Imfuduko Enkulu

NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EKENYA

KUVAKALA izingqi zezigidi zezilwanyana. Le mihlambi yezilwanyana iqhumis’ uthuli. Iyaphala yenjenjeya ukunqumla iintlambo neenduli, icand’ amathafa ize iwele imilambo nemisinga. Kwiindawo edlula kuzo le mihlambi itshentula izicithi. Ukubhonga nokugqabadula kwale mihlambi ngowona mbono wezilwanyana zasendle ubukekayo—ukufuduka kwemihlambi yeenqu.

Umyezo WaseAfrika

ISerengeti lithafa elihlala izilwanyana zasendle. Eli thafa likhulu likummandla waseTanzania naseKenya yaye limalunga nezikwekhilomitha ezingama-30 000. Umhlaba walapho uchumile yaye ngenxa yoko ingca ikhula ibe nde. Kukho iminga neminye imithana enameva ekukutya kweendlovu ezihlala kulo mmandla. Imihlambi yeendlulamthi izulazula phakathi kwaloo mithana inameva.

Kwezinye iindawo kukho amatye enyengane agudileyo ngenxa yomoya nemvula, yaye kulapho zihlala khona iingonyama namahlosi. Kwimilambo equkuqela kuloo mmandla kukho iimvubu neengwenya. Kukwakho iinqu nezinye iinyamakazi ezidla kweli thafa. Xa amaqwarhashe ejikeleze imithombo ekweli thafa esela amanzi, abangathi yintsimbi yomqala eyenziwe ngamaso amhlophe namnyama. Kweli thafa uya kufumana amabhadi nee-impala zidloba. Kwakweli thafa uya kufumana imihlambi yeenyathi ezinkulu ezineempondo ezigoso isitya ingca ngaloo milomo yazo mikhulu.

Zininzi iingonyama ezihlala kweli thafa iSerengeti. Xa ilanga ligqats’ ubhobhoyi emini, zihlala phantsi komthunzi zize ngokuhlwa ziqalise ukuzingela. Amahlosi akabonakali kakuhle ngenxa yokusithwa ngamasebe. Iingwenkala zixhelelw’ eXhukwane kuba zinokubaleka nje ngokulula kweli thafa. Xa zileqa ixhoba, wofika zilatyuza zisenza amatshe ngaloo mizinjana yazo mincinane.

Ngokwenene, iSerengeti yiparadesi kwizilwanyana ezihlala kuyo yaye ukuzibukela kuya kukushiya ubamb’ ongezantsi. Noko ke, eyona nto ibalaseleyo ngeli khaya lezilwanyana yimihlambi yeenqu elapho.

Isilwanyana Esinoburharha

Kuqikelelwa ukuba zisisi-1.5 sezigidi iinqu ezihlala kwithafa iSerengeti. Inqu sisidalwa esingaqhelekanga esinobuso obude namehlo aqaqambileyo aphezulu kwintloko yayo. Iimpondo zayo ezifana nezenkomo zipheqile. Umqolo wayo uthambekele ngakwimilenze yangasemva ebonakala ibuthathaka kunamagxa nentamo yayo eyomeleleyo. Imilenze yenqu engcotshololo ithwala loo mzimba wayo unzima. Ekubeni inqu inentshebe ende emhlotshana, isingci esimdakasholo nomsila ongathi ngowehashe, oko kuyenza ifane nezilwanyana ezininzi.

Inqu ithanda ukwenza izinto ezihlekisayo nezonwabisayo. Xa zihlanganisene kwimihlambi emikhulu, zenza isankxwe ngokungathi yingxolo eyenziwa ngamawaka amasele. Xa zithe thandalala emathafeni, zikhangeleka zimangalisiwe njengoko zibukele indalo ezingqongileyo.

Maxa wambi, inkunzi yenqu idla ngokugqabadula emathafeni ingqunga. Njengoko iman’ ukuphosa intloko yayo ngapha nangapha, iyatsibatsiba ngaloo milenze yayo yomeleleyo ize iqhumis’ uthuli ngendlela ebukekayo. Bambi bathi xa isenza oku izama ukutsal’ ingqalelo yeemazi okanye izama ukoyikisa ezinye iinkunzi. Noko ke, maxa wambi inkunzi yenqu sukube idlala nje.

