Ukuphela Kwenkathi—Ithemba Lesikhathi Esizayo?

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EJALIMANE

PHAKATHI kuka-1987 no-1990, ukuzamazama komhlaba okunesilinganiso esingu-6,9 noma ngaphezulu esikalini sikaRichter kwazamazamisa izingxenye zase-Armenia, eChina, e-Ecuador, e-Iran, ePhilippines, nase-United States. Kwafa abantu abangaba ngu-70000 futhi kwalimala abanye abangamashumi ezinkulungwane, kuyilapho abangamakhulu ezinkulungwane basala bengenamakhaya. Umonakalo wafinyelela ezinkulungwaneni zezigidi zamaRandi.

Noma kunjalo, akukho kulokhu kuzamazama komhlaba okwazamazamisa abantu abaningi, noma okwenza kanjalo ngamandla, njengokunye ukuzamazama komhlaba okwanyakazisa izwe ngesikhathi esifanayo. Kwakuwukuzamazama komhlaba kwezombangazwe, okwaletha ukuphela kwenkathi. Ngokwenza kanjalo, kwashintsha ikusasa lezigidi.

Yini eyaholela esenzakalweni esivelele kangaka? Yayiyoba yini imiphumela yaso?

I-glasnost Ne-perestroika

UMikhail Gorbachev wamiswa njengonobhala-jikelele weNhlangano YamaKhomanisi yaseSoviet Union ngo-March 11, 1985. Izakhamuzi zaseSoviet, kanye nezingqapheli zomhlaba eziningi, zazingalindele izinguquko ezinkulu kwezombangazwe phakathi nokuphatha kwakhe.

Esikhathini esingaphansi konyaka kamuva, u-Arkady Shevchenko, owayengumeluleki wezombangazwe kangqongqoshe wezangaphandle waseSoviet, futhi owayeyisekela likanobhala-jikelele weZizwe Ezihlangene iminyaka emihlanu, waphawula ngokuqonda okukhulu lapho ebhala: “I-U.S.S.R. ifike kwangqingetshe. Uma izinkinga ezicindezelayo zezomnotho nezingokwenhlalo zingaxazululwa esikhathini esizayo esiseduze, ukuwohloka okwengeziwe esimisweni sayo sezomnotho akunakugwenywa, ngaleyo ndlela kubeka engozini kona kanye ukusinda kwayo ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. . . . Ngokuqinisekile uGorbachev usungule indlela entsha . . . Kodwa kusazobonakala ukuthi ubuphathi bakhe buzoyivulela inkathi entsha yini i-U.S.S.R. . . . Ubhekene nezinkinga cishe ezingenakunqotshwa.”

Isikhundla sikaGorbachev samnikeza ithonya lezombangazwe ayelidinga ukuze angenise emphakathini waseSoviet inkambiso ayekhulume ngayo kudala ngo-1971. Kwakuyi-glasnost, esho “ukwaziswa komphakathi” futhi yayimelela inkambiso yokuziveza ngokomthetho izinkinga zaseSoviet. Yayidinga umphakathi okhululekile, lapho izakhamuzi zaseSoviet nabacosheli bezindaba babeyoba nenkululeko eyengeziwe yokuzikhulumela. Ekugcineni, i-glasnost yavula indlela yokuba umphakathi ukwazi ukuwugxeka ngokusobala uhulumeni neminye imisebenzi yawo.

Elinye igama uGorbachev ayeselisebenzise isikhathi eside lalithi “perestroika,” okuyigama elisho “ukwakha kabusha.” Endabeni eyanyatheliswa ngo-1982, wakhuluma “ngesidingo sokwakhiwa kabusha ngokwengqondo okufanele” emkhakheni wezolimo.

Ngemva kokuba umholi weSoviet Union, uGorbachev wayeqiniseka ukuthi kwakumelwe kwakhiwe kabusha ukulawulwa kwezomnotho. Wayazi ukuthi kwakungeke kube lula ukukufeza—mhlawumbe kungenzeki ngisho nokwenzeka ngaphandle kokuba kuhambisane noshintsho lwezombangazwe.

