Ukusongela Kwenuzi—Sekuze Kwaphela Ekugcineni?
“UKUTHULA eMhlabeni manje kubonakala kuzoba khona ukwedlula noma isiphi esinye isikhathi kusukela eMpini Yezwe II.” Ekupheleni kwawo-1980 lomcabango womlobeli othile wephephandaba obonisa ukuba nethemba wawusekelwe eqinisweni lokuthi izivumelwano zokunciphisa izikhali neziyaluyalu zezombangazwe ezingalindelekile ekugcineni zazize zayiqeda iMpi Yomshoshaphansi. Kodwa ingabe ukusongela kwenuzi, okunezici ezifanayo nezokuhlasela kwalokho okwakuyimibuso emikhulu, nakho kwakuphelile? Ingabe ukuthula nokulondeka okuhlala njalo kwase kuzotholakala ngokushesha?
Izingozi Zokwanda
Phakathi neMpi Yomshoshaphansi, lapho ithembela ekuzivikeleni ngezikhali ukuze ilondoloze ukuthula, imibuso emikhulu yavumelana ngokuthuthukiswa kolwazi lwenuzi ekuphishekeleni iziphetho ezinokuthula kodwa ilinganisele ukusetshenziswa kwalololwazi ekwenzeni izikhali zenuzi. Ngo-1970 i-Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty yaqala ukusebenza ngokomthetho; kamuva yagunyazwa izizwe ezingu-140. Nokho, amazwe anamathuba okwakha izikhali zenuzi, njenge-Argentina, iBrazil, iNdiya, ne-Israel, aye enqaba ukusayina kuze kube namuhla.
Nokho, ngo-1985 elinye izwe elinamathuba okwakha izikhali zenuzi, iNyakatho Korea, lasayina. Ngakho lapho limemezela ukuhoxa kwalo esivumelwaneni ngo-March 12, 1993, umhlaba wakhathazeka ngokufanelekile. Umagazini wezindaba waseJalimane i-Spiegel waphawula: “Isaziso sokuhoxa kuyi-Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty siveza lesisandulela: Manje sekunosongo lokuncintisana ngezikhali zenuzi, oluqala e-Asia, olungaba ingozi enkulu ukudlula ukuncintisana ngamabhomu phakathi kwemibuso emikhulu.”
Njengoba ukushisekela ubuzwe kuzala izizwe ezintsha ngezinga elimangalisayo, inani lamazwe anamathuba okwakha izikhali zenuzi cishe liyokwanda. (Bheka ibhokisi.) Intatheli uCharles Krauthammer uyaxwayisa: “Ukuphela kosongo lwaseSoviet akusho ukuphela kwengozi yenuzi. Ingozi yangempela ukwanda kwamazwe anamathuba okwakha izikhali zenuzi, futhi ukwanda kwawo kuqale phansi.”
Amabhomu Athengiswayo
Amazwe angase abe namathuba okwakha izikhali zenuzi afisa ukuthola idumela namandla lezizikhali eziwanikezayo. Kuthiwa elinye izwe lithenge okungenani izikhali zenuzi ezicitshwayo ezimbili eKazakhstan. Le-republic yalokho okwakuyiSoviet ifake lezozikhali ohlwini olungokomthetho “njengezilahlekile.”
Ngo-October 1992 amadoda amaningana aboshwa eFrankfurt, eJalimane, ngokutholakala enamagremu angamakhulu amabili e-cesium ekhipha imisebe eyingozi kakhulu, enoshevu owanele ukungcolisa wonke amanzi edolobha. Esikhathini esingangesonto kamuva, abashushumbisi abayisikhombisa babanjwa eMunich namakhilogremu angu-2,2 e-uranium. Ukutholakala kwalamaqembu amabili ahlukene abashushumbisi benuzi phakathi namasonto amabili kwashaqisa izikhulu, njengoba kwakunamacala amahlanu kuphela anjalo ayebikiwe emhlabeni wonke phakathi nawo wonke unyaka odlule.
Ukuthi lababantu babehlose ukuthengisela amaqembu amaphekula noma ohulumeni bezizwe akwaziwa. Nakuba kunjalo, amathuba okuba khona kobuphekula bokusetshenziswa kwezikhali zenuzi ayanda. UDkt. David Lowry we-European Proliferation Information Centre uchaza ingozi: “Ukuphela kwento iphekula okudingeka liyenze ukuthumela isampula le-uranium esezingeni eliphakeme kakhulu esikhulwini esihloniphekile ukuze ihlolwe, lisho ukuthi kunenani elingaka futhi nabu ubufakazi. Kunjengomthumbi othumela indlebe yesisulu njengobufakazi bokuthi lowomuntu uthunjiwe.”
