Izindleko Zamabhomu Agqitshwayo

Ngo-December 26, 1993, u-Augusto owayeneminyaka eyisithupha ubudala wayezihambela endaweni evulekile eduze naseLuanda, inhloko-dolobha yase-Angola. Kusenjalo wabona into ecwebezelayo enhlabathini. Efuna ukwazi ukuthi yini, wanquma ukuyicosha. Lokho akwenza ngokulandelayo kwabangela ukuqhuma kwebhomu eligqitshwayo.

Ngenxa yalokhu kuqhuma, kwadingeka ukuba u-Augusto anqunywe umlenze wesokudla. Manje useneminyaka engu-12 ubudala, futhi uhlala esesihlalweni sabakhubazekile, futhi akaboni.

U-AUGUSTO wakhutshazwa ibhomu eligqitshwayo elenzelwe abantu, ngoba ngokuyinhloko lilimaza abantu hhayi izinqola zempi noma ezinye izimoto zempi. Kuze kube namuhla kulinganiselwa ukuthi izinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-350 zamabhomu agqitshwayo ziye zakhiqizwa okungenani emazweni angu-50. Iningi lawo liklanyelwe ukulimaza, hhayi ukubulala. Ngani? Ngoba amasosha alimele adinga ukusizwa, futhi isosha elilinyazwe ibhomu eligqitshwayo liyoyibambezela impi—okuyilokho kanye okufunwa yisitha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukukhala kabuhlungu kwesosha elilimele kungase kubangele ukwesaba ezinhliziyweni zamasosha akanye nalo. Ngakho, ngokuvamile amabhomu agqitshwayo abhekwa njengaphumelela kakhulu uma izisulu zisindile—ngisho noma zisinde ngokulambisa.

Nokho, njengoba kushiwo esihlokweni esandulele, iningi lezisulu zokuqhuma kwamabhomu agqitshwayo yizakhamuzi, hhayi amasosha. Ngokuvamile lokhu akwenzeki ngengozi. Ngokwencwadi ethi Landmines—A Deadly Legacy, amanye amabhomu “ngamabomu ahloselwe izakhamuzi ukuze aqothule abantu, abhubhise imithombo yokudla, abangele ukuba abantu bafuduke, noma nje andise ukwesaba.”

Ngokwesibonelo, empini yaseCambodia, amabhomu atshalwa azungeza amaphethelo emizi yezitha, le mizi yabe isihlaselwa ngezibhamu ezingontuluntulu. Zizama ukuphunyula, izakhamuzi zabaleka ziqonde ngqó ezindaweni okwakutshalwe kuzo la mabhomu. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, ngomzamo wokuphoqa uhulumeni ukuba abambe izingxoxo zokubonisana, amalungu eKhmer Rouge atshala amabhomu emasimini elayisi, okwabangela ukwesaba kubalimi futhi kwacishe kwamisa ezolimo.

Mhlawumbe lokho okwenzeka eSomalia ngo-1988 kwakushaqisa nakakhulu. Lapho iHargeysa ihlaselwa ngamabhomu, izakhamuzi zaphoqeleka ukuba zibaleke. Khona-ke amasosha atshala amabhomu agqitshwayo emanxiweni. Lapho impi isiphelile, ababaleki babuya, kodwa bagogwa noma babulawa amabhomu ayegqitshiwe.

Kodwa amabhomu agqitshwayo awagcini ngokusongela ukuphila nezitho zomzimba. Cabangela eminye imiphumela yalezi zikhali ezimbi.

Izindleko Ezingokomnotho Nezingokwenhlalo

UKofi Annan, unobhala-jikelele weZizwe Ezihlangene, wathi: “Ukuba khona—noma ngisho nokwesaba ukuba khona—kwebhomu eligqitshwayo kungavimbela ukuba insimu ilinywe, kwephuce umuzi wonke indlela yawo yokuziphilisa, futhi kubeke esinye isithiyo ekwakheni nasekuthuthukiseni kabusha izwe.” Ngakho, e-Afghanistan naseCambodia, cishe amaphesenti angu-35 ezwe ngabe ayalinywa ukube abalimi abesabi ukusebenza kulezi zindawo. Abanye bayazidela. “Ngiyawesaba amabhomu agqitshiwe,” kusho umlimi waseCambodia. “Kodwa uma ngingabusiki utshani noqalo, ngeke sikwazi ukuziphilisa.”

