Ukubuka Okwezwe
‘Abantu Abagugayo BaseChina’
“Inani labantu abagugayo eChina landa ngokuqhubekayo,” kubika umagazini i-China Today. “Ekupheleni kuka-1994 eChina kwakunabantu asebekhulile abayizigidi ezingu-116,97 ababeneminyaka engaphezu kwengu-60 ubudala, okuwukwanda ngamaphesenti angu-14,16 kunango-1990.” Abantu abaneminyaka engaphezu kwengu-60 manje sebengamaphesenti angaba yishumi enani lezakhamuzi zalelizwe, futhi inani labantu abagugayo belilokhu landa ngezinga elicishe liphinde kathathu ingqikithi yezakhamuzi zakhona. Banakekelwa kanjani? Nakuba iholo lomsebenzi, impesheni, umshuwalense wezenhlalo, nosizo olunikezwayo kuzanelisa izidingo zabaningi, abantu asebekhulile baseChina abangaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-57 bondliwa izingane zabo noma ezinye izihlobo. “Njengoba ubuhlobo bomkhaya eChina buqinile, futhi amaShayina enesiko elihle lokuhlonipha nokunakekela asebekhulile, abantu abaningi asebekhulile bahlala nezihlobo zabo, futhi zibanakekela kahle kakhulu,” kusho i-China Today. “Amaphesenti angu-7 kuphela abantu asebekhulile eChina ahlala wodwa.”
Izingane Eziyizisebenzi—Inkinga Ekhulayo
Ngokombiko wamuva nje we-International Labor Organization, izingane ezingamaphesenti angu-13 emhlabeni ezineminyaka ephakathi kweyishumi neshumi nane—izingane ezingaba izigidi ezingu-73—ziphoqelelwa ukuba zisebenze. Lombiko wanezela ukuthi ukube bezitholakala izibalo zezingane ezingaphansi kweminyaka eyishumi namantombazane asebenza isikhathi esigcwele emakhaya, inani lezisebenzi eziyizingane emhlabeni cishe beliyofinyelela emakhulwini ezigidi. Nakuba lenhlangano ezinze eGeneva sekuyiminyaka engu-80 izama ukulwa nokusebenza kwezingane, lenkinga iye yaqhubeka yanda futhi ibhebhetheka, ikakhulukazi e-Afrika naseLatin America. Nakuba izigidi zalezi zingane zibhekana nokugqilazwa nezimo zomsebenzi eziyingozi, ubufebe bavezwa njengenkinga enkulu. Lombiko uthi kwamanye amazwe, “abantu abadala babheka ukusebenzisa izingane ngezinjongo zobulili njengendlela ephambili yokuvimbela ukungenwa [i-HIV].” I-International Herald Tribune yaseParis yathi lenhlangano “yasola izikhulu zikahulumeni . . . eziyishaye indiva lenkinga.”
Ukuhlangabezana Nezidingo Zezingane
I-State of the World’s Children 1995, umbiko we-UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), ithi akunangqondo ukucabanga ukuthi izwe alinakukwazi ukuhlangabezana nezidingo eziyisisekelo zezingane. Ukuze icacise iphuzu, i-UNICEF inikeza amanani alandelayo: Izindleko ezilinganiselwayo zokuhlangabezana nesidingo somhlaba wonke sokondleka okwanele nokunakekelwa kwezempilo okuyisisekelo amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-56500 ngonyaka; imfundo yabaqalayo, amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-26-100; amanzi ahlanzekile nokukhucululwa kwendle, amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-39 200; ukuhlelwa komndeni, amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-26 100—okwenza ingqikithi yamaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-147 900 ngonyaka. Lombiko uthi qhathanisa lokho kanye nesilinganiso senani elichithwayo kakade ngonyaka ezintweni ezilandelayo: igalofu, amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-174 000; ubhiya newayini, amaRandi ayizigidi zezigidi ezingu-1,1; ugwayi, amaRandi ayizigidi zezigidi ezingu-1,7; ezempi, amaRandi ayizigidi zezigidi ezingu-3,5. Lombiko uthi zonke izingane emhlabeni ngokuqinisekile bezinganakekelwa ngokwanele ukube bekuhlelwa kahle izinto ezifanele eziza kuqala.
