Kungani Izingane Zingamasosha Akahle
WABULALA? “Cha.”
WAWUNASO ISIBHAMU? “Yebo.”
INGABE WAZAMA UKUNEMBA OTHILE NGESIBHAMU UKUZE UDUBULE? “Yebo.”
INGABE WADUBULA? “Yebo.”
KWENZEKANI? “Bavele bawa phansi.”—I-World Press Review ka-January 1996.
LENGXOXO eyethusayo phakathi kwesisebenzi sezenhlalakahle nengane eyisosha e-Afrika yembula ukudideka kwengqondo esencane ezama ukwamukela lokho okwenzeka esikhathini esidlule.
Eminyakeni yamuva, emazweni angu-25, izingane ezineminyaka engaphansi kuka-16 ubudala ziye zajoyinela impi. Phakathi no-1988 kuphela, izingane ezibalelwa ku-200 000 zazinengxenye enkulu ezimpini. Ngenxa yokuthi ziye zaxhashazwa abantu abadala, lezi zilwi eziseyizingane nazo ziyizisulu.
Ukubaluleka Kwazo Njengamasosha
Esikhathini esidlule, lapho amabutho ayesalwa ngemikhonto nangezinkemba, ayemancane amathuba okuba izingane zisinde empini yokumelana nabantu abadala abaphatha isikhali esifanayo. Kodwa lena inkathi yezikhali ezilula ngesisindo. Namuhla, ingane ihlonyiswa ngesibhamu esinguntuluntulu—i-AK-47 eyenziwa eSoviet noma i-M16 eyenziwe eMelika—esifanele umuntu osemdala.
Akukhona nje ukuthi lezi zikhali zinesisindo esilula kodwa futhi kulula ukuzisebenzisa nokuzilondoloza. I-AK-47 ingahlakazwa futhi ihlanganiswe ingane eneminyaka eyishumi. Futhi lezi zibhamu zixhaphakile. Sekuthengiswe ama-AK-47 athi awabe yizigidi ezingu-55. Kwelinye izwe lase-Afrika, zithengiswa ngemali ephansi engaba amaRandi angu-26. Nezibhamu zohlobo lwe-M16 ziyinala futhi zishibhile.
Ngaphandle kokuthi ziyakwazi ukusebenzisa izibhamu ezingontuluntulu, kunezinye izizathu ezenza ukuba lezi zingane zithandwe njengamasosha. Azikufuni ukukhokhelwa iholo ngenkani, futhi azivamile ukubaleka. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izingane zinesifiso esijulile sokujabulisa abantu abadala. Umuzwa wazo wokulungile nokungalungile wehlulwa isifiso sokwamukelwa inoma iliphi iqembu elilwela inkululeko noma ibutho labashokobezi eseliyingxenye “yomkhaya” kuzo.
Eziningi zithambekele ekubeni nesibindi. Ingqapheli yezempi eNtshonalanga Afrika yachaza: “Ngenxa yokuthi [izingane] zibonakala zingakuqondi ukufa njengamasosha asemadala, azivamile ukucela umaluju ezimweni ezingenathemba.” Umfana waseLiberia owayeziqhayisa, nowayaziwa ngelithi Captain Killing Machine, wathi: “Kwathi lapho amadoda amadala esebalekile, thina bafana abancane sahlala saqhubeka nokulwa.”
Ngokumangalisayo, nakuba abafana bengamasosha akahle, ngokuvamile babhekwa njengabangabalulekile. Kwenye impi eMpumalanga Ephakathi, amaqembu amasosha ayizingane ayalwa ukuba ahambe phambili anqamule endaweni okwakugqitshwe kuyo amabhomu.
Ukubuthwa Nokufundiswa
Ezinye izingane zijoyina amabutho noma izinhlangano zamavukela ngoba zifuna ukuzama izinto ezintsha. Futhi, lapho ingozi isongela futhi imikhaya ingenakuhleleka, izikhungo zempi zinikeza umuzwa wokulondeka futhi zithatha indawo yomkhaya. I-United Nations Children’s Fund ithi: “Izingane ezikhule zibona ubudlova zikubheka njengendlela yokuphila. Zingenabani, zishonelwe abazali, zesaba, zinesithukuthezi futhi ngokuvamile zikhungathekile zikhetha ukuba amasosha.”
Ezinye izingane zijoyina amabutho ngoba kungase kubonakale kungekho okunye okungcono ezingakwenza. Ngezinye izikhathi, lapho ukudla kuntuleka nengozi isongela, ukujoyina ezempi kungase kubonakale kuwukuphela kwendlela yokusinda.
