Ukukhukuliseka Kweli Hlabathi Linemilinganiselo Etshintshayo

UDIOGENES, isithandi-sobulumko esaziwayo nesasihlala eAthene kwinkulungwane yesine ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo uthi wahamba emini ilanga lihlab’ umhlaba ekhanyise ngesibane ekhangela umntu olungileyo kodwa wabuya nembande yesikhova.

Asinakuqiniseka enoba wayechanile na xa esithi kwakungekho namnye olungileyo. Sekunjalo, ukuba ebephila namhlanje, mhlawumbi besingayi kumangaliswa kukumbona eqinisa ngakumbi kwelo phulo lakhe lokukhangela abantu abalungileyo. Abaninzi babonakala beyigatya into yokuba abantu babe nemilinganiselo ethile yokuziphatha. Mihla le amajelo osasazo asingxixha ngeziganeko ezothusayo zokonakala kwemilinganiselo yokuziphatha kwabantu—kubomi babo bangasese, eburhulumenteni, emisebenzini, kwezemidlalo, kwezoshishino nakwezinye iinkalo. Namhlanje abantu abasenaxesha layo kwaphela imilinganiselo emininzi yangaphambili. Imilinganiselo yokuziphatha ekhoyo ihlala itshintshwa ize ityeshelwe. Nakuba eminye isahlonelwa ngabantu kodwa abaphili ngayo.

UAlan Wolfe, ingcali ngezonqulo uthi: “Laphela ixesha lemilinganiselo yokuziphatha.” Uphinda acatshulwe esithi: “Akuzange kwenzeke embalini ukuba abantu bavumelane ngelokuba akunakuthenjelwa kwizithethe zamandulo kumba wokuziphatha.” Ithetha ngeminyaka eli-100 edluleyo, iLos Angeles Times yacaphula amazwi esithandi-sobulumko uJonathan Glover esathi, ukuphela kwempembelelo yonqulo nokuwohloka kwemilinganiselo yabantu kuye kwanegalelo gqitha ekwandeni kogonyamelo ehlabathini.

Phezu kwawo nje lo mbhodamo ngemilinganiselo yokuziphatha eyamkelekileyo nengamkelekanga, abantu khange bayeke ukufuna imilinganiselo efanelekileyo. Kwiminyaka embalwa edluleyo, uFederico Mayor, owayengumalathisi weUNESCO, wathi “ihlabathi liya lixhalatyiswa ngakumbi kukuwohloka kwemilinganiselo yokuziphatha.” Kodwa ukungabi namilinganiselo  kwehlabathi akuthethi kuthi ayikho imilinganiselo efanelekileyo abamele baphile ngayo abantu.

Ngaba abantu banokuvumelana bonke ngemilinganiselo abamele baphile ngayo? Unotshe. Ekubeni bengavumelani, umntu unokuyazi njani efanelekileyo? Ixhaphake gqitha into yokufuna ukuva oko kucingwa ngabanye namhlanje. Kodwa, nawe unokuzibonela ukuba oku akukhange kuyiphucule imilinganiselo yokuziphatha.

Umbhali-mbali waseBritani uPaul Johnson ukholelwa ukuba ukufuna ukuva oko kucingwa ngabanye kwenze abantu “bayeka . . . ukuziva benembopheleleko ngezenzo zabo, nokuzixhalabisa ngemilinganiselo efanelekileyo” mbopheleleko leyo kubonakala ukuba babenayo abantu ngaphambi kwenkulungwane yama-20.

Ngaba abantu banako ke ukuyazi “imilinganiselo efanelekileyo yokuziphatha” abanokuphila ngayo? Ngaba ikho indawo esinokufumana kuyo imilinganiselo engatshintshiyo nehlala ihleli, enokusinceda sizinze isinike nethemba ngekamva? Inqaku elilandelayo liza kuyiphendula le mibuzo.