Association, icaphuna isixwayiso esakhishwa yi-World Health Organization. “Ochwepheshe bokondleka komzimba nempilo bathi emazweni angu-25 abantu abadala abakhuluphele sebefinyelele kumaphesenti angu-25 kwamanye amazwe asentshonalanga Yurophu naseMelika. Inani labesifazane lifinyelela kumaphesenti angu-40 emazweni asempumalanga yeYurophu neMediterranean kanye nabesifazane abansundu e-United States. EMelanesia, eMicronesia nasePolynesia kunamanani aphakeme kunawo wonke abantu abakhuluphele—cishe amaphesenti angu-70 kwezinye izindawo.” Ochwepheshe baxwayisa ngokuthi uma kungashintshelwa emikhubeni yokudla ukudla okunamafutha amancane nasekuvivinyeni umzimba, amazwe amaningi azoba nabantu abaningi abanesifo senhliziyo, izinkinga zokuphefumula, unhlangothi, inyongo, umdlavuza, isifo sikashukela nezinkinga zobuhlungu bezicubu namathambo. “Ukukhuluphala ‘kufanele kubhekwe njengenye yezinkinga ezinkulu zempilo ezinganakwa emphakathini wesikhathi sethu, okungase kube nemiphumela emikhulu empilweni njengeyokubhema,’ kusho ochwepheshe.”
Ukuzinikela Okuyiphutha?
Ngo-June 1, 1997, isithunzi esinjengesomuntu—ngokusobala esasibangelwe umswakama—sabonakala odongeni lwesinye seziteshi zaseMexico City Metro. KumaKatolika amaningi azinikele, lokhu kwakuwukubonakala okuyisimangaliso kweNcasakazi YaseGuadalupe—igama elethiwa iNcasakazi uMariya eMexico. “ISonto LamaKatolika alikubheki ukubonakala kweNcasakazi YaseMetro njengesimangaliso esingokoqobo kodwa likubheka njengokwabangelwa ukungena kwamanzi kuleso siteshi,” kusho iphephandaba i-Universal. Nakuba kunjalo, abantu abaningi bayema kuleyo ndawo ukuze bakhulekele, futhi lowo mfanekiso uye “wavakashelwa abantu abangaphezu kwenkulungwane ngehora.” Lowo mfanekiso wakhelwa igunjana futhi lavulwa ngokwesiko umpristi wamaKatolika.
Ukuzuza Ngokudayisa Izidakamizwa
Ngokwenhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene, kulinganiselwa ukuthi kunezigidi ezingaba ngu-340 zemilutha yezidakamizwa emhlabeni wonke. Njengoba kubika i-Jornal da Tarde, “ukuphila ngezidambisa-zinhlungu kuhamba phambili, njengoba kunabantu abazisebenzisayo abayizigidi ezingu-227,5 noma cishe amaphesenti amane enani labantu emhlabeni wonke. Okulandelayo ohlwini imilutha yensangu, eyizigidi ezingu-141, okuyingqikithi yamaphesenti angu-2,5 enani labantu emhlabeni wonke.” Kulinganiselwa nokuthi amaphoyisa athungatha futhi athole amaphesenti amahlanu kuya kwayishumi kuphela azo zonke lezi zidakamizwa ezinqatshelwe ngokomthetho. Ukudayisa izidakamizwa kungenisa imali engaba amaRandi ayizigidi zezigidi ezingu-1,8 unyaka ngamunye. Kwezinye izindawo, abashushumbisi bazo benza inzalo efinyelela kumaphesenti angu-300—“inzuzo engatholakali kunoma iluphi olunye uhlobo lwebhizinisi,” kusho leli phephandaba.