“Umthi Wobomi” Omangalisayo WaseAfrika
NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! ETANZANIA
“ANDIKHOLELWA ukuba into enjengale yakha yabonwa kuyo nayiphi na indawo ehlabathini.” Yayiyintoni le yabonwa yindoda engumFrentshi uMichel Adanson xa yayityelele eSenegal ngowe-1749? Yayingumthi! Wawumalunga neemitha ezingama-20 ubude, unesiqu esibanzi kakhulu, esiziimitha ezisi-8. Kamva uDavid Livingstone wabhekisela kulo mthi ‘njengomnqathe otyalwe wajongiswa ezantsi.’
Ngokutsho kwelinye ibali lamandulo “umtyholi wawuncothula [lo mthi], wafaka amasebe awo emhlabeni, waza wazishiya iingcambu zawo zijonge phezulu emoyeni.” Ngenxa yoko, abaninzi bawazi lo mthi ‘njengomthi ojonge ezantsi.’ NgesiLatini ubizwa ngokuthi yiAdansonia digitata, ubizwa ngegama lalowo wawufumanayo, kodwa uninzi lwethu luwubiza ngokuthi yibaobab, omnye weyona mithi yaziwayo empuma Afrika, nangona eminye imithi emide ngokufana nawo inokufunyanwa eMadagascar kwanaseOstreliya.
Umthi Ojonge Ezantsi
Sichithe iiyure ezininzi sityhutyha ummandla wasemaphandleni eTanzania. Bekuvuyisa ukubona iilali ezintle, izindlu ezifulelwe ngeendiza, amabhinqa athwele iinkuni zokubasa, abantwana abadlala phantsi kwemithi yemango, nabelusi abalusa iinkomo zabo. Ekugqibeleni sibona oko kwabonwa nguAdanson emva phayaa ngenkulungwane ye-18.
“Nantsiya!” kudanduluka uMargit. Imithi emikhulu gqitha yebaobab, ibonakala apha naphaya kwiindawo ezomileyo zeAfrika ekweleenjiko. Lo mthi ukhula kumadlelo akweleenjiko anemithi embalwa, ngaselunxwemeni nasemathambekeni eNtaba iKilimanjaro. “Awufani nawo namnye umthi endakha ndawubona,” kongezelela omnye esihamba naye. Lo mthi webaobab ubungwevurha ngokwebala nomkhulu, ngumthi oxolo lawo liziisentimitha ezintlanu ukuya kwezilishumi ubukhulu. “Ukhangeleka kanye njengomthi otyalwe wajongiswa ezantsi!” Kangangexesha elide enyakeni, ebudeni beenyanga ezintandathu ukuya kwezisixhenxe zamaxesha onyaka angenazimvula, lo mthi awubi namagqabi konke konke. Uphila njani lo mthi? Masibuze emntwini osenokuba nolwazi.
Ngoxa sihamba kulo mmandla ukhula imithi yebaobab, ekugqibeleni sithetha noShem, ummi womthonyama. Le ndoda ithi: “Niyabona, lo ngumthi oyibhotile.” Umthi oyibhotile? “Ewe, ebudeni bexesha lonyaka elifutshane leemvula, imicu yalo mthi efana nesiponji ifunxa amanzi amaninzi, agcinwa esiqwini ukwenzela ixesha lonyaka elingenazimvula.” Impapasho ethi Baobab—Adansonia Digitata ithi: “Ngokuqhelekileyo encamini yesiqu kukho indawo eholoholo, amanzi emvula nombethe aqokelelwa phaya yaye asenokuba kuphela kwamanzi akhoyo kufuphi kangangeemayile. . . . Isiqu sigcina amanzi amaninzi. Kuqikelelwa ukuba umthi omalunga neekyubhiki mitha ezingama-200 uya kuthwala iilitha ezili-140 000 zamanzi. . . . Iziqobo zesiqu ezinokukwazi ukusikeka zinokusikwa kuze kukhanywe amanzi ukwenzela ukusela.” UShem uyaqhula: “Lo ngumthi omkhulu, kodwa ngaphakathi uthambile.” Ngoku uninzi lwabantu belali lufikile yaye luyiphulaphula ngenyameko le ncoko. “Ngaba benisazi ukuba lo mthi webaobab ngumthi wobomi?” kubuza uEmmanuel.
“Umthi Wobomi”
Kuninzi lwabemi bomthonyama lo mthi usisipho esivela kuThixo. Ngoba? “Okokuqala unokuphila ithuba elide kakhulu. Mhlawumbi iwaka leminyaka okanye nangaphezulu,” uqhubeka esitsho ummi wale lali. “Usinika ukudla, amanzi, iimpahla, izinto zokuxhoma izindlu, iglue, amayeza, ikhusi, iintsimbi zemiqala kwaneelekese zabantwana.” Kuthekani ngeenkuni zokubasa? “Hayi, amaxolo afume kakhulu ngenxa yamanzi awagcine kuwo. Sidla ngokufuna eminye imithi xa sifuna iinkuni.” UDaniel oselula uthi: “Kodwa amaxolo awo siwasebenzisela ukwenza iintsontelo zethu neentambo.” Ngaphezu koko, asetyenziselwa ukwenza iminatha, iimethi, ilaphu, iminqwazi, amaphenyane, iitreyi, iibhokisi, iingobozi nephepha. Uthuthu lwala maxolo lunokusetyenziswa njengesichumiso, yaye uninzi lwenza isepha ngalo. “Amakhaba namagqabi amancinane ayatyiwa,” uyongezelela omnye woomama abaselula, obeleke umntwana. “Kwakhona siyayigcada imbewu size senze ikofu ngayo. Incindi yembewu kwenziwa utywala ngayo, yaye kunokufunyanwa neoli kuyo.”
