Isifo Esasesatshwa Kunazo Zonke Ekhulwini Le-19
Kwakungu-1854, futhi iLondon yayisengcupheni yolunye ubhadane lwekholera—isifo samathumbu esibonakala ngohudo olubi nokuphela kwamanzi emzimbeni. Lesi sifo sashesha ukubhebhetheka. Abaningi ababekade bevuke beyimiqemane balala sebegula. Lalingekho ikhambi lokuyelapha elalaziwa.
KWAKUYISIFO esesatshwa kakhulu kulelo khulu leminyaka, futhi namanje imbangela ayikaziwa. Abanye babesola ukuthi ikholera yayibangelwa ukuhogela iphunga elibi lezinto ezibolayo. Kungenzeka ukuthi izinsolo zabo zazinengqondo. UMfula iThames, ogelezela eLondon wawunephunga elibi. Ingabe lo moya onuka kabi wawunegciwane?
Eminyakeni emihlanu ngaphambi kwalokho, udokotela okuthiwa uJohn Snow wayethe ikholera yayingabangelwa umoya ongcolile, kodwa amanzi angcolile. Omunye udokotela, uWilliam Budd yena wayekholelwa ukuthi igciwane elithile elizishaya sasikhunta lalibangela lesi sifo.
Phakathi nobhadane lwango-1854, uSnow wahlola lokho ayekucabanga ngokucwaninga ukuphila kwalabo ababengenwe yikholera esifundeni saseLondon iSoho. Wazibuza, ‘Yini le efanayo kulaba bantu?’ Uphenyo lukaSnow lwaholela esambulweni esishaqisayo. Bonke ababengenwe yikholera kuleso sifunda babephuze amanzi aphuma kumpompi ofanayo emgwaqweni, futhi lawo manzi ayengcoliswe yindle enegciwane lekholera!a
Ngawo lowo nyaka kwaba nentuthuko enkulu kwezokwelapha lapho usosayensi wase-Italy uFilippo Pacini enyathelisa iphepha elichaza igciwane elibangela ikholera. Nokho, ingxenye enkulu yemiphumela yocwaningo lwakhe ayizange inakwe, kuhlanganise nalokho okwakutholwe uSnow noBudd. Ubhadane lwekholera lwabhebhetheka kwaze kwaba ngo-1858.
“Iphunga Elibi Kakhulu”
Iphalamende lalingazimisele ukwakha isimiso esisha sokukhuculula indle ukuze kuhlanzwe uMfula iThames, kodwa ishisandlu elahlasela ehlobo ngo-1858 laliphoqa ukuba lithathe isinyathelo. Iphunga elibi elivela emfuleni owawudlula ngasezakhiweni zePhalamende lalilikhulu kangangokuba abaholi bezombangazwe baphoqeleka ukuba bafake amakhethini acwiliswe emanzini anekhemikhali elibulala amagciwane ukuze kudanjiswe iphunga. Lokho okwagcina sekubizwa ngokuthi iPhunga Elibi Kakhulu kwaphoqa iPhalamende ukuba lithathe isinyathelo. Zingakapheli izinsuku ezingu-18, lakhipha umyalo wokuba kwakhiwe isimiso esisha sokukhuculula indle.
Kwakhiwa izitamkoko ezinkulu zokudonsa indle ngaphambi kokuba ifike emfuleni bese iyiswa empumalanga yeLondon, lapho yayigcina isingene olwandle imuke nalo. Kwaba nemiphumela emangalisayo. Lapho yonke iLondon isixhunywe kulesi simiso esisha, ubhadane lwekholera lwaphela.
Manje kwakungasekho ukungabaza: Ikholera yayingabangelwa umoya ongcolile kodwa amanzi noma ukudla okungcolile. Kwaba sobala nokuthi kwakunendlela eyodwa kuphela yokuvimbela lesi simo—ukukhuculula indle.
Umthetho Owawuphambili Kakhulu Kunangesikhathi Sawo
Eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ngaphambi kokuba ubhadane lwekholera luhlasele iLondon, uMose wahola isizwe sakwa-Israyeli esikhipha eGibhithe. Nakuba ahamba iminyaka engu-40 enqamula ehlane laseSinayi, ama-Israyeli ayengenazo izifo eziwubhadane njengekholera. Kwakwenzeka kanjani lokho?
