Inkinga Yokukhishwa Kwezisu—Ingabe Ukubulawa Kwezigidi Ezingu-60 Kuyikhambi?

IDIDEKILE, yethukile, ikhala, intombazane eneminyaka engu-15 ibuka isoka layo lihamba linengiwe. Liyibize ngokuthi iyisiphukuphuku ngenxa yokukhulelwa. Yayicabanga ukuthi bayathandana.

Owesifazane ulahlekelwa yithemba lapho eqaphela ukuthi ukhulelwe ingane yakhe yesithupha. Umyeni wakhe akasebenzi, futhi izingane zakhe zilala zingadlile nsuku zonke. Bangakwazi kanjani ukunakekela enye ingane?

“Kwenzeké ngesikhathi esibi kakhulu,” kuchaza owesifazane ogqoke kahle kudokotela wakhe. Ekugcineni uthole iziqu zakhe zobunjiniyela futhi usezoqala umsebenzi wakhe omusha. Umyeni wakhe umatasa kakhulu emsebenzini wakhe njengommeli. Bazositholaphi isikhathi somntwana?

Labantu bahluke kakhulu endleleni yabo yokuphila futhi babhekene nezinkinga ezihlukene, kodwa bakhetha ikhambi elifanayo: ukukhipha isisu.

Ukukhipha isisu kungenye yezimpikiswano ezivuthayo zalelishumi leminyaka, kuvusa izimpikiswano ezishubile emikhakheni yezombangazwe, yezenhlalo, yezokwelapha, neyezimfundiso zenkolo. E-United States, abamelene nokukhishwa kwezisu okusemthethweni bamashela amalungelo abangakazalwa. Iqembu labasekela ukukhishwa kwezisu okusemthethweni libambelele esisekelweni esingokomthetho esihlonishwa kakhulu senkululeko nelungelo lowesifazane lokuzinqumela. Abamelene nokukhishwa kwezisu baphikisana nabakusekelayo okhethweni, ezinkantolo, emasontweni, ngisho nasezitaladini.

Izigidi ziyaphikisana, zihlukaniswa yizimpikiswano ezivuthayo zohlangothi ngalunye. Wona kanye lamagama elithi “abasekela ukukhishwa kwezisu okusemthethweni” (pro-choice) nelithi “abamelene nokukhishwa kwezisu okusemthethweni” (pro-life) akhethwa ngokucophelela ukuze kunxenxwe abangabazayo. Kulenkathi lapho kukhulekelwa khona inkululeko, ubani obengeke akuthande ukukhetha? Kodwa-ke futhi, ubani obengeke akuthande ukuphila? Amaqembu asekela ukukhishwa kwezisu okusemthethweni aviva ngamakhothenga ukuze abonise ukufa kwabesifazane abacindezelwe abenza ukukhipha izisu okuyingozi okungekho emthethweni. Abasekeli beqembu elimelene nokukhishwa kwezisu okusemthethweni babukisa ngojeke abanemibungu ebulewe ngokukhishwa kwezisu njengesikhumbuzo esihlasimulisayo sezigidi ezife zingakazalwa.

Lonke lolusizi oluphathelene nokufa luchazwa ngokufanele encwadini kaLaurence H. Tribe ethi Abortion: The Clash of Absolutes. “Abaningi ababheka umbungu njengomuntu wangempela, abawubheka njengobaluleke kakhulu futhi bawukhalele, abavamile ukucabanga ngowesifazane owukhulelwe nosizi lwakhe lobuntu. . . . Abanye abaningi, abangase bacabange ngowesifazane nomzimba wakhe, okhalela ilungelo lakhe lokulawula lokho azinqumela khona, abavamile ukucabanga ngombungu ongaphakathi kwalowo wesifazane futhi abakubheki njengokungokoqobo ukuphila owawungase uvunyelwe ukuba ukuphile.”

Nakuba lempi yokuziphatha idlanga ngokuqhubekayo, izinkubela ezingakazalwa ezisukela ezigidini ezingu-50 kuya kwezingu-60 kulonyaka ziyosala enkundleni yempi yokulwelwa kwamalungelo.

