Ibuye ilambatha iNingizimu Afrika engqungqutheleni ye-African Union
Eyehlakelele iNingizimu Afrika engqungqutheleni ye-African Union (AU) ebibanjwe ngempelasonto lapho ibuye ilambatha emveni kokuba ibigaqele izikhundla ezimbili kuKhomishini yale nhlangano, yoxoxelwa amagwababa echobana. Ukuze leli hlazo iNingizimu Afrika ethelwe ngalo lizwakale kahle, kumele kubhekwe imigomo ebekiwe ye-AU ngezokhetho lwezikhundla, amaqhinga angaphambili avame ukusetshenziswa amazwe kanye nezifunda ezisuke zigaqele izikhundla kanye nezinyathelo zeNingizimu Afrika zangaphambili uma izimisele ukuthatha isikhundla esithize ezinhlanganweni ezinjene AU.
Inkukhu yawusola umgqakazo ngonyaka owedlule ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika ingase iwugeje umgodi wokuthola isikhundla ku-AU emveni kokuphuma kwemibiko yokuthi leli lizwe seliphakamise amagama ababili elifisa ukuba bangene esikhundleni sokuba yiPhini Sihlalo we-AU. Lokhu, kwaxaka abaningi nababezibuza ukuthi kungabe inhloso yeNingizimu Afrika ukuthi ngubani kulaba ababili asekwe amanye amazwe kulesi sikhundla esisodwa. Kungakapholi maseko emveni kwalesi simanga, kwaqhamuka imibiko yokuthi leli lizwe selimuhoxisile oyedwa walaba, kuthe kusenjalo kwaphinde kwavela ukuthi nowesibili ebelimuphakamisile selimuhoxisile. Kodwa, noma lagcina liwahoxisile la magama. Le mpicabadala yokuba nababili kwasekuqaleni cishe yadalela leli zwe amazinyo abushelelezi kwamanye amazwe ase-Afrika. Sisho njalo ngoba laba ababili ababephakanyisiwe babengabesilisa. Ngokwemigomo ye-AU, uma isikhundla sikaSihlalo siphethwe ngowesilila, kumele iPhini kube ngowesifazane. Ngenkathi iNingizimu Afrika iphakamisa amagama uSihlalo we-AU – nophumelele ihlandla lesibili uMoussa Faki Mahamat – wabe engowesilisa, nokwenza amazwe ayemeseka abone sengathi leli lizwe linezinhloso zokumchitha esikhundleni.
Emveni kwale mpicabadala, iNingizimu Afrika yadalula ukuthi zimbili izikhundla ezigaqele ku-AU okungesikaKhomishana wezokuthula, ukwakha uxolo nezokuphathwa kombuso, kanye nesika Khomishana wezobuchwepheshe. Ngokwenjwayelo – nokuyinto iNingizimu Afrika eyazi kahle ngoba yayenza phambilini – isifunda lapho izwe elifuna isikhundla liqhamuka khona, siyahlangana ukuze siphume nohlu oluzosenza sikhulume ngazwi linye uma sekuyiwa okhethweni.
Ukugaqela kwe Ningizimu Afrika lezi zikhundla ezimbili kwadala indida esifundeni se-Afrika eseNingizimu ngoba kwabe kukhona amanye amazwe nawo agaqele izikhundla ezithize. IZambia neyingxenye yalesi sifunda yabe iphakamise ukuthi izophinde yeseke uwayo esikhundleni sokuba uKhomishana wezohwebo nezimboni, obekade evele ekulesi sikhundla, bese kuthi i-Angola nayo yabe igaqele ukubuyisela owayo esikhundleni sokuba uKhomishana wezolimo nomnotho wasemakhaya.
Konke lokhu kusho ukuthi kuyiwe okhethweni evile kwamabili amazwe ayingxenye yalesi sifunda agaqele izikhundla ku-AU, nokube yinkinga ngoba imigomo emisiwe ye-AU ithi isifunda ngasinye asikwazi ukuthola izikhundla ezeqile kwezimbili. Ngaleyo ndlela, amazwe ayingxenye yeNingizimu ne-Afrika ehlulekile ukufakana imilomo ngezikhundla ezimbili okumele azingenele. Obekwenza kube nzima eNingizimu Afrika ukuthi ibingavuma ngaliphi iZambia, noma i-Angola ukuhoxisa abangabokudabuka emazweni abo uma bebona ukuthi banamathuba okudla umhlanganiso ihlandla lesibili?
Okwesibili ukuthi, bekungani ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika, igaqele izikhundla ezimbili, ebe ekhona amanye amazwe e-Afrika. Lokhu kugaqela izikhundla ezimbili kube nomthelela ekutheni kungacaci bha ukuthi yisiphi isikhundla iNingizimu Afrika ebikade isigaqele kakhulu kulezi ezimbili ebizingenele.
Uma kuphinde kubhekisiswa imigomo nokuhlelela ukhetho ku-AU kucace kungakayiwa okhethweni ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika izolimala, noma ngabe bekungeke kube lula ukugagula ukuthi izobuya ilambatha.
Lokhu sikusho ngoba, ukhetho luhamba ngohlu nezibaga lwezikhundla ezikhona ku-AU, nokuchaza ukuthi kuqalwa kuqedwe ngesikhundla esisodwa ngaphambi kokwedlulela kwezilandeleyo. Kule ngqungquthela ebikhona, kuqalwe ukuvotela izikhundla zoKhomishana ebezingenelwe yi-Angola neZambia nalapho la mazwe ephumelelile, nokuvale umnyango ezweni eliqhamuka e-Afrika eseNingizimu ukuba lithole esinye isikhundla. Lokhu kwenze ukuthi, owase Ningizimu Afrika iNxusa uMamabolo angabe esakulungela ukuba sohlwini lwabangakhethwa esikhundleni sikaKhomishana wezokuthula, nesigcine sitholwa ngowaseNigeria. Ngamafuphi, izigwaze ngowayo iNingizimu Afrika ngokuthi ibonakale njengezwe elijaha onogwaja ababili ngesikhathi esisodwa.
Kuzomele uMnyango Wezobudlelwane Namazwe Omhlaba uzinike ithuba ubuyekeze ngokwenzekile. Nxa sewenza njalo, akumele kugxekwe amanye amazwe angayesekanga iNingizimu Afrika, kepha kumele uzibuze ukuthi, yehluleke kuphi yona ngokwayo ukuzihlela kahle ukuze kube khona ebuya nakho. Kepha, ukubuyela ekhaya kungaphethwe lutho akumele kuthathwe njengokuthi leli zwe seliphelelwe kunalokho, aliqhubeke nokweseka uNobhala Jikelele we-African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) osanda kungena esikhundleni nodabuka eNingizimu Afrika, kumsebenzi aqokelwe wona wokudlondlobalisa ezohhwebo phakathi kwamazwe ase-Afrika. Amanxeba aphinde apholiswe ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika iqeda ukwenyulwa ekupheleni konyaka owedlule ekubeni yilungu le-United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (UNPBC) nokuzoyinika ithuba lokuthi iqhubeke nokusebenza kwezokuqinisa ukuthula nentuthuko kumazwe abenezimpi, ikakhulukazi e-Afrika.