“Amabhomu Acushiwe” “Nezimo Eziyingozi” Ezinokuthula
Ekuqaleni kuka-1992, imishini ekhipha amandla enuzi engu-420 yayisetshenziselwa ekuphishekeleni ukukhiqizwa kukagesi okunokuthula; eminye engu-76 yayisakhiwa. Kodwa eminyakeni edlule, izingozi zalemishini ziye zaholela emibikweni yokugula okwandayo, ukuphuphuma kwezisu, nezingane ezizalwa zikhubazekile. Lombiko uthi ngo-1967 izenzakalo zasefekthri ye-plutonium yaseSoviet zazidale ukukhishwa kwemisebe okuphindwe izikhathi ezintathu kunokwenhlekelele yaseChernobyl.
Yiqiniso, lesisenzakalo samuva saseChernobyl, e-Ukraine, ngo-April 1986 sasakazwa kakhulu emaphephandabeni. UGrigori Medwedew, isekela lomphathi wobunjiniyela benuzi efekthri yaseChernobyl phakathi nawo-1970, uchaza ukuthi “isilinganiso esikhulu sokukhishwa kwemisebe okuthatha isikhathi eside” eyaphumela emoyeni “uma kucatshangelwa imiphumela yakho ethatha isikhathi eside iqhathaniseka namabhomu ayishumi aseHiroshima.”
Encwadini yakhe ethi Tschernobylskaja chronika, uMedwedew ubhale uhlu lwezenzakalo ezingu-11 ezingathi sína zalemishini yenuzi kulokho okwakuyiSoviet Union maphakathi nawo-1980 nezinye ezingu-12 e-United States. Esokugcina sahlanganisa ingozi eshaqisayo yango-1979 esiQhingini sase-Three Mile. Ngokuphathelene nalesosenzakalo uMedwedew uyaphawula: “Kwaba isenzakalo sokuqala esonakalisa ngokungathi sína idumela lamandla enuzi futhi sasakaza ukukhohlisa ngokuphepha kwezikhungo zamandla enuzi ezingqondweni zabaningi—kodwa hhayi ezingqondweni zabantu bonke.”
Lokhu kunikeza isizathu sokuba kuqhubeke kuba nezingozi. Phakathi no-1992 eRussia zanda ngamaphesenti acishe abe ngu-20. Ngemva kwesinye salezizenzakalo, ngo-March wangalowonyaka esiteshini samandla kagesi saseSosnovy Bore eSt. Petersburg, eRussia, amazinga emisebe anda ngamaphesenti angu-50 enyakatho-mpumalanga yeNgilandi futhi afinyelela amazinga aphakeme ngokuphindwe kabili kunezinga elivunyelwe e-Estonia naseningizimu yeFinland. UProfesa John Urquhart waseNewcastle University uyavuma: “Anginakubuveza ubufakazi bokuthi iSosnovy Bore yiyo eyabangela lokhu kwanda—kodwa uma kwakungeyona iSosnovy Bore, kwabangelwa yini?”
Ezinye iziphathimandla zithi lemishini yohlobo lwaseChernobyl inephutha endleleni eyakhiwe ngayo futhi kumane nje kuyingozi enkulu ukuyisebenzisa. Nakuba kunjalo, engaphezu kweyishumi nambili isasetshenziswa ukuze isize ekuqedeni izidingo ezinkulu zikagesi. Abanye abasebenzisa lemishini baze basolwa ngisho nokusolwa ngenxa yokuvala ukusebenza kwezimiso zokuphepha ezivimbela umshini ukuba ungasebenzi ngokweqile ukuze kunezelwe amandla owasebenzisayo. Imibiko efana nalena iyawethusa amazwe anjengeFrance, asebenzisa izikhungo zenuzi ukuze akhiqize amaphesenti angu-70 kagesi wawo. Uma kuba khona enye “iChernobyl,” amafekthri ayo amaningi angase aphoqelelwe ukuba avalwe ngokuphelele eFrance.
Ngisho nemishini “ephephile” ngokusobala iba engaphephile lapho iguga. Ekuqaleni kuka-1993, phakathi nenqubo yokuhlolwa kokuphepha, kwatholakala izimfa ezingaphezu kwekhulu emapayipini ensimbi emshinini waseBrunsbüttel, okungomunye wemishini emidala kakhulu yaseJalimane. Kuye kwatholakala izimfa ezifanayo emishinini yaseFrance naseSwitzerland. Ingozi yokuqala engathi sína esikhungweni saseJapane yenzeka ngo-1991, futhi yabangelwa ukuguga komshini. Lokhu kusikisela ukuthi izingozi ezifanayo cishe zizokwenzeka e-United States, lapho izingxenye ezicishe zibe zimbili kwezintathu zemishini yezentengiselwano zineminyaka engaphezu kweyishumi ubudala.
Izingozi zemishini yenuzi zingenzeka nomaphi noma ngasiphi isikhathi. Lapho kwanda lemishini, yilapho usongo luba lukhulu khona; lapho umshini uguga, yilapho ingozi iba nkulu khona. Kwakungesizathu esihle elinye iphephandaba layibiza ngokuthi amabhomu acushwa ngesikhathi nangokuthi izimo eziyingozi zokukhishwa kwemisebe.
Kufanele Bayilahle Kuphi Lemfucumfucu?
