INGABE uphethwe isifo semali? Kuthiwa lesi sifo siphethe ingxenye enkulu yabantu emhlabeni. Siyini?

UDkt. Roger Henderson, umcwaningi wezokusebenza kwengqondo e-United Kingdom, muva nje usungule igama elithi “isifo semali” ukuze achaze izimpawu ezingokomzimba nezingokwengqondo ezitholakala kubantu abacindezelekile ngenxa yokukhathazeka ngemali. Lezi zimpawu zihlanganisa ukungaphefumuli kahle, ukuphathwa yikhanda, isicanucanu, ukuqubuka, inhliziyo emnyama, ukucasuka okungadingekile, uvalo nokucabanga ngendlela ephambene. UHenderson uthi: “Ukukhathazeka ngemali kuyimbangela yokucindezeleka.”

Akufanele kumangaze ukuthi ezinyangeni zamuva iningi labantu libe yizisulu zemiphumela emibi yokucindezeleka okubangelwa yimali. Isimo esibi somnotho samanje emazweni amaningi senze ukuba abantu balahlekelwe imisebenzi, amakhaya, nemali abebeyilondolozile emhlabeni kabanzi. Izinkampani ezinkulu zezimali ziwile, ngisho nezizwe ezicebile sezithathe izinyathelo eziphuthumayo zokuvimbela ukuwohloka ngokuphelele komnotho. Emazweni asathuthuka, ukwenyuka kwamanani okudla nezinye izinto eziyisisekelo nakho kuye kwabangela ukukhathazeka.

Usizi olubangelwa imali luvamile nasezikhathini zenala. Phakathi nenkathi yamuva yokuchuma ngokwezomnotho, abantu abaningi bebelokhu benezinkinga zezimali. Ngokwesibonelo, iphephandaba laseNingizimu Afrika, i-Witness, labika ukuthi “isifo esinyonyobela umphakathi sokusaphaza, ezentengiselwano nokudlondlobala kothando lwezinto ezibonakalayo” sasibhebhetheka e-Afrika. Leli phephandaba labala izimpawu zalesi “sifo,” ezihlanganisa “ukucindezeleka, izikweletu, ukusaphaza, ukusebenza ngokweqile nemizwa yokungeneliseki.” Kuthiwa yimali eyayiyimbangela yokuwohloka kwezinga lokuphila kwabantu e-Afrika.

Ngaphambi kokuwohloka kwesimo somnotho kwamuva, elaseNdiya libe nenkathi emangalisayo yokuchuma ngokwezomnotho. I-India Today International yabika ukuthi unyaka ka-2007 waba unyaka lonke elaseNdiya “elafinyelela ngawo izinga eliphakeme lokusaphaza.” Kodwa ngaleso sikhathi iziphathimandla zazinovalo lokuthi ukuchuma kwelaseNdiya kwakuzobangela ukudlondlobala kweziyaluyalu nodlame.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi esifanayo, isizukulwane esisha sentsha esikhulile e-United States sasibonisa ukuthambekela kokusebenzisa imali eningi ezintweni zokunethezeka. Kodwa, ukusebenzisa imali ngale ndlela akusilethelanga njabulo. Abacwaningi bathi ukuba nemali eningi kwakungenye yezimbangela eziyinhloko zokusetshenziswa kabi kotshwala, ukucindezeleka nokuzibulala. Olunye ucwaningo lwembula ukuthi naphezu kwengcebo eningi, “cishe umuntu oyedwa kwabathathu eMelika” wayezisholo ukuthi “ujabule kakhulu.”

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ezikhathini ezimnandi nezinzima, abantu abaningi—abacebile nabampofu—abanazo izinkinga ezibangelwa imali nezinto ezibonakalayo. Kungani kunalo mehluko?

Embikweni onesihloko esithi The Meaning of Money, abacwaningi baphawula ukuthi abantu abathile “bathanda imali futhi iyabalawula. Lokhu kungabangela ukucindezeleka nokuphazamiseka ngokomzwelo nangengqondo.” Baphinde banezela ukuthi ngokuphambene nalokhu: “Labo abakuhlela kahle ukusebenzisa imali bavame ukuba nomuzwa wokuthi bayilawula kahle imali yabo futhi babe nokuzethemba. Bayayilawula abazona izigqila zayo . . .  Siyaqiniseka ukuthi labo abakuhlela ngokuhlakanipha ukusetshenziswa kwemali yabo bangase babe nezinga eliphansi lokucindezeleka nokukhandleka.”

Uyibheka kanjani imali? Sikuthinta kanjani isimo somnotho womhlaba esintengantengayo? Ingabe imali iyinkosi noma iyinceku yakho? Mhlawumbe awunazo izimpawu zesifo semali. Noma kunjalo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sicebile noma simpofu, sonke sichayeke emiphumeleni emibi yezinkinga zemali. Ake ubone ukuthi ukuhlela kahle indlela osebenzisa ngayo imali kungakulethela kanjani ukuthula kwengqondo nokuphila okujabulisa kakhudlwana.