Izikhali Ezincane, Izinkinga Ezinkulu

EMASHUMINI eminyaka, izingxoxo zokunqanda izikhali zazigxile ezikhalini zenuzi. Lokhu akusona isimanga, ngoba ibhomu elilodwa lenuzi lingabhubhisa idolobha lonke. Nokho, ngokungefani nezikhali ezincane, lezi zikhali ezinamandla kakhulu sezineminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50 zingasetshenziswa empini.

Isazi-mlando sezempi esihlonishwayo uJohn Keegan siyabhala: “Kusukela ngomhla ka-9 August 1945, izikhali zenuzi azikabulali muntu. Iningi labantu abangu-50 000 000 abaye bafa ezimpini kusukela ngalolo suku liye labulawa yizikhali ezishibhile, ezikhiqizwa ngobuningi futhi ezincane, ezishibhe njengomsakazo namabhetri okuye kwagcwala emhlabeni wonke phakathi nenkathi efanayo. Ngenxa yokuthi izikhali ezishibhile azikuphazamisanga ukuphila kwasemazweni asethuthukile, ngaphandle kwasezindaweni ezithile lapho ukushushumbisa izidakamizwa nobuphekula bezombangazwe kwande khona, imiphakathi yamazwe acebile iye yephuza ukuqaphela umonakalo lokhu okuye kwawuletha.”

Akekho owazi ngokuqondile ukuthi zingaki izikhali ezincane nezikhali zempi ezilula ezikhona, kodwa ochwepheshe balinganisela ukuthi izibhamu zempi zingase zibe yizigidi ezingu-500. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunamashumi ezigidi zezibhamu ezivamile namavolovolo asezandleni zezakhamuzi nje ezivamile. Kanti ngaphandle kwalokho, kukhiqizwa izikhali ezintsha bese ziyadayiswa unyaka ngamunye.

Izikhali Ezikhethwayo

Kungani izikhali ezincane ziye zaba yintandokazi ezimpini zamuva? Ngokwengxenye isizathu sixhomeke ebuhlotsheni obukhona phakathi kwempi nobumpofu. Izimpi eziningi ezalwiwa ngawo-1990 zazisemazweni ampofu—ampofu kakhulu ukuba angathenga izikhali zobuchwepheshe eziphambili. Izikhali ezincane nezikhali zempi ezilula ziwumtitilizo. Ngokwesibonelo, amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-380, okungaba yinani lendiza yempi eyodwa yesimanje, lingahlomisa ibutho ngezibhamu zempi ezingu-200 000.

Ngezinye izikhathi, izikhali ezincane nezikhali zempi ezilula zishibhe nangaphezu kwalokho. Amabutho empi adilizwayo aphana ngenani elikhulu lalezi zikhali, noma zidluliselwa ezimpini ezihlukahlukene. Kwamanye amazwe izibhamu zempi ziningi kangangokuthi zidayiswa ngo-R45 kuphela noma umuntu angazitholela zona ngembuzi, inkukhu noma isikhwama esinezingubo zokugqoka ezindala.

Nokho, ngaphandle kwentengo ephansi nokutholakala kwazo kuyo yonke indawo, kunezinye izizathu ezenza izikhali ezincane zithandwe kangaka. Ziyingozi. Isibhamu esisodwa sempi singakhipha izinhlamvu ezingamakhulu ngomzuzu. Futhi kulula ukuzisebenzisa nokuzinakekela. Ingane eneminyaka eyishumi ingafundiswa ukuhlakaza nokuhlanganisa isibhamu. Futhi ingane ingafunda ngokushesha ukukhomba nokudubula iqembu labantu ngaleso sibhamu.

Esinye isizathu esenza izibhamu zithandwe siwukuthi ziqinile futhi zisebenza iminyaka eminingi. Izibhamu ezinjenge-AK-47 ne-M16, ezazisetshenziswa amasosha eMpini YaseVietnam, zisasetshenziswa nasezimpini zanamuhla. Ezinye izibhamu ezisetshenziswa e-Afrika zazikhona ngeMpi Yezwe I. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kulula ukuthutha nokufihla izibhamu. Ihhashi elilodwa lingathwala izibhamu ezingaphezu kweshumi liziyise ebuthweni elisekujuleni kwehlathi noma entabeni eqhelile. Umhlambi wamahhashi ungathwala izibhamu ezanele ukuhlomisa ibutho elincane.

