I-DST—Umqondo Owafika Kungakabi Isikhathi?

Kungani kudingeka ukuba abaningi bashintshe isikhathi emawashini abo kabili ngonyaka? Ngempela kwabaningi kuba inkinga lapho kudingeka ukuba amawashi ayiswe phambili futhi ahlehliswe. Yikuphi okufanele kwenziwe, futhi kwenziwe nini? Inkulumo yesiNgisi ethi “spring forward and fall back” ikhumbuza abantu ukuthi ushintsho ngalunye lwenziwa nini, entwasahlobo nasebusika. Yaqala kanjani i-daylight saving time (DST)? Ubani owayiqala?

I-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi ngo-1784 uBenjamin Franklin wayengowokuqala ukusikisela umqondo wokonga isikhathi sasemini. Ngemva kweminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu, indoda eyiNgisi uWilliam Willett yawushisekela lo mkhankaso. Nokho, uWillett wafa ngaphambi kokuba lo mthetho uphasiswe ePhalamende.

Ngokomlobi waseBrithani uTony Francis, uWillett, owayengumakhi onguchwepheshe waseChislehurst, eKent, wabona ukubaluleka kokushintsha isikhathi ngelinye ilanga ekuseni ehlobo egibele ihhashi ePetts Wood. Phakathi nalolu hambo waphawula ukuthi izivalo zamafasitela zazisavaliwe emizini eminingi. Mhlawumbe wacabanga, ‘Badlala ngokukhanya kwasemini!’ Waqala umkhankaso wokuba iPhalamende LaseBrithani lishaye umthetho wokushintsha isikhathi emawashini. Ngokuqhuba isikhathi emawashini ngemizuzu engu-80, kane njalo ngemizuzu engu-20 isikhathi ngasinye, entwasahlobo nasehlobo futhi sibuyiselwe emuva ekwindla, kwakuyokwenza ukuba abantu bajabulele ukukhanya kwelanga okwengeziwe kusihlwa.

UFrancis ubika ukuthi uWillet wabhala kwelinye lamapheshana akhe: “Ukukhanya kungesinye sezipho ezinkulu uMdali azinika umuntu. Uma ukukhanya kwelanga kusisibekele, kuba nokwenama, ukukhathazeka kuyancipha futhi siyakhuthazeka njengoba sibhekene nezinkinga zokuphila.”

INkosi u-Edward VII ayizange ilinde ukuba lo mthetho uze uphasiswe ePhalamende. Wamemezela ukuthi iSandringham, isigodlo sakhe sasebukhosini esingamahekthare angu-7 900, yayiyindawo yokonga ukukhanya kwasemini (daylight saving zone). Kamuva wenza ushintsho olufanayo ezigodlweni zasebukhosini eWindsor naseBalmoral.

Yini eyashukumisela izazi zezombangazwe ukuba ekugcineni zivume futhi zisebenzise i-DST? Zazifuna ukonga uphethiloli ngeMpi Yezwe I ngokunciphisa isidingo sokusebenzisa izibani! Amanye amazwe nawo aqala ukuwamukela lo mqondo ngezizathu ezifanayo. Ngisho nokuphindwa kabili kwesikhathi sasehlobo kwaqala ukusetshenziswa eNgilandi phakathi neMpi Yezwe II. Lokhu kwenza ukuba kube nomehluko ongamahora amabili ehlobo nehora elilodwa ebusika.

Kunetshe eliyisikhumbuzo likaWilliam Willett, eliboniswe ngakwesokudla, ePetts Wood. Linikezelwe “enxuseni elingakhathali ‘lesikhathi sasehlobo.’” Umbhalo ongezansi kophawu lwesikhathi uthi: “Horas non numero nisi aestivas,” okusho ukuthi, “Angiwabali amahora ngaphandle uma [kungamahora] asehlobo.”

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 31]

With thanks to the National Trust