Ebudeni bexesha elifutshane lonyaka elineemvula, lo mthi uvelisa iintyatyambo ezintle ezimhlophe. Kodwa azinuki kamnandi njengokuba zijongeka njalo! Ziqalisa ukuvuleka emva kwemini ukuya kutsho emva kokuba ilanga litshonile zize zivuleke ngokupheleleyo ngentsasa elandelayo. Ngaloo ndlela, amalulwane atya iziqhamo amenyelwa ukuza kumvumvuzela (pollinate) ebusuku. Abemi bomthonyama baxuba umungu (pollen) wentyatyambo kunye namanzi baze bawusebenzise njengeglue. Isiqhamo eside (kangangama-40 eesentimitha) sijinga ezintini. Sichukumisa esi siqhamo siluhlazarha, ibe sivakala ngathi yivelvet. Sikhangeleka ngathi ngumsila wenkawu. “Oo, yiloo nto lo mthi ukwabizwa ngokuthi ngumthi wesonka senkawu!” Ngaba singasisika esi siqhamo ukuze sisibone ngaphakathi? Ngokuqinisekileyo!
“Umthi Wokwenza Ucwambu Lwethathariki”
Esi siqhamo sinencindi emhlophe nemuncu egqume imbewu, le ncindi inovithamin C, uvithamin B1 necalcium eninzi. Xa kubhakwa, le ncindi inokuthabathela indawo ucwambu lwethathariki. Kukwangenxa yeso sizathu lento abanye bewubiza ngokuthi ngumthi wokwenza ucwambu lwethathariki. UShem uthi: “Maxa wambi senza isiselo ngale ncindi. Ifana nelamuni ngencasa.” Kungenxa yoko lento abanye bewubiza ngokuthi ngumthi welamuni. Yiyiphi enye into osetyenziselwa yona?
UShem uyaphendula: “Sisebenzisa phantse yonke into ekulo mthi. Ipete yesiqhamo siyisebenzisa njengesithiyelo sokuloba, njengecephe lokukha amanzi elinomphini omde, nanjengesitya sesuphu yaye sikwayisebenzisela ukwenza isigcayiseli esihle samabuzi. Xa iinkomo zethu zikhathazwa zizinambuzane, sisuka nje sitshise incindi yeziqhamo uze umsi wayo uzigxothe. Maxa wambi sixuba umgubo wencindi kunye nobisi size sifumane eyona yogurt imnandi.” Kuthekani ke ngamayeza? “Kakade, kulo mthi kulapho sifumana khona amayeza,” kutsho uShem ehleka.
Amayeza Afumaneka Kwibaobab
Niwasebenzisela ukunyanga ntoni? “Yonke into!” Ngenxa yomsebenzi wawo omninzi, akumangalisi ukuba abantu abaninzi basekuhlaleni bawuhlonele lo mthi, bawoyike, ewe, bade bawunqule. Sifumanisa ukuba abadlezana baxuba incindi esele ingumgubo kunye nobisi baze banike iintsana zabo ukuze bazikhusele ekuqunjelweni zizisu, kwisisu segazi nasemkhuhlaneni. “Iyeza” elifunyanwa kulo mthi lithengiswa kwiimarike zasekuhlaleni yaye kuthiwa linyanga ukukrala, iingqaqambo zamazinyo nezinye izigulo. Ekuhlaleni lisetyenziselwa ukunyanga isifo seanemia, urhudo, umkhuhlane, umbefu, iingxaki zezintso, iingxaki zokuphefumla kwanamathumba.
Ngokuqhelekileyo kusoloko kubaliswa iintsomi namabali amandulo ngalo mthi ungaqhelekanga. Bambi banoluvo lokuba “ifama ofumaneka kuyo [umthi webaobab] ayifanele ithengiswe, ekubeni ubukho bawo kukholelwa ekubeni bungumqondiso oxela ikamva elihle. . . . Enye intsomi ithi iNgonyama iya kuqwenga nabani na onesibindi sokuxhwitha intyatyambo yalo mthi. Kukholelwa ekubeni kukho imimoya kwezi ntyatyambo. Kwakhona kuthiwa amanzi ewele yaza yagxobhagxobheka kuwo imbewu yalo mthi asebenza njengenkuselo ekuhlaselweni yingwenya yaye kuthiwa lowo usela amanzi azalise amaxolo uya kukhula abe namandla aze omelele.”—Baobab—Adansonia Digitata.
Iilekese Zabantwana
Siye seva izinto ezintsha ezininzi ngabemi bomthonyama beli lizwe linebaobab. Ngoku, eDar es Salaam, sibona uNavina, uSuma noKevin. Khawuqashele ukuba yintoni le bayihlafunayo nabayimuncayo? Yimbewu yebaobab! Imbewu ebomvu ithengiswa njengeelekese ngasendleleni, yaye kubonakala ukuba aba bantwana bayayithanda. “Ngaba imuncu?” “Imuncu nje kancinane, kodwa siyayithanda!” batsho ngazwi linye aba bantwana. “Ncedani nizifumanele eyenu! Ngcamlani!” Ewe, kutheni ungangcamli okuthile okuphuma ‘kumthi wobomi’ waseAfrika?
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“Ibaobab,” umthi ekufumaneka kuwo izinto ezininzi
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Imbewu, kwenziwa iilekese nekofu egcadiweyo ngayo
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Amagqabi awo makhulu
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Awubi namagqabi ebudeni bexesha lonyaka elingenazimvula