Igebe Eliphakathi Kwabacebile Nabampofu

KUNGAKHATHALISEKI ukuthi yimaphi amagama asetshenziswayo lapho echazwa, amazwe asethuthuke kakhulu, anezimboni futhi achumayo kwezomnotho anezinga eliphakeme lokuphila, kuyilapho lawo angenazo izimboni, futhi ngenxa yalokho ampofu kwezomnotho, enezinga eliphansi lokuphila. Kunjengokungathi la mazwe awatholakali emhlabeni ofanayo.

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi lezi zimo zokuphila ezimbili zingase zitholakale ngisho nasezweni elilodwa. Ake ucabange ngamazwe acebile okukhulunywe ngawo esihlokweni esandulele. Kula mazwe kunabantu abacebile kanye nabampofu. Ngokwesibonelo, e-United States, cishe amaphesenti angu-30 ayo yonke imali engena ezweni atholwa amaphesenti ayishumi kuphela emikhaya ecebile kulelo zwe. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, imikhaya empofu kunayo yonke engamaphesenti angu-20 ithola amaphesenti nje amahlanu ayo yonke imali engena ezweni. Kungenzeka ukuthi kunesimo esifanayo ezweni ohlala kulo, ikakhulu uma abantu abasesigabeni esiphakathi bembalwa lapho. Kodwa ngisho nohulumeni bamazwe anabantu abaningi abasezingeni eliphakathi abakakwazi ukulivala ngokuphelele igebe lezomnotho eliphakathi kwabacebile nabampofu.

Isimo Sokuphila Sabacebile Asingcono Kunesabampofu

Asikho kulezi zimo zokuphila esingathi singcono. Ake ucabange ngezingqinamba ezisobala zalabo abahlala emazweni ampofu. Izinkonzo zokunakekelwa kwempilo azanele. Nakuba amazwe angu-9 acebe kunawo wonke abalwe ebhokisini elikuleli khasi enodokotela oyedwa obhekene nezakhamuzi ezingu-242 kuya kwezingu-539, kodwa amazwe angu-18 ampofu kunawo wonke asilela kakhulu, ngoba udokotela oyedwa ubhekene nezakhamuzi ezingu-3 707 kuya kwezingu-49 118. Ngakho-ke, kuyaqondakala ukuthi kungani isikhathi okulindeleke ukuba abantu basiphile emazweni acebile siyiminyaka engu-73 noma ngaphezulu, kuyilapho emazweni angaphezu kwesigamu ampofu kakhulu, siyiminyaka engaphansi kwengu-50.

Emazweni ampofu amathuba emfundo nawo alinganiselwe kakhulu, okubangela ukuba izingane zikhule ziphila ngobumpofu. Ukuntuleka kwala mathuba kubonakala ngezibalo zabangafundile. Nakuba amazwe angu-7 kwangu-9 acebe kunawo wonke enenani labafundile elingamaphesenti ayikhulu (amanye amabili anezinga elingamaphesenti angu-96 nangu-97), amazwe angu-18 ampofu kunawo wonke anenani labafundile eliqala kumaphesenti angu-81 lehlele kwangu-16, kanti ayishumi kulawo mazwe anenani elingaphansi kwamaphesenti angu-50.

Kodwa abantu abahlala emazweni acebile nabo banezinkinga ezithile. Nakuba labo abasemazweni ampofu bengase baswele ukudla, labo abahlala emazweni anensada bayaqhubeka bezibulala ngokudla. Incwadi ethi Food Fight ithi “ukudla nokuphuza ngokweqile yikona osekuyinkinga enkulu emhlabeni ezindabeni zokudla esikhundleni sokungondleki.” Kanti umagazini i-Atlantic Monthly uthi: “AmaMelika angaba yizigidi ezingu-9 manje ‘akhuluphele lokhu okugulisayo,’ okusho ukuthi eqe isisindo esifanele ngamaphawundi angaba yikhulu [amakhilogremu angu-45], futhi izifo ezihlobene nokukhuluphala zibulala abantu abangaba ngu-300 000 ngaphambi kwesikhathi unyaka ngamunye kulelo zwe.” Lesi sihloko esifanayo sibonisa ukuthi “maduzane nje ukukhuluphala ngokweqile kungase kube yiyona nkinga embi kakhulu empilweni yomphakathi emhlabeni wonke ukwedlula indlala nezifo ezithathelwanayo.”a

