UMwonyo Omkhulu

Ngumbhaleli kaVukani! eKenya

LUHABAHABA lomngxuma, umgonxo omkhulu osemhlabeni kangangokuba unokuwubona naxa usenyangeni! Usuka kwiNtlambo yeYordan kumantla akwaSirayeli ukuhla ukuya kuthi xhaxhe eMozambique—umtyukatha weekhilomitha ezingama-6400—uthabatha eyona nxalenye inkulu yelizwekazi laseAfrika.

Ngowe-1893, esinye isazi ngokuma komhlaba saseSkotlani uJ. W. Gregory senza uhlolisiso lokuqala oluneenkcukacha ngalo mmangaliso wendalo. UGregory wafumanisa ukuba olu habahaba lomngxuma aluzange lubangelwe kukukhukulisa kwamanzi nomoya, kodwa lwabangelwa “ngamatye awatshonayo, ngoxa umhlaba okufuphi wahlala uhleli.” (Thelekisa INdumiso 104:8.) Walibiza eli thanda likhulu emhlabeni ngokuba nguMwonyo Omkhulu.

Nanamhlanje izazinzulu azikawaqondi kakuhle la mandla angaphantsi komhlaba awabangela le ntlambo kumawaka eminyaka eyadlulayo. Sekunjalo, uya kusala ubamb’ ongezantsi ngenxa yezinto ezahlukeneyo ezifumaneka kuyo. Icandelo eliseAfrika lalo Mwonyo Mkhulu, eliqala e-Ethiopia, linenye yezona ndawo zoyikekayo emhlabeni, iDanakil Depression (ekwabizwa ngokuba yiAfar Triangle). Le ndawo inkulu inetyuwa ikumda woLwandle Olubomvu ibe iyintlango ezizikwekhilomitha ezili-150 000. Kule ndawo umhlaba uziimitha ezili-120 ngaphantsi komphakamo wolwandle. Ubushushu bunokunyuka bufikelele kwiqondo elingama-54 ngokukaCelsius. Ukusuka apho lo mwonyo uyenyuka uye kuthi xhaxhe kwiintaba zase-Ethiopia—eziziimitha nje ezili-1800 ukusuka kumphakamo wolwandle, ezincopho zazo ziphakame kangangeemitha ezingama-4300. Amahlathi ashinyeneyo agqume amathambeka ezi ntaba zichumileyo, egcinela imilambo eyahlukeneyo amanzi, njengeBlue Nile. Xa usuka ezantsi usiya kwisetyana lawo elingasempuma, lo mwonyo uyaqhubeka unemixawuka usenza loo mahlandinyuka athi ndijonge.

Ukugugutha lo Mwonyo Mkhulu iintaba eziphakamileyo nezingaphakamanga kangako kwakunye nemiwonyo emincinane. Kumwonyo ongasentshona, iintaba-mlilo ziye zabangela udederhu lweentaba zeRuwenzori neVirunga olunqumleze umda waseRwanda, iZaire neUganda. Ezinye iincopho zeentaba ziyabonakala ukuba zifudunyezwa bubushushu bomhlaba, ibe ngamaxesha athile, zikhupha udaka olushushu. Kude kufuphi nomwonyo osempuma, iincopho zentaba zamandulo ezinempawu zentaba-mlilo njengeKilimanjaro neNtaba iKenya ziphakame kangangokuba phezu kwayo nje ingqatsini yelanga eikhweyitha, zambathiswa likhephu. Kwakhona imithombo eshushu ekhupha umphunga namanzi abilayo iyafumaneka kulo Mwonyo, nto leyo ebonisa umbhodamo osaqhubekayo emathunjini omhlaba.

Emazantsi kanye, eTanzania, kukho udwadwane lwethafa elinengca elikumda wale ntlambo. Kuthiwa yisiringet ngesiMasai, gama elo elithetha “umhlaba omkhulu.” Lubizwa ngokuba yiSerengeti Plain, ibe ingca yalo eninzi yondla intaphane yemihlambi yezilwanyana zasendle. Kulapho iinqu zifuduka kakhulu khona—isiganeko esitsala amehlo ngokwenene!

