Ngubani Okhusela Izilwanyana Zasendle ZaseAfrika?
NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EMZANTSI AFRIKA
ZININZI izinto ezimbi eziye zathethwa ngendlela ama-Afrika alijonga ngayo ilifa lawo lezilwanyana zasendle. Bambi abantu abatyelela apho bathi: ‘Awanalo tu kwaphela uxabiso lokwenene ngalo; aligqala njengomthombo wokutya nemali kuphela.’ Siyintoni isizathu esibangela bafikelele kwezi zigqibo? Ngokufuthi kwiindawo zogcino-zilwanyana kuzala abakhenkethi abasuka kumazwe aseNtshona yaye baba mbalwa gqitha abantu basekuhlaleni. Kodwa enye inkosi yakwaZulu eMzantsi Afrika yakha yacacisa yenjenje: “Kukho iingxaki ezibangela abantu abamnyama bangazityeleli iindawo zogcino-zilwanyana. Kuthi ukulondoloza izilwanyana zasendle bubutofotofo obunokunanditshwa kuphela yimbinana yabantu abamnyama abemi kakuhle kwezoqoqosho.”
Namhlanje ama-Afrika amaninzi, ngokungafaniyo nooyisemkhulu, akhulela kumatyotyombe asezixekweni, apho angadibaniyo nezilwanyana zasendle tu kwaphela. Kwakhona, abo bahlala emaphandleni ngokufuthi bathwaxwa bubuhlwempu nokungakhathalelwa. Umgcini wezilwanyana kwelinye ilizwe elikwiNtshona Afrika wacacisa wathi: “Kuphela ngabo bahluthayo abanokukwazi ukugcina izilwanyana kuphela nje ukuze kubukwe ubuhle bazo, zikhuliswe yaye kufundiswe ngazo.”
Phezu kwazo nje ezi nkalo zinganiki themba, izilwanyana zasendle zixhaphakile kwimisebenzi yobugcisa yaseAfrika, njengokuba unokubona xa utyelela iivenkilana ezithengisa izinto zobugcisa ezenziwe ngezandla. Ukwembiwa kwezinto zakudala kubonisa ukuba ukubalasela kwezilwanyana zasendle kwimisebenzi yobugcisa yaseAfrika asinto iqala namhlanje. Ngaba obo asibobungqina bokuba ubuhle bezilwanyana zasendle buyaxatyiswa?
Khawuqwalasele imeko ka-Abel noRebecca, abaye bachitha ixesha labo lekhefu kwiindawo zogcino-zilwanyana ezikumazantsi eAfrika izihlandlo eziliqela. Ukanti, bobabini bakhulela kwiilokishi zabantsundu eMzantsi Afrika. URebecca waqalisa ukuba nomdla kwizilwanyana zasendle ngokutyelela imizi yogcino-zilwanyana eRhawutini nasePitoli. Uyacacisa: “Ndisengumntwana, ekuphela kwexesha esasizibona ngalo izilwanyana zasendle kwakuba xa sityelele le mizi yogcino-zilwanyana.”
UAbel waqalisa ngendlela eyahlukileyo ukuthanda izilwanyana. Ngokufuthi wayechithela iiholide zakhe zesikolo nabazali babazali bakhe emaphandleni. Ukhumbula oku: “Utatomkhulu wayedla ngokundibonisa izilwanyana ezahlukahlukeneyo aze andichazele imikhwa yazo. Ndikhumbula endibalisela ngechelesi nentaka encinane elumkileyo, intak’ obusi, ekukholelwa ukuba ikhokelela izilwanyana kwimingxuma yeenyosi.” UAbel ubalisa la mava achulumancisayo awaba nawo ngoxa wayeyinkwenkwana eneminyaka eli-12 ubudala.
“Ngenye imini, ngoxa sasihamba ehlathini, utatomkhulu wandibonisa intaka encinane eyayibonakala isibiza. Yayiyintak’ obusi. Sayilandela ke le ntaka njengokuba yayibhabha phambi kwethu isuke kwelinye ityholo iye kwelinye. Oku yakwenza ngaphezu kwesiqingatha seyure. Ekugqibeleni le ntaka yahlala phezu kwesebe elithile yaza yayeka ukusibiza. Utatomkhulu wathi masikhangele umngxuma weenyosi. Njengokuba sasilindele, ngokukhawuleza sabona iinyosi zingena emngxunyeni owawuphantsi kwelitye. Ngenyameko enkulu utatomkhulu waphakula ubusi. Waza wathabatha ikhaphela elinamatyhumza walibeka elityeni. Le yayiyindlela awayebulela ngayo kuloo ntaka ngokusikhokelela kuloo mngxuma weenyosi.”
