Iinkuni Zokubasa—Ngaba Ikamva Limfiliba?

Ngumbhaleli kaVukani! eNigeria

KUPHUMA ilanga lize lisenze bomvu isibhakabhaka saseAfrika. USampa uphekela umyeni wakhe nabantwana babo irayisi. Ukha amanzi e-emeleni aze awagalele kwimbiza eyenziwe mnyama ngumsi. Ngaphantsi kwembiza kuqhuqhumba umlilo omncinane obaswe ngezikhuni ezithathu ezikhulu.

Kufuphi nalapho kukho imfumba yezinye iinkuni. USampa uzithenga kumadoda azithutha ngelori ezintabeni. Iinkuni zibalulekile. Ngaphandle kweenkuni akunakubakho mlilo. Ngaphandle komlilo akunakuyipheka irayisi.

Unyana omdala kaSampa uthi: “Xa singenazo iinkuni, asityi.” Walatha kumakhaya ezityebi ahlala kude kufuphi nalapho. “Kweza zindlu, kukho umbane. Kukho izitovu ezisebenza ngombane nezitovu ezisebenza ngegesi.” Uphethukela emlilweni, anyuse amagxa aze athi: “Thina sisebenzisa iinkuni.”

Intsapho kaSampa ayiyodwa kule meko. Kumazwe asakhasayo, abantu abathathu kwabane, baxhomekeke kwiinkuni ukuze bapheke nokuze bafudumale. Kodwa iinkuni zinqongophele.

Ngokutsho kweFAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organization [Intlangano Yokutya Nezolimo YeZizwe Ezimanyeneyo]), umlinganiselo wokunqaba kweenkuni zokubasa uphakamile. Malunga nabantu abaliwaka lezigidi kumazwe asakhasayo bajamelene nokunqongophala kweenkuni zokubasa. Ukuba le meko ikhoyo ngoku ingaqhubeka, eli nani lingaphindaphindeka ngokulula ekupheleni kwale nkulungwane. Ummeli weFAO wathi: “Akuloncedo kakhulu ukupha abantu abalambileyo behlabathi ukutya ukuba abanayo indlela yokukupheka.”

Kutheni Zinqongophele?

Kususela kumaxesha amandulo, abantu babebasa ngeenkuni. Siyintoni isizathu? Ukusebenzisa iinkuni kulula gqitha. Akuyomfuneko ukuba ube nezixhobo ezibiza imali eninzi okanye usebenzise ubugcisa xa uzitheza. Ngaphandle kokuba imithi igawulwa ngolunya, iinkuni zinokusoloko zifumaneka xa kukhula eminye imithi. Ukupheka nokufudumeza ngeenkuni akufuni zitovu nazifudumezi (heaters). Iinkuni azithengiswa, uzifumana nakuwuphi na umthi okufuphi. Kukwiminyaka engamakhulu amabini edluleyo athe amazwe atyebileyo ehlabathi aguqukela kwezinye iindlela zokubasa, ezinjengegesi, amalahle neoli. Abanye basasebenzisa iinkuni.

Ezinye iingcaphephe zithi unobangela wengxaki namhlanje kukwanda okuphawulekayo kwabantu. Njengokuba abantu besiya besanda, amahlathi ayagawulwa ukuze kwandiswe iindawo zokuhlala, kwandiswe ezolimo kuze kwenziwe namaplanga amashishini kwaneenkuni zokubasa. Kugawulwa amahlathi ngokukhawuleza phantse kwilizwe ngalinye xa lisenza inkqubela. Kumntla Merika naseYurophu oku kuye kwenziwa.

Kodwa namhlanje indlela abantu abanda ngayo iyoyikisa. Sithetha nje, kukho abantu abazizigidi ezingamawaka amahlanu anesiqingatha kwesi sijikelezi langa. Kumazwe asakhasayo, abemi bayaphindaphindeka rhoqo ngeminyaka engama-20 ukuya kwengama-30. Njengoko inani labantu lisanda, neenkuni zifuneka ngamandla. Kufana nokuba ulwando loluntu luye lwaba sisigebenga, irhamncwa elidla amahlathi elinomnqweno onganelisekiyo, irhamncwa eliya lisiba likhulu neliya lilamba ngokulamba yonke imihla. Ngaloo ndlela iinkuni zokubasa zitshatyalaliswa zingekakhuli. Ngokutsho kweFAO, abantu abangaphezu kwekhulu lezigidi kumazwe angama-26 abakwazi ukufumana iinkuni zokubasa ezaneleyo ukuze banyamekele kwanezona mfuno zabo zisisiseko.

