Amanxeba Empi

“EMPINI akekho onqobayo,” kusho owayekade eyisosha elalilwa eMpini Yezwe II. “Wonke umuntu uyalahlekelwa.” Abaningi bangavumelana naye. Umonakalo odalwa yimpi uyesabeka; abanqobayo kanye nabanqotshwayo balahlekelwa kakhulu. Ngisho nangemva kokuba impi isiphelile, izigidi ziyaqhubeka zihlupheka ngenxa yamanxeba ayo esabekayo.

Maphi amanxeba? Impi ingaceka izakhamuzi, ishiye inqwaba yezintandane nabafelokazi. Abaningi abasindayo basala namanxeba esabekayo angokomzimba nezibazi ezingokwengqondo. Izigidi zingase zisale zingamahlwempu noma ziphoqeleke ukuba zibe ababaleki. Singayicabanga yini inzondo nosizi okumelwe ukuba lusala ezinhliziyweni zalabo abasinda ezimpini ezinjalo?

Amanxeba Abhibhayo

Amanxeba adebezwa yimpi ezinhliziyweni zabantu ayaqhubeka ebhibha impi seyaphela kudala, izibhamu sezathula futhi amasosha esegodukile. Izizukulwane ezilandelayo zingase zibambelane amagqubu amakhulu. Ngale ndlela amanxeba enye impi aba yimbangela yempi elandelayo.

Ngokwesibonelo, iSivumelwano SaseVersailles, esasayinwa ngo-1919 ukuze kuqedwe ngokusemthethweni iMpi Yezwe I, sabekela iJalimane nezakhamuzi zayo imibandela ezaziyibheka njengenonya newukukhipha isibhongo. Ngokwe-Encyclopædia Britannica, imibandela yalesi sivumelwano “yadala intukuthelo kumaJalimane futhi yakhwezela isifiso sokuziphindiselela.” Ngemva kweminyaka ethile, “ukuthukutheliswa yisivumelwano sokuthula kwanika uHitler isiqalo” futhi kwaba esinye sezici ezaholela eMpini Yezwe II.

IMpi Yezwe II yaqala ePoland yabe isinabela emazweni aseBalkan. Amanxeba izinhlanga ezadebezana wona kule ndawo ngawo-1940 acabela impi indlela emazweni aseBalkan ngawo-1990. “Uchungechunge olunonya lwenzondo nokuziphindiselela luye lwaphenduka umsinga osuze wafinyelela kulesi sikhathi sethu,” kusho iphephandaba laseJalimane i-Zeit.

Ukuze isintu siphile ngokuthula, nakanjani kumelwe elashwe amanxeba empi. Kungafezwa kanjani lokho? Yini engenziwa ukuze kuqedwe inzondo nosizi? Ubani ongapholisa amanxeba empi?

 [Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 2]

COVER: Fatmir Boshnjaku

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 3]

U.S. Coast Guard photo; UN PHOTO 158297/J. Isaac