Yiluphi uhlangothi olusekelayo kulempikiswano engokomzwelo? Ubungayiphendula kanjani lemibuzo eyisihluthulelo: Ingabe ukuzinqumela kuyilungelo lowesifazane eliyisisekelo? Ingabe ukukhipha isisu kuyathethelelwa ngaphansi kwanoma yiziphi izimo? Kuqala nini ukuphila? Futhi umbuzo wokugcina, nakuba ungavamile ukubuzwa uwukuthi: UMdali wokuphila nokuzalwa kwabantwana ukubheka kanjani ukukhipha isisu?

Ukukhipha isisu kunomlando omude. EGrisi naseRoma lasendulo, ukukhipha isisu kwakuwumkhuba ovamile. EYurophu ngeNkathi Ephakathi nangeNkathi Yempucuko, kwakubhekwa njengokuvumelekile kuze kube yilapho umntwana exhuma, okungukuthi, lapho umama esezwa ukuphila esizalweni. Inguquko engokobulili yafika nomphumela—izigidi zokukhulelwa okungafunwa.

Eminyakeni yawo-1960 kwaqala ukuvela komzabalazo wabesifazane, lapho kusekelwe khona lokho okuthiwa ilungelo lokuzala. Abanye babhikishela amalungelo okukhipha isisu ezisulu ezikhulelwe zokudlwengulwa noma zokoniwa izihlobo noma lapho impilo kamama isengozini. Ubuchwepheshe bezokwelapha buye benza kwaba nokwenzeka ukubona isizalo ukuze kuhlolwe ukuthi akukho yini ukukhubazeka okungase kuvele kulokho okuzozalwa kanye nobulili bomntwana. Ukukhulelwa kunqanyulwa ngesisekelo esingenathemba sesibikezelo sikadokotela. Abesifazane abaneminyaka engaphezu kuka-40 bangase bakhathazeke ngokukhubazeka.

Emazweni akhungethwe ubumpofu, abesifazane abaningi abangenalo usizo lokuvala inzalo banomuzwa wokuthi abanakukwazi ukondla izingane ezengeziwe. Futhi lapho benweba lokho okushiwo incazelo yokusekela ukukhishwa kwezisu okusemthethweni, abanye abesifazane abakhulelwe bakhetha ukubulala umbungu ngoba benomuzwa wokuthi akukabi yisikhathi esifanele sokukhulelwa noma ngenxa yokuthi sebeyabazi ubulili bomntwana ongakazalwa futhi bamane nje abamfuni.

Izimpikiswano eziningi ezivuthayo eziboniswa kulombango ziphathelene nempikiswano yokuthi kuqala nini ukuphila. Bambalwa abantu abalingabazayo iqiniso lokuthi ingqamuzana leqanda elihlangene nesidoda liyaphila. Umbuzo uwukuthi, liphila njengani? Ingabe liphila njengesicubu nje? Noma ingabe lingumuntu? Ingabe isithelo se-oki siyisihlahla se-oki? Khona-ke, ingabe umbungu ungumuntu? Ingabe unawo amalungelo omphakathi? Ukuphikisana ngamazwi akupheli. Yeka indlela okuyindida ngayo ukuthi esibhedlela esifanayo, odokotela bangasebenza ngokuzikhandla ukuze basindise ukuphila komntwana ozalwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi kodwa futhi baqede ukuphila kombungu wobudala obufanayo! Umthetho ungase ubavumele ukuba babulale umntwana osesizalweni, kodwa kuwukubulala uma umntwana engaphandle kwesizalo.

Ukufunwa ngokunamandla kokukhishwa kwezisu okusemthethweni kuvela kwabesifazane “abakhululekile” abanenkululeko enkulu yokusetshenziswa kwezinto zokuvimbela inzalo ukuze bavimbele ukukhulelwa kwasekuqaleni. Basekela ngentshiseko okuthile okubizwa ngokuthi amalungelo okuzala, kuyilapho eqinisweni kakade sebeye babonisa amandla abo okukhulelwa nokuzala. Abakufunayo ngempela yilungelo lokuqeda leyonzalo. Bazithethelela kanjani? “Umzimba wami!” Kodwa ingabe kunjalo ngempela?

Incwadi ethi Abortion—A Citizens’ Guide to the Issues iphawula ukuthi emasontweni okuqala angu-12 okukhulelwa, “isilinganiso esincanyana sesicubu esisesimweni esisaluketshezi kulula kakhulu ukusisusa.” Ingabe ukukhipha isisu kungabhekwa ngokufanele ‘njengokususa ulwelwesana lwesicubu’ noma “ukunqamula umkhiqizo wokukhulelwa”? Noma ingabe lamagama anongwe ngoshukela aklanyelwe ukwenza iqiniso elingathandeki linambitheke futhi akhulule onembeza abakhathazekile?

