Yimbi Kangakanani Ingculaza EAfrika?
Ngumlobeli wePhaphama! eAfrika
KUNGENZEKA wazizwa lezibikezelo. Zazihlasimulisa umzimba. Izigidi ezwekazini laseAfrika ziyoba nengculaza. Izimiso zabantu zokuzivikela komzimba ezifweni ziyowohloka, zishiya izivikelo ezingokwemvelo zomzimba zingavikelekile ekuhlaselweni izifo ezesabekayo. Njengoba kwakunjalo ngomqedazwe wesifo sezimbilapho esahlasela iYurophu ngekhulu le-14 leminyaka, kuyolandela ukufa nokubhubha ngesilinganiso esingakaze sibonwe.
Khona-ke kwase kuthuleka kancane. Ezezindaba zazigcwele, futhi umphakathi wawusukhathele izibikezelo ezethusayo zosuku lokubhubha. Ingabe ngempela kwakuyoba kubi kangako? Eqinisweni umqedazwe wengculaza ukuliphi izinga ngempela eAfrika?
“Akekho owaziyo ukuthi izibalo zesikhathi esizayo ziyothini,” kusho ocwaninga ngengculaza uDkt. Andre Spier. Kodwa akathembisi. “Kuyoba isibalo esikhudlwana futhi esibhubhisa kakhulu kuwo wonke umphakathi.” Ngokufanayo, emhlanganweni wezizwe zonke wango-1988 wengculaza eStockholm, eSweden, uDkt. Lars Kallings wabikezela ukuthi “eminyakeni embalwa nje . . . inani labafile liyokwethusa.”
Kuye kwadlula isikhathi esingaphezu “kweminyaka embalwa” selokhu kwenziwa lesosibikezelo. Manje eziningi zalezozibikezelo ngeshwa zinembe ngokushaqisayo. Okwakuyizibalo nje ngaphambili sekuqala ukuba izidumbu. Futhi okubi kakhulu kuseza.
Abafile Nabafayo
Ukufa nembubhiso kudabula ezingxenyeni eziningi zeSahara yeAfrika. “Kwezinye izikhungo ezisemadolobheni,” kusho umbiko wamuva nje kumagazini wesayensi iNature, “ingculaza manje isiyimbangela ephambili yokufa kubantu abadala futhi ingenye yezinto eziphambili ezibangela ukufa kwezinsana.” Kwelinye idolobha laseAfrika, abapristi bathwele ubunzima bokubhekana nemingcwabo eminingi ehlobene nengculaza okumelwe bayiqhube.
Ngo-October 1991 izikhulu zohulumeni beCommonwealth ezazihlangene eHarare, eZimbabwe, zanikezwa izixwayiso ezilotshiwe ngengculaza eAfrika. Kwembulwa ukuthi phakathi kwamaphesenti angu-50 nangu-80 ayo yonke imibhede yasezibhedlela kwamanye amazwe aseAfrika ngalesosikhathi ayelala iziguli ezinengculaza. Ngokuqondene neUganda esesimweni esibucayi, isazi sengculaza uDkt. Stan Houston sembula ukuthi kakade eUganda ingculaza isibulale abantu abangaphezu kwabafa kuyo yonke iminyaka engu-15 edlule yempi yombango kulelozwe.
Okwethusa ngokufanayo yilokho okutholwa odokotela nososayensi eAbidjan, eCôte d’Ivoire. Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa, kwahlolwa izidumbu ezazisemakhazeni amabili amakhulu edolobha. Waba yini umphumela? Umagazini iScience, owawunalombiko, wembula ukuthi ingculaza yatholakala “iyimbangela ephambili yokufa” phakathi kwabantu abadala besilisa eAbidjan. Leliphephabhuku linezela ukuthi izibalo ezicashuniwe “cishe azikuhlanganisi ukufa kwangempela okubangelwa ukungenwa igciwane iHIV [Human Immunodeficiency Virus].”
