Ukubuka Okwezwe
Ukuhlola Udumo Ngezincwadi
I-Guardian, iphephandaba laseBrithani, ithi: “Uma udumo lukalwa ngokuba nencwadi ekhuluma ngawe, . . . uJesu Kristu ungumuntu odume kunabo bonke emhlabeni namuhla.” Lapho kucwaningwa ezincwadini zase-Library of Congress, eWashington, D.C., kwatholakala izincwadi ezingu-17 239 ezikhuluma ngoJesu. Lelo nani lalicishe liliphinde kabili elezincwadi ezikhuluma ngoWilliam Shakespeare, owaphuma isibili ngezincwadi ezingu-9 801. UVladimir Lenin waphuma isithathu ngezincwadi ezingu-4 492, walandelwa u-Abraham Lincoln, owayenezincwadi ezingu-4 378 ezazikhuluma ngaye noNapoléon I, owayenezingu-4 007. UMariya, unina kaJesu, wayengowesikhombisa, enezincwadi ezingu-3 595, futhi nguyena kuphela owayengowesifazane kwabaphume phambili abangu-30. UJoan of Arc, olandela eduze kwabesifazane, wayenezincwadi ezingu-545 ezazikhuluma ngaye. Kubaqambi bomculo, uRichard Wagner wayebahola, elandelwa uMozart, uBeethoven noBach. UPicasso uhamba phambili ohlwini lwabadwebi, ulandelwa uLeonardo da Vinci noMichelangelo. Kodwa, uLeonardo uhamba phambili ohlwini lososayensi nabasunguli bezinto, udlula uCharles Darwin, u-Albert Einstein noGalileo Galilei. I-Guardian ithi: “Akekho osaphila kulaba abahamba phambili abangu-30.”
Ipharadesi Elilahlekile?
I-Monde yaseFrance ephuma nsuku zonke ibika ukuthi emhlanganweni okhethekile we-United Nations General Assembly, amazwe amancane aseziqhingini angu-43 azwakalisa ukukhathazeka kwawo ngokusongelwa kwezinto zemvelo. Eziningi zalezi ziqhingi ezingamapharadesi zihlaselwa iziphepho, izishingishane, izikhukhula nokuntuleka kwamanzi. Iphephandaba le-UN lithi iSiphepho uMitch sibangela ukufa kwabantu ababalelwa ku-11 000 eCaribbean. Kokubili eSeychelles naseMauritius kuye kwaba nesomiso esinzima eminyakeni emibili edlule. Amazinga aphakeme okushisa nokungcola enza zibe mhlophe izixhobo zama-coral, anciphisa ukuhlukahluka kwezinto eziphilayo. Abantu abahlala kulezi ziqhingi besaba nemiphumela yokukhuphuka kwamazinga olwandle ngenxa yokufudumala kwembulunga yonke. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi amaphesenti angu-80 eziqhingi ezinezixhobo zama-coral eMaldives anganyamalala olwandle.
Abashayeli Abozelayo Baqhathaniswa Nabadakiwe
I-New York Times ithi: “Ukungalali ngokwanele kungaba nemiphumela efanayo nokuphuza kakhulu.” Ucwaningo olwenziwa eStanford University lwahlola ukuthi babeshesha kangakanani ukubona ingozi abantu abangu-113 abanenkinga ye-apnea—isimo esiphazamisa ukulala ebusuku futhi sibangele ukozela emini—lwasiqhathanisa nelinye iqembu labahlolwa ngokuzithandela abangu-80. Ngemva kokuba sekuhloliwe ukuthi babeshesha kangakanani ukubona ingozi, leli qembu eliqhathaniswayo laqala ukuphuza utshwala obunamandla ayisilinganiso esingu-80. I-Times ibika ukuthi: “Ezikhathini ezintathu kweziyisikhombisa okwahlolwa ngazo ukuthi babeshesha kangakanani ukubona ingozi, abantu okwaziwa ukuthi bane-apnea bathatha isikhathi eside ukuyibona kunalabo ababenesilinganiso samaphesenti [angu-0,08] otshwala egazini labo, okwakubenza badakwe kakhulu ukuba bangashayela ngokwemithetho yamazwe angu-16.” NgokukaDkt. Nelson B. Powell, umholi wocwaningo, lokhu okutholakele kugcizelela izingozi zokushayela wozela.