Ngokuvamile, abasinde ekuqhumeni kwamabhomu agqitshwayo babhekana nezindleko ezinkulu ngokwezimali. Ngokwesibonelo, ezweni elisathuthuka, ingane elahlekelwa umlenze ineminyaka engu-10 ubudala ingase idinge imilenze yokufakelwa engaze ifike kwengu-15 ekuphileni kwayo, ngamunye oyobiza okungenani amaRandi angu-770. Kuyavunywa ukuthi lokho kungase kungazwakali kumb’ eqolo kwabanye. Kodwa kubantu abaningi base-Angola, amaRandi angu-770 alingana neholo lezinyanga ezingaphezu kwezintathu!

Futhi cabangela izindleko ezinkulu ezingokwenhlalo. Ngokwesibonelo, izakhamuzi zakwelinye izwe e-Asia ziyakugwema ukuzihlanganisa nabantu abayizingini ngoba zesaba “ishwa.” Kumuntu oyingini umshado ungase ube yinto eyiphupho. “Angizimisele ukushada,” kukhononda indoda yase-Angola okwadingeka ukuba inqunywe umlenze ngemva kokulinyazwa ibhomu eligqitshwayo. “Owesifazane ufuna indoda engasebenza.”

Kuyaqondakala ukuthi iningi lezisulu liyazinyeza. “Angisakwazi ukondla umkhaya wami,” kusho indoda ethile yaseCambodia, “futhi lokhu kungenza ngibe namahloni.” Ngezinye izikhathi imizwa enjalo ingakuthena amandla ukwedlula ukulahlekelwa isitho somzimba. “Ngikholelwa ukuthi kwadaleka umonakalo omkhulu ongokomzwelo,” kusho u-Artur, oyisisulu eMozambique. “Kaningi ngangicasuka uma othile engibheka. Ngangicabanga ukuthi bonke abantu babengasangihloniphi futhi ngangingasayophinde nanini ngiphile ukuphila okuvamile.”a

Kuthiwani Ngokususwa Kwamabhomu?

Eminyakeni yamuva kuye kwenziwa imizamo emikhulu ukuze kukhuthazwe amazwe ukuba akwenqabele ukusetshenziswa kwamabhomu agqitshwayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abanye ohulumeni baye baqala umsebenzi oyingozi wokususa lawo mabhomu agqitshiwe. Kodwa kusenezithiyo ezimbalwa. Esokuqala simayelana nesikhathi. Ukususa amabhomu kuwumsebenzi othatha isikhathi eside. Empeleni, abavumbululi bamabhomu balinganisela ukuthi, ngokwesilinganiso, ukususa ibhomu kuthatha isikhathi esiphindwe kayikhulu kunokulitshala. Esinye isithiyo izindleko. Ibhomu elilodwa eligqitshwayo libiza amaRandi angu-18 kuya kwangu-90, kodwa ukulivumbulula kungadla amaRandi afinyelela ku-6 000.

Ngakho, ukuwasusa ngokuphelele amabhomu kubonakala kuyinto engenakwenzeka. Ngokwesibonelo, ukuze kususwe wonke amabhomu agqitshiwe eCambodia, kungadinga ukuba bonke abantu kulelo zwe banikele ngomholo wabo wonke kulo msebenzi eminyakeni embalwa ezayo. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi noma ngabe kuthiwa zikhona izimali, ukuwavumbulula wonke amabhomu agqitshiwe lapho kungathatha iminyaka eyikhulu. Isimo emhlabeni wonke sidabukisa nakakhulu. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi uma kusetshenziswa ubuchwepheshe bamuva, ukususa amabhomu kule planethi kungadla amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-203 futhi kuthathe iminyaka engaphezu kwenkulungwane!

Kuyavunywa, kuye kwahlongozwa izindlela ezintsha zokususa amabhomu—kusukela ekusebenziseni izimpukane ezikwazi ukuthungatha amabhomu kuya ekusebenziseni izinqola ezinkulu eziqondiswa ngomshini ezingasusa amabhomu endaweni engamahektare amabili ngehora. Nokho, kungase kuthathe isikhathi ngaphambi kokuba izindlela ezinjalo ziqale ukusetshenziswa kabanzi, futhi ngokunokwenzeka ziyotholakala emazweni acebile kuphela.

Ngakho, ezindaweni eziningi kususwa amabhomu agqitshiwe ngokusebenzisa indlela endala. Indoda ihuquzela ngesisu ihlola inhlabathi ephambi kwayo ngothi, isentimitha ngesentimitha, ihlanganise indawo engamamitha-skwele angu-20 kuya kwangu-50 ngosuku. Ingabe kuyingozi? Yebo! Lapho kususwa amabhomu angu-5 000, kufa umvumbululi wamabhomu oyedwa futhi kulimale ababili.

