Sithelele Kuhambo Lwethu KwiChobe

NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EMZANTSI AFRIKA

SIHLELI kwiphenyane kuMlambo iChobe embindini wamazantsi eAfrika. Sifikelele kwimbalasane yekhefu lethu. Sibek’ indlebe kumanzi abetheka kancinane kweli phenyane njengoko abanye bekhwela. Elunxwemeni lomlambo, iingcongolo ziwa ngapha nangapha zisamkela impepho ebetha kamnandi. Sivuyiswa ngamafu asikhusele kwilanga eligqats’ ubhobhoyi laseAfrika.

UJill, ongumphathikazi wehotele elungiselele olu hambo uthi, “Ndiyathemba ukuba iindlovu ziza kuza njengesiqhelo ukuza kusela ngale mva kwemini.” Nathi sithemba njalo. UMlambo iChobe udumile ngezi ndlovu ezikuwo. Umntla Botswana, okumda woMlambo iChobe, uneendlovu eziqikelelwa zikuma-45 000​—⁠elona qela likhulu likumazantsi eAfrika. UJill uyalumkisa, “Kodwa ngenxa yeemvula zakutshanje, asikhange sizibone iindlovu kangangeentsuku ezintathu.”

Phofu ke, uMlambo iChobe unezinye izinto ezininzi ezinomtsalane. Kwitreyi ekwiphenyane, sibona iintlanzi ezine ezifileyo. URainford ongumphathi wephenyane lethu laseBotswana, uthi, “sisoloko sifumana oonomakhwezane belindele ukuba kuphoswe iintlanzi emanzini.” Ngaba siya kuphumelela ekuthabatheni umfanekiso wenye yezi ntaka njengoko igola ukuze izithabathele ukudla? Siba nemincili njengoko elinye iphenyane labahambi, elibizwa ngokuba yiThe Fish Eagle, lidlula. Iphenyane lethu libizwa ngokuba yiMosi-Oa-Tunya, igama lesiNtu leVictoria Falls. UMlambo iChobe udibana nomlambo omkhulu iZambezi ukwakha amanzi aya kwezi ngxangxasi zaziwayo, ezikumgama omalunga nohambo lweyure ukusuka apha.

Akunakukholelwa xa ndisithi, kungekudala ihambile iMosi sibona iindlovu ngezibonakude. Kodwa, ngelishwa, ngoxa sisekude zibuyela ematyholweni. USandy, osikhokelayo kolu khenketho ukhumbula oku, “Besisoloko sibona imihlambi yamakhulu azo, de kwaziiveki ezintathu ezidluleyo.” Ngokulandelayo, ingqalelo yethu itsalwa ngamaqhude amathandathu awayesijongile engaselunxwemeni lomlambo. Xa kuvela inqwelo-mafutha, ezi nyamakazi ziyabaleka. USandy uthi, “Zibonakala zingaloyiki kangako iphenyane elisemlanjeni.”

Ukunqulela phantsi kwamahobe ngokukhawuleza kuphazanyiswa sisikhalo esihlabayo. Yiyiphi loo ntaka? UGqr. Anthony Hall-Martin uyacacisa kwincwadi ethi Elephants of Africa, “Ikhwelo elivakalela phezulu elingumqondiso kanomakhwezane waseAfrika liyimbonakaliso engenakuguqulwa yoMlambo iChobe.” Ezine kwezi ntaka zithandekayo zisijongile zisemithini egudle lo mlambo. Ngokukhawuleza silungelelanisa iikhamera zethu njengoko uSandy ephosa intlanzi. Ngokulandelelana, intaka yokuqala iyayishiya le ndawo iphakamileyo imi kuyo ize ibhabhele ngakuthi. Ngokulandelayo, siva ukugxampuza kwamanzi njengoko intaka ibamba ngokuqinileyo intlanzi ngeenzipho zayo. Iyandula ke, ngokuphaphazela kwamaphiko ayo amakhulu, inyuke emanzini, ikhala ngoloyiso​—⁠WHOW-kayow-kwow. Siyamangaliswa kukulungelelaniswa kwamehlo, kweenzipho, kwelizwi nempiko okwenziwa ebuchotsheni obuncinane bolu khozi. Kweli phenyane kuthe cwaka, ngaphandle kokunqakrazwa kweekhamera, njengoko esi senzo sichukumisayo siphindaphindwa kangangezihlandlo ezithathu.

