Abampofu—Baba Mpofu Kakhulu
“Awukho umphakathi ongachuma futhi ujabule ngempela uma ingxenye enkulu yamalungu awo impofu futhi ilusizi.”
ISAZI sezomnotho u-Adam Smith sasho lawo mazwi kudala ngekhulu le-18. Abaningi bayaqiniseka ukuthi ubuqiniso balawo mazwi bubonakala nakakhulu namuhla. Ubonakala nakakhulu namuhla umahluko phakathi kwabampofu nabacebile. EPhilippines, umuntu oyedwa kwabathathu uphila ngemali engaphansi kwe-$1 (U.S.) ngosuku, imali eholwa ngemizuzu embalwa emazweni acebile. I-Human Development Report 2002 yeZizwe Ezihlangene ithi “amaphesenti amahlanu abantu abacebe kunabo bonke emhlabeni athola imali eyiphinda izikhathi ezingu-114 eyamaphesenti amahlanu abantu abampofu kunabo bonke.”
Nakuba abanye bephila ngokunethezeka uma beqhathaniswa nabanye, izigidi zihlala emikhukhwini eziyimisa nomaphi lapho zingayimisa khona. Kwabanye kubi nakakhulu; balala emigwaqweni mhlawumbe phezu kwekhathoni noma kukapulastiki nje kuphela. Abanye bayakhandleka ukuze bathole okuncane nje—behlwaya emfucumfucwini, behudula imithwalo esindayo, noma beqhuba izinto ezingase ziphinde zithengiseke ngezinqola zasezitolo.
Ukungalingani phakathi kwabacebile nabampofu akutholakali emazweni asathuthuka kuphela, kodwa njengoba kusho i-World Bank, “kuwo wonke amazwe ivamile imiphakathi emincane yabantu abampofu.” Kusukela eBangladesh kuya e-United States, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi abanye bacebe kangakanani, bakhona labo abakhandlekayo ukuze bathole ukudla okwanele noma ukuze babe nophahla phezu kwamakhanda abo. I-New York Times yacaphuna umbiko ka-2001 we-Census Bureau yase-United States owawubonisa ukuthi igebe phakathi kwabacebile nabampofu e-United States liyaqhubeka landa. Yathi: “Ngonyaka odlule ingxenye eyodwa kwezinhlanu yabantu abacebe kakhulu e-United States yathola amaphesenti angu-50 emali eyenziwa yiyo yonke imikhaya . . . Ingxenye eyodwa kwezinhlanu yabantu abampofu kakhulu yathola amaphesenti angu-3,5.” Isimo siyefana noma sibi kakhulu kwamanye amazwe amaningi. Umbiko we-World Bank wabonisa ukuthi abantu abangamaphesenti angaba ngu-57 emhlabeni wonke baphila ngemali engaphansi kuka-$2 ngosuku.
Okwenza izinto zibe zimbi nakakhulu, ngo-2002, izigidi zabantu zaphazanyiswa imibiko yabaphathi bezinkampani abaceba ngezindlela ezisolisayo. Ngisho noma bengenzanga lutho olwephula umthetho ingcaca, abaningi baba nomuzwa wokuthi lezi zikhulu, ngokusho kukamagazini i-Fortune, “zaziceba ngendlela exakile, ecasulayo.” Uma kucatshangelwa lokho okwenzeka emhlabeni, abanye bayazibuza ukuthi kungathethelelwa kanjani ukuba abanye abantu babe nezimali ezinkulu kangako, ezibalelwa emakhulwini ezigidi zama-dollar, kodwa abantu abaningi bebe bengamahlwempu.
Ingabe Ubumpofu Buyohlale Bukhona?
Lokhu akusho ukuthi akekho ozama ukwenza okuthile ngosizi lwabampofu. Izikhulu zikahulumeni nezinhlangano ezisizayo ezinezinhloso ezinhle ziye zazenza ngempela izihlongozo zoshintsho. Noma kunjalo, isimo sisalokhu sithena amandla. I-Human Development Report 2002 ithi “amazwe amaningi asempofu kakhulu kunalokho ayeyikho eminyakeni engu-10, engu-20, futhi kwezinye izimo, engu-30 edlule,” naphezu kwemizamo emihle yokuthuthukisa.
Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi abampofu abanalo ithemba? Sicela ufunde isihloko esilandelayo ukuze ubone okunye kokuhlakanipha okusebenzayo okungakusiza kwamanje kanye nezixazululo okungenzeka ukuthi awukaze uzicabange.