Kanti, abantu abahlala kumazwe iinkuni ezinqongophele gqitha kuwo abachaphazeleki ngokufanayo. Abo banako basuka nje baphethukele kwezinye iindlela zokubasa, ezifana neparafini okanye igesi esezibhotileni. Le ngxaki yeenkuni zokubasa yingxaki yabantu abangamahlwempu nabaya besiba baninzi.

Indlela Abachaphazeleka Ngayo Abantu

Kwiminyaka yakutshanje ixabiso leenkuni liye laphindaphindeka kabini, kathathu, yaye kwezinye iindawo kane. Namhlanje, amaxabiso aqhubeka enyuka njengoko amahlathi ephela kwiindawo ezijikeleze izixeko. Izixeko ezininzi eAsiya naseAfrika ngoku zijikelezwe ziindawo agawulwe ngokupheleleyo amahlathi kuzo. Kwezinye izixeko iinkuni zifumaneka kumgama ongaphezu kweekhilomitha ezili-160.

Ukunyuka kwamaxabiso kongeza umthwalo kwabo sele bengamahlwempu gqitha. Uphando luye lwabonisa ukuba kwimimandla ethile kuMbindi Merika nakwiNtshona Afrika, iintsapho zodidi lwabantu abaphangelayo zihlawula malunga nama-30 ekhulwini omvuzo wazo zihlawulela iinkuni. Yonke enye into​—⁠ukutya, impahla, indlu, izithuthi, imfundo⁠—​imele ihlawulelwe ngemali eseleyo. Kubo yinyaniso intetho ethi “oko kufakwa ngaphantsi kwembiza kubiza imali eninzi kunoko kungena ngaphakathi embizeni.”

Baphumelela njani? Apho iinkuni zinqabileyo okanye zibiza imali eninzi, abantu abakutyi kakhulu ukutya okuphekiweyo. Bathenga ukutya okubiza imali encinane okanye ukutya okuncinane, nto leyo ebangela ukuba batye ukutya okungalungelelananga. Ukutya kwabo bakwakupheka kungavuthwa ncam. Iintsholongwane azifi, yaye zimbalwa izondlo ezifunxwa ngumzimba. Abakwazi kuwabilisa amanzi abo okusela. Bachola nantoni na enokubaseka.

Izigidi zabantu ziye zaphethukela kwizinto zokubasa zomgangatho ophantsi, ezifana neendiza, imipha, amalongwe. Apho iinkuni zibiza imali eninzi yaye amalongwe angenjalo, kubonakala kusengqiqweni ngokwezoqoqosho ukufaka amalongwe emlilweni kunokuwasebenzisa emasimini. Ngokufuthi akukho kwenza ngakumbi. Kodwa ilahleko kukuba umhlaba awuzifumani izichumiso. Ekuhambeni kwethuba umhlaba uyayeka ukutyeba uze wome.

Nangona abo bahlala emaphandleni ngokuqhelekileyo kungeyomfuneko ukuba bazihlawulele iinkuni zabo, ukunqongophala kwazo kubangela ukuba badleke ixesha elininzi betheza. Kwimimandla eseMzantsi Merika, abafazi bachitha i-10 ekhulwini losuku lwabo betheza. Kwamanye amazwe aseAfrika, iinkuni ebezithezwe imini yonke zibaswa ziphele ngeentsuku ezintathu. Maxa wambi iintsapho zinyula umntwana abe mnye zize zimabele umsebenzi osisigxina wokuchola izinto zokubasa.

Amaxesha amaninzi, imekobume yasemaphandleni iyatshatyalaliswa ukuze kuhlangatyezwane neentswelo zasesixekweni. Iinkuni ziyagawulwa zize zithengiswe ngokukhawuleza kunokuba zikhula. Ngoko azifumaneki, yaye iintsapho zifudukela ezixekweni okanye zichithe ixesha elingakumbi zizithezela iinkuni.

Ngaloo ndlela, izigidi zabantu zichitha ixesha elingakumbi nemali eninzi ukuze zihlangabezane nentswelo yazo esisiseko yento yokubasa. Yiyiphi enye indlela ekunokwenziwa ngayo? Kubantu abangamahlwempu oku kuthetha ukutya kancinane, ukugodola, nokuhlala ebumnyameni ebusuku.