Amachibi Alo Mwonyo

Ngakwicala elingasempuma lalo Mwonyo Mkhulu eAfrika kukho udederhu lwamachibi aneesodium carbonate. Le michiza iye yakhukuliseka isuka kwimimandla enentaba-mlilo okanye iye yangena kula machibi ngenxa yemichiza yentaba-mlilo ephuma ngaphantsi komhlaba. Amanye amachibi, njengeLake Turkana ekumntla weKenya, anomlinganiselo othile wealkali. Ekubeni ingqongwe ngamawaka ezikwekhilomitha zamatyholo agqagqeneyo entlango, iLake Turkana iba nombala omhle oluhlaza maxa wambi, ibe ihlala ezona ngwenya zinkulu ehlabathini. Amachibi afana neLake Magadi yaseKenya neLake Natron yaseTanzania anetyuwa eninzi kangangokuba anezigaqa zesoda emhlophe ede yanoqweqwe. Yintoni ebangela oko? Ayikho indawo enokuthi le tyuwa ikhutshelwe kuyo ngandlel’ ithile. Amanzi amaninzi emka ngomphunga, eshiya ngasemva izimbiwa ezininzi. Zimbalwa izilwanyana ezikwaziyo ukuphila kula manzi amtyuba nasecaleni kwamachibi anesoda alo Mwonyo. Noko ke, izinto ezahluke ngokuphawulekayo ngamakholwase acekeceke apinki asuka kwelinye ichibi elinesoda aye kwelinye esitya ubulembu obungabonakaliyo ngeliso lenyama nobufumaneka kumanzi anemichiza. Apha amakholwase ahlanganisana abe zizigidi, nto leyo etsho kuthi dwe umbala opinki.

Enye into ehlala kula manzi ayingozi ngandlel’ ithile yintlanzi encinane ekuthiwa yitilapia grahami. Le ntlanzi ikwaziyo ukumelana nealkali isoloko ifunyanwa kufutshane nemingxuma ephuma umphunga ngaphantsi kwamanzi, apho amanzi ashushu kangangokuba akunakusifaka isandla kuwo. Sekunjalo, le ntlanzi incinane iphila ngokutya ubulembu obukweli chibi.

Ambalwa gqitha amachibi omwonyo ongasempuma anamanzi acocekileyo. Elinye lawo yiLake Naivasha, eseKenya. Ikwiimitha ezili-1870 ukusuka kumphakamo wolwandle, ibe amanzi ayo acwengileyo anika iintlanzi ezahlukeneyo kwakunye nemihlambi yeemvubu egcakamele ilanga indawo yokuhlala. Ngakulo lonke unxweme kukhula imizi eluhlaza nezinye izityalo zasemanzini, ekuhlala kulo iintaka ezahlukeneyo ezimibalabala ezingaphezu kwama-400. Imelene nemithi emthubi ekuthiwa yiacacia ibe ingqongwe ziincopho zeentaba, iLake Naivasha intle ithi ndijonge.

Ecaleni kwalo mwonyo kukho ichibi lamanzi acocekileyo elikwindawo yesibini ngobukhulu ehlabathini, iLake Victoria. Amanzi ayo adlulela ngaphaya konxweme lwaseKenya, lwaseUganda nolwaseTanzania, ibe ngomnye wemithombo yoMlambo umNayile. Emazantsi, amanzi eLake Tanganyika anzulu kangangeemitha ezili-1440. Eli chibi likwindawo yesibini ngobunzulu ehlabathini.

Iindidi Ezininzi Zezilwanyana

UMwonyo oseMpuma Afrika uxhasa iindidi ezininzi zezilwanyana zasendle. Iinyathi, iindlulamthi, imikhombe neendlovu zezinye zezilwanyana ezanyisayo ezikhulu ezidakasa ngokukhululekileyo kwihlathi elikulo mwonyo nelingenamida. Kwimimandla ebaleleyo nengenamanzi, unokubona amaqwarhashe, inyamakazi ekuthiwa yioryx neenciniba. Iimbabala ezibukekayo zilakatyula phezulu emoyeni njengoko inguwashiywa nowashiywa ukuya kwimihlaba enengca. Iikati ezinamabala njengamahlosi ziyazingela emathafeni, ibe uya kusoloko usiva umgqumo wengonyama enkulu ebusuku. Encotsheni yentaba iVirunga, kuhlala igorila enqabileyo yasentabeni. Emazantsi alo mwonyo, imihlambi yeemfene ithe chu ukunqumla indawo enorhexe, ikhangela izinambuzane, iingcambu noonomadudwane. Phezulu emoyeni kundanda, iinkozi ezinamandla namaxhalanga aneempiko ezinkulu ezithwalwa ngumsinga womoya ofudumeleyo, okanye imisinga yomoya oshushu. Iintaka ezimibalabala ekuthiwa ziitouraco, iibarbet, iihornbill nezikhwenene zihlala kumhlaba osemazantsi onameva. Amacikilishe angafaniyo, angalinganiyo, nanemibala eyahlukeneyo enza amatshe apho, ngokungathi atshiswa yinto ezinyaweni.

