Ubumpofu—‘Isimo Esiphuthumayo Okungakhulunywa Lutho Ngaso’
“KUKHULUNYWA kakhulu ngesimo esiphuthumayo sokufudumala kwembulunga yonke nezingqimba ze-ozone nokungcoliswa kolwandle,” kusho umeluleki weZizwe Ezihlangene uDkt. Mahbub Ul-Haq, kodwa wanezela: “Ukufudumala kwembulunga yonke kanye nezinye izimo eziphuthumayo okukhulunywa ngazo kakhulu azikabulali muntu [kuyilapho] izimo eziphuthumayo okungakhulunywa lutho ngazo zibulala abantu abaningi emazweni asathuthuka nsuku zonke.” UDkt. Ul-Haq wakhuluma ngesinye salezo zimo eziphuthumayo okungakhulunywa ngazo. Wathi: “Ubumpofu ngempela buwumbulali omkhulu kunabo bonke.” Kanjani?
Kwabaningi abayizigidi zezigidi ezingu-1300 emhlabeni wonke abaphila ngamaRandi amane noma ngaphansi ngosuku, ngempela ubumpofu buba inhlekelele eyingozi. Umagazini i-UN Chronicle ubika ukuthi abantu abayizigidi ezingaba ngu-18 babulawa “ubumpofu” unyaka ngamunye. Leli nani liyashaqisa! Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ukuthi bekungaba “undab’uzekwayo” kangakanani uma bonke abantu base-Australia, abayizigidi ezingaba ngu-18, bebengabulawa indlala ngonyaka owodwa! Nokho, uhlelo lwe-UN Radio lwathi ukufa kwalezi zigidi zabantu abampofu “akukhulunywa kakhulu ngakho.” Eqinisweni, lokhu ‘kuyinhlekelele okungakhulunywa lutho ngayo.’
Ukuze kukhulunywe ngalenhlekelele, abameleli bamazwe angu-117 ababekuyi-World Summit for Social Development yokuqala ngqá bakhuluma ngezindlela zokusingatha inkinga yobumpofu emhlabeni wonke. UJames Gustave Speth, umqondisi we-United Nations Development Programme, wabakhumbuza: “Eminyakeni engu-150 edlule kwaba nomkhankaso wokulwa nobugqila emhlabeni wonke. Namuhla kumelwe sisungule umkhankaso womhlaba wonke wokulwa nobumpofu obubhidlangile.” Kungani kunalokhu kukhathazeka? Waxwayisa ngokuthi ubumpofu “bubangela ukuphelelwa ithemba nokuntengantenga futhi bufaka izwe lethu engozini.”
Nokho, njengoba izihambeli zalomhlangano zazidingida izindlela zokuqeda ubumpofu, ‘iwashi lobumpofu,’ elibonisa inani labantwana abazalwa emikhayeni empofu nsuku zonke, labonisa ukuthi isimo sobumpofu embulungeni yonke sasiba sibi kakhulu. Leli washi, elalixhonywe endaweni yalomhlangano, labonisa ukuthi phakathi naleyo ngqungquthela yesonto lonke, kwanezelwa abantwana abasanda kuzalwa abangaba ngu-600 000 kuloluhla lwabampofu olwanda njalo. Ekupheleni kosuku lokugcina lwalengqungquthela, leli washi lacishwa; kodwa eqinisweni, njengoba uSpeth aphawula, “leli washi lisahamba.” Umbuzo manje uwukuthi, Ingabe liyozwakala?