Olu lwalamano lumangalisayo phakathi komntu nentak’ obusi lungqinelwe ngokubanzi zizazinzulu ngeentaka. UAbel uqhubeka athi: “Andisayi kuze ndikulibale oko. Kwandenza ndafuna ukufunda okungakumbi ngezilwanyana zasendle.”
Omnye owayesakuba ngumphumi-mkhosi ongumMasai waseTanzania, uSolomon ole Saibull, kamva owathi wafaneleka njengomgcini wezilwanyana zasendle, wawucacisa kakuhle lo mcimbi xa ngobuchule wachazela umbhali osuka kumazwe aseNtshona wathi: “Maninzi ama-Afrika endiwaziyo angaxabisi nje kuphela iingenelo zezoqoqosho zokugcinwa kwezilwanyana zasendle, kodwa axabisa kwanezinye izinto ezingenakuqondwa . . . Aba ngabantu—ama-Afrika—abakwaziyo ukuhlala babukele iNdalo njengokuba ibonakala ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo nezingaqondakali lula. Ukutshona kwelanga ngaphaya kweentaba ezimfusa, ubuhle bokwakheka kwendalo kwiindawo ezinemilambo neentlambo, ukwahlukahlukana nobuninzi bezidalwa xa zizihambela zikhululeke ngokupheleleyo—zonke ezi zisenza into enye echulumancisayo. Ngokuqinisekileyo, le mvakalelo imangalisayo ayipheleli eYurophu naseMerika?”
Ewe, ukususela kubantu abathobekileyo abahlala ezilokishini ukuya kutsho kwizazinzulu ezifunde zada zayityekeza—ngubani na ongenakuchukunyiswa lilifa leAfrika lezilwanyana zasendle? Umfundi waseJamani ofundela ukuba ngugqirha wezilwanyana obesandul’ ukutyelela eMzantsi Afrika kuquka naseKruger National Park uthe: “Indalo nezilwanyana zasendle ndizifumanise ziyeyona nto ibangel’ umdla nechulumancisayo kweli lizwe. Ngenxa yokuba zimbalwa izilwanyana ezikhulu esinazo nangenxa yokunqongophala kwendawo eJamani, ukuhlaziywa nokugcinwa kwendalo kangaka ndiyakuzibula.”
Ezinye iindawo zogcino-zilwanyana ezinomtsalane gqitha kubakhenkethi ziseBotswana, eNamibia naseZimbabwe. Kodwa mhlawumbi eyona ndawo inezilwanyana ezininzi eAfrika ifumaneka kwiSerengeti National Park yaseTanzania nakufutshane nayo nakwiMasai Mara Game Reserve yaseKenya. Ezi paki zidumileyo zidibene, yaye izilwanyana azibiyelwanga. Iphephancwadi i-International Wildlife liyacacisa: “Zikunye iSerengeti-Mara zixhasa ezinye zezona zilwanyana zasendle zininzi: izinqu ezisisi-1,7 sezigidi, amabhadi angama-500 000, amaqwarhashe angama-200 000, iimpofu ezili-18 000, kunye neendlovu, iingonyama namahlosi amaninzi.”
UJohn Ledger, umhleli wolindixesha waseMzantsi Afrika othi Endangered Wildlife, walityelela elaseKenya okokuqala ngowe-1992 waza walichaza ngokuthi ‘lilizwe elihle ngendlela engakholelekiyo.’ Wabhala wathi iMasai Mara, “imele ukuba ifana neendawo zamandulo uCornwallis Harris [umbhali nomzingeli wenkulungwane ye-19] awazibonayo, njengokuba wayehlola indawo eziphakathi eMzantsi Afrika ngeminyaka yee-1820. Ingca enabileyo emathafeni, imithana enameva egqagqeneyo, nezilwanyana zasendle ezininzi, owawuzibuka de koyisakale amehlo!”
