Kungani Bebaningi Kangaka Abampofu Ezweni Elicebile?
“ABAMPOFU ninabo ngaso sonke isikhathi,” kwasho uJesu Kristu ngekhulu lokuqala C.E. (Mathewu 26:11) Kusukela ngesikhathi sikaJesu kuze kube manje, bekulokhu kunesibalo esikhulu sabantu abampofu. Kodwa kungani abantu abaningi kangaka behlushwa ubumpofu emhlabeni onengcebo eningi kangaka?
Abanye bacabanga ukuthi abantu baba mpofu ngenxa yokwenza izinqumo ezimbi. Mhlawumbe kunjalo ezimweni ezithile. Labo abakhetha ukwanelisa izifiso zotshwala, izidakamizwa, nokugembula bangase balahlekelwe umnotho wabo kalula. Kodwa akubona bonke abantu abampofu ngenxa yezinqumo zabo ezimbi.
Baningi abalahlekelwe imisebenzi ngenxa yoshintsho ezimbonini. Abantu abaningi abasebenzayo baye babona imali abayiqongelele ukuphila kwabo konke iqothulwa ukukhuphuka kwezindleko zezokwelapha. Futhi emakhulwini ezigidi zabantu abangamahlwempu emazweni asathuthuka, iningi labo alimpofu ngenxa yamaphutha alo. Izisulu zobumpofu ngokuvamile azinakuzilawula izimbangela, njengoba okulandelayo kubonisa.
Ukufunda Enkathini Edlule
Ekuqaleni kwawo-1930, izwe lalikhungethwe inhlekelele yezomnotho, eyagcina seyaziwa ngokuthi uKuwohloka Okukhulu Kwezomnotho. Kwelinye izwe izigidi zalahlekelwa imisebenzi, kwathi imindeni engamakhulu ezinkulungwane yalahlekelwa amakhaya ayo. Kodwa nakuba iningi lalingenakudla, abalimi babechitha ubisi oluningi emiseleni nezikhulu zikahulumeni ziphoqelela abalimi ukuba babulale izigidi zemfuyo.
Kungani kwakusaphazwa kangaka? Isimiso sezomnotho sasithi imikhiqizo yasemapulazini nezinye izimpahla kwakufanele zidayiswe ukuze kutholakale inzuzo. Ubisi, inyama nokusanhlamvu kwakungaba nomsoco kakhulu kwabampofu. Kodwa lapho lokhu kudla kungenakudayiswa ukuze kutholakale inzuzo, kwabhekwa njengokuyize futhi kwalahlwa.
Kwasuka izibhelu zokudla emadolobheni amaningi. Ezinye izakhamuzi, ngenxa yokuthi zazingenayo imali yokuthengela imikhaya yazo ukudla, zakuthatha ngendluzula ezazikudinga ziphethe izibhamu. Abanye babulawa yindlala. Lezo zenzakalo zenzeka e-United States. Ekuqaleni kwalokhu Kuwohloka Okukhulu Kwezomnotho, isimiso esinamandla sezimali salelo zwe sahluleka ukusiza ababehola kancane. Kunokuba kuqalwe ngokunaka izidingo zezakhamuzi zokudla, indawo yokuhlala nomsebenzi, isimiso sezomnotho sabheka lezo zidingo njengezithiyo enqubweni yokugaya imali.
Izimo Namuhla
Umnotho womhlaba wasimama ngemva koKuwohloka Okukhulu Kwezomnotho, futhi manje abantu abaningi babonakala becebe futhi benothe kakhulu kunangaphambili. Nokho, nakuba kunenala, abampofu ngokuvamile banethuba elincane lokuthuthukisa izimo zabo ekuphileni. Imibiko yendlala nobumpofu emazweni asathuthuka ivame kangangokuba abaningi bayakhathala ukuyifunda. Kodwa, lapho ababaleki belamba ngenxa yempi, nalapho ukudla okusezinqolobaneni kubola ngenxa yokulawula okubi kwezombangazwe, nalapho izimo zezentengiselwano ziphoqelela ukuba intengo yezinto eziyisidingo ifinyelele amazinga abantu abampofu abangakwazi ukuwafinyelela, sibona imiphumela yesimiso esingakwazi ukunakekela izisulu ezinkulu zobumpofu. Isimo sezomnotho somhlaba sizishaya indiva izigidi zabantu abangamahlwempu.