“Impi Entsha Yezidakamizwa”
Yileyo ndlela i-Times of India eyachaza ngayo imizamo yokuzimisela yezinkampani zikagwayi zase-United States ukuphoqelela imikhiqizo yazo e-Asia. Nakuba eNdiya kuphela unyaka ngamunye kufa okungenani abantu abayisigidi ngenxa yezifo ezihlobene nogwayi, uhulumeni waseNdiya awukawushayi umthetho onqabela ugwayi. Ngokombiko we-Times, lokhu kungenxa yokunxenxa okunamandla kwezinkampani zikagwayi, ezisezweni nezamazwe ngamazwe, kanye “nemithetho kahulumeni wase-United States esongela ngonswinyo lwezohwebo emazweni angakuvumeli ukuthengiswa kwemikhiqizo kagwayi yase-United States.” Kulinganiselwa ukuthi amaphesenti angu-99 omphakathi waseNdiya emaphandleni awayiqapheli ingozi ebangelwa ukubhema ugwayi. Ngokuvamile imithombo yezindaba iveza umuntu obhemayo njengozethembayo, okhangayo, nolondekile. Imincintiswano emikhulu yemidlalo ethandwayo, njengekhilikithi, ixhaswa izinkampani zikagwayi. Ugwayi futhi uwumthombo omkhulu wenzuzo kuhulumeni, obekelele imali ezinkampanini zikagwayi ezine.
Ukukholelwa Esihogweni Somlilo Kuyalahlwa
Umbiko weSonto LaseSheshi uye walahla umbono ovamile wokuthi isihogo siyindawo yomlilo nokuhlukunyezwa phakade. Ngokombiko weKhomishane Yezimfundiso yaleli sonto, “amaKristu aye amukela izimfundiso zenkolo ezishaqisayo ezenza uNkulunkulu isilwane esinonya futhi zashiya izibazi ezibuhlungu ezingokwengqondo kwabaningi.” Wanezela: “Kunezizathu eziningi zalolu shintsho, kodwa phakathi kwazo kunokumelana kwangaphakathi nokwangaphandle kwenkolo yobuKristu ngokumelene nenkolo yokwesaba, kanye nomuzwa owandayo wokuthi umbono kaNkulunkulu owahlulela izigidi ekuhlukunyezweni kwaphakade wawuhluke ngokuphelele ekwambulweni kothando lukaNkulunkulu ngoKristu.” Nokho, uthi umuntu ngamunye usabhekene nosuku lokwahlulela nokuthi labo abahlulekayo kulolu vivinyo bayobhujiswa, noma baqothulwe. I-Herald Tribune yaseNew York ithi: “Lombiko wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi awekho amathuba okuba bonke abantu bazo zonke izinkolo basindiswe ngokuzenzekelayo.”
Iqhawekazi Eliyinkawu
Umfanyana oneminyaka emithathu ubudala wawela endaweni ebiyelwe lapho kwakubukiswa khona ngezinkawu ezingu-7 zase-Afrika eBrookfield Zoo, edolobheni laseChicago, futhi wasindiswa enye inkawu yensikazi. Lomfana, owayedukelene nonina, wakhwela uthango lwensimbi olungamamitha angu-1,2 futhi wawela phansi kukhonkolo walendawo yombukiso amamitha angaba isithupha ukusuka phezulu, walimala ikhanda. Lenkawu eneminyaka engu-8 ubudala, uBinti Jua—igama lesiSwahili elisho “indodakazi yokukhanya kwelanga”—yasondela futhi ngobumnene yaqukula lomntwana olimele. Ebelethe umntanakhe emhlane, uBinti wathwala lomfana olimele ngezingalo futhi wamyisa emnyango wezosizo kulendawo yombukiso, wambeka ngokucophelela phansi lapho abanakekeli be-zoo babengamthatha khona. UBinti, owayeshiywe unina, “wayefundiswe amasu okukhulisa abantwana abanakekeli bakhe, ababemnikeza onodoli abangabantu ukuba abondle futhi abanakekele” ngaphambi kokuba yena azale, kubika i-Daily News yaseNew York. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi usekhange izinkulungwane zezivakashi futhi uye wavuzwa ngezipho zezithelo. Lomfana, owathola imihuzuko, walulama.