Ngezinye izikhathi izingane zingase zizibheke njengabalweli bobulungisa emphakathini, izimfundiso ezingokwenkolo noma ukuqashelwa kwamasiko azo. Ngokwesibonelo, ePeru, izingane eziphoqelelwe ukuba zijoyine amabutho abashokobezi zizithola zichitha isikhathi esiningi zifundiswa ezombangazwe. Nokho, ngokuvamile lokho akudingekile. UBrian Milne, isazi sendabuko nokuhlalisana kwabantu esenza ukuhlola okumayelana nezingane ezingamasosha eNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia sathi: “Izingane azinazo izinkolelo ezithile noma indlela ethile yokuziphatha. Zimane zihehelwe kunoma iluphi uhlangothi bese zisetshenziswa.”
Noma kunjalo ezinye izingane ziyaphoqelelwa ukuba zijoyine. Kwezinye izimpi zase-Afrika, amavukela ahlasela imizana ngenjongo yokuthumba izingane, kamuva ezenziwa zibe ofakazi noma zibe nengxenye ekuhlukunyezweni nasekubulaweni kwemikhaya yazo. Ngezinye izikhathi ziphoqelelwa ukuba zidubule abazali bazo noma zibanqume. Lapho nje sebesatshisiwe, abafana bahehelwa ekwesabiseni abanye. Ngokuvamile lentsha ephathwa ngesihluku yenza izenzo zonya ngisho namasosha amadala anonya abengenakuzenza.
Ukubuyela Ekuphileni Okuvamile
Akulula ngezingane ezinjalo ukujwayela ukuphila okungenabo ubudlova. Umqondisi wesikhungo sezingane ezweni lase-Afrika eseNtshonalanga wathi: “Zonke izingane esiye sazelapha ziphazamiseke ngokomzwelo ngamazinga ahlukahlukene. Ziye zadlwengula, zabulala futhi zahlukumeza. Iningi lazo liye lanikezwa uphuzo oludakayo noma izidakamizwa, ikakhulu insangu, kodwa ngezinye izikhathi zinikwa i-heroin. . . . Ungase ucabange nje ukuthi izinto ezinjalo ziba nemiphumela emibi kanjani ezingqondweni zezingane, ezinye zazo ezisencane ezineminyaka engu-8 noma engu-9 ubudala.”
Kunesimo esifanayo eLiberia engumakhelwane, lapho amashumi ezinkulungwane zezingane eye achitha khona isikhathi sazo sobungane esabisa abantu abahlala emaphandleni. Akulula ngezinduna zempi nangojenene abasebasha ukushiya izikhundla namandla abawanikwa i-AK-47. Isakhamuzi saseSomalia sathi: “Uma unesibhamu, uyakwazi ukusinda. Uma ungenaso, uyafa.”
Ngokuvamile, izingane ezilwayo azikwazi ukuphindela emakhaya ngenxa yokuhlukunyezwa nokungamukelwa imikhaya yazo. Umeluleki wezingane eLiberia wathi: “Omama bavele bathi kithi, ‘Mgcineni. Asisasifuni lesi silwane endlini yethu.’”
Nakuba izingane eziningi ziye zakwazi ukushintshela ekuphileni okunokuthula, lokho kudinga uthando, ukusekela nokuqonda okukhulu kulabo abasondelene nazo. Akulula ngezingane noma ngemikhaya yazo. Isisebenzi sezenhlalakahle eMozambique siyachaza: “Qhathanisa ukuphila kokuthatha noma yini oyifunayo, kokutshela abanye ukuthi benzeni, nokuphila kwakho lapho ubuyela ekhaya. Ikakhulukazi uma uneminyaka engu-17 ubudala ungakwazi ukufunda futhi ungenamakhono omsebenzi. Ukuphila kuba nesithukuthezi. Kunzima ngempela ukuqala phansi utshelwe abanye abantu ukuthi yini okufanele uyenze futhi uqale ikilasi lokuqala esikoleni.”
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 5]
U-Anwar oneminyaka engu-13 ubudala uhlala e-Afghanistan. Umakadebona oselwe izimpi eziyisithupha, nowabulala ngokokuqala ngqá kweyesikhombisa. Wadubulela eduze amasosha amabili wabe esehlokoloza izidumbu ngesibhamu sakhe ukuze aqiniseke ukuthi ayefile. Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi wayezizwa kanjani ngalesi senzakalo, wabonakala umdida u-Anwar lombuzo. Wathi: “Ngajabula ngoba ngangibabulele.”
Phakathi nempi efanayo, amasosha akanye no-Anwar athumba amasosha amane ayizitha. Abe esewabopha, awavala amehlo futhi awadubula. U-Anwar wazizwa kanjani ngalokho? Isilwi esisesincane savele samangala futhi saphendula ngesineke ngamabomu, njengokungathi sikhuluma nesilima. “Ngajabula.”
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 6]
Isiboshwa esase sizokhululwa eNtshonalanga Afrika sasiboshwe izandla, kodwa umholi wezempi wayelahlekelwe izihluthulelo. Lomholi waxazulula lenkinga ngokunika isosha elingumfana umyalelo wokuba linqume izandla zalesi siboshwa. “Emaphusheni ami ngisayizwa leyo ndoda ikhala,” kusho lomfana. “Njalo uma ngicabanga ngayo, ngiyazisola.”