Njengoko eli phenyane lihamba, sibona umhlambi weendlovu ezingama-26, kuquka namathole, zidlala emanzini. Ukuzibukela kuzisa engqondweni amazwi kaBruce Aiken kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Lions and Elephants of the Chobe: “Lwakuba luqatyulwe olu nxano lwangequbuliso, ezindala zisebenzisa imiboko yazo ukuzigalela ngabom ngamanzi apholileyo. Zimbi, ngokukodwa ezindadlana neziziinkunzi, ziyakwazi ukuzibeka esichengeni ngokuya emlanjeni zize zidlale ziqubhe zibuye zibaleke, ngokufuthi kuvele iincam zemiboko yazo ngaphezu kwamanzi ngokungathi yimibhobho. Noko ke, azikho ezonwaba njengamathole. Oku kukuqalisa kwexesha lomdlalo, yaye kangangethuba elide ayadlobadloba esukelana . . . Zakuba ziluqabule unxano, ngokungathandabuzekiyo lixesha lomdlalo olandelayo othandekayo, ukudlala eludakeni. . . . Kungekudala, iimazi ezindala ezibhoxa umdlalo ezo ilizwi lingenakuwa phantsi, zigqiba ekubeni kulixesha lokuba kuhanjwe.”

Okulusizi kukuba, ukuvela kwephenyane lethu elikhulu elinemigangatho emibini kwenza ukuba ‘iimazi ezingababhoxi’ zingonwabi, yaye zikhokela umhlambi ukuba kuhanjwe kodwa kungekhona ngaphambi kokuba sithabathe imifanekiso.

Usuku alukapheli, yaye uMlambo iChobe unezinye izinto ezimangalisayo. Ngenxa yothuli oluvela kwiNtlango iKalahari ewungqongileyo, ukutshona kwelanga ngaphaya komlambo kunomtsalane. Ingokuhlwa ikwalixesha laxa iimvubu ezenqenayo ziqalisa ukushukuma njengoko zilungiselela ukushiya amanzi zisiya kutya amaxhoba azo ngexesha lasebusuku. Apha ukunqabiseka kwephenyane lethu elikhulu ngokungathandabuzekiyo kuyingenelo. URainford uthi, “Unokusondela kwezi mvubu ungenaloyiko.”

Umgqumo ovakala ngathi kukurhona ungumqondiso wokuba sifikile kwiqula leemvubu elikufutshane nesiqithi esikulo mlambo. Enye emva kwenye, iintloko ezinkulu zeemvubu eziphantsi kwamanzi zivela kuwo onke amacala esingakuwo. Ngequbuliso, iimvubu ezimbini ziyatsibelana, zivule kakhulu imilomo​—⁠imilomo emikhulu ngokwaneleyo ukuginya umntu. Iyandula ke, enye imvubu ivele kumanzi angenzulwanga kufutshane nesiqithi, ize ngakuthi​—⁠ngokusondele kangangokuba lo mzimba mkhulu uzala wonke kwisilanga sekhamera yethu. Njengoko amanzi eya esiba nzulu ngakumbi, intloko yayo iyatshona, ishiya umqolo omkhulu uvele ngaphandle. Iyandula ke, ngokubohlisa imiphunga yayo, iwuntywilisele wonke loo mzimba mkhulu.

Siyamangaliswa kukufumanisa ukuba phezu kwako nje ukuba nobukhulu obuziitoni ezine, imvubu inamandla amakhulu kangaka okubaleka emanzini. UBradley Smith kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Life of the Hippopotamus uthi, “Inokuqubha ngokukhawuleza ngaphezu kweentlanzi ezininzi phezu kwawo nje umzimba wayo onzima yaye ngokufuthi inokubonwa kumanzi acwengileyo iqubha ngesantya kanye ngaphantsi nje kwamanzi.” Okanye ukuba zifuna njalo, iimvubu zisebenzisa imilenze yazo eyomeleleyo ekungqisheni zinqumla intsele yomlambo onzulu. Kunjengokuba kanye uMdali womntu esithi:

“Khawuyibone imvubu endayenza yanawe: Idla utyani njengenkomo. Khawubone, amandla ayo asemanqeni ayo, nokuqina kwayo kusezinyameni zesisu sayo. Yabona, uhamba phandle umlambo, ayiphakuzeli; ikholosile, xa kutyhobozela neYordan [enguMlambo] emlonyeni wayo.” (Yobhi 40:​15, 16, 23) Singqongwe yile mizekelo yoyikekayo ‘iqinileyo,’ siyayiqonda imfuneko enkulu ngakumbi yokubonakalisa intlonelo kuLowo wazenzayo. UYehova uThixo uyabuza, esikhumbuza ngamandla ethu alinganiselweyo njengabantu, “Inokubanjwa na, inamehlo nje, igqojozwe impumlo ngentsimbi yokuthiyela?”​—⁠Yobhi 40:⁠24.

