Ukugadla Kokuwohloka Okukhulu Komnotho
“LESI isimo somnotho esibi kakhulu kulesi sizukulwane.” I-Encyclopædia Britannica Online yakuchaza kanjalo ukuwohloka komnotho okuye kwagadla emhlabeni muva nje. Lokhu kuwa komnotho okwaqala e-United States ngo-2007 kube kubi kakhulu futhi kwathinta amazwe amaningi kangangokuba kuye kwabizwa ngegama elikhethekile elithi, Ukuwohloka Okukhulu Komnotho.
Kwabangwa yini? Umagazini i-Newsweek uyaphendula: “Ukuboleka izimali kakhulu nangokunganaki.” Kodwa kungani abantu beboleka izimali ezinkulu ukuze bathenge izinto abangenawo amandla okuzikhokhela?
Cishe uzovuma ukuthi isimiso sezomnotho sezwe esikhuthaza ubugovu yiso kanye esaba yimbangela yalokhu. Empeleni umyalezo waso wawuthi: “Thenga! Thenga! Thenga!” kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyokwazi yini ukukhokha noma cha. “Abantu kuye kwadingeka bafunde ngezinyembezi ngengozi yokuzifaka ezikweletini ezinkulu,” kuchaza isazi sezomnotho uChris Farrell, encwadini yakhe ethi The New Frugality.
Amazwe amaningi athinteka lapho kugadla Ukuwohloka Okukhulu Komnotho. Ngonyaka odlule, isihloko esisekhasini lokuqala lephephandaba laseNingizimu Afrika i-Sunday Times sathi, “Naphezu kwezimpawu zokusimama okuthile, kusewumshikashika kubathengi ukondla imikhaya yabo.” Leli phephandaba libika ukuthi “abantu abacishe babe ngu-3 000 000 [eNingizimu Afrika] basemuva ngezinyanga ezintathu ekukhokheni izikweleti zabo; kanti abangaba ngu-250 000 ababenemisebenzi eholela kahle balahlekelwa imisebenzi yabo eminyakeni emibili edlule.
Ukulahleka kwemisebenzi kuye kwabalelwa emashumini ezigidi kule minyaka yamuva nje. Lapho ibhekisela emibikweni yezimpawu zokusimama komnotho e-United States, i-Financial Times yasho sakuntela: “Ukusimama komnotho kusukela ngo-June 2009 kungase kubizwe ngokuthi ‘Ukudumazeka Okukhulu.’” Leli phephandaba lanezela: “Izazi eziningi zezomnotho zicabanga ukuthi isidingo sokukhokha izikweleti sizokwenza ukuba kuphele iminyaka zingathengwa izinto ezikhiqizwa izimboni.
Uma nawe kukuthintile Ukuwohloka Okukhulu Komnotho, cishe akungabazeki ukuthi uyovumelana nalokhu okwabhalwa ngumlobi uDavid Beart: “Kubonakala sengathi kuningi okushiwoyo ngezinkinga zomnotho emhlabeni, kodwa kuncane okushiwoyo ngokuthi zingaxazululwa kanjani lezi zinkinga.”
Izihloko ezilandelayo zilungiselelwe ukusiza abantu ababhekene nezikweleti. Kuzocatshangelwa le mibuzo: Ziyini izinzuzo zokonga imali? Yini ongayenza uma unesikweleti? Ungafunda kanjani ukuphatha imali yakho ngendlela engcono?