Lolocezu lwesicubu olungafunwa luwukuphila okukhulayo, okuneqoqo lakho eliphelele lama-chromosome. Njengomlando ongokwesiprofetho womlobi walo, lulandisa ngendaba eningiliziwe yokwakheka komuntu oyingqayizivele. Uprofesa wezokucwaninga ngombungu owaziwayo u-A. W. Liley uyachaza: “Ngokwesayensi yezinto eziphilayo, asikho isikhathi lapho singabonisa khona ukuthi umbungu umane nje uyisijobelelo sikamama. Ngokofuzo, umama nomntwana bangabantu abahlukile kusukela ekukhulelweni.”

Ukuziphatha Kokungabi Namthwalo Wemfanelo

Nokho, bengabekelwe mingcele yokukhipha izisu, abaningi abazange babe nomuzwa ocindezelayo wokuxwaya ukukhulelwa okungafuneki. Bakhetha ukusebenzisa ukukhipha isisu njengendlela elondekile yokubalekela noma yiziphi “izingozi” ezingase zivele.

Izibalo zibonisa ukuthi ukuthomba kuyashesha kakhulu kulelikhulu leminyaka. Ngakho, izingane ezisencane ziyakwazi ukuzala abantwana. Ingabe ziyafundiswa ngomthwalo wemfanelo omkhulu ohambisana nalelolungelo? Umuntu waseMelika ovamile ulahlekelwa ubumsulwa bakhe eneminyaka engu-16, futhi oyedwa kwabahlanu ulahlekelwa ubumsulwa bakhe ngaphambi kokufinyelela eminyakeni engu-13. Ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu zamadoda nabesifazane abashadile isasha amashushu namashende noma iye yenza kanjalo esikhathini esidlule. Ukukhipha isisu kuthola amakhasimende akulindele phakathi kwabaziphatha ngokuxekethile. Ngokufanayo kakhulu nesicelo esivamile sokuba ubufebe buvunyelwe ngokomthetho ukuze kunqandwe ukusakazeka kwengculaza, kungenzeka ukuvunyelwa ngokomthetho kokukhipha isisu kuye kwenza lomkhuba walondeka ngandlela-thile ngokokwelapha, kodwa kuye kwenza okukhulu ekubangeleni isimo esivundile lapho izifo zokuziphatha zichuma futhi zingase zichume khona.

Izisulu Zobudlova Noma Zesimo?

Ngokuthakazelisayo, ukuhlola kubonisa ukuthi ukukhulelwa ngenxa yokudlwengulwa kuyaqabukela kakhulu. Okunye ukuhlolwa okulandelanayo kwezisulu zokudlwengulwa ezingu-3 500 eMinneapolis, e-U.S.A., akubonisanga ngisho nesisodwa isenzakalo sokukhulelwa. Phakathi kokukhishwa kwezisu okungu-86 000 ezweni elaliyiCzechoslovakia, kungu-22 kuphela okwakubangelwe ukudlwengulwa. Ngakho, yingxenye encane kuphela yalabo abafuna ukukhipha isisu eyenza kanjalo ngenxa yalezizathu.

Kuthiwani ngalezozibikezelo ezethusayo zabantwana abakhubazeke ngokwesabekayo abanokukhubazeka kokuzalwa okungenakulungiswa? Beqala nje ukubona uphawu lwalenkinga, abanye odokotela bayashesha ukukhuthaza ukukhipha isisu. Ingabe bangaqiniseka ngempela ngalokuhlola? Abazali abaningi bangakufakazela ukuthi izibikezelo ezinjalo ezithusayo zingase zingabi nasisekelo, futhi banezingane ezijabulayo, ezinempilo ukuze bafakazele lokho. Abanye abanezingane ezibhekwa njengezikhubazekile bajabula ngendlela efanayo ngokuba abazali. Ngempela, iphesenti elilodwa nje lalabo abafuna ukukhipha isisu e-United States lenza kanjalo ngoba litshelwa ngokukhubazeka okuthile okungenzeka embungwini.

Nokho, phakathi nesikhathi osithathe ufunda lesihloko, kuye kwafa amakhulu abantwana abangakazalwa. Kwenzekaphi? Futhi kuthinteka kanjani ukuphila kwalabo abahilelekile?