Isigameko sase-Watergate

Isigameko sase-Watergate, esaziwa nangokuthi i-Watergate, sasiyicala elikhulu lezepolitiki elenzeka e-United States, elalihilela uhulumeni kaMongameli uRichard Nixon. Ngomhla ziyi-17 kuNhlangulana 1972, abantu ababehlotshaniswa nomkhankaso kaNixon wokuphinde akhethwe bangena ngenkani emagcekeni eKomidi Likazwelonke Leqembu LamaDemokhrasi e-Watergate Complex eWashington, D.C., ngenhloso yokufaka imishini yokuqapha. Imizamo kaNixon yokufihla iqhaza likahulumeni wakhe kulesi sigameko yaholela enqubweni yokumbeka icala, kwathi ekugcineni wesula esikhundleni sokuba ngumongameli ngoNcwaba 1974.

Ukucindezela okwakwenziwa yi-White House kwaholela ekutheni uMmeli Jikelele u-Elliot Richardson asuse u-Archibald Cox, owayehola uphenyo lwe-Watergate. UCox wafuna ukuthi kukhishwe amakhasethi ayegcinwe eHhovisi le-Oval likaNixon, njengoba ayesolwa ukuthi aqukethe izingxoxo ezihlobene ne-Watergate. Kodwa uNixon wasebenzisa igunya lakhe likamongameli ukuvimba ukukhishwa kwawo, okwabangela inkinga enkulu kwezomthetho nomthethosisekelo.

Ngesikhathi sesigameko esaziwa ngokuthi “Saturday Night Massacre”, uNixon waxosha uCox. Lokhu kwaholela ekutheni uMmeli Jikelele kanye nephini lakhe besule ezikhundleni futhi kwandisa izinsolo zokuthi uNixon wayebandakanyeka kulolu daba.

UNixon wagcina esekhiphe amanye amakhasethi, kodwa elinye lalawo lasulwa ngokwengxenye kanti amanye amabili anyamalala. Ngo-Ephreli 1974, uLeon Jaworski, owathatha isikhundla sikaCox, waphinde wafuna ukuthi amakhasethi akhishwe. Nokho, uNixon wanikeza imibhalo yezingxoxo eyayisuswe ezinye izingxenye. NgoJulayi, iNkantolo Ephakeme yayala ukuba amakhasethi akhishwe. Ngaleso sikhathi, iKomidi Lezobulungiswa leNdlu yabaMeli lancoma ukuthi uNixon abekwe icala ngezizathu zokuphazamisa ubulungiswa, ukusebenzisa kabi amandla kanye nokudelela iCongress.

I-White House yagcina ikhiphe ikhasethi eyayibizwa ngokuthi “Smoking Gun”. Leli khasethi lalikhombisa ukuthi uNixon wayala i-CIA ukuba ivimbe uphenyo lwe-FBI. Ebhekene nethuba lokubekwa icala, uNixon wesula esikhundleni mhla ziyi-9 kuNcwaba 1974, waba ngumongameli wokuqala wase-United States ukwesula. Sekukonke, abantu abangama-69 babekwa amacala ahlobene ne-Watergate, kuhlanganise namalungu amabili ekhabhinethi. Abaningi babo bavuma amacala ababebekwe wona noma batholakala benecala. Umlandeli kaNixon, uGerald Ford, wamnika uxolo.

I-Watergate, evame ukubhekwa njengenye yamahlazo amakhulu kwezepolitiki, yalilimaza kakhulu igama likaNixon futhi yaba nomthelela omkhulu kwezombusazwe ze-Republican Party. Leli qembu lahlulwa kakhulu okhethweni lwaphakathi nesikhathi ngo-1974, kanti umzamo kaFord wokuphinde akhethwe ngo-1976 nawo wehluleka.

Naphezu kokusakazwa kabanzi kwalolu daba, akukabikho ukuvumelana ngokuthi yini eyabangela ukugqekezwa noma ukuthi ubani owayala ukuba kwenziwe.

Izinkolelo-mbono ezahlukene ziphakamisa ukuthi kwakungaba umsebenzi wokuhlola owawungahlelwanga kahle, umsebenzi wobunhloli noma icebo elalibandakanya i-CIA.

Leli hlazo seligqugquzele ukwenziwa kwamafilimu angaphezu kuka-30 futhi laba nomthelela omkhulu endleleni i-Watergate ekhunjulwa ngayo emphakathini waseMelika.