Lesi sizwe sasiyalwe ukuba sigqibe indle yabantu endaweni esesithe kude nekamu ukuze indawo okuhlalwa kuyo nemithombo yamanzi kungangcoli. Lowo mthetho ulotshwe eBhayibhelini kuDuteronomi 23:12, 13, uthi:
“Kufanele kube khona indawo yangasese ehlale ilungele ukusetshenziswa ngaphandle kwekamu, kumelwe uphumele kuyo. Kufanele kube khona isimbo phakathi kwamathuluzi akho esiyohlale silungele ukusetshenziswa, futhi kuyothi lapho uqoshama ngaphandle, umbe ngaso umgodi futhi uphenduke ugqibe indle yakho.”
Leso siqondiso esilula savikela ama-Israyeli ezifweni ezazihlasela izizwe ezizungezile. Imikhuba enjalo yenhlanzeko isindise ukuphila kwabantu nasezikhathini zamuva nje.b Cabangela nasi isibonelo.
“Asikaze Sibhekane Nobhadane”
Ngawo-1970, igagasi loshushiso lwaxosha oFakazi BakaJehova abaningi eMalawi. Babalekela ezweni elingumakhelwane eMozambique, lapho amadoda, abesifazane nezingane ezingaphezu kuka-30 000 bahlala khona emakamu ababaleki ayishumi. Njengoba kwaziwa, amakamu ababaleki avame ukuba isizinda sezifo ezibangelwa amagciwane asemanzini. Ngakho lab’ oFakazi basinda kanjani kulezo zimo?
ULemon Kabwazi, kanye nabanye abangu-17 000, babehlala ekamu elikhulu laseMlangeni. Uyakhumbula: “Ikamu lalihlala lihlanzekile. Kwembiwa imigodi yezindlu zangasese ngaphandle kwekamu, futhi akukho muntu owayevunyelwe ukuzimbela eyakhe indlu yangasese ngaphakathi. Nemigodi yemfucumfucu yayimbiwa ngaphandle kwekamu. Amavolontiya ayenakekela zonke izindaba zenhlanzeko, kuhlanganise nokuqiniseka ukuthi amanzi akhiwa emithonjeni endaweni ehlukile ngaphandle kwekamu ahlanzekile. Nakuba sasiminyene, sanamathela ezindinganisweni zeBhayibheli eziphathelene nenhlanzeko, ngakho asizange sibe nobhadane lwesifo esibi, futhi akekho noyedwa owaphathwa ikholera.”
Ngokudabukisayo, kwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba, kusenemizi engenaso isimiso esifanele sokukhuculula indle. Izifo ezibangelwa yindle yabantu zibulala izingane ezingaba ngu-5 000 usuku ngalunye.
Nakuba ikholera nezifo ezifana nayo zingavinjelwa futhi imizamo yabantu yokugcina inhlanzeko iye yaba nemiphumela emihle kakhulu, iBhayibheli lisinika ithemba lokuthi maduze zonke izifo zizophela. IsAmbulo 21:4 sithi ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu, “ukufa ngeke kusaba khona, noma ukulila noma ukukhala noma ubuhlungu ngeke kusaba khona.” IBhayibheli lithembisa ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi: “Akekho ohlala khona oyothi: ‘Ngiyagula.’”—Isaya 33:24.
Ukuze ufunde okwengeziwe ngalokho uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ozokwenzela isintu, bheka isahluko 3 no-8 encwadini ethi Lifundisani Ngempela IBhayibheli? enyatheliswa oFakazi BakaJehova.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Nakuba ngo-1854 kwase kunezindlu zangasese ezidonswayo, isimiso sokukhuculula indle esingasebenzi kahle senza indle yabantu ehamba ngamapayipi yangena ngokuqondile eMfuleni iThames—owumthombo omkhulu wamanzi aphuzwayo.
b Njengoba ikholera ibangelwa ukudla noma amanzi angcolile, isihluthulelo sokuyivimbela siwukuthatha izinyathelo ezifanele nganoma yini umuntu ayidlayo. Ukubulala amagciwane emanzini nokuphekisisa kahle ukudla kuyizinyathelo ezibalulekile zokuphepha.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 21]
UMfula iThames wawunqamula eLondon futhi unendle enegciwane lekholera, njengoba kubonakala emifanekisweni eminingi yangaleso sikhathi
[Isithombe ekhasini 22]
Amadoda, abesifazane nezingane ezingaphezu kuka-30 000 bahlala emakamu ababaleki eMozambique, ayegcinwa ehlanzekile ngaso sonke isikhathi
[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 20]
Death on Thames: © Mary Evans Picture Library; map: University of Texas Libraries