Ukubuka Okwezwe
I“CATECHISM” ENTSHA IYAHLASELWA
IVatican, ngokokuqala ngqá kusukela ekhulwini le-16 leminyaka, ibuyekeza icatechism yayo. Kodwa iqoqo elinamakhasi angu-434 lemfundiso yamaRoma Katolika liye lahlaselwa abanye bababhishobhi besonto laseU.S., “abatshela iVatican ukuthi icatechism elisha lisebenzisa ulwazi olungokweBhayibheli oselushiywe isikhathi kanye nolimi olubandlulula ubulili futhi ayikusho konke okumayelana nentuthuko yokuthuthukisa ubunye bobuKristu emashumini eminyaka amuva,” kusho iU.S.News & World Report. “Ababhishobhi benza iphutha ngokuba nombono wokukuthatha njengoba kunjalo ukulandisa ngendalo nangokuphatha ezinye izingxenye zeTestamente Elisha ‘njengombiko oqondile ongokomlando.’” Ababhishobhi bathi kunikezwa umbono ongeyiwo, “wokuthi zonke izindawo zibaluleke ngokulinganayo.” Baphikisa ngokuthi izimfundiso zesonto “ezibalulekile,” ezinjengovuko lukaJesu, kufanele zehlukaniswe ezinkolelweni okungaqinisekwa kangako ngazo, njengokuba khona kwezingelosi kanye nokwehlela kukaKristu esihogweni. Lapho seliqediwe, icatechism “elisha liyosebenza nje kuphela njengesiqondiso kubaholi besonto ezweni ngalinye njengoba bezenzela elabo icatechism,” kusho iU.S.News & World Report.
INGCULAZA—ISIMO ESIDUMAZAYO
Abantu abayizigidi eziyisishiyagalombili kuya kweziyishumi bangenwe igciwane lengculaza, kubika iWHO (INhlangano Yezwe Yezempilo), ukwanda okubonisa ukudluliswa okukhulayo kwegciwane ngokuhlangana kwabobulili obuhlukene. “Manje sekusobala ukuthi inani labangenwe igcinwane lengculaza iHIV emhlabeni wonke linyuka ngokushesha okukhulu, ikakhulukazi emazweni asathuthuka,” kusho uDkt. Michael H. Merson, umqondisi walenhlangano. IWHO futhi ibikezela ukuthi igagasi lokwanda kokungenwa isifo lizoletha okungenani ukufa kwabesifazane nezingane abayizigidi ezintathu kuphela ngawo-1990, okuyinani eliphindwe ngaphezu kwezikhathi eziyisithupha kunalelo elabulawa ingculaza ngawo-1980. Inani lamadoda azobulawa ingculaza phakathi nalelishumi leminyaka kulindeleke ukuba liphakame ngisho nangokwengeziwe. Ngenxa yokulahlekelwa abazali bazo, izigidi zezingane ezingangeniwe yilesisifo zizoba izintandane. Ngokombiko, ingculaza kakade isiyimbangela ehamba phambili yokufa kwabesifazane abasukela eminyakeni engu-20 kuya kwengu-40 ubudala emadolobheni amakhulu aseNingizimu naseNyakatho Melika, eNtshonalanga Europe, eAfrika eseningizimu neSahara, lapho kuthiwa oyedwa emadodeni nabesifazane abadala abangu-40 unegciwane lalesifo.
“UMTHOMBO” WAMAKHAMBI
Ingabe amazwe anjengeBrazil angenza amahlathi awo emvula abe ngazuzisayo? Ngokunokwenzeka, ngokwesihloko esikuScanorama (Isimiso Sokuhamba Kwezindiza SaseScandinavia Kumagazini Wezindiza): “IWHO [INhlangano Yezwe Yezempilo] isikisela . . . ukulinywa kwezingadi zemithi nokudayiswa kwezihlahla eziyimithi. Isazi sezitshalo saseDenmark uOle Hamann uthi ucabangela imisebenzi enjalo ‘njengemayini yegolide’ ekhiqizayo yamazwe asathuthuka.” Kunjalo ngayiphi indlela? Inala yemithi emahlathini emvula, ezikhathini eziningi engakahlolwa ukuthi ingasetshenziselwa ukwelapha yini, iyinselele kubacwaningi. Imithi elinganiselwa ku-250 000 isiye yaziwa kakade, kodwa “izazi zezitshalo zilinganisela ukuthi ezinye izinhlobo ezingu-30 000 zemithi, ikakhulukazi etholakala ezindaweni ezishisayo, azikaziwa namanje kwezesayensi.” Eminingi yalemithi ingase izibonakalise iwusizo ekulwisaneni nezifo ezihlukahlukene, njengoba “kuyo yonke imithi yokwelapha esetshenziswa ngokomthetho eNtshonalanga, okungenani amaphesenti angu-25, futhi cishe ingxenye, iqukethe izinto ezingokwemvelo ezithathwe emithini etshaliwe.”