Sisengxakini yokukhetha phakathi kokubukela ukutshona kwelanga okuqaqambileyo nemvubu, asikulungelanga ukuhamba njengoko ixesha lisondela lokuba iphenyane lethu libuyele emva. Kamva, sikwindlu yethu efulelwe ngengca kufutshane nomlambo, siyabukela simangalisiwe njengoko isibhakabhaka siguqukela ekubeni pinki naorenji, mibala leyo ebonakala imihle emanzini. Sicamngca ngezinto ezibangele imincili esizibonileyo nesizivileyo. USandy usicebisa esithi, “Ukuba ngokwenene nifuna ukuzibona kakuhle izilwanyana zasendle, nifanele nisebenzise iphenyane elincinane eliyinqwelo.” Sigqiba ekubeni silithabathe icebiso lakhe yaye siqesha elinye silungiselela imva kwemini elandelayo.

Ngeli thuba eneneni siyibona ngokusondeleyo indalo yasendle, ngaphandle kweemvubu eziyingozi, yaye sikwanokubamba iingcongolo neenyibiba zamanzi. Sibukela izaxwila njengoko zindanda zifuna iintlanzi ezincinane. Ezinye iintaka ezimibalabala zibhabha kufutshane nathi, oondozela, iintaka ezimhlophe ngaphambili ezitya izinambuzane, neenkonjane. Sandula ke, sibone iintaka ezinkudlwana ezinandipha ukuba zezikhuselekileyo kwezi ziqithi zomlambo​—⁠amalowe (Egyptian geese), oonondwayiza, oogwidi nookhwalimanzi, xa sikhankanya nje ezimbalwa. Sidlula umthi osiqingatha sawo sivele emanzini owenziwe mhle zezinye zezi ntaka.

Ekugqibeleni, sifika apho besibone khona umhlambi weendlovu ngezolo. Ngeli thuba sifumana inkunzi edla yodwa nengasinanziyo yaye iqhubeka isela kwaye isitya. Kwandula ke, njengoko siqalisa ukuhamba, ngequbuliso kuvele imazi ihamba namathole ivela ngasetyholweni. Ithi yakusibona ithandabuze. Sinomnqweno onzulu sikwanethemba. Ngaba iseza kuza okanye ayizi kuza? Okuvuyisayo kukuba igqiba ekubeni izibeke engozini ngokuyeka amathole ayo aze ngakuthi. Onjani wona umbono ukubona imazi yendlovu, ithole nelinye elincinane zibaleka zisiza ngakuthi!

UAiken ugqabaza ngokubhekele phaya kwincwadi yakhe ethetha ngeengonyama neendlovu esithi: “Kulula ukuthelekelela unxano ezi zilwanyana zikhulu ezimele ukuba ziba nalo suku ngalunye . . . njengoko zigqiba uhambo olude olushushu ngokuya emlanjeni. Zihamba ngokungxama ngenxa yonxano yaye ngokukhawuleza kangangoko zinako, umhlambi uya kutyhubela amatyholo uze uye ngqo emlanjeni, ngokufuthi uhamba iimitha zokugqibela ezingamashumi amahlanu okanye ezilikhulu ubaleka ushiyana njengoko usiva ivumba lamanzi ahlaziyayo.” Eneneni, sibukela simangalisiwe njengoko ezi zilwanyana zithathu zimile zenze ungcelele zisela, ithole elincinane likhuselekile phakathi. Kodwa ixesha lihambile, yaye simele sibuyele emva ngaphambi kokuba kube mnyama.

Ngaphandle kweendlovu, sibona iinyathi, iingwenya, iipuku, amaqhude, uhlobo oluthile lwembabala yezihlabo (waterbuck), iimpala, iimfene neengxaku. Asinakuyinceda imvakalelo enzulu yokudumisa Lowo wadala ezi zidalwa zahlukahlukeneyo zasendle nalowo wazenza zaphila kwiindawo ezintle kangako. Ngamaxesha embalela, iintaka nezilwanyana ziya kulo mlambo ngobuninzi bazo, kwaneengonyama, izingwe nomkhombe zinokubonwa.

Usenokuba uhlala kude nalo mmandla ukude nowodwa waseAfrika, kodwa sinethemba lokuba ngokusithelela kolu hambo lwethu, ngoku unembono elunge ngakumbi ngemibono ebalulekileyo elindele ukubonwa ngabo batyelela iChobe.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 30]

All wood engravings: Animals: 1419 Copyright-Free Illustrations of Mammals, Birds, Fish, Insects, etc. by Jim Harter