Empeleni, asikho isimiso sezomnotho esisungulwe ngumuntu esiye sanelisa izidingo zesintu ngendlela efanele. Emakhulwini eminyaka angu-30 adlule, ingqapheli yokuphila ehlakaniphile yafinyelela lesi siphetho: “Ngabuya ukuze ngibone zonke izenzo zokucindezela ezenziwa phansi kwelanga, bheka! izinyembezi zabacindezelwayo, kodwa babengenamduduzi; futhi ohlangothini lwabacindezeli babo kwakukhona amandla, kangangokuthi babengenamduduzi.” (UmShumayeli 4:1) Kulezi zinsuku zenala yezinto ezibonakalayo, izenzo zokucindezela ngokwezomnotho ziseyinsakavukela.
Izigidi manje zinethuba elincane kakhulu lokuzithuthukisa ziphume emgodini wobumpofu. Kodwa, abantu abaningi baye bafunda ukubhekana nezinkinga zabo zezomnotho ngokuphumelelayo. Baye bafunda nokubheka phambili ekuphileni okungcono esikhathini esizayo.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 5]
Ukushikashikeka Ukuze Uphile
Encwadini yakhe ethi The Working Poor—Invisible in America, umbhali nentatheli uDavid K. Shipler usisiza ukuba siqonde isimo sabathile e-United States abaphila engcupheni yobumpofu: “Isakhiwo esiwohlokayo singenza isimo somntwana ophethwe isifuba somoya sibe sibi kakhulu, okungabangela ukuba kubizwe i-ambulense, okudala izindleko zezokwelapha ezingenakukhokhelwa, okwenza ukuba umuntu akwelete, okukhuphula intela yemali ebolekelwe ukuthenga imoto, okuphoqelela umthengi ukuba athenge imoto endala, okwenza umama angafiki ngesikhathi emsebenzini, okwenza angakhushulelwa umholo futhi angasitholi isikhundla esiphakeme, okwenza angakwazi ukuphuma endlini yakhe endala athole engcono.” Le ngane nonina baphila ngengcacamezela, ngisho noma behlala ezweni elicebe kunawo wonke emhlabeni.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 6]
Ingabe Ukuba Nezinhloso Ezinhle Kwanele?
Ngo-November 1993, ngaphakathi kwesakhiwo sikahulumeni eWashington, D.C., iqembu lezikhulu zikahulumeni lalizama ukuxazulula inkinga enkulu. Zinama-dollar angamakhulu ezigidi, lezo zikhulu zazifuna ukuzuzisa abantu abangenamakhaya e-United States. Njengoba zazikhuluma, amaphoyisa, abacimi bomlilo, kanye nezisebenzi zosizo oluphuthumayo zaqoqana esitobhini sebhasi ngaphesheya komgwaqo. Abama-ambulense babethatha isidumbu sowesifazane ongenakhaya. Wayefele phambi kwe-U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), umnyango kahulumeni okuyiwona osiza abantu ukuba bathole izindawo zokukhosela.
Kamuva intatheli ye-New York Times yaxoxa nesisebenzi sase-HUD, esaphawula ngabantu abaningi bezosizo lokuqala nezimoto ezazilapho: “Kuyamangaza ukubona ukuthi umuntu uthola usizo olungakanani lapho esefile—akatholi ngisho noluncane lapho esaphila.”
[Isithombe ekhasini 4, 5]
Umama ongumfuduki nezingane zakhe ezintathu phakathi noKuwohloka Okukhulu Kwezomnotho ngawo-1930
[Imithombo ekhasini 5]
Dorothea Lange, FSA Collection, Library of Congress
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 6]
Ezindaweni zokufukuza ezifana nalena, isilinganiso somholo wenyanga yikhulu lamaRandi, futhi izisebenzi zingaphoqeleka ukuba zisebenze amahora angu-70 isonto ngalinye
[Umthombo]
© Fernando Moleres/Panos Pictures