Ichilo lentuthu kagwayi ngokusetshenziswa kwezingane
Umbiko okhuluma ngokuxhashazwa kwezingane zisetshenziswa emapulazini okutshalwa kuwo ugwayi emazweni angaphansi kweSouthern African Development Community (SADC) udalula amahlazo ngendlela izingane eseziphendulwe ngayo izigqila. Lo mbiko obizwa ngokuthi, “Bitter Harvest” okhishwe yiHuman Rights Watch usugqugquzele nezinhlangano ezilwela amalungelo ezingane ukuba zisukume.
Amazwe athintekayo ngokusebenzisa izingane iZimbabwe, iMalawi, iMozambique, iTanzania neZambia. EZimbabwe kuvela ukuthi izingane ezineminyaka esukela kweli-11 zisebenza emapulazini kagwayi ngaphansi kwezimo ezinzima ukuze zikwazi ukuthola imali yokukhokha ezikoleni nokondla imindeni. Ngaphandle kwalokho abasebenzi bazithola besengcupheni yokungenwa izifo ezithathelanayo eziyingozi.
Lo mbiko uthi oHulumeni bamazwe angaphansi kweSADC kumele bangenelele ukunciphisa izinga lomonakalo osudalekile ngenxa yalesi simo emapulazini kagwayi. Ezinyangeni ezinhlanu ezedlule umfelandawonye wamazwe amahlanu angaphansi kweSADC wahlangana eLilongwe, eMalawi lapho kwadingidwa khona izindlela zokubhekana nesimo esikhona emhlabeni jikelele lapho sekunezinhlangano eziphikisana nokwenzeka emapulazini kagwayi. Okunye okwakukhulunywa ukuthi ingavikelwa kanjani le mboni esigxekwe kangaka nesingaphansi kwengcuphe yokuphela.
Ukuvela kombiko wokuxhashazwa kwezingane kube umphumela weHuman Rights Commission ejube abacwaningi ukuba balandele ngokuba khona kwalezi zinsolo emapulazini kagwayi eZimbabwe. UHulumeni wase-United States of America (USA) muva nje umise ukuthenga ugwayi eMalawi ngemuva kokuvela kombiko wokuxhashazwa kwezingane. Ngokwemibiko yabezindaba, ukumiswa kokuthengwa kogwayi eMalawi kulandele ezinye izindaba zokuthi abameli bamalungelo abantu bazofaka icala bebopha iBritish American Tobacco eLondon ngezinsolo zokusetshenziswa kwezingane emapulazini kagwayi eMalawi.
Abameli bamele abantu abalinganiselwa ezi-2000 okuyizingane nabazali, kanti balindele ukuthi sikhule size sifinyelele kuma-15 000 isibalo sabantu abazogcina sebeyingxenye yaleli cala.
“Ababhekele impahla ephuma ngaphandle e-USA nophiko Oluvikela Imingcele bakhiphe umyalelo wokuba uvinjwe ugwayi ophuma eMalawi okusho ukuthi uzothi uma ufika echwebeni uvalelwe,” ngokusho kombiko welinye lamaphephandaba ase-USA.
“Abathumela ugwayi kuzomele babe nobufakazi bokuthi awukhiqizwa ngaphansi kwezimo ezingagunyaziwe uhulumeni wase-USA.” Izinhlangano ezilwela amalungelo abantu nezilwa nokukhiqizwa kogwayi kusetshenziswa izingane zikholwa ukuthi uma kulandelwa lolu hlelo izinkampani zizophoqeleka ukuthi zibhekane nezinsolo zokuxhashazwa kwezingane eMalawi nasesifundeni sonke seSADC. Naphezu kwesomiso esihlasele iZimbabwe ngesikhathi sesivuno sonyaka wezi- 2018/2019, leli lizwe likwazile ukukhiqiza kakhulu ugwayi okuze kwafinyelela kuma-258 million kg. Kulo nyaka umkhiqizo ube mkhulu kakhulu uma kuqhathaniswa nonyaka wezi-2017 lapho kwakungama-252,5 million kg.
Ugwayi yiwona ohamba phambili emnothweni waseZimbabwe kanti ngonyaka unengeniso eyi-US$1 billion okwenza leli lizwe likwazi ukuthenga uwoyela, imishanguzo nezinye izinto emazweni angaphandle. Amahlamvu kabhali eMalawi enza izi-6.6% zikagwayi othunyelwa emazweni angaphandle, kanti leli lizwe lenza ingeniso efinyelela kuma- 70% ngogwayi. Ukudayiswa kukagwayi kuelli lizwe kungenisa i-US$165 million ngonyaka.
Ngonyaka odlule iZambia yakhiqiza ugwayi ongama-31 million kg. IMozambique ikhiqiza amathani afinyelela ezi-100 000 ngonyaka. Ugwayi wenza isibalo esincane kwezolimo eMozambique njengoba indawo ehlinzekwe ukuwutshala ili-0,15%. IChina yilona lizwe elithenga kakhulu ugwayi okhiqizwa kulawa mazwe amahlanu.
