Intsha Nezidakamizwa

“Ingabe kwakumelwe bafe?”

Lowo mbuzo wavela esembozweni sikamagazini waseBrazil i-Veja. Lawo magama ayehambisana nezithombe zabantu abasha abahle, abayimiqemane kodwa ababefile—bebulawa ukusebenzisa kabi izidakamizwa.

NAPHEZU kokuba bezazi kahle izingozi zokusebenzisa kabi izidakamizwa, abantu bayaqhubeka bezisebenzisa, futhi lokhu kuyaqhubeka kuwohloza ukuphila. Ukusebenzisa kabi izidakamizwa kudla i-United States imali engaba amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-940 ngonyaka kwezokwelapha, ngokwehla komkhiqizo emisebenzini, ngokungaholi kwabantu nangobugebengu. Nokho, kubonakala kuyintsha—izingane—ekhokha kabuhlungu. Ngokocwaningo lwaseBrazil olwavela kuyi-Jornal da Tarde, intsha engamaphesenti angu-24,7 ephakathi kweminyaka eyishumi kuya kwengu-17 ubudala isike yalinga isidakamizwa sohlobo oluthile.

Nakuba eminyakeni yamuva ukusebenzisa kwentsha izidakamizwa e-United States kuye kwathi ukwehla, kunezibalo ezethusayo zentsha eyimilutha. Cabangela izingane ezifunda amabanga aphakeme. Ngokocwaningo oluthile, okungenani ezingamaphesenti angu-37 ziye zabhema insangu ngonyaka odlule. Eyodwa kwezinhlanu iye yayibhema ngenyanga edlule. Cishe eyodwa kweziyishumi iye yalinga isidakamizwa i-ecstasy ngonyaka odlule. Ezingaphezu kwamaphesenti ayisithupha ziye zalinga i-LSD.

Iyethusa imibiko evela emhlabeni wonke. I-British Office for National Statistics ibika ukuthi “izingane zesikole ezingamaphesenti angu-12 ezineminyaka yobudala esukela kwengu-11 kuya kwengu-15 ziye zasebenzisa izidakamizwa ngonyaka odlule . . . Insangu iyona ebisetshenziswa kakhulu.” Okwethusa nakakhulu yiqiniso lokuthi “ezingaphezu kwengxenye yesithathu (ezingamaphesenti angu-35) ziye zanxenxwa ukuba zisebenzise isidakamizwa esisodwa noma ngaphezulu.”

Ngokufanayo umbiko oxhaswe yi-European Union wembula ukuthi phakathi kwentsha, “ukuphuzela ukudakwa sekuyinsakavukela.” Lo mbiko uthi futhi lokho “kusebenzisa kabi utshwala kuhlobene nemiphumela emibi esheshe ivele njengezingozi, ubudlova nokungenwa ubuthi, kanye nezinkinga zezenhlalakahle nezentuthuko.” Umbiko ovela eJapane uthi “izidakamizwa ezisetshenziswa kakhulu yintsha eJapane yilezo ezihogelwayo, ezingaba umhlahlandlela wokusetshenziswa kwezinye izidakamizwa.”

Akumangalisi-ke ukuthi kungani uNobhala-jikelele we-UN uKofi Annan athi: “Izidakamizwa ziyayiwohloza imiphakathi yethu, zidala ubugebengu, zisakaze izifo ezinjengengculaza, futhi zibulale intsha yethu nekusasa lethu.” Ngokuvamile, abantu abahileleke ezidakamizweni yibo abanamacala okushushumbisa izidakamizwa nokubulawa kwabantu okuhlobene nezidakamizwa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngenxa yokusebenzisa kabi izidakamizwa, abantu abaningi baba yizisulu zobudlova, bayalimala, noma bahileleke ebuhlotsheni bobulili obuyingozi nobungahleliwe. Futhi ungalokothi ucabange ukuthi umkhaya wakho ugonyiwe! Omunye umbiko kahulumeni wase-United States wathi: “Izidakamizwa aziyona nje inkinga yabantu abampofu noma yedlanzana labantu, noma yabahlala emadolobheni. . . . Abantu abasebenzisa izidakamizwa bavela kuzo zonke izizinda zokuphila nakuzo zonke izingxenye zezwe. Inkinga yezidakamizwa ithinta wonke umuntu.”

Nokho, akuvamile ukuba abazali bayibone le ngozi kuze kube yilapho sekwephuze kakhulu. Cabangela isibonelo sentombazane ethile yaseBrazil. “Wayephuza utshwala,” kuchaza udadewabo uRegina.a “Ekhaya babecabanga ukuthi akulutho. Kodwa lokhu kwamholela ekusebenziseni izidakamizwa nabangane bakhe babafana. Ngenxa yokuthi abazali bami babelokhu bezithalalisa izinkinga ayezidala, waba umhlambi kazalusile. Izikhathi eziningi wayenyamalala kungaziwa ukuthi uyephi. Kwakuthi njalo nje uma kutholakale intombazane ifile, amaphoyisa abize ubaba ukuba azobheka ukuthi akunakuba udadewethu yini! Lokhu kwawucindezela kakhulu umkhaya wakithi.”

I-World Health Organization inikeza izizathu ezinhlanu eziyisisekelo ezibangela ukuba intsha ihungwe yizidakamizwa:

(1) Ifuna ukuzwa ukuthi isikhulile futhi izenzele izinqumo zayo

(2) ayifuni ukwehluka kontanga

(3) ifuna ukuphumuza ingqondo nokujabula

(4) ithanda izinto eziyingozi nokuvukela

(5) ifuna ukwanelisa ilukuluku layo.

Ukutholakala kwezidakamizwa nokucindezela kontanga nakho kwandisa amathuba okuba umuntu osemusha aqale le nkambo yokuzibhubhisa. “Abazali bami abakaze basho lutho ngezidakamizwa. Esikoleni othisha babekhuluma ngale nkinga kodwa bengahlubi udlubu ekhasini,” kuchaza uLuiz Antonio, osemusha waseBrazil. Egqugquzelwa ngafunda nabo, waqala ukusebenzisa kabi izidakamizwa eneminyaka engu-14 ubudala. Kamuva lapho ezama ukuyeka, “abangane” bakhe ababephatha izidakamizwa bamcindezela ukuba aqhubeke nalo mkhuba bemsongela ngokumgwaza!

Uliqaphele yini iqiniso lokuthi kungenzeka ukuthi izingane zakho zisengozini? Yini oyenzile ukuze uzivikele ekusebenziseni kabi izidakamizwa? Isihloko esilandelayo sizodingida izindlela ezithile abazali abangavikela ngazo izingane zabo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 4]

“Izidakamizwa ziyayiwohloza imipha- kathi yethu, zidala ubugebengu, zisakaze izifo ezinjengengculaza, futhi zibulale intsha yethu nekusasa lethu.”—UNOBHALA-JIKELELE WE-UN UKOFI ANNAN

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]

© Veja, Editora Abril, May 27, 1998