Ukuzimisela Ukusiza Izingane
IZOLO izingane ezingu-40 000 ezingaphansi kweminyaka eyisihlanu ubudala zifile emazweni asathuthuka. Ezinye ezingu-40 000 zizokufa namuhla. Ezinye ezingu-40 000 kusasa. Okuningi kwalokhu kufa kungavinjelwa.
Iminyaka eminingi lesimo siye sabizwa ngokuthi “isimo esibucayi esiwumshoshaphansi” noma “inhlekelele ewumshoshaphansi,” okusho ukuthi abantu abaningi abayiqapheli. Umkhulumeli waseU.S. weUN World Summit for Children eyayibanjelwe endlunkulu yeUN eNew York ngo-1990, uPeter Teeley wadabuka: “Uma izikhova ezimabhadubhadu ezingu-40 000 bezifa usuku ngalunye, bekuyoba khona ukuqhuma kwentukuthelo. Kodwa izingane ezingu-40 000 ziyafa, futhi akuqashelwa nakancane.”
Abanye banomuzwa wokuthi lomhlangano wezikhulu eziphakeme zikahulumeni ungase ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ukushintshe konke lokho. Izikhulu eziphambili, kuhlanganise nabaholi beZwe abangu-71, baba khona bevela emazweni angu-159. Bebonke bamelela amaphesenti angu-99 omphakathi womhlaba. Ukuvumelana ngazwi-linye kwafingqwa uMikhail Gorbachev, owathi: “Isintu ngeke sisakwazi ukulibekezelela iqiniso lokuthi izigidi zezingane ziyafa unyaka ngamunye.”
Ezinsukwini ezingaphambi komhlangano wezikhulu zikahulumeni, umhlaba wabonisa ukusekela kwawo. Amakhulu angokoqobo emihlangano yesizwe nomphakathi, imihlangano yokunikeza nokucubungula ukwaziswa, izimiso zokuqeqesha, kanye nezinkulumo-mpikiswano kwagxila osizini lwezingane. Abantu abangaphezu kwesigidi emazweni angu-80 bakhanyisa amakhandlela ukuze babonakalise ithemba labo lokuthi naphezu kwezinkinga kanye nezingozi ezingaphambili, umhlaba ungenziwa ube indawo engcono.
Usuku lokugcina lwalomhlangano lwahalaliselwa iUNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) “mhlawumbe njengosuku lwezingane olubaluleke kunazo zonke ezake zaba khona emhlabeni jikelele.” Kungani kwakunentshiseko engaka? Kungenxa yokuthi abaholi bezwe babethathe “Uhlelo Lwezinyathelo Ezizothathwa” ukuze kuncishiswe ukuhlupheka kanye nokufa kwabantwana ezweni lonke.
Kuyavunywa, umlando wemihlangano yezingxoxo phakathi kwezizwe ugcwele izithembiso ezingafezwa. Nokho, abaningi baba nomuzwa wokuba khona komoya omusha wokwethembeka nokubambisana okuwumphumela wokuphela kweMpi Yomshoshaphansi. UJames Grant, umqondisi ophethe weUNICEF, ngentshiseko wathi: “Abaholi beZwe noHulumeni, empeleni bathathe isinyathelo sokuqala esiyisa ekuthuthukiseni inhlalakahle yabo bonke abantu—‘yabantwana asebekhulile’ kanye nezingane—njengomgomo oyinhloko wentuthuko ohlelweni lwezwe elisha.”
Ngempela, ungakapheli unyaka ngemva komhlangano wezikhulu zikahulumeni, izizwe eziningi zase ziwenzile kakade amalungiselelo esizwe okusebenzisa izinqumo ezithathwe kulomhlangano. Lokhu kwashukumisela uMqondisi uGrant ukuba athi: “Manje sibona ithemba elingokoqobo ngempela lokuthi zonke izingane ziyoba nempilo ngonyaka ka-2000.”
Kodwa luyini ngempela usizi lwezingane, imfihlo eyihlazo yomkhaya womhlaba, eye yadalulwa imithombo yezindaba yomhlaba wonke? Ingabe manje, njengoba kunomoya wokubambisana wangemva kweMpi Yomshoshaphansi, kunesizathu esizwakalayo sokukholelwa ukuthi iZizwe Ezihlangene ziyovula indlela yohlelo lwezwe elisha? Ingabe singaba nethemba elingokoqobo lekusasa eliqhakazile ngezingane zethu? Izihloko ezimbili ezilandelayo zizoyicabangela lemibuzo.