Zikhethele
“Ingabe unyaka omusha uwuqale kabi?” kubuza isihloko esithile kumagazini i-New Scientist. “Ungakhathazeki, kunezinye izinsuku zikancibijane okungenani ezingu-14 emhlabeni wonke ongakhetha kuzo.” Eqinisweni, amazwe asebenzisa ikhalenda kaGregory kuphela athi u-January 1 usuku lokuqala onyakeni. Ngo-46 B.C.E., uJulius Caesar nguyena owanquma ukuthi unyaka wawuzoqala ngo-January 1, futhi lokhu akuzange kushintshwe lapho uPapa Gregory ebukeza ikhalenda ngo-1582. Njengoba izizwe ezihlukene zazisungula izimiso zazo zamakhalenda, kwavela okungenani izinsuku zikaNcibijane ezingu-26 ezihlukene. Kulezo ezisekhona namuhla, isimiso samaShayina sidala kunazo zonke. Kuwona, uNcibijane uqala kulonyaka ngo-February 7. UNcibijane wamaJuda uzoba ngo-October 2. Ikhalenda lamaSulumane, elihambisana nezinyanga ngokuphelele, nalo liyoba nosuku lwalo—u-May 8.
Ukubhema Kuhlobene Nokufa Kwezinsana Ngokuzumayo
Izinsana nabesifazane abakhulelwe akufanele bachayeke entuthwini kagwayi, kusho abacwaningi baseBrithani. Ukuhlola kweminyaka emibili kweRoyal Hospital for Sick Children, eBristol, kwahlola zonke izinsana ezafa ngokuzumayo (SIDS [sudden infant death syndrome]) ezindaweni ezintathu eNgilandi. Lapho bexoxa nabazali bezinsana ezingu-195 ezafa nabanye bezingu-780 ezasinda, laba bacwaningi bathola ukuthi phakathi komama abafelwa izinsana, abangamaphesenti angu-62 babebhema, uma kuqhathaniswa namaphesenti angu-25 omama abanezinsana ezasinda. “Lokhu kucwaninga kwamuva kukwenza kucace ukuthi obaba ababhemayo nabo bayinkinga,” kusho uJoyce Epstein, we-Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths. “Uma besingaqeda konke ukubhema endaweni okunosana kuyo, sicabanga ukuthi ukufa kwezinsana ngokuzumayo [ngenxa ye-SIDS] bekuyoncipha ngo-61%.”
Igazi Lembula Imfihlo
Sekuyiminyaka engaphezu kwengu-60 kuhlolisiswa i-hemoglobin futhi kuthiwa mhlawumbe iyiprotheni ehlolwa kakhulu kunawo wonke emkhakheni wesayensi. Sekuyisikhathi eside kwaziwa ukuthi ithwala umoya-mpilo kusuka emaphashini iwuyise ezicutshini futhi ibuyise isikhutha ne-nitric oxide. Nokho, odokotela nososayensi bamangazwe okusha okutholakele okubonisa enye indima—ukuthwala i-nitric oxide ehluke ngokuphelele, ebizwa ngokuthi i-super nitric oxide, iyiyise kuzo zonke izingxenye zomzimba. Eqinisweni i-super nitric oxide ifeza indima ebalulekile empilweni nasekugcineni amangqamuzana nezicubu kuphila, kuhlanganise nokulondoloza inkumbulo nekhono lokufunda, isifiso sobulili, nomfutho wegazi. Ngokulawula izinga le-nitric oxide esemithanjeni yegazi emzimbeni, i-hemoglobin ingenza imithambo yegazi inwebeke noma ifingqeke. “Lokhu okutholakele cishe kuyoba nendima ephawulekayo ekwelapheni umfutho wegazi nasekwenzeni igazi lokuzenzela,” kubika i-New York Times. Okwamanje, izinto eziningi ezisetshenziswa esikhundleni segazi zinokuthambekela kokwenyusa umfutho wegazi. Abacwaningi bathi lokhu kungase kubangelwe ukuthi zintula i-super nitric oxide.