Liyini Ikusasa Lamadolobha?
“UKUBUKA amadolobha ethu ukubona ikusasa lethu.” Washo kanjalo u-Ismail Serageldin weBhange Lomhlaba. Kodwa ngokwalokho esesikubonile kuze kube manje, lelo kusasa alibonakali liqhakazile.
Kuyancomeka ukuthi kwenziwa imizamo emikhulu yokuthuthukisa ukuphila emadolobheni amaningi. Muva nje iNew York City iqede ukulungisa iTimes Square eManhattan. Ekuqaleni yayidume ngezikhungo zayo zobulili ezingcolile, izidakamizwa nobugebengu. Manje imigwaqo isigcwele izitolo ezithengisayo nezinkundla zemidlalo yaseshashalazini, eziheha izinkulungwane zezivakashi. INaples, e-Italy, “idolobha elikhazimulayo, eliphucuzekile elake laba sezingeni elifanayo neLondon neParis,” laba yincithakalo phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, ngokusho kukamagazini i-National Geographic. INaples yagcwala ubugebengu nesiphithiphithi. Kodwa lapho leli dolobha likhethwa njengendawo okuzobanjelwa kuyo ingqungquthela yezombangazwe ngo-1994, lajabulela ukuvuselelwa okukhulu kwenkaba yedolobha.
Yiqiniso, ukuba namadolobha alondekile nahlanzekile akuwona umdlalo. Izinga eliphakeme lokulondeka lisho ukuthi kufanele kuhlale kunamaphoyisa. Okunye okunciphayo ingasese. Ezinye izindawo zomphakathi zihlale zigadwe ngamakhamera e-TV kanye namaphoyisa angayigqokile iyunifomu. Njengoba uhamba epaki udlula imithombo yamanzi, izithombe eziqoshiwe noma iziqephu ezinezimbali, kungenzeka ukhona okubeke iso wena ube ungazi.
Ngezinye izikhathi ukuthuthukisa kuyabaphundla kakhulu abampofu. Cabangela lokho abanye abakubiza ngokuthi i-gentrification—inqubo lapho imikhaya ehola imali enkulu ithuthela ezindaweni okwakungezabampofu. Lesi simo sibangelwa ukushintsha komnotho—“ukusuka ekukhiqizeni izinto kuya ekwenzeni izinkonzo, ukusuka ekuthembeleni emakhonweni avamile kuya ekwenzeni izinto ngomshini.” (Gentrification of the City, ehlelwe nguNeil Smith noPeter Williams) Njengoba imisebenzi yezandla iya incipha kwanda isidingo sezisebenzi ezingochwepheshe, kwanda nesidingo sezindlu zikanokusho zabantu abaphezulu. Kunokuba behle benyuka beya emaphethelweni edolobha, ochwepheshe abaningi abahola kahle bakhetha ukulungisa imizi ezindaweni zabampofu.
Ngokuvamile, lokhu kuyayithuthukisa kakhulu leyo ndawo. Kodwa njengoba indawo ithuthuka, intengo yezinto iyaphakama. Abampofu bavame ukuzithola bengasakwazi ukuhlala ezindaweni abaye basebenza futhi bahlala kuzo iminyaka!
Ukufa Kwedolobha?
Kungenzeka amadolobha asanda kuqala ukuzwa ithonya loshintsho elilethwa ubuchwepheshe obusha. Njengoba i-Internet isithandwa kakhulu njengendlela yokuthenga nokwenza ezinye izinto zebhizinisi, lokhu kungase kube nemiphumela engalindelekile. Kakade ubuchwepheshe obusha sebukwenze kwaba lula ngamanye amabhizinisi ukuba aphume ngokuphelele edolobheni—ehamba nezisebenzi eziningi.
Njengoba ukuthenga nokusebenza nge-Internet kwanda, abantu bangase banqene ukuhamba baye ezindaweni zamabhizinisi eziminyene edolobheni. Incwadi ethi Cities in Civilization iveza ukuthi: “Singase sibone izisebenzi ezivamile, ikakhulukazi ezibamba amatoho, zisebenzela emakhaya noma ezindaweni ezihlala kuzo, . . . ngaleyo ndlela zinciphisa isiminyaminya sezimoto.” Umdwebi wamapulani uMoshe Safdie ngokufanayo uyabikezela: “Kule ndawo entsha, singase sibe nezigidi zamadolobhana ezisakazeke yonke indawo, zinikeza abantu abahlala kuzo ukunethezeka kwempilo yedolobhana kodwa zibanikeze ukuceba okuvamile kwasemadolobheni amakhulu adumile ngama-computer.”
Liyini Ikusasa Lamadolobha?