Intshiseko kaGorbachev ekusebenziseni izinkambiso ze-glasnost ne-perestroika yayingasho ukuthi wayezimisele ukuqeda ubuKhomanisi. Akunjalo. I-Encyclopædia Britannica iyachaza: “Umgomo wakhe kwakuwukuqala uguquko lokulawula uhulumeni. Wayengafuni ukubukela phansi isimiso saseSoviet, kodwa wayefuna ukusenza siphumelele kakhudlwana.”

Ukuncishiswa kwemibandela okwaba khona ngenxa yalezi zinkambiso kwabangela ukungakhululeki phakathi kwamanye amalungu obuholi beSoviet Union. Kwaba njalo kubaholi bakwamanye amazwe aseMpumalanga. Nakuba abaningi babo babesiqaphela isidingo sokuhlelwa kabusha kwezomnotho, akubona bonke ababevuma ukuthi izinguquko zezombangazwe zazidingeka noma zazifiseleka.

Noma kunjalo, uGorbachev wazisa imibuso yaseMpumalanga Yurophu eyayimsiza ukuthi yayikhululekile ukuba ibe nezinhlelo ze-perestroika zayo siqu. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, uGorbachev waxwayisa iBulgaria—futhi eqinisweni namanye amazwe aseMpumalanga—ukuthi nakuba izinguquko zazidingeka, kufanele kuqashelwe ukuba ingashatshalaliswa indima eyinhloko yeNhlangano YamaKhomanisi.

Kuqala Ukuntengantenga

Ukugxekwa kobuKhomanisi, kokubili eSoviet Union nasemazweni aseMpumalanga, kwase kwandile phakathi naleyo minyaka. Ngokwesibonelo, kusukela ekuqaleni kwawo-1980, umagazini ophuma masonto onke waseHungary i-HVG (Heti Világgazdaság) wawulokhu ubekela inselele imibono yamaKhomanisi adla ngoludala, nakuba wawugweme ukuyigxeka ngokuqondile iNhlangano YamaKhomanisi.

I-Solidarity, okuyinyunyana yokuqala ezimele emazweni aseMpumalanga, yasungulwa ePoland ngo-1980. Nokho, imvelaphi yayo isukela emuva ngo-1976, lapho iqembu lezihlubuki labumba i-Workers’ Defense Committee. Ekuqaleni kuka-1981, i-Solidarity yayinamalungu ezisebenzi ezingaba izigidi eziyishumi. Yaphikelela ukuba kube nezinguquko zezomnotho nokhetho olukhululekile, igcizelela izimfuno zayo ngeziteleka ngezinye izikhathi. Uvumela usongo lokungenela kweSoviet, uhulumeni wasePoland ekugcineni wayiqeda lenyunyana, nakuba yaqhubeka isebenza ngomshoshaphansi. Iziteleka zokufuna ukuqashelwa uhulumeni zaholela ekuvunyelweni ngokomthetho futhi kwalenyunyana ngo-1989. Ngo-June 1989 kwaba nokhetho olukhululekile, futhi kwakhethwa amalungu amaningi e-Solidarity. Ngo-August, ngokokuqala ngqá eminyakeni engaba ngu-40, undunankulu ongelona iKhomanisi wayekhonza ePoland.

I-glasnost ne-perestroika, kanye nezinkinga ezazisezweni lamaKhomanisi, kwakuwaguqula ngempela amazwe aseMpumalanga.

