UMikhal Marek Umbiko we-Amnesty International yabonisa ukuthi omunye wabahlinzeki bezinkampani eziningi zobuchwepheshe ezinkulu, kuhlanganise i-Apple, iMicrosoft, i-Sony, i-Samsung kanye, isibonelo, i-Daimler ne-Volkswagen yasebenzisa izingane. EDemocratic Republic of the Congo, izingane zabamba iqhaza ezimayini ze-cobalt, eyasetshenziswa kamuva ekukhiqizeni amabhethri e-Li-Ion. Lezi zibe sezisetshenziswa emikhiqizweni yalezi zinhlobo ezinkulu.
Ngaphambi kokuba i-cobalt ekhishwe ifinyelele emidondoshiya yezobuchwepheshe okukhulunywe ngayo ngenhla, ihamba ibanga elide. I-cobalt embiwa yizingane iqala ukuthengwa ngabadayisi bakuleli, abayidayisela inkampani yezimayini iCongo Dongfang Mining. Lesi sakamuva siyigatsha lenkampani yaseChina iZhejiang Huayou Cobalt Ltd, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-Huayou Cobalt. Le nkampani icubungula i-cobalt futhi iyithengise kubakhiqizi abathathu abahlukene bezingxenye zebhethri. Lezi yi-Toda Hunan Shanshen New Material, i-Tianjin Bamo Technology kanye ne-L&F Materal. Izingxenye zebhethri zithengwa abakhiqizi bebhethri, ababese bethengisa amabhethri aphelile ezinkampanini ezifana ne-Apple noma i-Samsung.
Kodwa-ke, ngokusho kukaMark Dummett ovela ku-Amnesty International, lokhu akuzithetheleli lezi zinkampani, futhi wonke umuntu ozuza ku-cobalt etholwe ngale ndlela kufanele abambe iqhaza ngenkuthalo ekuxazululeni lesi simo esibi. Akumele kube yinkinga ukuthi izinkampani ezinkulu kangaka zisize lezi zingane.
“Izingane zitshele i-Amnesty International ukuthi zisebenza amahora angu-12 ngosuku ezimayini, zithwele kanzima, ukuze zihole phakathi kwedola elilodwa noma amabili ngosuku. Ngo-2014, ngokusho kwe-UNICEF, cishe izingane ezingu-40 zazisebenza ezimayini eDemocratic Republic of the Congo, iningi lazo elalimba i-cobalt.
Uphenyo lwe-Amnesty International lusekelwe ezingxoxweni nabantu abangu-87 ababesebenza ezimayini ze-cobalt eziboshwe ngamacala. Kulaba bantu bekukhona izingane eziyishumi nesikhombisa ezineminyaka ephakathi kweyisi-9 nengu-17. Abaphenyi bakwazile ukuthola izinto ezibonakalayo ezibonisa izimo eziyingozi ezimayini abasebenzi abasebenza kuzo, ngokuvamile ngaphandle kwemishini yokuzivikela eyisisekelo.
Izingane ngokuvamile zazisebenza endaweni, zithwala imithwalo esindayo futhi zivame ukuphatha amakhemikhali ayingozi ezindaweni ezinothuli. Ukuchayeka isikhathi eside othulini lwe-cobalt kufakazele ukuthi kubangela izifo zamaphaphu ngemiphumela ebulalayo.
Ngokusho kwe-Amnesty International, imakethe ye-cobalt ayilawulwa nganoma iyiphi indlela futhi e-United States, ngokungafani negolide laseCongo, i-tin ne-tungsten, ayifakwanga ohlwini "njengezinto eziyingozi". IDemocratic Republic of Congo yenza okungenani ingxenye yokukhiqizwa kwe-cobalt emhlabeni.
I-Apple, esevele iqalile uphenyo ngalesi simo, i-pro BBC washo lokhu okulandelayo: "Asilokothi sikubekezelele ukusetshenziswa kwezingane ochungechungeni lwethu lokuhlinzeka futhi siyaziqhenya ngokuhola imboni ngokusebenzisa izinyathelo zokuphepha nokuvikeleka."
Le nkampani iphinde yaxwayisa ngokuthi ibheka amasheke aqinile futhi noma yimuphi umphakeli osebenzisa izingane uphoqelekile ukuthi aqinisekise ukuthi umsebenzi ubuyela ekhaya ephephile, akhokhele imfundo yesisebenzi, aqhubeke nokukhokha iholo elikhona futhi anikeze isisebenzi umsebenzi lapho nje efinyelela lapho edingekayo. iminyaka yobudala. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuthiwa i-Apple nayo izoqapha ngeso lokhozi intengo okuthengiswa ngayo i-cobalt.
Leli cala akukona okokuqala ukuthi kudalulwe ukusetshenziswa kwezingane echungechungeni lokuhlinzekwa kwe-Apple. Ngo-2013, inkampani yamemezela ukuthi isikuyekile ukusebenzisana nomunye wabaphakeli bayo baseChina ngesikhathi ithola amacala okuqashwa kwezingane. Ngawo lowo nyaka, i-Apple yasungula indikimba ekhethekile yokuqondisa ngezemfundo, ebisiza uhlelo oluqanjwe kusukela ngaleso sikhathi Isibopho Somhlinzeki. Lokhu kwenzelwa ukuqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izingxenye ezithengwe yi-Apple zivela ezindaweni zokusebenza eziphephile.
Iso elilodwa cishe alizange lihlale lomile. Kulungile, ngizobhala lawa mazwana, ngiphule ucingo ngesando bese ngiya ehlathini ngiyoqoqa amagxolo. Kufanele umuntu ayiqale. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, amafoni yilokho "I-Kongo Children Friendly" enikeziwe. Unyaka nonyaka, imodeli ngemuva kwemodeli, ithoshi liba lincane futhi libe lincane. Uma amafoni angenawo amabhethri engu-1mm ubukhulu, izingane zaseCongo ekugcineni zizokwazi ukudlala ngenjabulo. Sidinga izingane ezingamasosha, okuwumdlalo kazwelonke abawukhonzile.