Isimo Sempi Yanamuhla
IKAMU lababaleki lalimiswe ngokuxhamazela ukuze kunakekelwe ababaleki abangu-1 548 abafika kungalindelwe bevela ezweni lase-Afrika elingumakhelwane. Kwahlonywa amatende anombala oluhlaza nokhakhi ebaleni elinodaka elisehlathini lamasundu. Kwakungenagesi noma izingubo zokulala, bengekho nompompi bamanzi noma izindlu zangasese. Izulu lalina. Ababaleki bavula imisele emincane ngezinti ukuze amanzi angagcwali ematendeni. Izinhlangano ezimbili zosizo zamazwe ngamazwe zasebenza ngokuxhamazela ukuze zithuthukise izimo zokuphila.
Ngaphambi kwalokho, laba babaleki babesebenzise ithuba lokugibela iloli eseligugile elithutha izimpahla ukuze babalekele impi yombango okwase kuyiminyaka ihlasele izwe lakubo. Le mpi yayingalwiwa ngezinqola zempi noma ngezindiza zamabhomu. Yaqala lapho amasosha angaba ngu-150 ayehlome ngezibhamu ehlasela izwe. Phakathi neminyaka eyalandela, la masosha anqoba amadolobhana amaningi, efuna intela ezakhamuzini, ebutha amasosha engeziwe, futhi ebulala noma ubani owayemelana nawo. Ekugcineni, anqoba lonke izwe.
Omunye wababaleki kuleli kamu kwakungowesifazane osemusha okuthiwa u-Esther. Wathi: “Isimo esidabukisa kunazo zonke engiye ngabhekana naso ekuphileni ukulahlekelwa umyeni wami kule mpi. Wadutshulwa. Abantu bayesaba kakhulu. Uma uzwa othile ememeza, ucabanga ukuthi kunozayo ozokubulala. Njalo uma ubona othile ephethe isibhamu, ucabanga ukuthi uzokubulala. Ngangihlala ngisovalweni. Kulapha kuphela lapho ngikwazi khona ukulala ebusuku. Ekhaya, babungehli ubuthongo. Lapha, ngilala ngife.”
“Ngisho nakuba la matende emanzi?” kubuza umlobeli we-Phaphama!
U-Esther wahleka. “Ngisho noma ngingalala odakeni, ngingalala kangcono kunendlela okwakungayo ekhaya.”
U-Ambrose, oneminyaka eyishumi ubudala, usechithe cishe konke ukuphila kwakhe bebalekela izimpi nomkhaya wakubo. Wathi: “Ngingathanda kube nokuthula ukuze ngibuyele esikoleni. Phela ngiyakhula.”
UKpana, oneminyaka engu-9 ubudala, unamehlo amahle ansundu. Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi yini ayikhumbula kahle kusukela esemncane, waphendula ngaphandle kokunqikaza: “Yimpi! Ukulwa!”
Uhlobo lwempi olwabalekelwa yilaba bantu luvamile eminyakeni yamuva nje. Ngokomthombo othile, ezimpini ezingu-49 ezinkulu eziye zalwiwa kusukela ngo-1990, ezingu-46 ziye zalwiwa ngezikhali ezincane kuphela. Ngokungafani nenkemba noma umkhonto, odinga ubuciko namandla ukuze uwusebenzise kahle empini, izikhali ezincane ziye zavula ithuba lokuba izimfundamakhwela nochwepheshe bahlanganyele empini.a Ngokuvamile kubuthwa intsha nezingane futhi ziphoqelelwe ukuba ziphange impahla, zigence abantu futhi zibabulale.
Eziningi zalezi zimpi azilwiwa amazwe, kodwa ziwumbango. Azilwiwa amasosha aqeqeshiwe enkundleni yempi, kodwa ngokuvamile zilwiwa yizakhamuzi emadolobheni nasemizini. Ngenxa yokuthi abaningi abalwayo abayiqeqeshelwe impi, akunazizathu ezivimbela ukwephulwa kwemithetho engokwesiko yempi. Ngenxa yalokho, ukuhlaselwa ngonya kwamadoda, abesifazane nezingane abangahlomile kuyinsakavukela. Kukholelwa ukuthi ezimpini zanamuhla amaphesenti angaphezu kwangu-90 alabo ababulawayo ayizakhamuzi ezingabuthelwe empini. Ezimpini ezinjalo kusetshenziswa kakhulu izikhali ezincane nezikhali ezilula.
Kuyiqiniso ukuthi akuzona izibhamu ezibangela impi ngokuqondile—kwase kuyisikhathi eside abantu belwa ngaphambi kokwenziwa kwazo. Nokho, ukunqwabelana kwezibhamu kungase kukhuthaze impi esikhundleni sokubonisana. Izikhali zingase zinwebe isikhathi sezimpi futhi zibhebhethekise ukucekwa kwabantu.
Nakuba izikhali ezisetshenziswa ezimpini zanamuhla ziyizikhali ezilula, ziye zaba negalelo elinzima. Phakathi nawo-1990, izikhali ezinjalo zabulala abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezine. Abanye abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-40 baye baba ababaleki noma bashiya amakhaya. Izikhali ezincane ziye zawohloza isimo sezombangazwe, sezenhlalo, sezomnotho nesemvelo emiphakathini ekhungethwe yimpi. Amazwe omhlaba aye achitha izinkulungwane zezigidi zamaRandi ekunikezeni usizo oluphuthumayo, ekunakekeleni ababaleki, ekulondolozeni ukuthula nasekulamuleni izimpi.
Kungani izikhali ezincane zinendima enkulu kangaka ezimpini zanamuhla? Zivelaphi? Yini engenziwa ukuze kuncishiswe noma kuqedwe ingozi yazo? Le mibuzo sizoyicabangela ezihlokweni ezilandelayo.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Inkulumo ethi “izikhali ezincane” isho izibhamu namavolovolo—izikhali ezingase zithwalwe umuntu oyedwa; inkulumo ethi “izikhali zempi ezilula” ihlanganisa izibhamu ezingontuluntulu neziciba-mabhomu, ngezinye izikhathi okudingeka abantu ababili ukuze zisetshenziswe.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]
UN PHOTO 186797/J. Isaac