I-perestroika Yezombangazwe Iholela Ekuvukeleni

“Kuze kube ngo-July 1987,” kubhala uMartin McCauley wase-University of London, “zonke izinto kwakubonakala zihamba ngendlela kaMikhail Gorbachev.” Ngisho nakamuva ngo-June 1988, kuyi-Communist Party Conference ye-19 eMoscow, kubikwa ukuthi uGorbachev wathola “ukusekelwa kabanzi okuntula intshiseko ngezikhathi ezithile kokusetshenziswa kwezinhlelo zakhe.” Kodwa kwakusobala ukuthi wayebhekene nezinkinga ngokwakha kabusha iNhlangano YamaKhomanisi nohulumeni waseSoviet.

Ngo-1988, izinguquko zomthetho-sisekelo zavumela ukuba esikhundleni se-Supreme Soviet kungene i-U.S.S.R. Congress of People’s Deputies, amalungu ayo angu-2250 aqokwa ngemva konyaka okhethweni olukhululekile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, lamasekela akhetha phakathi kwawo izigungu ezimbili zesishaya-mthetho, ingxenye ngayinye eyayinamalungu angu-271. UBoris Yeltsin waba ilungu elivelele lalesi sishaya-mthetho. Ngokushesha waveza ukuhluleka kwe-perestroika futhi wadonsela ukunakekela ezinguqukweni ayenomuzwa wokuthi zazidingeka. Ngakho, ngisho noma uGorbachev anyuselwa ekubeni umongameli ngo-1988, okuyisikhundla ayefuna ukusivuselela futhi asiqinise, ukumelana naye kwaqhubeka kwanda.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, imibuso emibili enamandla, iSoviet Union ne-United States, yayimatasa inciphisa amabutho ezempi futhi iqeda usongo lwenuzi. Isivumelwano ngasinye esasenziwa sasivuselela ithemba elisha lokuthi ukuthula komhlaba kwakungafinyelelwa—kangangokuba umbhali uJohn Elson waphawula ngo-September 1989: “Izinsuku zokugcina zawo-1980, kubakhulumeli abaningi, zimelela uhlobo oluthile lokuphela kwezikhali. Kubonakala sengathi impi yomshoshaphansi isiphelile; kubonakala sengathi ukuthula kuba khona ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba.”

Khona-ke kwafika u-November 9, 1989. Nakuba lwalusaqinile uDonga LwaseBerlin, ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-28, lwadilizwa futhi ngokushesha lwayeka ukuba uphawu oluyisithiyo phakathi kweMpumalanga neNtshonalanga. Ngokulandelana ngokushesha okukhulu, amazwe aseMpumalanga Yurophu akuyeka ukubusa kokusebenzela uhulumeni. Encwadini yakhe ethi Death of the Dark Hero—Eastern Europe, 1987-90, uDavid Selbourne wakubiza ngokuthi “kungolunye loshintsho olukhulu emlandweni: ushintsho lwentando yeningi, futhi ngokuyinhloko olumelene nokuphatha kukahulumeni, imiphumela yalo eyozwakala isikhathi eside ngemva kokuba abashoshozeli balo, nabantu abalubona, bengasekho.”

Lapho selufinyelele umvuthwandaba walo, lolu shintsho lokuthula lwashesha lwaphela. Uphawu olubonakala ePrague, eCzechoslovakia, lwalufingqa ngalendlela: “EPoland—Iminyaka Eyishumi; eHungary—Izinyanga Eziyishumi; eMpumalanga Jalimane—Amasonto Ayishumi; eCzechoslovakia—Izinsuku Eziyishumi. Khona-ke, ngemva kwesonto elisabekayo, eRumania—Amahora Ayishumi.”

Ukuqeda Impi Yomshoshaphansi

Umlobi uSelbourne uthi: “Indlela isimiso sasempumalanga yeYurophu esawa ngayo yayifana ngokuphawulekayo.” Khona-ke uyanezela: “Ngokusobala into eyagqugquzela kwakuwukuthatha amandla kukaGorbachev eMoscow ngo-March 1985 nokuqeda kwakhe i-‘Brezhnev Doctrine’, eyayiphuca kabuhlungu imibuso yasempumalanga yeYurophu isiqinisekiso sosizo nokungenela kweSoviet uma kwenzeka kuqubuka ukuvukela okusakazekile.”