Muva nje abantu baye bamangala ukuthola indawo yepikiniki engasemfuleni eziNtabeni zaseFrance ibiyelwe ngocingo futhi ilindwe amaphoyisa. Iphephandaba i-European lachaza: “Inqubo yokuhlola eyagunyazwa ngemva kokufa kowesifazane wendawo ebulawa ushevu we-beryllium ezinyangeni ezimbili ezidlule kwembule amazinga okukhishwa kwemisebe kulendawo yepikiniki aphindwe izikhathi eziyikhulu ngaphezu kwalawo endawo ezungezile.”
I-beryllium, insimbi elula ngokuphawulekayo ekhiqizwa ngezinqubo ezihlukahlukene, isetshenziswa ezinkampanini zezindiza, nalapho kukhishwa imisebe, eziteshini zamandla enuzi. Ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi ifekthri ekhiqiza i-beryllium yalahla izinsalela ezivela enqubweni yokukhishwa kwemisebe kulendawo yepikiniki noma eduze kwayo. “Uthuli lwe-beryllium, ngisho nalapho lungakhishwa imisebe,” kuphawula i-European, “lungenye yezinhlobo ezinoshevu kakhulu zezinsalela zezimboni ezaziwayo.”
Okwamanje, kubikwa ukuthi kunezitsha ezingaba ngu-17 000 zezinsalela zokukhishwa kwemisebe ezalahlwa phakathi nesikhathi seminyaka engu-30 emanzini angasogwini lwaseNovaya Zemlya, eyayisetshenziswa abantu baseSoviet Union njengendawo yokuhlola izikhali zenuzi ekuqaleni kwawo-1950. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izindawo zokukhishwa kwemisebe zemikhumbi-ngwenya yenuzi nezingxenye zemishini engu-12 okungenani zazilahlelwe kulendawo yemfucumfucu okwakuthiwa ifanelekile.
Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwenziwa ngenhloso noma cha, ukungcolisa kwenuzi kuyingozi. Ngokuphathelene nomkhumbi-ngwenya owacwila lapho uphuma ogwini lwaseNorway ngo-1989, i-Time yaxwayisa: “Lomkhumbi ophukile kakade usuvuza i-cesium-137, i-carcinogenic isotope. Kuze kube manje lokhu kuvuza kubhekwa njengokuncane kakhulu ukuba kungathonya ukuphila kwasemanzini noma impilo yabantu. Kodwa i-Komsomolets nayo yayithwele iziqhumane zasemanzini ezimbili zenuzi ezine-plutonium engu-13 kg nokuphila okuyisigamu seminyaka engu-24 000 nezinga likashevu eliphakeme kangangokuthi isilinganiso esincane kakhulu sayo singambulala umuntu. Ochwepheshe baseRussia baxwayisa ngokuthi i-plutonium ingachithekela emanzini futhi ingcolise izilwandle eziningi ekuqaleni kuka-1994.”
Yiqiniso, ukulahla izinsalela zokukhishwa kwemisebe akuyona inkinga enkulu eFrance naseRussia. I-United States “inezintaba zemfucumfucu eshisayo futhi ayikho indawo ehlala njalo yokuyigcina,” kubika i-Time. Ithi imigqomo eyisigidi yezinto ezibulalayo igcinwe endaweni okubekwa kuyo izinto okwesikhashana lapho “ingozi yokulahleka, ukwebiwa nokonakaliswa kwendawo ezungezile ngenxa yokuphathwa kabi” iyohlala ikhona.
Njengokungathi lalifuna ukubonisa lengozi, ithange lezinsalela zenuzi kulokho okwakuyifekthri yezikhali eTomsk, eSiberia, laqhuma ngo-April 1993, libangela abaningi ukuba besabe iChernobyl yesibili.
Ngokusobala, noma ikuphi ukumemezela ukuthula nokulondeka okuzwakaliswa ngesisekelo sokuphela okucatshangelwayo kosongo lwenuzi akusekelwe neze ekucabangeni okunengqondo. Nakuba kunjalo ukuthula nokulondeka kuseduze. Sazi kanjani?
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AMAZWE ANAMATHUBA OKWAKHA IZIKHALI ZENUZI
Amazwe Anazo Angu-12 Futhi Inani Liyaqhubeka Landa
AMAZWE AGUNYAZWE NGOKOMTHETHO UKUBA ABE NAZO: IBelarus, iBrithani, iChina, iFrance, i-Israel, iKazakhstan, iNdiya, iNingizimu Afrika, iPakistan, iRussia, i-Ukraine, i-United States
AMAZWE OKUNGENZEKA ABE NAZO: I-Algeria, i-Argentina, i-Brazil, i-Iran, i-Iraq, iLibya, iNingizimu Korea, iNyakatho Korea, iSyria, iTaiwan
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Ngisho nokusetshenziswa okunokuthula kwamandla enuzi kungaba yingozi
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Background: U.S. National Archives photo
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Cover: Stockman/International Stock
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U.S. National Archives photo