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi abantu abahlala emazweni acebile banezinga eliphakeme lokuphila, kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo, bangase babheke lokho abanakho njengokubaluleke kakhulu kunokuba nobuhlobo nabanye abantu, kanjalo bagxilé kakhulu ezintweni abanazo hhayi ebuntwini babo. Ngenxa yalokho bathambekele ekulinganiseni ukubaluleka komuntu nesikhundla sakhe ngokomsebenzi anawo, umholo wakhe, noma izinto anazo, hhayi ngolwazi lwakhe, ukuhlakanipha, amakhono, noma izimfanelo zakhe ezinhle.

Lapho sigcizelela ukuthi ukuphila okulula kuletha injabulo, isihloko sendaba ethile kumagazini wesiJalimane wamasonto onke i-Focus sabuza: “Kuthiwani Ngokuba Nokuncane?” Lesi sihloko sathi: “Izinga lenjabulo labantu abaningi basemazweni aseNtshonalanga namuhla lisefana nasemashumini eminyaka adlule, naphezu kokuchuma okukhulu. . . . Noma ubani obeka yonke inhliziyo yakhe ezintweni ezibonakalayo cishe uyogcina engajabule.”

Ukufinyelela Izinga Elifanele Lokulinganisela

Yebo, amaqiniso abonisa ukuthi kokubili ukuceba nobumpofu, nakuba kunezici ezithile ezinhle, kunazo futhi izici ezingezinhle. Nakuba ukuphila kwabampofu kungaba lula kakhulu, ukuphila kwabacebile kungaba isixakaxaka. Yeka ukuthi abacebile nabampofu bebengazuza kanjani ukube bebengafunda komunye nomunye! Kodwa ingabe kunengqondo ukucabanga ukuthi kuyoke kufinyeleleke ukulinganisela okunjalo?

Uma ubheka izinto ngokombono womuntu, ungase ube nomuzwa wokuthi nakuba lo mgomo umuhle, abantu abasoze bawufinyelele. Futhi nomlando uyakusekela ukucabanga kwakho kanjalo. Kodwa-ke, likhona ithemba. Kungenzeka uye waliziba ikhambi elinengqondo kakhulu lale nkinga. Yiliphi lelo khambi?

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

“Maduzane nje ukukhuluphala ngokweqile kungase kube yiyona nkinga embi kakhulu empilweni yomphakathi emhlabeni wonke ukwedlula indlala nezifo ezithathelwanayo.”—I-Atlantic Monthly

[Igrafu ekhasini 5]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Amazwe Angu-9 Belgium 75,1 100

Acebe Kunawo Canada 76,4 96,6

Wonke Denmark 74,9 100

Iceland 78,4 100

Japan 78,4 100

Luxembourg 74,9 100

Norway 76,5 100

Switzerland 77,7 100

United States 74,4 95,5

Amazwe Angu-18 Benin 50,4 37,5

Ampofu Kunawo Burkina Faso 43 23

Wonke Burundi 42,5 48,1

Chad 47 53,6

Congo, Rep. of 49 80,7

Ethiopia 47,3 38,7

Guinea-Bissau 45,1 36,8

Madagascar 53,8 80,2

Malawi 37,6 60,3

Mali 44,7 40,3

Mozambique 38,9 43,8

Niger 42,3 15,7

Nigeria 50,9 64,1

Rwanda 45,3 67

Sierra Leone 40,3 36,3

Tanzania 43,3 75,2

Yemen 59,2 46,4

Zambia 35,3 78

[Umthombo]

Source: 2005 Britannica Book of the Year.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 4]

© Mark Henley/Panos Pictures