Umlando Omude Wokulwa Nobugqila
“Ukuba yisigqila kusho lokhu: ukuxhashazwa ubekezele, ukuphoqwa ngobudlova ukuba ubekezelele ukoniwa.”—U-Euripides, umlobi wemidlalo yaseshashalazini ongumGreki wekhulu lesihlanu B.C.E.
UBUGQILA bunomlando omude, ngokuvamile omubi. Kusukela ezikhathini zemiphakathi yasendulo yaseGibithe naseMesopotamiya, izizwe ezinamandla ziye zagqilaza omakhelwane bazo abangenamandla. Waqala kanjalo-ke umlando odabukisa kakhulu wesihluku somuntu.
Phakathi nenkulungwane yesibili yeminyaka B.C.E., elaseGibithe lagqilaza isizwe sonke sabantu ababalelwa ezigidini ezimbalwa. (Eksodusi 1:13, 14; 12:37) Lapho elaseGrisi libusa eMediterranean, imikhaya eminingi yamaGreki yayinesigqila okungenani esisodwa—njengoba nje ngokuvamile umkhaya emazweni athile namuhla ungase ube nemoto. Isazi sefilosofi esingumGreki u-Aristotle sawuthethelela lo mkhuba ngokuthi isintu sihlukaniswé ngezigaba ezimbili, esamakhosi nesezigqila, futhi amakhosi anelungelo elingokwemvelo lokuyala, kanti izigqila zazalelwa nje ukuba zizithobe.
AmaRoma akhuthaza ubugqila ngisho nangaphezu kwamaGreki. Ezinsukwini zomphostoli uPawulu, mhlawumbe isigamu somphakathi womuzi waseRoma—cishe amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu—sasiyizigqila. Kubonakala sengathi uMbuso WaseRoma kwakudingeka uthole izigqila eziyisigamu sesigidi unyaka ngamunye ukuze zakhe izakhiwo zesikhumbuzo, zisebenze ezimayini, zilime amasimu futhi zisebenze ezithabathabeni zemizi yezingquphunga.a Ngokuvamile izithunjwa zempi zazisetshenziswa njengezigqila, ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi ukufuneka njalo kwezigqila ezengeziwe eRoma kwakuyisisusa esinamandla esasenza lo mbuso uhlale ulwa izimpi.
Nakuba ubugqila bathi ukudamba kancane ngemva kokuwa koMbuso WaseRoma, lo mkhuba waqhubeka. I-Domesday Book (ka-1086 C.E.), ilandisa ukuthi amaphesenti ayishumi ezisebenzi zaseNgilandi yenkathi ephakathi ayeyizigqila. Kodwa izigqila zazisatholakala ngokunqoba empini.
Nokho, kusukela esikhathini sikaKristu, alikho izwekazi eliye lahlukunyezwa ukuhweba ngezigqila njenge-Afrika. Ngisho nangaphambi kwesikhathi sikaJesu, abaseGibithe lasendulo babehweba ngezigqila zaseTopiya. Enkathini eyiminyaka engaba ngu-1 250, kulinganiselwa ukuthi bayizigidi ezingu-18 abantu base-Afrika abayiswa eYurophu naseMpumalanga Ephakathi ukuyoba yizigqila kulezo zindawo. Lapho amazwe aseMelika eba amakoloni kusukela ngekhulu le-16 leminyaka, kwavuleka imboni entsha yezigqila, futhi kungakabiphi ukuthunyelwa kwezigqila ngaphesheya kwe-Atlantic kwaba ngelinye lamabhizinisi achuma kakhulu emhlabeni. Izazi-mlando zilinganisela ukuthi phakathi kuka-1650 no-1850, kwathathwa izigqila ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-12 e-Afrika.b Eziningi zadayiswa ezimbonini zezigqila.
Imizabalazo Emelene Nobugqila
Phakathi namakhulu eminyaka, abantu nezizwe baye balwa ukuze bazikhulule ebugqilini. Ekhulwini lokuqala ngaphambi kukaKristu, uSpartacus wahola ibutho lezigqila zamaRoma ezingu-70 000 empini kamabuyaze yokulwela inkululeko. Ukuvukela kwezigqila zaseHaiti, cishe emakhulwini amabili eminyaka edlule, kwaphumelela, kwaholela ekumisweni kombuso ozimele ngo-1804.
Yiqiniso, ubugqila baqhubeka isikhathi eside kakhulu e-United States. Kwakunezigqila ezalwa kanzima ukuze zikhululeke zona nabathandekayo bazo. Kanti kwakukhona nabantu abakhululekile abalwa nobugqila ngobuqotho ngokusekela ukupheliswa kwabo noma ngokulekelela izigqila ezazeqa. Noma kunjalo, lo mkhuba wagcina unqatshelwe kulo lonke lelo zwe ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-19. Kodwa kuthiwani namuhla?
Ingabe Le Mizabalazo Yaba Yize?
“Akukho muntu oyokwenziwa isigqila; ubugqila nokuhweba ngezigqila kunqatshelwe ngazo zonke izindlela,” kusho i-Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Lowo mgomo, owamenyezelwa ngesasasa ngo-1948, uyatuseka ngempela. Abantu abaningi abaqotho baye badela isikhathi sabo, amandla nempahla ukuze bafinyelele lowo mgomo. Nokho, impumelelo ayitholakali kalula.
Njengoba isihloko esandulele sibonisa, izigidi zabantu zisafukuzela ize ezimweni ezinyantisayo, futhi eziningi zazo ziye zathengwa noma zadayiswa zingathandi. Naphezu kwemizamo enezinhloso ezinhle yokuqeda ubugqila—nokusayinwa kwezivumelwano zamazwe ezibunqabelayo—inkululeko yangempela yabo bonke isalokhu iwukuxosha utalagu. Umnotho wembulunga yonke uye wenza ukuhweba ngezigqila ngomshoshaphansi kwangenisa imali eshisiwe. Kodwa, kubonakala sengathi ubugqila buyaqhubeka buxhakathisa izingxenye ezithile zomphakathi wesintu. Ingabe lesi simo asinakulungiseka? Ake sibone.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Umthombo othile wasendulo ubonisa ukuthi amanye amaRoma ayizinjinga kungenzeka ayenezigqila ezibalelwa kwezingu-20 000.
b Abanye abashumayeli abangenazimiso babezisholo ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayekusekela lokho kudayiswa kwabantu ngesihluku. Ngenxa yalokho, abantu abaningi basenombono oyiphutha wokuthi iBhayibheli liyaluthethelela unya olunjalo, kodwa akunjalo. Siza ubheke isihloko esithi “Umbono WeBhayibheli: Ingabe UNkulunkulu Wayekuthethelela Ukuhweba Ngezigqila?” kuyi-Phaphama! ka-September 8, 2001.
[Izithombe ekhasini 20, 21]
Labo abathathwa e-Afrika ngemikhumbi yezigqila (ngenhla) babevame ukudayiswa ezimbonini zezigqila zaseMelika
[Imithombo]
Godo-Foto
Archivo General de las Indias