Into Eyenziwayo

Kwiminyaka ethile edluleyo ingxaki yeenkuni zokubasa yaqalisa ukuthatyathelwa engqalelweni ehlabathini lonke. IBhanki Yehlabathi namanye amashishini anikela ngemali kwiphulo lokutyala amahlathi. Nangona eli phulo lingazange liphumelele ngokupheleleyo, ininzi into eyafunyaniswayo. Amava abonisa ukuba isicombululo sengxaki yeenkuni zokubasa yayingengomcimbi nje wokutyala imithi engakumbi. Enye ingxaki yayikukuba abayili maxa wambi babesilela ukuqwalasela iimvakalelo zabantu basekuhlaleni. Ngaloo ndlela, kwelinye ilizwe elikwiNtshona Afrika, abemi belali batshabalalisa izithole ngenxa yokuba zazityalwe kwidlelo ekudla kulo imfuyo.

Enye ingxaki yayikukuba ukutyalwa kwamahlathi kuthabatha ithuba elide. Kusenokuthabatha iminyaka engama-25 ngaphambi kokuba imithi ibe nako ukuvelisa iinkuni ize sekunjalo ingapheli. Oku kuthetha ukuba kudlula ixesha elide ngaphambi kokuba utyalo-mali obelwenziwe lube nengeniso. Kukwathetha ukuba ukutyala akuyanelisi intswelo ekhoyo ngoku.

Iphulo lokutyala amahlathi kwakhona liyaqhubeka kumazwe amaninzi. Kodwa ngaba liya kuzanelisa iintswelo zekamva? Iingcali zamahlathi zithi akunjalo. Imithi ityalwa emva kwexesha elide ukanti igawulwa ngokukhawuleza. Umphandi weZiko Lokuhlolwa Kwehlabathi uyabhala: “Okulusizi kukuba, kuMazwe Asakhasayo amaninzi akummandla weleenjiko abezopolitiko abanawo umnqweno yaye abafuni ukunikela uncedo nto leyo efunekayo ukuze kulungiswe umonakalo obangelwe kukutshatyalaliswa kwamahlathi. Ngoku, kulinywa ihektare enye yemithi kuphela kwibala ngalinye eliziihektare ezilishumi. Le meko imbi kakhulu eAfrika, apho kutyalwa umthi ube mnye kuze kugawulwe engamashumi amabini anesithoba. Ukuze kuhlangatyezwane nephulo lentswelo yakuMazwe Asakhasayo yeenkuni zokubasa ngonyaka wama-2000 kuya kufuneka kwandiswe kangangeshumi elinesithathu kwisilinganiso esiqhelekileyo sokutyalwa kwemithi engazukuthengiswa.”

Ithemba Ngekamva

Namhlanje abantu abaninzi abanyanisekileyo bakhuthele ekuzameni ukucombulula ingxaki yokunqongophala kweenkuni zokubasa. Kanti, ngokufuthi indlela aba abalijonga ngayo ikamva imfiliba. Abaphandi be-Earthscan babhala oku kwincwadi yabo ethi Fuelwood​—⁠The Energy Crisis That Won’t Go Away: “Ewonke loo manyathelo [okulwa nengxaki yeenkuni zokubasa] awanakuwushenxisa ngokupheleleyo umthwalo onzulu oya kubangelwa kukunqongophala kwezinto zokubasa nokunyuka kwamaxabiso eenkuni kubantu abangamahlwempu. Incwadi yokufundisa yeFAO ethi The Fuelwood Crisis and Population​—⁠Africa ithi: “Nawuphi na umgudu wokucombulula le ngxaki awuyi kuphumelela ngokupheleleyo de kulawulwe indlela abantu abanda ngayo.” Noko ke, le ncwadi ikwanye ibonisa ukuba abantu baya kuqhubeka besanda “kuba abazali bangomso baninzi kunabazali banamhlanje. Abazali bangomso sele bezelwe.”

Ngokuchaseneyo nelo kamva limfiliba, isiprofeto seBhayibhile sibonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba uThixo uSomandla unenjongo yokubuyisela iParadisi ngokupheleleyo kulo mhlaba. (Luka 23:​43) Iingxaki ezinzima zeenkuni zokubasa, ukwanda kwabantu, nobuhlwempu akanakuxakwa kukuzicombulula.​—⁠Isaya 65:​17-25.

Ngaba ikamva limfiliba? Akunjalo konke konke! Kungekudala siya kuzalisekiswa isiprofeto soMdali wethu onothando: “Uyasivula isandla sakho, uzihluthise iinto zonke eziphilileyo ngeento ezikholekileyo.”​—⁠INdumiso 145:⁠16.

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 19]

‘Akuloncedo kakhulu ukubapha ukutya ukuba abanandlela yokukupheka’