Izinkinga Zokuhlukana Kwabantu Ngezigaba

“UKULINGANA MHLAWUMBE KUYILUNGELO LABANTU BONKE, KODWA AKUKHO GUNYA EMHLABENI ELIYOKE LIKWENZE KUFEZEKE.”

Washo kanjalo uHonoré de Balzac, umlobi wamanoveli ongumFulentshi wekhulu le-19. Uyavumelana yini naye? Abaningi banomuzwa ongokwemvelo wokuthi ukuhlukana ngezigaba akulungile. Nokho, ngisho nakuleli khulu lama-21, umphakathi wesintu usahlukene ngezigaba eziningana zokuphila.

UCALVIN COOLIDGE, owayengumongameli wase-United States kusukela ngo-1923 kuya ku-1929, wayekhathazeke ngenkinga yokuhlukana ngezigaba zokuphila futhi wakhuluma ngokuthi ‘zonke izigaba zabadla izambane likapondo ziyogcina ziphelé nyá.’ Noma kunjalo, ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-40 uCoolidge ayeka ukuba ngumongameli, iKhomishane KaKerner, eyayimiselwe ukucwaninga ubudlelwane bezinhlanga, yezwakalisa ukuba novalo ngokuthi i-United States nakanjani yayiyoba yimiphakathi emibili: “owabansundu nowabamhlophe—ehlukene futhi engalingani.” Abanye bathi leso sibikezelo sesiyafezeka kakade futhi “igebe lezomnotho nelingokobuhlanga liyakhula” kulelo zwe.

Kungani kunzima kangaka ukwenza abantu balingane bonke ngempela? Isici esiyinhloko ubuntu babantu. Owayeyilungu lesishaya-mthetho sase-United States uWilliam Randolph Hearst wake wathi: “Bonke abantu badalwa belingana okungenani ngesici esisodwa, isifiso sokufuna ukungalingani.” Wayesho ukuthini? Mhlawumbe umlobi wemidlalo yaseshashalazini ongumFulentshi wekhulu le-19 uHenry Becque wakubeka ngendlela ecace kakhudlwana: “Okwenza ukulingana kube yinto enzima kangaka ukuthi sifuna ukulingana kuphela nabantu abaphakeme kunathi.” Ngamanye amazwi, abantu bafuna ukulingana nalabo abaphakeme kunabo ngokwezenhlalo; kodwa ababaningi abangadela amalungelo abo akhethekile nezinzuzo ukuze bazenze balingane nalabo abababheka njengabaphansi kunabo.

Ezikhathini ezidlule, abantu babezalwa bengabantukazana, bengabemindeni yezigwili noma bengabozalo lwasebukhosini imbala. Kusenjalo ezindaweni ezimbalwa. Nokho, emazweni amaningi namuhla, yimali—noma ukungabi nayo—okunquma ukuthi umuntu ungowesigaba esiphansi, esiphakathi noma esiphakeme yini. Nokho, kukhona nezinye izici ezihlukanisa izigaba, njengohlanga, imfundo nolwazi. Futhi ezindaweni ezithile, ubulili bomuntu buyisici esikhulu sokubandlululana, abesifazane bebhekwa njengabesigaba esiphansi.

 Ingabe Kunenhlansi Yethemba?

Imithetho yamalungelo abantu iye yasiza ekususeni eminye yemingcele yezigaba zabantu. E-United States kwashaywa imithetho elwa nokuhlaliswa kwabantu ngokwahlukana. ENingizimu Afrika ubandlululo lwachithwa ngokomthetho. Engxenyeni enkulu yomhlaba, nakuba busekhona ubugqila, kodwa abusavunyelwe ngokomthetho. Izinqumo zezinkantolo ziye zaphoqelela ukuba kuqashelwe amalungelo abantu abathile bomdabu okuba nemihlaba, futhi imithetho elwa nobandlululo iye yaletha ukukhululeka ezigabeni ezithile ezihluphekayo.

Ingabe lokhu kubonisa ukuthi ukuhlukana ngezigaba zokuphila kuyaphela? Akunjalo, ngempela. Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi ezinye izigaba zokuphila azisenamandla kangako, kuye kwaqala ukuvela kwezinye izindlela zokuhlukana. Incwadi ethi Class Warfare in the Information Age ithi: “Namuhla kubonakala kungafaneleki ukuhlukana ngezigaba zabaphethe umnotho nezisebenzi, kodwa lokho kungenxa yokuthi lezi zigaba zabantu ezinkulu ziye zaqhekeka zaba amaqenjana amancane abantu abathukuthele.”

Ingabe izigaba zokuphila ziyobahlukanisa unomphela abantu? Njengoba isihloko esilandelayo sizobonisa, likhona ithemba lokuthi lesi simo sisengalungiseka.