Imizamo Yokulwa Namabhomu Agqitshwayo

Ngo-December 1997, amanxusa amazwe ayidlanzana asayina i-Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, eyaziwa nangokuthi isivumelwano sase-Ottawa. Undunankulu waseCanada uJean Chrétien uthi: “Lokhu kuwukufinyelela umgomo ongakaze ufinyelelwe amazwe omhlaba ngaphambili wokunciphisa izikhali noma wokunikeza usizo.”b Noma kunjalo, cishe amazwe angu-60—ahlanganisa namazwe athile ahamba phambili emhlabeni ngokukhiqiza amabhomu agqitshwayo—awakasisayini lesi sivumelwano.

Ingabe isivumelwano sase-Ottawa siyophumelela ukuqeda inhlupho yamabhomu agqitshwayo? Mhlawumbe ngokwezinga elithile. Kodwa abaningi bayangabaza. “Ngisho kungathiwa wonke amazwe emhlabeni ayahambisana nalokho okwadingidwa e-Ottawa,” kusho uClaude Simonnot, isekela lomqondisi we-Handicap International, eFrance, “lokho bekuyoba isinyathelo sokuqala nje sokukhulula iplanethi kuzo zonke izingozi zamabhomu agqitshwayo.” Ngani? USimonnot uthi: “Kusenezigidi zamabhomu ezisagqitshwe emhlabathini, ezilindele izisulu zesikhathi esizayo.”

Isazi-mlando sezempi uJohn Keegan siveza esinye isici. Sithi, impi “ifinyelela ekujuleni kwenhliziyo yomuntu, . . . ebuswa ukuziqhenya, eqokomisa imizwelo, ebuswa usinga.” Izivumelwano ngeke zizilungise izici zobuntu ezijulile ezinjengenzondo nobugovu. Kodwa ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi abantu bayohlale beyizisulu zamabhomu agqitshwayo unomphela?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 6]

Ukwenza Inzuzo Kabili?

Isimiso esiyisisekelo kwezebhizinisi siwukuthi izinkampani ziyobekwa icala uma imikhiqizo yazo ibangela ukulimala. Ngakho, uLou McGrath, we-Mines Advisory Group, uthi izinkampani eziye zathola inzuzo ngokukhiqiza amabhomu agqitshwayo kufanele ziphoqelelwe ukuba zikhokhe imali yokulungisa umonakalo. Nokho, ngokumangalisayo, abakhiqizi abaningi yibona kanye abaye bazuza ngokususwa kwamabhomu. Ngokwesibonelo, kubikwa ukuthi inkampani yaseJalimane eyayikade ikhiqiza amabhomu yathola imali engamaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-600 emsebenzini wokuvumbulula amabhomu eKuwait. Kanti eMozambique umfelandawonye wezinkampani ezintathu—ezimbili kuzo ezazikade zenza amabhomu—wasayina isivumelwano samaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-46 sokuvumbulula amabhomu agqitshiwe emigwaqweni emikhulu.

Abanye banomuzwa wokuthi akufanele nhlobo ukuba izinkampani ezikhiqiza amabhomu agqitshwayo kube yizona ezenza imali ngokususa lawo mabhomu. Ngaleyo ndlela, bathi abenzi bamabhomu agqitshwayo benza inzuzo kabili. Noma kunjalo, kokubili ukukhiqiza nokunciphisa amabhomu agqitshwayo kuseyibhizinisi elinenzuzo.

[Umdwebo ekhasini 5]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Isilinganiso samabhomu agqitshiwe kumakhilomitha-skwele angu-2,5 emazweni angu-9 anamabhomu agqitshiwe amaningi kakhulu

EBOSNIA nase- HERZEGOVINA 152

ECAMBODIA 143

ECROATIA 137

E-EGYPT 60

E-IRAQ 59

E-AFGHANISTAN 40

E-ANGOLA 31

E-IRAN 25

ERWANDA 25

[Umthombo]

Source: United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs, 1996

[Izithombe ekhasini 7]

Imifanekiso nezimpawu ezisobala zixwayisa ngamabhomu agqitshiwe eCambodia

Kulawo nalawo mabhomu angu-5 000 avunjululwayo, kufa umvumbululi wamabhomu oyedwa futhi kulimale ababili

[Imithombo]

Background: © ICRC/Paul Grabhorn

© ICRC/Till Mayer

© ICRC/Philippe Dutoit