UMeya wedolobho leGaborone kwele Botswana uthi idolobho lakhe lizakhangela kakhulu impilakahle yabokuza phansi kohlelo lweFast Track Cities, olubhekane lokuqeda igcikwane lengculaza ngomnyaka ka2030.
UMnu. Austin Abraham, ekhuluma lentathelizindaba ngemva kokungena kumhlangano weFast Track Cities owenzelwe eSpain, uthi impilakahle yabokuza akumelanga isalele muva uma kuzanqotshwa igciwane lengculaza.
Uhlelo lweFast Track Cities, olulamalunga amadolobo adlula amakhulu amane umhlaba wonke jikelele, alukhangeli kuphela igculaza kodwa leminye imkhuhlane efana lophepha kanye le-Hepatitis.
“Ngangena umhlangano osezingeni eliphezulu ukhuluma kakhulu ngempilakahle yabantu bokuza ikakhulu kukhulunywa ngemikhuhlane efana le-HIV, uphepha, kanye le-Hepatitis. Ngabatshela ukuthi uhulumende wethu ulohlelo lokwelapha bonke abokuza kungelankethabetshabe.”
EleBotswana lafaka loluhlelo, olukuqala ukunikeza abokuza amaphilisi okulwisana legcikwane lengculaza awe-Anti-retrovirals (ARVs), ngomnyaka ka2019. Lokhu kwalandela ukuhanjiswa kukahulumende weleBotswana emthenthwandaba ngabanye ababili abeZimbabwe ababevalelwe ejele. Laba bantu babesethesa uhulumende umlandu wokuncitsha abantu bokuza amaphilizi e-ARVs. Umeya uAbraham uthi bazabona ukuthi akula owokuza otshiywa phandle kohlelo lwezempilakahle.
Ngaphandle bobunzima bokufinyelela inhlelo zempilakahle, inengi lezizalwane zeZimbabwe kuleli kazenelisi ukungena kunhlelo ezinengi ngenxa yokuswela amaphepha aqondileyo. Ihofisi yommeli weZimbabwe kwele Botswana isisungule uhlelo lokuphathisa bonke abeZimbabwe abahlala eBotswana okungekho emthethweni ukuthola amaphepha.
Umsekeli kameli weleZimbabwe eBotswana, uMnu. Witness Ngwenya, uthi lokhu kuzaphathisa ukuthi bafinyelele inhlelo ezitsheyeneyo ezigoqela lezempilakahle, bengelavalo lokuthi bangabuyiselwa ekhaya.
“Kulomkhankaso owenziwa nguhulumende. Uthi siyathaba ukuthi eleBotswana liyalivumela ukuhlala, kodwa kumele lihlale ngokusemthethweni. Kulomkhankaso okuthi abantu bethola incwadi ukuthi benelise ukuhambisa abantwana esikolo, benelise ukuya ezibhedlela, benelise ukuthi bangaba lenkinga lomthetho batholakale belamaphepha.”
Inombolo zitshengisa ukuthi kulabokuza abaphila legcikwane lengculaza abafika inkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu -30,000 kwele Botswana, kodwa abafika inkulungwane eziyisikhombisa (7,000) yibo kuphela ababhalisa ukungena kuhlelo lokuthola ama-ARVs kungela mbadalo.
Inengi labokuza liyesaba ukuyaziveza kwabezempilakahle ngoba lingelamaphepha aqondileyo. Bathi ukuyadinga ukwelatshwa kunganikeza abomthetho ithuba lokuthi babotshwe. UNkosazana Sindiso Sibanda, isizalwane seZimbabwe esihlala eGaborone, uthakazelela imizamo yokuphathisa abokuza kwezempilakahle.
“Isinqumo sokuthi kuphiwe abantu amaphepha kuzaphathisa kakhulu ngoba inengi belisesaba ukuthi liye esibhedlela ngoba bengalamaphepha okuqondileyo.”
UNkosazana Sibanda uthi kumele kube luhlelo oluqhubekayo ukuze abantu bathole amaphepha, bengabi lovalo lokuyadinga usizo ezibhedlela.
Amadolobho amakhulu eZimbabwe, eleHarare kanye lako Bulawayo lawo aphansi kohlelo lweFast Track Cities. Uhlelo lolu lulandela izivumelwano ezalotshwa edolobheni leParis, France, ngomnyaka ka2014, ngenhlonso yokuqeda igcikwane lengculaza ngomnyaka ka2030.
Kulenhlelo njalo ezithile ezikhangelelweyo ngenyanga ezayo kaLwezi ezizanceda kwezempilakahle. Inengi labokuza kweleBotswana yizizalwane zakwele Zimbabwe ezingena ngokufohla umngcele ngoba bengela maphepha aqondileyo.