Ngisho neWHO (INhlangano Yezwe Yezempilo), ebheka ukusakazeka kwalesifo emhlabeni wonke, iyavuma ukuthi lokhu kumane kuyingxenye encane emelele okukhulu okusafihlekile. Ngokwephephabhuku iNew Scientist, iWHO “iyaqiniseka ukuthi amazwe amaningi aseAfrika eseMpumalanga nePhakathi aye abika ingxenye eyodwa kuphela kweziyishumi yabaphethwe ingculaza . . . Imibiko ayiphelele futhi ayinembile ngenxa yokuthi ukulandelela akwenziwa kahle.”
Ukungenwa Igciwane Okungabonakali
Okunye okwethusayo ngengculaza ukuba nayo isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba kubonakale izimpawu ezingokomzimba ezibonisa ukuba khona kwayo ngokugcwele. Umuntu onengculaza angathwala igciwane iHIV emzimbeni wakhe kuze kube iminyaka eyishumi. Angase abukeke futhi azizwe ephilile. Ngaphandle kokuba isisulu sihlolelwe lesifo, asisoze sazi ukuthi sibhekene nokugula okubulalayo—kuze kube yilapho izimpawu zigadla! Yilengxenye yabantu ebukeka iphilile, nakuba inayo, esakaza ingculaza ngokungazi.
Ukuhlola amazinga okuhlaselwa igciwane iHIV kwembula izinga lomqedazwe obulalayo osusakazeke ngamandla ngalo eAfrika. Ngokwesibonelo, iphephabhuku iAfrican Affairs, libonisa ukuthi “indawo enabantu abaningi eduze neLake Victoria . . . ibika ukudlanga okukhulu kwegciwane [iHIV] . . . , kusukela emaphesentini ayishumi kuya kwangu-18 kubantu abadala ababhekwa njengabasengozini ngezinga eliphansi noma eliphakathi kuya emaphesentini angu-67 kulabo ababa nobuhlobo bobulili nabantu abaningi.” Ngokufanayo, iphephabhuku iNature lilinganisela ukuthi “kubantu abadala abavamile, lesifo siye sasakazeka njalo kusukela ngo-1984, sifinyelela ku-20-30% ezikhungweni ezisemadolobheni ezikhungethwe kakhulu yilesifo.” Cabanga—cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yabantu abadala igwetshelwe ukufa eminyakeni eyishumi!
Ohulumeni nabaholi, ababemanqikanqika ukwembula izinga lengculaza, manje bayakuqaphela ukwesabeka kwalomqedazwe. Owayengumongameli waseAfrika wanikeza imvume yokulwa nengculaza—ngemva kokuba indodana yakhe siqu ibulawe yiyo. Muva nje omunye umholi kahulumeni uxwayise ngokuthi kunabantu abangu-500 000 abanegciwane leHIV ezweni lakhe. Abaningi balaba babengazi ukuthi bagula kakhulu futhi babesakaza lomqedazwe ngokuziphatha kwabo okuxekethile.
“Batsheleni Ukuthi Kwenzekeni Lapha”
Njengoba amaphesenti abantu abangenwa igciwane iHIV enyuka njalo, inani labantu abagcina begula kakhulu futhi befa liyokwanda ngokuphawulekayo. Ngokomphumela liyoshiya usizi nokuhlupheka okukhulu. Emngceleni weUganda neTanzania ohlaselwe yingculaza, kwenzeka kuKhamlua oneminyaka engu-59 ubudala. Kusukela ngo-1987 useye wangcwaba izingane zakhe nabazukulu abangu-11—bonke beyizisulu zengculaza. “Thathani izikhalo zami nizisakaze ezweni” ekhala, ekhungathekiswe yilomonakalo. “Batsheleni ukuthi kwenzekeni lapha.”
Ngenxa yazo kanye izindlela ingculaza esakazwa ngazo, lokho okwenzeka kuKhamlua eAfrika kuyasongela nakwezinye izingxenye eziningi zomhlaba. ‘Kodwa,’ ungase ubuze, ‘kungani iAfrika ithwele ubunzima obungaka bosizi lwesintu nokuhlupheka?’
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 3]
Kwamanye amazwe asathuthuka, “ngo-1993, ingculaza iyobe isiyimbangela eyodwa enkulu kakhulu yokufa.”—IWorld Today, yaseNgilandi