Ngomhlaka-20 Agasti, uchungechunge lokuhlinzekwa kwe-aluminium emhlabeni wonke lwathola esinye isixwayiso esibalulekile. Isikhulu sebhizinisi esidumile saseJapan iMarubeni Corporation sikhiphe idatha yakamuva yesitokwe, siqokomisa isimo esishubile sokuhlinzekwa kwe-aluminium kwamanye amazwe. Umphumela wokuqina kokuhlinzekwa okubangelwa izingxabano zezwe uyaqhubeka nokuvunda, okubeka isisekelo sebhalansi eqinile emakethe yokuhlinzekwa kwe-aluminium yomhlaba wonke kanye nephethini yokufunwa engxenyeni yesibili yonyaka.

Idatha ikhombisa ukuthi kusukela ekupheleni kukaJulayi 2026, inani eliphelele le-aluminium emachwebeni amathathu ayinhloko aseYokohama, eNagoya, nase-Osaka eJapane lehle laya kumathani angu-201000, ukwehla ngo-8.8% uma kuqhathaniswa nenyanga edlule. Isikali sempahla sifinyelele ezingeni eliphansi leminyaka eyi-16 kusukela ngo-Ephreli 2010, liphakeme kancane kuneliphansi lomlando lamathani angu-190500 ngo-Ephreli 2010. Njengesikhungo esiyinhloko sokungenisa, ukushintshashintsha, kanye nokusatshalaliswa kwama-ingot e-aluminium eJapane, inani lempahla lamachweba amathathu amakhulu liyaqhubeka nokwehla, okubonisa ngokunembile ukuqina okuqhubekayo kokuhlinzekwa kwe-ingot ye-aluminium emakethe yaseJapan.

Abaphathi abaphezulu beMarubeni Corporation bachaze imbangela eyinhloko yokushintsha kwempahla, bathi impahla ye-aluminium yaseJapan yehle kakhulu kulo mjikelezo, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yezingxabano zezwe eziqhubekayo eMpumalanga Ephakathi. Ezinyangeni zakamuva, ngenxa yezici eziningi ezifana nesimo esishubile, ukuphazamiseka kokuthunyelwa kwempahla, kanye nokukhiqizwa kokuncibilikisa okulinganiselwe, inani lama-ingot e-aluminium angeniswe yiJapan evela eMpumalanga Ephakathi liqhubeke nokwehla kakhulu, futhi inani lokufika echwebeni liye lehla kakhulu, okwenza ngqo ukuncipha okuqhubekayo kwempahla futhi kwabeka ukwehla okusha esigabeni.

Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi iMpumalanga Ephakathi iyindawo eyinhloko yokukhiqiza i-aluminium ye-electrolytic emhlabeni, lapho amandla okuncibilikisa i-aluminium ebalelwa ku-9% womthamo womhlaba wonke, ethatha isikhundla esibalulekile ohlelweni lokuhlinzeka nge-aluminium lomhlaba wonke. Izithiyo eziningi zokuthunyelwa kwamanye amazwe, ukukhiqizwa, kanye nokuthuthwa kwezingcezu ze-aluminium ezibangelwa yingxabano yamanje yezezwe eMpumalanga Ephakathi akuzona iziphazamiso zesikhashana zesifunda, kodwa izinkinga zokuhlinzeka ngemiphumela yokudlulisela emhlabeni jikelele. Abantu abangaphakathi embonini babikezela ukuthi ukuphazamiseka okuqhubekayo kokuhlinzekwa kwe-aluminium eMpumalanga Ephakathi kuzoholela ngqo ekushodeni okukhulu kokuhlinzekwa emakethe ye-aluminium yomhlaba wonke ngo-2026, kuphule iphethini yokufunwa kokuhlinzekwa okulinganiselayo esigabeni sokuqala.

Ngokombono wemakethe, iJapan incike kakhulu ezinsizeni ze-aluminium ezingenisiwe ezivela phesheya kwezilwandle, kanti iMpumalanga Ephakathi ingumthombo obalulekile wokungeniswa kwayo. Ukuncipha kokuhlinzekwa kuholela ngqo ekunciphiseni okuqhubekayo kwamaphedi okuphepha kwempahla yasekhaya. Ngaphansi kwezinga lamanje lempahla eliphansi kakhulu, ikhono lokumelana nengozi yemakethe ye-aluminium yaseJapan lehle kakhulu. Uma ukunikezwa okuvela eMpumalanga Ephakathi kunzima ukukulungisa ngokushesha esikhathini esizayo, kungabangela ukushoda kweindawo ye-aluminiyamuamanani kanye nokuqinisa izingcaphuno esifundeni, ezizodluliselwa emakethe yomhlaba wonke ngeziteshi zokuhweba zamazwe ngamazwe.

Sekukonke, izingozi zokuhlinzekwa kwemakethe ye-aluminium yomhlaba wonke ziyaqhubeka nokwenyuka, ngezibonakaliso ezimbili zokuphazamiseka komthamo wokukhiqiza eMpumalanga Ephakathi kanye nempahla entsha ephansi eJapane, okugqamisa ukushoda kwezinsizakusebenza ze-aluminium zaphesheya kwezilwandle. Imakethe yokulandelela idinga ukugxila ekulandeleleni inqubekela phambili yokulungiswa kwesimo sezepolitiki saseMpumalanga Ephakathi, ukuqala kabusha kwamandla okuncibilikisa i-aluminium, kanye nesivinini sokujikeleziswa kwe-aluminium ingot yamazwe ngamazwe. Amanani e-aluminium emhlabeni wonke azoqhubeka nokusekelwa ukulindela ukushoda kokunikezwa, futhi ukuguquguquka kulindeleke ukuthi kukhuphuke kakhulu.