Cishe Ingxenye Yesithathu Yabantu Emhlabeni Ine-TB
Cishe ingxenye yesithathu yabantu emhlabeni—abantu abayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1,86—bangenwa i-TB ngo-1997, kusho iqembu lochwepheshe bezempilo abangu-86 abavela emazweni angaphezu kwangu-40. Leli qembu, elakhethwa yi-World Health Organization, lalinganisela nokuthi kwafa abantu abayizigidi ezingu-1,87 bebulawa yilesi sifo ngalowo nyaka, kuyilapho kwabikwa abanye abayizigidi ezingu-7,96 abangenwe yiso lesi sifo. Lokhu kuhlolwa, okwakhishwa kuyi-Journal of the American Medical Association, kwathi “amaphesenti angu-80 abo bonke abantu abane-TB atholakala emazweni angu-22, kanti amaphesenti angaphezu kwesigamu salawo, atholakala emazweni angu-5 aseNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia.” Ngokwalokhu kuhlola, “amazwe angu-9 kwangu-10 anamazinga aphakeme abantu abaphethwe yilesi sifo ayese-Afrika.” Kwamanye amazwe anamazinga aphakeme egciwane lengculaza, lesi sifo sabulala abantu abangamaphesenti angaphezu kwakungu-50. Amazinga aphakeme e-TB ayaqhubeka ngenxa “yokungakwazi ukulawula” lesi sifo kulawo mazwe. Abasunguli balokhu kuhlola babikezela ukuthi kunabantu abayizigidi ezingu-8,4 abazophathwa i-TB kulo nyaka. Abaningi balabo abanegciwane lalesi sifo asikaze sibagulise. Nokho, lo mthombo uthi uma igciwane likhona kodwa lingakhathazi, lingase liqale ukukhathaza lapho isiguli siqala ukungondleki noma uma isimiso sokuzivikela komzimba saso siba buthakathaka.
Izingane Ezihogela Intuthu Kagwayi
“Cishe inani eliyingxenye lezingane ezisemhlabeni lihlala nomuntu obhemayo,” kusho i-University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, iphawula ngombiko wakamuva we-World Health Organization. “Lezo izingane ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-700.” Uma ucabangela ukuthi inani labantu abadala ababhemayo kulindeleke ukuba lenyuke lifike ezigidini eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1,6 phakathi neminyaka engu-20 ezayo, ziningi nakakhulu izingane ezizohogela ugwayi obhenywa abanye. Lezi zingane zizoba sengozini enkulu yokuba nezinkinga zempilo ezinjengokuphathwa indlebe noma izinkinga zokuphefumula.
Lithengwa Kakhulu, Lifundwa Kancane
“Liyincwadi ethengwa kakhulu kunazo zonke emlandweni womhlaba,” kusho iphephandaba laseFort Worth, eTexas, i-Star-Telegram. “Njengoba liyikho kokubili, liyinto ekhulekelwayo ngokwesiko nesikali sezindinganiso ezingokomoya, iBhayibheli lihlonishwa yizinkolo ezintathu ezinkulu ezinezinkulungwane zezigidi zamakholwa. Kodwa kuyindida engehlula ukuhlakanipha kukaSolomoni ukuthi abantu abaningi abalifundi.” Nokho, inkampani eyenza ucwaningo ithi, ukuthengwa kweBhayibheli kufinyelela amanani amasha ayingqopha-mlando, futhi amaMelika amaningi—angaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-90—kuthiwa anezinguqulo ezintathu ngokwesilinganiso. Nokho, okunye ukuhlola kwabonisa ukuthi izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zawo azilifundi njalo iBhayibheli. Abaningi ngeke baze basho ngisho namaVangeli amane noma basho emihlanu yeMiyalo Eyishumi. Leli phephandaba liyanezela: “Futhi abaningi bathi bathola iBhayibheli lingasebenzi.”
