Kungani IAfrika Ihlupheka Kangaka?
UJACOB, oneminyaka engu-42 ubudala, uyindoda egulayo. Unengculaza. Wasulela futhi umkakhe ngengculaza. “Umkami uyazi ukuthi wayithola kimina,” kuvuma uJacob.
Kodwa uJacob walithola kanjani leligciwane elibulalayo? Uyachaza: “Ngangihlala ngedwa eHarare, ngishayela ngisuka eZambia, ngidlule eZimbabwe, ngize ngiyofika phansi eBotswana naseSwazini. Umkami wayehlala nezingane zethu eManicaland [eZimbabwe]. Futhi thina bashayeli, senza ezinye izinto okwakufanele siziqaphele kakhulu.”
Umqedazwe Wokuziphatha Okuxekethile
Namuhla, ukuziphatha okuxekethile kobulili yikho ngokuyinhloko okubhebhezela ingculaza eAfrika. Kalula nje, “imithetho yobulili iwohloke kakhulu,” kuchaza umcwaningi wengculaza uDawn Mokhobo. Iphephabhuku iAfrican Affairs lithi “izingxenye zeSahara yeAfrika zibheka izingane njengezibaluleke kakhulu kodwa umshado njengongabalulekile kangako. Ubulili bangaphandle komshado, ngisho . . . nakuba buholela ekukhulelweni, abunqatshelwa ngokuqinile.” NgokweNature, umzila ovamile okucoshwa ngawo lesifo uqala ngesifebe. Umbiko uthi: “Izifebe zesifazane zitshala lomqedazwe kwabesifazane abaningi abanendoda eyodwa ngokuhlangana namadoda anokuziphatha okuxekethile.”
Ababaningi abazimisele ukushintsha ukuziphatha kwabo. IPanos Document ekhuluma ngengculaza eAfrika ilandisa okuhlangenwe nakho okulandelayo komcwaningi wezokwelapha eZaire: “Ngobunye ubusuku, ngemva kokuhlola igazi endaweni yasemaphandleni nabanye ozakwethu baseZaire, bahamba namanye amantombazane asendaweni. Balala nawo, futhi munye kuphela owasebenzisa icondom.” Lapho ebabuza ngokuzifaka engozini, “bahleka, bethi awunakuyeka ukujabulela ukuphila ngoba nje ungase uthole isifo.” Yebo, ukuba nobuhlobo bobulili nanoma ubani kubhekwa abaningi “njengokujabulela ukuphila.”—injabulo, ukuzijabulisa.
Njengakwezinye izingxenye eziningi zomhlaba, intsha ithambekele ngokukhethekile ekuziphatheni okuxekethile. Ukuhlola kwamuva nje okwenziwa entsheni engu-377 eNingizimu Afrika kwembula ukuthi amaphesenti angu-75 ayesehlanganyele ebuhlotsheni bobulili. Ngokufanayo, isithunywa sevangeli eAfrika eseningizimu ephakathi saphawula ukuthi “ambalwa amantombazane aneminyaka engu-15 angakakhulelwa.” Uyanezela: “Ubona intombazane encane, engashadile, bese ucabanga, ‘Ngonyaka ozayo ngalesikhathi, iyobe isikhulelwe.’”
Nokho, endabeni yaseAfrika, kunezinye izici eziye zasheshisa ukusakazeka kwengculaza.
Imikhaya Ehlakazekile
“Uma nje inani elikhulu lamadoda aseminyakeni yamashumi amabili namashumi amathathu ephoqeleka ukuba asebenze kude namakhosikazi nemikhaya yawo—kungaba sezimbonini ezisemadolobheni, ezimayini, emasimini noma ekushayeleni amaloli ahamba amabanga amade—ukusakazeka kwengculaza kuyoqhubeka ngokungalawuleki,” kusho iphephabhuku iAfrica South. Abafuduki baseAfrika babekezelela impilo enzima. Behlukanisiwe namakhosikazi nemikhaya yabo, abaningi balwa kanzima ukuze bathole izindawo zokuhlala nomsebenzi emadolobheni. Ngokwephephabhuku iAfrican Affairs, ukucindezela kokuzama ukuzondla yena nomkhaya emuva ekhaya kwenza umfuduki ukuba abhekane “nokukhungatheka nomuzwa wokunganeliseki.” Leliphephabhuku linezela ukuthi lokhu ngokuvamile kukhuthaza umfuduki ukuba “alahle imithwalo yakhe yemfanelo ngokuphelele.”