UMQEDAZWE WOKUBHEMA
“Phakathi namashumi amabili eminyaka adlule, ukusetshenziswa kukagwayi kuye kwanda emhlabeni wonke cishe ngamaphesenti angu-75,” kubika iJAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association), futhi “kubangela ukuba abantu abacishe babe yizigidi ezingu-2,5 bafe ngaphambi kwesikhathi—cishe amaphesenti angu-5 abo bonke abantu abafayo.” Nakuba ukuthengwa kwemikhiqizo kagwayi kuye kwancishiswa kakhulu emazweni athuthukile ngokomnotho, izizwe ezithuthukayo, ikakhulukazi eNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia, eAfrika, eLatin America, ziye zabona ukwanda kwenani labantu ababhemayo. Ngokwesibonelo, iUnited States, iye yazithola isesimweni esihlazisayo sokugqugquzela umkhankaso wokumelana nokubhema ezweni layo kuyilapho isebenzisa ukucindezela ukuba kuvulwe izimakethe ezintsha kwamanye amazwe zemikhiqizo yayo kagwayi ukuze zisize ekwehliseni izikweletu zezohwebo. Ngokombiko, izingane ezilinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-200 manje ezingaphansi kweminyaka engu-20 ubudala ekugcineni ziyobulawa ukusebenzisa ugwayi, futhi abantu ababulawa umdlavuza wamaphaphu bazokwanda emhlabeni wonke bafinyelele izigidi ezimbili ngonyaka ka-2000.
INTUTHUKO EYENZIWE NGOQALO
Uqalo. NgokweAsiaweek ingxenye eyodwa kwezine zenani labantu emhlabeni yencike kulo ukuze ithole ukudla, ifoliji lemfuyo, ifenisha, izikafula, nemikhiqizo yephepha. Amapanda amakhulu anotha ngalo. Luqinile, aluboli, futhi lulula. Kodwa izinhlobo eziningi zoqalo ziqhakaza izimbali futhi ziveze imbewu kanye kuphela, zithatha iminyaka engu-12 kuya kwengu-120 ukwenza lokho, ngokusobala ngokuqondiswa iwashi elingaphakathi, bese kuthi emva kwalokho sonke isixhobo salo sife. Kuze kube manje lesisici siye sabhuntshisa imizamo engokwesayensi yokwenza izinhlobo ezithuthukisiwe, njengoba izinhlobo ezongayo kakhulu zithatha iminyaka engu-30 ukuba ziqhakaze izimbali, futhi ngaleyondlela ngokuvamile ziphila ngaphezu kwezazi zesayensi ezenza lowomsebenzi. Umagazini iNature uthi izazi zezitshalo manje zithi ziye zathola indlela yokulawula iwashi kanye nokubangela ukuba luqhakaze ngokushesha, okwenza kube nokwenzeka ukuba luveze izinhlobo ezingcono futhi njalo lube nembewu yokutshala kabusha amahlathi. Ngokufaka izithombo ezincane enhlanganiseleni ekhethekile yokuzikhulisa, kwavezwa izimbali ezikhulile ngamasonto ambalwa nje, futhi eziningi zaveza imbewu ngemva kokuqhakaza.
LAPHO UKUPHILA KULETHA UKUFA
Udokotela owumbelethisi uMalcolm Potts uthi, “ake ucabange nje ukuthi njalo emahoreni ayisithupha, nsuku zonke, ijet enkulu iyaphahlazeka futhi bonke abagibele kuyo bayafa. Abagibeli abangu-250 abesifazane, abaningi babo abasebasha, abanye basanda kweva eshumini nambili. Bonke bakhulelwe noma basanda nje kubeletha. Abaningi babo banezingane ezisakhula ekhaya, nemikhaya ethembele kubo.” Lomfanekiso ubonisa ingxenye yesigidi yabesifazane emhlabeni wonke abafa bekhulelwe noma bebeletha unyaka ngamunye. INew Scientist ithi: “Konke okunye ukufa komama ngaphandle kwephesenti elilodwa kwenzeka emaZweni Ampofu. Ababulali abakhulu ukophela ngaphakathi, izifo ezithathelwanayo, ushevu osegazini, ukuphazamiseka kokubeletha kanye nokukhipha izisu ngendlela engenabuciko.” Izisu ezingafunwa ziholela ekufeni kwaminyaka yonke kwenani elikhulu lomama nemibungu. Umagazini uthi, “Minyaka yonke abesifazane abaphakathi kwezigidi ezingu-40 nezingu-60 bafuna ukukhipha izisu.”