Izingoma Zenkulungwane Yeminyaka
I-Times yaseLondon ithi abantu abasontayo eBrithani “ngokushesha bazobe sebecula izingoma zemidlalo kanobhutshuzwayo enkonzweni” uma bekhetha ukusebenzisa incwadi yokukhulekela entsha ethi Songs for the New Millennium. Njengoba inyatheliswa iSheshi neSonto LamaWeseli, le ncwadi entsha inezinye izingoma ezibhekiswe “kumama onguNkulunkulu othandekayo.” Enye inxusa “umama [wakhe] wothando” futhi ibhekisela kuNkulunkulu njengowesifazane ize iyophela. Kwenye ingoma uJesu uvezwa “njengokaputeni” weqembu lebhola likanobhutshuzwayo, futhi amazwi ayo aphindaphindayo ayingoma yebhola edumile. Amanye amaculo abhalwe yizingane, kuhlanganise neziyizintandane ezibazali bazo babulawa yingculaza. UDave Hardman, omunye wabagqugquzeli balolu hlelo, wathi: “Yincwadi yamaculo ehlanganisa wonke amasiko. Sasifuna abaqambi bezingoma baziqambe ngezinto ezingokoqobo ekuphileni, ngombono wokholo.”
Ingabe Ziningi Kakhulu Izidumbu Ezomisiwe?
Inkinga yaseGibithe iyinqaba—inenqwaba yezinto zasendulo. Kuhlale kumenyezelwa izinto ezintsha ezitholakele: ithuna elihlotshiswe kahle lomzanyana kaTutankhamen eSaqqâra, itshe lasesiqongweni eliwumbhoshongo eDahshûr, ithempeli elikhulu kakhulu lesifunda sase-Akhmīm, indawo yamathuna enkulu engaphansi komhlaba enamakamelo angaphezu kuka-200 eLuxor, izinto eziqoshwe ematsheni nezinye izinto zobuciko ezikhishwa emachwebeni agqibekile nezigodlo ezingasemaphethelweni e-Alexandria, ukusho nje okumbalwa. I-Egyptian Museum yaseCairo kakade isinezinto zakudala ezingaphezu kuka-120 000 ezisembukisweni futhi kuneziningi kakhulu kunalezo ezigciniwe. Isonto ngalinye kutholakala izinto ezintsha ezithakazelisayo, kubangele ukuba kuminyane nakakhulu ezindaweni zokugcina izimpahla, futhi kumpintsha isikhathi nohlelo lwezimali lwalabo abahlaziya, bashicilele futhi babuye bagcine izinto zasendulo,” kusho i-Economist. Ukutholakala kwendawo yamathuna esogwadule, engamumatha amathuna angu-10 000 kwabangela esinye isazi semivubukulo ukuba sithi: “Asisazidingi izidumbu ezomisiwe ezengeziwe.” Zimbalwa kuphela ezivelele ezizobukiswa. Zonke ezinye zizophinde zingcwatshwe.
Iziqhumane Ezigqitshwayo Ezibulalayo
I-Angola inenani lamabhomu agqitshwayo elingelinye lamanani aphezulu kakhulu emhlabeni. Kodwa abasusa amabhomu agqitshwayo lapho babhekene nenkinga entsha: iziqhumane ezingamabhomu agqitshwayo ezicushelwe ukuba ziqhumele kubo. Ngokwe-Sunday Times yaseLondon, “ochwepheshe abakhipha amabhomu agqitshwayo baye bathola izinhlobo ezimbili zezinkinobho ezinanyathiselwe kuwo. Enye iyawaqhumisa lapho evela ekukhanyeni futhi isebenza ngamabhetri ahlala izinyanga ezingu-12. Enye yakha isihibe sikazibuthe noma isongo eliklanyelwe ukuqhuma lapho lizwa umshini wokususa amabhomu,” ongase ube sebangeni eliqhele ngamamitha angu-20. “Ngamanye amazwi, leli ‘yibhomu elihlasela abasusi bamabhomu,’” kusho uTim Carstairs we-Mines Advisory Group. “Ngokuqondile liklanyelwe ukubulala abantu abanjengezisebenzi zethu zokuzithandela ezizama ukusiza umphakathi ngokukhipha amabhomu agqitshwayo.” I-Angola manje isinabantu abanqunywe izingalo noma izinyawo ababalelwa ku-70 000 ngenxa yamabhomu agqitshwayo—inani eliphakeme kunawo wonke emhlabeni—futhi odokotela banquma izinyawo noma izingalo zabantu abalinganiselwa kwabangu-35 inyanga ngayinye. Njengoba amaqembu alwayo empini yombango yase-Angola eqhubeka ebeka amabhomu agqitshwayo, abalimi bawashiya phansi amasimu abo futhi amadolobha awakwazi ukuthola ukudla. UNobhala-Jikelele we-UN uKofi Annan uxwayisa ngokuthi “amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu base-Angola abhekene nokungondleki okukhulu, izifo nokufa.”