Ukushayela amaloli kuye kwaqokonyiswa ngokukhethekile njengezindlela eziyingozi ingculaza esakazwa ngazo. Njengoba omunye umshayeli weloli ekubeka, “Kumelwe ngiqiniseke ukuthi nomaphi lapho ngiya khona, nginentombi ezonginakekela.” Indawo evamile eyandisa ingculaza indawo yokuhlala esemijondolo yaseMpumalanga Afrika lapho izifebe ezingu-600 ziqhuba khona ibhizinisi lazo. Abaningi babaqashi bazo abashayeli bamaloli abafikela lokho abakubiza ngokuthi ikhefu letiye. Amazinga okungenwa yigciwane leHIV phakathi kwalezifebe liye lalinganiselwa emaphesentini angaphezu kuka-80. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, abashayeli bamaloli asebenegciwane baya “ekhefini letiye” elilandelayo futhi ekugcineni babuyela emakhaya abo—sonke lesikhathi basakaza lolusizi olubulalayo abaluthwele.
Bese kuba impi yombango nengxabano engokombangazwe—okuyizimo ezibangela kube khona izigidi zababaleki. “Lapho kukhona impi yezombangazwe neyombango,” kuphawula isazi sengculaza uAlan Whiteside, “kukhona ukuwohloka kokuziphatha okuvamile komphakathi. . . . Ababaleki abasuka kwenye indawo bathuthele kwenye bangase badlulisele igciwane kubantu abaningi futhi nabo ngokufanayo bangase babe nobuhlobo bobulili nabantu abaningi.”
Umonakalo Wezokwelapha
IAfrika engenazo izimali ezanele ayikwazi ukubhekana nezinkinga zayo zezokwelapha. “Emazweni amaningi aseAfrika imali yokunakekela impilo ehlelelwe ukunikezwa umuntu ngamunye ngonyaka ingaphansi kwezindleko zokuhlola igazi okukodwa ukuthi alinalo yini igciwane lengculaza,” kuchaza incwajana iUnderstanding & Preventing AIDS. Ngokufanayo, uKeith Edelston, umbhali wencwadi iAIDS—Countdown to Doomsday, uchaza ukuthi “ngisho nensipho yokubulala amagciwane ezintweni zokusebenza, noma isibulala-magciwane esivamile esisetshenziswayo lapho kusulwa okuchithekile, ngokuvamile akutholakali.”
Kwamanye amazwe aseAfrika umkhuba wokusebenzisa isyringe eyodwa ezigulini eziningi washukumisela uEdelston ukuba axwayise: “Qaphelani uma nidinga imijovo . . . eAfrika . . . Funa isyringe entsha nenaliti kukhishwe emaphepheni okusonga angenamagciwane ubhekile.”
Ingozi yokuthola igciwane ngephutha ibanciphisa ngokungathi sína ochwepheshe bezokwelapha. Odokotela ababili abasebenza esibhedlela saseNingizimu Afrika bathola imihuzuko yenaliti lapho belapha iziguli ezinengculaza. Bathola leligciwane futhi bafa. Ngenxa yalokho, odokotela abayisithupha ababevela kwamanye amazwe basula kulesosibhedlela.
Ngaphansi kwalezimo, akumangalisi ukuthi abaningi bawucabangela kabusha umkhuba wokumpompela enye yezinto ezishesha kakhulu ezandisa ingculaza—igazi! “Igazi elinengculaza lisalokhu liyindlela ebalulekile yokusakaza,” kusho iSouth African Medical Journal, inezela ukuthi “cishe namanje alihlolwa eAfrika ephakathi futhi cishe u-60% wegazi elinikelwe linegciwane.”
Ngaleyondlela, njengoba kakade ihlaselwe izinhlekelele eziningi, iAfrika iyahlupheka futhi. Futhi phakathi kwemiphumela ebuhlungu kakhulu yomqedazwe wengculaza eAfrika yilokho okuye kwenzeka kwabesifazane nezingane.