Izingqapheli eziningi zikholelwa ukuthi ngaphandle kobuchwepheshe, amadolobha anikeza izinkonzo nezinzuzo ezizoqhubeka ziheha abantu. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ikusasa liwaphatheleni, amadolobha anamuhla asenkingeni manje! Futhi alikho ikhambi elibonakala liseduze lezinkinga ezinkulu zezindlu nokukhucululwa kwendle kwezigidi ezandayo zabampofu abasemadolobheni. Futhi akekho umuntu oseye wathola izindlela zokuqeda ubugebengu, ukuwohloka kwendawo ezungezile noma ukungcoliswa kwamadolobha.
Abanye bangase bathi ohulumeni kufanele nje bamane bafake imali eningi ekuthuthukisweni kwamadolobha abo. Kodwa uma ucabangela umlando ohulumeni abaningi abanawo ekuphatheni izimali zabo, ingabe kunengqondo ukucabanga ukuthi ukuxazulula izinkinga zamadolobha kulula njengokusayina isheke? Emashumini amaningi eminyaka adlule incwadi ethi The Death and Life of Great American Cities yathi: “Kukhona inganekwane ebuhlungu yokuthi ukube nje besinemali eyanele . . . , besingayiqeda yonke imijondolo yethu . . . Kodwa bheka ukuthi yini esiye sayakha ngezigidi zezinkulungwane zokuqala: Izindawo zabantu abahola imali encane eziphenduka zibe yizikhungo ezimbi zobuhlongandlebe, ukucekelwa phansi kwempahla nokungabi nathemba esikhundleni sokuthatha indawo yaleyo mijondolo.” La mazwi aseyiqiniso.
Kodwa uma imali ingelona ikhambi, yini eyikhambi? Kufanele sikhumbule ukuthi amadolobha akhiwa abantu, hhayi nje izakhiwo nemigwaqo. Ngakho-ke empeleni, ngabantu okufanele bashintshe ukuze ukuphila kwasemadolobheni kuthuthuke. “Umnotho omkhulu wedolobha ngukunakekelwa kwabantu nentuthuko yabo,” kusho uLewis Mumford kwethi The City in History. Ukuze kuqedwe ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa, ukudayisa ngomzimba, ukungcola, ukuwohloka kwendawo ezungezile, ukungalingani ngokwenhlalo, ukucekela phansi impahla, ukubhalwa kwezindonga nokunye, kudingeka okungaphezu kwamaphoyisa amaningi nokupenda kabusha izakhiwo. Abantu kufanele basizwe ukuze benze ushintsho olukhulu ekucabangeni kwabo nasekuziphatheni kwabo.
Ukushintsha Kwenqubo Yokuphatha
Ukwenza ushintsho olukhulu kangako ngokusobala kungaphezu kwamandla abantu. Ngakho imizamo yokuxazulula izinkinga zamadolobha anamuhla—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi inezinhloso ezinhle kangakanani—iyohluleka nakanjani. Kodwa abafundi beBhayibheli abaphelelwa yithemba, ngoba babheka izinkinga zasemadolobheni namuhla njengesinye isibonelo sokuhluleka komuntu ukuphatha iplanethi yethu kahle. Amadolobha anamuhla anesiphithiphithi afakazela amazwi eBhayibheli akuJeremiya 10:23: “Indlela yomuntu ayikuye uqobo; akukuyo indoda ukuba ihambe, iqondise izinyathelo zayo.” Imizamo yomuntu yokuzibusa iye yabangela usizi olukhulu—izinkinga ezinkulu kakhulu emadolobheni ethu.
Ngakho, abahlala emadolobheni emhlabeni wonke bangathola induduzo esithembisweni seBhayibheli esikusAmbulo 11:18, sokuthi uNkulunkulu ‘uyochitha labo abachitha umhlaba.’ Njengoba kungewona umbono omubi, lokhu kubonisa ikusasa eliqhakazile lesintu. Kuthembisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzophatha umhlaba wethu ngohulumeni, noma uMbuso. (Daniyeli 2:44) Izigidi ngeke zisaphila ngobubha, zingenazo izindlu ezikahle nezinto eziyisisekelo zenhlanzeko, zingenasithunzi noma zingenathemba. Ngaphansi kokubusa kukahulumeni kaNkulunkulu, abantu bayojabulela ukuchuma ngezinto ezibonakalayo, ubungqabavu nezindlu ezinhle.—Isaya 33:24; 65:21-23.
Leli zwe elisha liwukuphela kwekhambi langempela ezinkingeni zamadolobha anamuhla.
[Izithombe ekhasini 8, 9]
Kwenziwa imizamo yangempela ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukuphila emadolobheni amaningi
INaples, e-Italy
INew York City, e-U.S.A.
ISydney, e-Australia
[Umthombo]
SuperStock
[Isithombe ekhasini 10]
Izwe elisha likaNkulunkulu linikeza ikhambi ezinkingeni zabantu abahlala emadolobheni namuhla