Umfanekiso Wozuko Lwangaphambili
Okulusizi kukuba, kwiindawo ezininzi eAfrika namhlanje, sibona izilwanyana ezimbalwa gqitha kunezo zabonwa ngabantu ababevela eYurophu kwiinkulungwane ezadlulayo. Ngokomzekelo, ngowe-1824 kwafika umntu wokuqala omhlophe kuloo ndawo yathi yaziwa ngokuba lithanga leBritani laseNatal (ngoku eliphondo laseMzantsi Afrika). Elo phondo lincinane lalizele zizilwanyana zasendle kangangokuba ukuzingela iintloko zezilwanyana ngenjongo yokuhombisa nokufuna ezinye iimveliso zezilwanyana zasendle kwakulelona shishini lalo liphambili. Ngomnye unyaka, zizikhumba zezinqu nezamaqwarhashe ezingama-62 000 ezathunyelwa kwamanye amazwe zisuka kwizibuko laseThekwini, yaye ngomnye unyaka owaphula izikeyi, ngamabamba endlovu angaphezu kweetoni ezili-19 awathunyelwa kwamanye amazwe. Ngokukhawuleza, abantu abamhlophe banda bafikelela ngaphezu kwama-30 000, kodwa izilwanyana ezininzi zazitshatyalalisiwe. Ngowe-1878 umantyi waseNatal wanikela le ngxelo: “Zimbalwa gqitha izilwanyana eziseleyo.”
Kunokuthethwa kwaibali elifanayo elilusizi nangezinye iindawo zaseAfrika apho oorhulumente bamathanga bavumela ukutshatyalaliswa kwezilwanyana zasendle kwaqhubeka de kwaba yile nkulungwane yama-20. Khawuqwalasele iAngola, eyafumana inkululeko kwelasePortugal ngowe-1975. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Kalahari uMichael Main ubhala oku: “Ingxelo engorhulumente wangaphambili weli thanga ayikhuthazi. Ukuze kwenziwe iSithili saseHuila sibe yindawo yeefama zeenkomo, umthetho odume kakubi owaziwa ngokuba yiDiploma Legislativo iNombolo 2242 wowe-1950 wathi lo mmandla kwakunokuzingelwa ngokukhululekileyo kuwo. Ngenxa yoko, zabulawa ngokungenalusini izilwanyana . . . Zatshatyalaliswa phantse zonke izilwanyana ezikhulu. Kuqikelelwa ukuba kwabulawa imikhombe eli-1 000, iindlulamthi ezingamawaka aliqela, namashumi amawaka ezinqu, amaqwarhashe neenyathi. Loo Diploma ayizange irhoxiswe kangangeminyaka emibini enesiqingatha, xa umonakalo wawusele wenzekile, yaye kungasekho zilwanyana ziseleyo.”
Kodwa injani imeko namhlanje, yaye linjani ikamva elilinde izilwanyana zasendle zaseAfrika?
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 5]
IZilwanyana Zasendle Zingumthombo Wemali
Iindawo zokugcina izilwanyana neepaki zezilwanyana zamazwe zaseAfrika zisasazeke kweli lizwekazi likhulu kummandla oqikelelwa kuma-850 000 ezikwekhilomitha. Oko kulingana nommandla omkhulu kakhulu kuneBritani neJamani zidityanisiwe.
Kuninzi lwezi ndawo zigcina izilwanyana zasendle, unokubona izilwanyana ezibizwa ngokuba zezikhulu ezintlanu—indlovu, umkhombe, ingonyama, ingwe nenyathi. Ukususela kwiinkozi ezinobungangamsha ezindanda esibhakabhakeni ukuya kutsho kwiinkuba-bulongo eziqengqa iibhola zazo zomphutha zinqumla indlela, kukho izidalwa ezininzi ezibangela umdla kobukeleyo.
Amawaka abakhenkethi baphesheya ayazixabisa ezi zilwanyana zasendle. Nyaka ngamnye bagalela ngaphezu kwamawaka amathathu ezigidi zeerandi kumazwe anamalungiselelo abathandi bezilwanyana zasendle. Ewe, iindawo ezigcina izilwanyana zasendle zizisa imali.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
Kwiminyaka engephi edluleyo, amawaka angenakubaleka ezilwanyana zasendle ayebulawa minyaka le ukuze kufunyanwe iintloko zokuhombisa nezikhumba eMzantsi Afrika
[Inkcazelo]
Courtesy Africana Museum, Johannesburg