Abangenacala Abahluphekayo
ULucy uyisisulu esingenacala sengculaza. Wasulelwa umyeni wakhe oziphethe kabi. Manje, engumfelokazi oneminyaka engu-23 ubudala, uLucy ulwa nemizwa yakhe. Uthi: “Ngisazama ukucabanga ukuthi ngithande ukumkhumbula noma ngimzonde ngokungisulela.” Imizwa kaLucy ibuveza kahle ubuhlungu obujulile nokuhlupheka ingculaza ebuzwisa izisulu zayo ezingenacala.
“Nakuba igciwane iHIV emazweni asathuthuka liyongena abesifazane namadoda cishe ngenani elilinganayo,” kusho iphephabhuku iWorld Today, “amandla alo kwabesifazane cishe . . . ayoba mabi ngokungalingani.” Lokhu kunjalo ngokukhethekile ngeAfrika, lapho abesifazane—beneshwa elikhulu ngenxa yokungafundi, ubumpofu, namadoda afudukayo—bahlupheka buthule.
Kodwa umphumela obuhlungu kakhulu oshiywa ingculaza usezinganeni. IUNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) ilinganisela ukuthi njengoba izigidi ezingu-2,9 zabesifazane eAfrika zibulawa yingculaza kulelishumi leminyaka, izingane ezifinyelela ezigidini ezingu-5,5 ziyoba izintandane. Isikhulu sakwelinye izwe elinezintandane okungenani ezingu-40 000 ngenxa yengculaza sibika ukuthi kakade “kunemizi . . . yezingane zodwa.”
Inkinga efanayo eyomama abanegciwane nezingane zabo ezinegciwane. ISouth African Medical Journal ichaza ukuthi “umbuzo ovame ukuphakanyiswa umama wosana ogazi lwalo lunegciwane owokuthi ‘ubani oyofa kuqala?’”
Kungakho abesifazane abaningi bezizwa bengavikelekile engculazeni. Udokotela waseZambia uM. Phiri uthi: “Kufika abesifazane lapha bebuza ukuthi ukhona yini umuthi abangawuphuza ukuze bazivikele ekutholeni lesifo . . . Kukhona ukwesaba kokuthi nakuba bengase bazinakekele bona siqu, abangane babo bomshado, amadoda abo, angase angathembeki kanjalo. Lokhu kuyabakhathaza.”
Ngakho, yini umuntu oshadile angayenza lapho kutholakala ukuthi umngane wakhe womshado uye waziphatha ngokuxekethile? Uma inkambo yokuthethelela nokubuyisana ngokomshado ilandelwa, umngane onecala kufanele avume ukuhlolwa kwezokwelapha kokuthi akanalo yini igciwane iHIV. (Qhathanisa noMathewu 19:9; 1 Korinte 7:1-5.) Kuze kube yilapho imiphumela seyaziwa, abangane bomshado ababhekene nesimo esinjalo bangase banqume ukungahlangani ngokobulili noma okungenani ukuthatha izinyathelo zokuzivikela ekungenweni yigciwane.
Njengoba kuthatha isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba izimpawu zengculaza zibonakale, intsha ecabangela ukushada kufanele nayo iqaphele ngaphambi kokuzibopha ekushadeni nomuntu okuziphatha kwakhe kwangaphambili kungabazisa, ngisho noma manje ephila ngezindinganiso zobuKristu. Ngokuqondene naleliqembu elisengozini, isazi sengculaza saseTanzania, uDkt. S. M. Tibangayuka, usikisela ukuthi intsha ithathe isinyathelo sokuba “ihlolwe ukuthi ayinalo yini igciwane iHIV ngaphambi kokuba ishade.”
Eqinisweni, uma nje kusekhona ingculaza eAfrika, futhi empeleni, emhlabeni wonke, izisulu ezingenacala, kuhlanganise nabangane bomshado nezingane, ziyohlupheka.
[Isithombe ekhasini 7]
Kunezizathu eziningi zokuba ingculaza ibe nomphumela osabeka kangaka eAfrika
[Umthombo]
WHO/E. Hooper