Izibhamu, Izidakamizwa Namadayimane

Ukuhwebelana ngezibhamu embulungeni yonke kuyinkimbinkimbi. Amazwe athumelana inani elikhulu lezibhamu ngokomthetho. Ngemva kweMpi Yomshoshaphansi, kwancishiswa amabutho emazweni aseMpumalanga naseNtshonalanga, futhi ohulumeni bapha noma badayisela abangane babo nozakwabo izikhali ababengasazidingi. Ngokomlobi e-Peace Research Institute e-Oslo, eNorway, kusukela ngo-1995 elase-United States lilodwa liye laphana ngezibhamu, amavolovolo, izibhamu ezingontuluntulu neziciba-mabhomu ezingaphezu kuka-300 000. Kuthiwa ukuphana ngezikhali kushibhile kunokuzincibilikisa noma ukuzigcina nokuzigada. Abanye abahlaziyi balinganisela ukuthi kungenzeka kunezikhali ezincane nezikhali zempi ezilula ezingadla amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-20 ezithunyelwa kwamanye amazwe ngokomthetho unyaka ngamunye.

Nokho, uhwebo olungemthetho kungenzeka lukhulu kunalokho. Izikhali ezidayiswa ngokungemthetho ngokuvamile kufanele zithengwe. Kwezinye izimpi zase-Afrika, amabutho aye athenga izikhali ezincane nezikhali zempi ezilula ezidla izindodla zamaRandi, awangakhokha ngemali, kodwa akhokha ngamadayimane athathwe ezindaweni ezimba idayimane. I-New York Times yathi: “Uma ohulumeni bekhohlakele, amavukela-mbuso aba nonya futhi kuba lula ukunqamula imingcele . . . La matshe akhazimulayo aseyizimbangela zokugqilazwa, ukubulawa, ukucekwa kwabantu, ukuswela amakhaya kwabantu abaningi nokuwohloka komnotho kabanzi.” Yeka indlela okuyindida ngayo ukuthi itshe eliyigugu okuthengwa ngalo izibhamu zempi kamuva lingase lidayiswe esitolo semigexo kanokusho njengophawu olubizayo lothando oluhlala phakade!

Izikhali zihlobene futhi nokuhweba ngezidakamizwa okungemthetho. Ngokuvamile, izinhlangano zobugebengu zisebenzisa imizila efanayo ukuze zithole izibhamu ngokushushumbisa izidakamizwa. Ngakho izikhali sezinjengemali yokuhwebelana ngezidakamizwa.

Ngemva Kokuthula Kwezikhali Zempi

Lapho izimpi ziphela, izibhamu ebezisetshenziswa kuzo ngokuvamile zigcina zisezandleni zezigebengu. Cabangela okwenzeka ezweni elithile eliseningizimu ye-Afrika elabhekana noshintsho kusuka odlameni lwezombangazwe kuya ebudloveni bobugebengu. Udlame lwezombangazwe kulelo zwe lwabulala abantu abangaba ngu-10 000 eminyakeni nje emithathu. Lapho leyo mpi iphela, ubudlova bobugebengu babhebhetheka. Ukuncintisana kosomathekisi kwabangela “izimpi zamathekisi,” lapho kwakuqashwa khona izigebengu ukuba zidubule abagibeli nabashayeli bezinkampani eziyizimbangi. Kwakusetshenziswa izibhamu zempi ekuphangeni nakwezinye izenzo zobugebengu. Inani labantu ababulawa ngokudutshulwa lifinyelele ku-11 000 onyakeni wamuva nje, isibalo sesibili esiphakeme kunazo zonke emhlabeni emazweni angekho empini.

Ukwazi ukuthi izigebengu zihlomile futhi ziyingozi kubangela ukwesaba nokungalondeki. Emazweni amaningi asathuthuka, abacebile bahlala ezinqabeni, ezizungezwe yizindonga nocingo olunogesi ezihlala zigadiwe imini nobusuku. Izakhamuzi zasemazweni asethuthukile nazo zithatha izinyathelo zokuphepha. Lokhu kuyiqiniso ngisho nasezindaweni ezingakaze zibe nezimpi zombango.