IZINSALELA ZASEGIBITHE ZISENGOZINI
Ukwakhiwa kweAswân High Dam ngawo-1960 “kwaletha ushintsho oluphawulekayo esimweni sendawo yeNile Valley,” kuphawula iNew York Times. “Amanzi aphansi angaphansi kwamatshe aqoshiwe ezikhumbuzo akhuphukile; umoya unomswakama ngokwengeziwe ngenxa yokuthi imifula eyakhiwe yokunisela ngenkasa ihlala igcwele; usawoti enhlabathini umuncwa ingaphambili lezakhiwo elakhiwe ngendlela yakudala, liwugegebule edwaleni phansi; isimiso sokuchitha indle sonakalise inhlabathi.” Ngenxa yalokho, amagugu emivubukulo aseGibithe—angamaningi kakhulu emhlabeni—abelokhu ekhona izinkulungwane eziningi kangaka zeminyaka manje asongelwa ngokungathi sína. Kunobufakazi obuningi bokuthi ngisho nezindawo ezingembiwanga, okwake kwacatshangwa ukuthi zilondekile futhi zivikelekile, ziye zonakaliswa. Izazi zikhungathekile ngenxa yokwanda kwalenkinga, azazi ukuthi zenzeni. “Kunamathuna angaphezu kwe-2 000, namatshe aqoshiwe amaningi, imibhoshongo, amaobelisk,” kusho uSayed Tawfiq, umqondisi weNhlangano Yezinto Eziyigugu Eziyizinsalela ZaseGibithe eCairo. “Uma ithuna ngalinye bewungathi livuselelwe ngeminyaka emibili, lokho kwakuyoba iminyaka engu-4 000.”
KUTHOLWE IZINHLOBO EZINTSHA
Unyaka ngamunye izazi zesayensi zithola izinhlobo ezintsha ezingaphezu kwezingu-10 000 zezitshalo nezilwane. Inani elikhulu lazo liyizinambuzane, nezilwane ezintsha ezincelisayo eziyisihlanu kuya kweziyishumi kanye nenani elilinganayo lezinyoni ezitholwa unyaka ngamunye. Njengoba zibonakala ziziningi, izazi zesayensi yemvelo kusekuningi okusamelwe zikwenze. Kunezinhlobo zezitshalo nezilwane ezilinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-50 emhlabeni, futhi ezingaphansi kwezigidi ezingu-1,5 ziye zabonwa futhi zahlelwa ngezinhlu. Ukutholwa kwesigaba esisha sezilwane—itamarin ibhubesi elinobuso obumnyama—muva nje kudonse ukunaka, njengoba yatholwa ebangeni lamakhilomitha angaphansi kwangu-320 ukusuka edolobheni elingelesithathu ngobukhulu emhlabeni, ngasogwini lwaseBrazil olunabantu abaningi. Njengoba amahlathi asezindaweni ezishisayo enyamalala, kwesatshwa ukuthi izinhlobo ezithile zizonyamalala ngokushesha okungaphezu kwezingatholwa ngabo.
ITHONYA LOKUPHILA KOMKHAYA
“Ukwakheka komkhaya kufeza okukhulu empilweni nasentuthukweni yezingane,” kuphawula isihloko kuWall Street Journal. Izibalo ezivela “ekuhloleni kukahulumeni waseU.S. isimo sempilo nemizwelo yezingane ezingu-17 000 ezisukela ezinsaneni kuya eminyakeni engu-17 ubudala,” kwembula ukuthi “izingane ezihlala emikhayeni ezingazalelwanga kuyo zazinezinkinga ezinkulu kunezalezo ezihlala nabo bobabili abazali abangokwemvelo.” Isilinganiso sokuba nengozi noma sokulimala ngonyaka ongaphambi kwalokhu kuhlola sasingamaphesenti angu-20 kuya kwangu-30 ezinganeni ezihlala nomama ohlukanisile noma oshade kabusha, futhi uma ziqhathaniswa nezingane ezihlala nabo bobabili abazali bazo abazizalayo, izingane ezinjalo zazisemathubeni angamaphesenti angu-40 kuya kwangu-75 okuphinda ikilasi lesikole. Izingane ezivela emishadweni ephazamisekile zazisemathubeni angamaphesenti angu-70 okuba zimiswe noma zixoshwe esikoleni; futhi lezo ezazinomama ababengakaze bashade zazisemathubeni aphindwe kabili kunalokho okuba nalezozinkinga. Izingane ezisemikhayeni ephethwe omama nazo zazisemathubeni angamaphesenti angu-50 okuba nesifo sesifuba somoya.