Izibhadubhadu Ezihlala Kulo Mwonyo

KuMwonyo oseMpuma Afrika kuhlala izizwe ezininzi ezazihlala kwindawo engumqwebedu ezazisalusa nezazingoonothwal’ impahlana. Zingabantu abangachubekanga abankcunkcayo xa behamba, ndlela leyo esibonakala ngayo isibhadubhadu saseAfrika. Kwimimandla ebaleleyo, bonke abahlali basoloko bebopha imigodlo yabo baze bafuduke ngenjongo yokukhangela amadlelo amatsha emfuyo yabo. Ngaphandle kwencwadana yokundwendwela okanye imvume yokuhlala, banqumla ngokukhululekileyo kwimida engaphawulwanga yamazwe ibe babonakala bengayikhathalele inkqubela phambili yangaphandle nezinye iindlela zokuphila. Kwezi ndawo zisemagqagaleni, ubomi buyacotha. Ixesha laziwa ngokujonga ukuphuma nokutshona kwelanga. Ubutyebi bendoda bubonwa ngeenkamela, iibhokhwe, iinkomo, okanye iigusha enazo okanye ngabantwana enabo endlwini.

Izindlu zakhiwe ngendlela elula kodwa enobuchule. Kugotywa amasebe omthi aze adityaniswe kwenziwe ungquphantsi. Umphandle uhlohlwa ngengca elukiweyo, ngezikhumba zezilwanyana, okanye udaka oluxutywe nobulongwe benkomo. Izindlu ezinjalo zisoloko zineziko, indlwana ehlala izilwanyana zasekhaya nomandlalo olingana nesikhumba sesilwanyana. Umlilo osuka kweli ziko wenza kuqhume kuthi ntsi endlwini, ukhusela indlu kwiimpukane neengcongconi. Ngokufuthi abahlali okanye intsapho yakha izindlu zayo ezingoongquphantsi kwisangqa esibiyelwe ngemithi enameva ongenakugqitha kuyo, ukuze ikhusele imfuyo yayo kwizilwanyana zasendle ebusuku.

Kulo Mwonyo Mkhulu ngokubanzi kukho abantu abahlukeneyo abaneempawu zobuso, iilwimi namasiko awahlukeneyo ngokwezizwe zabo neendawo abahlala kuzo. Bakwaneenkolelo zonqulo ezahlukene kakhulu. Abanye baye bamkela ubuSilamsi; abanye bangamaKristu ngegama. Abaninzi baneenkolelo ibe batyekele ekudibaniseni yonke into abangayiqondiyo namandla angaphezu kwawemvelo. Kwiminyaka yakutshanje uninzi lwemimandla esemagqagaleni iye yangenwa yimpembelelo yangaphandle ngeenkqubo zemfundo nokunyanyekelwa kwempilo.

Akumangalisi ukuba, namaNgqina kaYehova enza umzamo wokudibana nezi zibhadubhadu zingachubekanga. AmaNgqina anethemba lokuba aya kubazisa ngedinga leBhayibhile lexesha laxa kungasayi kubakho mntu uya kunyanzeleka ukuba aye kufuna indawo yokuhlala kumhlaba obharhileyo. IBhayibhile ithi: “Inemihlali intlango nomqwebedu; iyagcoba inkqantosi, iyadubula njengomfiyo.” (Isaya 35:1) Okwangoku, lo Mwonyo Mkhulu umi njengesikhumbuzo sezinto ezininzi zobuchule ezenziwe nguMenzi wezinto zonke, uYehova uThixo.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 16]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

ISRAEL

EGYPT

SAUDI ARABIA

Red Sea

YEMEN

Gulf of Aden

ERITREA

SUDAN

UGANDA

RWANDA

BURUNDI

ZAIRE

ZAMBIA

MALAWI

DJIBOUTI

ETHIOPIA

SOMALIA

KENYA

TANZANIA

MOZAMBIQUE

[Inkcazelo]

Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1995 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

KwiSerengeti Plain, kubakho isiganeko esitsal’ amehlo ngokwenene—imfuduko enkulu yeenqu

[Inkcazelo]

Below: © Index Stock Photography and John Dominis, 1989

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18, 19]

Amakholwase ahlanganisana abe zizigidi, nto leyo etsho kuthi dwe umbala opinki

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 18, 19]

AmaNgqina kaYehova abelana nabantu balo Mwonyo ngesigidimi seBhayibhile