Ngakho kokubili emazweni lapho kunezimpi khona nasemazweni lapho “kunokuthula” khona, izibhamu zibangela ukuntengantenga kwezimo. Akukho muntu ongalinganisa umphumela obulalayo wezibhamu; futhi asinakuziveza izibalo eziqondile zabafile, abalimele, abashonelwe nabasele dengwane. Nokho, siyazi ukuthi izwe ligcwele izikhali nokuthi izibalo ziyaqhubeka zenyuka. Kunezikhalo ezandayo zokuba kwenziwe okuthile. Kodwa yini engenziwa? Yini eyokwenziwa? Lena yimibuzo esizoyicabangela esihlokweni esilandelayo.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Owayekade Eyisosha Uzizwa ‘Eyisiwula’

Umfana owayekade eyisosha empini efanayo eyenza abantu baba ababaleki okukhulunywe ngayo esihlokweni sokuqala wazithola ewuzulane futhi engenalo nesenti elimnyama edolobheni ayesizile ekunqotshweni kwalo. Wayedabukile lapho elandisa ukuthi wabona indodana yomholi wabo ihamba edolobheni ngesithuthuthu sikanokusho nababekade behola empini bebanga izikhundla nenhlonipho yomphakathi. Leli sosha lathi: “Uma ngicabanga ngeminyaka emihlanu engayichitha ehlathini, ngibulala abantu futhi ngidutshulwa, ngizizwa ngiyisiwula. Sasidela ukuphila kwethu ngenxa yabantu abangeke bakhumbule kusasa ukuthi bafike kanjani lapho bekhona.”

[Umthombo]

COVER and page 7: Boy soldier: Nanzer/Sipa Press

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 8]

“Akunandlela Yokusicashela”

Isibhamu sanamuhla sempi, nakuba siyingozi, sinokulinganiselwa. Sidubula ngezinhlamvu kuphela. Asinakubabulala abantu abacashe ngezindonga eziqinile noma ngothango. Lapho lisovalweni ngenxa yempi, isosha alikwazi ukunemba kahle. Uma siphethwe ngesandla, ngisho nasezimweni ezinhle, sinemba kuze kufinyelele ebangeni elingamamitha angu-460 kuphela.

Ibutho lempi lase-United States linekhambi “lezinkinga” ezinjalo—isibhamu esisha, sobuchwepheshe obuphambili, esisebenza ngaphansi kwazo zonke izimo okuthiwa i-Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW). Njengoba ilula ukuba ithwalwe yisosha elilodwa, i-OICW ayidubuli nje ngezinhlamvu kuphela kodwa futhi nangezimbumbulu ezingamamilimitha angu-20—eziyiziqhumane. Esinye isici esiyingqayizivele: Ingabulala izitha ezizifihle ngothango. Okumelwe isosha likwenze nje ukukhomba endaweni engenhla noma eceleni komuntu elifuna ukumdubula. Lesi sibhamu sona sibala ibanga ukuya kulowo muntu bese siciba isiqhumane ngethuluzi elincane lomshini ukuze siqhume ebangeni elifanele, sishaye isisulu ngezinhlamvu eziyingozi. “Ikhono laso eliyingqayizivele lizokwenza amabutho ase-United States akwazi ukudubula ngisho nasemajikeni,” kusho ummeleli wenkampani eklama lesi sikhali. Isibonakude somsebe oyi-infrared siyokwenza lesi sikhali sinembe ngisho nasebumnyameni.

Abaklami balesi sibhamu bathi “akunandlela yokusicashela,” besho nokuthi lesi sikhali siyoba yingozi ngokuphindwe kahlanu kunesibhamu i-M16 nesiciba-mabhomu i-M203 ngisho nasebangeni eliphindwe kabili. Akudingeki ukuba amasosha asisebenzisayo akhathazeke ngokunemba kahle; kudingeka abheke nje ngesibonakude abese ecindezela inkinobho ekhipha intilibathwa yezinhlamvu neziqhumane. Uma ukuklanywa kwaso kuqhubeka ngokohlelo, ibutho lokuqala lezempi liyobe selihlome nge-OICW ngonyaka ka-2007.

Nokho, abacusumbuli bayabuza: Lesi sibhamu siyosetshenziswa kanjani lapho amasosha egade ezindaweni ezinabantu abaningi, lapho kungenzeka khona ukuba izitha zibe phakathi kwabantu abangenacala? Kuthiwani uma i-OICW idayiselwa amabutho empi emhlabeni wonke, wona angase ayisebenzisele ukuhlasela abantu bakubo? Kuthiwani uma lesi sikhali sigcina sisezandleni zamaphekula nezigebengu?

[Umthombo]

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[Izithombe ekhasini 6]

Ngokuvamile izikhali ezincane nezikhali zempi ezilula zithengwa ngamadayimane nezidakamizwa