MAPHAKATHI nekhulu lama-20, kwakubonakala sengathi abantu bayanqoba empini yabo nezimbungulu. Abanye abantu babevame ukuzwa ngezimbungulu emlolozelweni wasendulo owawuthi: “Ungazivumeli izimbungulu zikulume.” Nokho, ngawo-1970, amazwe amaningi anquma ukukuvala ukusetshenziswa kwe-DDT—isikhali esiyinhloko sokulwa nezimbungulu—ngenxa yokuthi yayinobuthi futhi iyingozi emvelweni.

Izimbungulu zaya ngokuya zinganqobeki nangeminye imithi yokuzibulala. Kanti kwanda nokuvakashela kwabantu kwamanye amazwe futhi bahambe nezimbungulu bengahlosile. Kwaba namuphi umphumela? Umbiko ka-2012 wokulwa nezimbungulu uthi, “Eminyakeni engu-12 edlule, kubikwe ukuthi seziphinde zabuya izimbungulu e-U.S., eCanada, eMpumalanga Ephakathi, emazweni amaningana aseYurophu, e-Australia nasezingxenyeni ezithile ze-Afrika.”

Phakathi nonyaka owodwa muva nje, eMoscow, eRussia, kube nezikhalo eziphindwe kashumi ngokwanda kwezimbungulu. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, kwenye ingxenye yomhlaba, e-Australia, kusukela ngo-1999, ukuhlasela kwezimbungulu kwande ngamaphesenti angaba ngu-5 000!

Abanye abantu bathwala izimbungulu bengahlosile baphume nazo ezitolo, ezindaweni zemidlalo yeshashalazi noma emahhotela. Omunye umphathi wehhotela lase-U.S. uthi, “Uzozithola izimbungulu. Ukulwa nazo kungenye yezinkinga zamahhotela kulezi zinsuku.” Kungani kunzima kangaka ukuziqeda? Ungazivikela kanjani kuzo? Uma izimbungulu zihlasela kwakho, iziphi izinyathelo ongazithatha ukuze uziqede futhi zingaphinde zibuye?

Izimbungulu zingazithukusa cishe noma kuphi ngenxa yokuthi zincane ngisho kunanohlamvu lwe-apula kanti zinemizimba eyisicaba. Zingahlala kumatilasi, efenisheni, ezimbotsheni zokuxhuma izinto zikagesi noma ngisho nasocingweni lwakho lwasendlini. Izimbungulu zivame ukuhlala ebangeni eliphakathi kwamamitha amathathu kuya kwayisithupha ukusuka embhedeni kanye nasezintweni okuhlalwa kuzo. Kungani? Ukuze zihlale ziseduze nokudla kwazo—okunguwe. *

Izimbungulu zivame ukusiluma lapho silele isisulu sazo. Nokho, abantu abaningi abezwa nhlobo uma zibaluma ngoba zibajova ngokuthile okubulala izinzwa ukuze zikwazi ukudla ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka imizuzu efinyelela kweyishumi. Kanti nakuba zingase zidle masonto onke, zidume ngokuthi ziyakwazi ukuphila ngaphandle kokudla izinyanga eziningi.

Kuyavunywa ukuthi ngokungefani nomiyane nezinye izinambuzane, izimbungulu azinalo idumela lokusakaza izifo ezithathelwanayo. Noma kunjalo, lapho zikulume khona kuyaluma bese kuvela amaqhuqhuva kanti lokho kuyabacindezela ngokomzwelo abantu abaningi. Abantu abalunywe izimbungulu bangase baqwashe, babe namahloni  futhi baze ngisho “bezwe sengathi balunywa okuthile” kube kungekho ngempela. Umbiko ovela eSierra Leone ubiza izimbungulu ngokuthi “imbangela yokucasuka okukhulu nokuqwasha” futhi uxwayisa “ngesigcwagcwa umuntu aba naso emphakathini ngenxa yezimbungulu.”

Izimbungulu zingahlupha noma ubani. Kulula ukuzinqoba uma usheshe wazibona. Ngakho zazi izimpawu ezibonisa ukuthi kunezimbungulu endlini noma lapho usohambweni. Bheka ukuthi awekho yini amaqanda azo amancane noma amachaphazana egazi anjengezinhlayiyana efenisheni, emapulangweni asodongeni nasemithwalweni yakho. Sebenzisa ithoshi ukuze kube lula ukuzibona.

Qeda izindawo ezingacasha kuzo. Vala iminkenke nemifantu ezindongeni naseminyango. Yize ukungcola kungazibangeli izimbungulu, kuyoba lula ukuzibona nokuzinqoba uma ushanela njalo futhi ugcina indlu icocekile. Lapho usegunjini lasehhotela, ungawanciphisa amathuba okuthola nokuthatha izimbungulu uhambe nazo ngokuba ungalibeki ipotimende lakho phansi nasembhedeni.

Uma uthola izimbungulu kwakho noma egumbini lasehhotela, ungase ukhathazeke futhi ube nanamahloni. Lapho uDave nomkakhe beseholidini, balunywa izimbungulu. UDave uthi, “Asive sahlazeka. Lapho sibuyela ekhaya, sasizothini kubangane nasemndenini wethu? Ingabe babezocabanga ukuthi noma ikuphi ukulunywa abakuzwayo kubangelwe ukuvakasha kwabo emzini wethu?” Nakuba kuvamile ukuzizwa kanjalo, ungavumi ukwesaba ihlazo kukuvimbe ekufuneni usizo. I-New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene isiqinisekisa ngalokhu: “Kunzima ukuqeda izimbungulu, kodwa zona zingaphela.”

Nokho, ungayithathi kalula inselele yokuziqeda. Uma uthola izimbungulu kwakho, umuntu ogunyazwe ukubulala izinambuzane cishe angakunika usizo oludingayo. Yize imithi yokubulala izinambuzane okukhulunywe ngayo ekuqaleni ingasasetshenziswa, ababulali bezinambuzane sebesebenzisa ezinye izindlela eziningana eziphumelelayo ukuze baqede izimbungulu. Isazi sezinambuzane uDini M. Miller naye uyaphawula: “Ukulwa nezimbungulu kudinga kube nokubambisana okukhulu phakathi kwabahlali, abaphathi besakhiwo nenkampani ebulala izinambuzane.” Ngokulandela iziqondiso zalabo abanolwazi nangokuqapha okufanele, ungayifeza indima yakho futhi ugweme “ukuvumela izimbungulu zikulume!”