I-New Encyclopædia Britannica ibiza uGorbachev ngokuthi “uwukuphela komsunguli obaluleke kakhulu wochungechunge lwezenzakalo ekupheleni kuka-1989 no-1990 ezaguqula isimo sezombangazwe saseYurophu futhi zaphawula ukuqala kokuphela kweMpi Yomshoshaphansi.”

Yiqiniso, uGorbachev wayengeke ayiqede iMpi Yomshoshaphansi eyedwa. Ebonisa lokho okwakuyolandela ngokushesha, undunankulu waseBrithani uMargaret Thatcher wathi ngemva kokuhlangana naye okokuqala: “Ngiyamthanda uMnu. Gorbachev. Singasebenzelana naye.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, ubuhlobo obungavamile phakathi kukaThatcher nomongameli waseMelika uReagan kwenza uThatcher wamqinisekisa ukuthi kwakuyinkambo yokuhlakanipha ukusebenzelana noGorbachev. UGail Sheehy, umlobi wencwadi ethi Gorbachev—The Making of the Man Who Shook the World, uyaphetha: “UThatcher wayengazihalalisela ngokuba ‘umxhumanisi wobuhlobo bukaReagan noGorbachev, ngomqondo ongokoqobo.’”

Njengoba kuye kwenzeka ngokuvamile emlandweni, abantu abayinhloko baye baba sezikhundleni ngethuba elifanele ukuze balethe izinguquko ebezingeke zibe khona ngaphandle kwabo.

Kufufusa Isimo Esingesihle

Njengoba iMpumalanga neNtshonalanga yayijabulela ukuthi iMpi Yomshoshaphansi yayifinyelela ekupheleni, kwakusongela isimo esingesihle kwenye indawo. Izwe lalinganakile ngo-1988 lapho lizwa ukuthi e-Afrika kwakubulawa abantu abayizinkulungwane eziningana eBurundi ekugqashukeni kobudlova bobuhlanga. Futhi aliyiqaphelanga imibiko eyayivela eYugoslavia ngo-April 1989 yokuthi kwakugqashuke ubudlova bobuhlanga obubi kunabo bonke kusukela ngo-1945. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, inkululeko enkulu eyayibonakala eSoviet Union yayiphumela ekuyaluzeni kwezakhamuzi. Amanye ama-republic ayenza ngisho nemizamo yokuthola ukuzimela.

Ngo-August 1990, amabutho ase-Iraq angena eKuwait, ayinqoba phakathi namahora angu-12. Lapho amaJalimane, esikhathini esingaphansi konyaka ngemva kokuwa koDonga LwaseBerlin, ayegubha umkhosi wokuhlanganiswa kweJalimane, umongameli wase-Iraq wayeqhosha: “IKuwait ingeyase-Iraq, futhi asisoze sayiyeka ngisho noma kungadingeka ukuba siyilwele iminyaka engu-1000.” Ngo-November iZizwe Ezihlangene zathatha isinyathelo futhi zasongela ngokuhlasela uma i-Iraq ingahoxi eKuwait. Izwe futhi lase lisonqenqemeni lwenhlekelele, futhi ngokuyinhloko kwakubangwa amandla okulawula uwoyela.

Ngakho, ingabe amathemba okuthula nokulondeka ayevuselelwe ukuphela kweMpi Yomshoshaphansi ayezophela ngaphambi kokuthela izithelo? Funda ngalokhu kumagazini wethu olandelayo esihlokweni esithi “‘Uhlelo Lwezwe Elisha’—Luqale Ngokuntengantenga.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

UDonga LwaseBerlin lwayeka ngokungazelele ukuba uphawu oluyisithiyo phakathi kweMpumalanga neNtshonalanga

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 12]

Gorbachev (left) and Reagan: Robert/Sipa Press