Zizalelwa Kwindawo Eyingozi

Ngexesha elifanelekileyo, iinqu ziqalisa ukuzala. Zinendlela ekhethekileyo yokulungelelanisa indlela ezizala ngayo, zizala amathole angama-80 ukusa kuma-90 ekhulwini kwisithuba nje seeveki ezintathu. Ngeli thuba kubakho ingxokozelo yamawaka amathole eenqu asandul’ ukuzalwa. Mazi nganye kufuneka ikhawuleze iqhelane nethole layo kuba xa umhlambi wazo ubaleka ingozi, imazi nethole zinokulahlekana lula lize ithole libe sesichengeni ngakumbi.

La mathole azalelwa kwindawo eyingozi apho asoloko engqongwe ngamarhamncwa alutshaba. Ngaphambi kokuba zizale, iimazi ziyaqinisekisa ukuba akukho rhamncwa liyingozi kufuphi. Noko ke, ukuba linokusuka lithi gqi ngequbuliso, ngendlela emangalisayo ziyakwazi ukuyeka ukuzala zize zibaleke. Zithi kamva xa kungekho tshaba lukufuphi, zigqibezele ukuzala.

Kubonakala ngathi kwanethole lizalwa sele liziqonda iingozi kuba emva kwemizuzu embalwa nje lizelwe, lima ngeenyawo. Emva kweveki, eli thole liza kube likwazi ukudloba kuloo mathafa ngesantya seekhilomitha ezingama-50 ngeyure.

Ixesha Lemfuduko

Xa zifuduka zinqumla ithafa iSerengeti, iinqu zihamba ziyimihlambi emikhulu. Eyona nto ibangela ukuba zifuduke kungenxa yokuba zifuna ukuya kwindawo enemvula. Ukuna kwemvula kuxhomekeke kumaxesha onyaka. Ebudeni bonyaka imvula idla ngokuna kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo zalo mmandla mkhulu.

Kwindawo eneenqu kufuneka kusoloko kukho amanzi nengca eninzi. Zihlala endaweni enye logama nje kusekho ukutya namanzi aneleyo. Kodwa njengoko kubalela ingca kula mathafa iyatshaza ize nemithombo yamanzi yome. Imihlambi yeenqu ayinakulinda de kufike imvula. Imele iye kwindawo enemvula.

Xa kusina imvula, amathafa atshazileyo ahluma ngokukhawuleza. Kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa, kuhluma uhlaza kuze kuvele ingca eninzi eluhlaza. Le ngca ithambileyo inezondlo—yaye ithandwa kakhulu ziinqu.

Ezi zidalwa zinendlela yokwazi indawo ekuna kuyo imvula kungakhathaliseki ukuba ikude kangakanani na. Akakho umntu oqinisekileyo ngendlela ezilazi ngayo icala elinemvula kweli thafa iSerengeti—enoba zibona iingqimba zamafu ezikude okanye ziva ivumba lemvula. Enoba kuyintoni na, ukuze ikwazi ukuqhubeka iphila, le mihlambi imele ifuduke. Ngako oko iyafuduka!

Uhambo Oluyingozi

Uhambo lweenqu luqala kancinane. Iinqu zizidalwa ezithanda ukuhamba kunye; xa enye isiya ngakwicala elithile, nezinye ezikufuphi ziyayeka ukutya zize ziyilandele. Kungekudala wonke loo mhlambi uyafuduka ngendlela emangalisayo. Ziqhutywa lunxano nendlala, ziya phambili. Maxa wambi ziyabaleka. Ukanti zikhe zithi chu zilandelelana, ziqhumis’ uthuli zishiya kuvuleke indlela.

Olu hambo luzaliswe ziingozi. Amarhamncwa anobungozi athi chu emva kwezi zilwanyana, ebeke iliso kuso nasiphi na isilwanyana esicothayo, esiqhwalelayo okanye esigulayo. Njengoko ezi nqu zisiya phambili, zingena kwimimandla eneengonyama ezilalele amaxhoba. Njengoko zizimele kwingca ende, ezi kati zinkulu zithi vumbululu ziye kwizilwanyana ezitya ingca, yaye ezi zilwanyana zithi saa ngenxa yoloyiko. Amahlosi, iingwenkala, izinja zasendle neengcuka ziyazenzela kuzo naziphi na izilwanyana ezisele ngasemva okanye ezilahlekene nomhlambi. Kuthi kwakubakho ebuleweyo, kugaleleke amaxhalanga. Njengoko exhwithana ngenyama eseleyo, atshayela kwanto ashiye amathambo, yaye amathambo aseleyo atsha de abe mhlophe yingqatsini yelanga laseAfrika.

Imilambo enemisinga enamandla yenza kube nzima ukuba le mihlambi iwele. Ukubukela amawaka ezilwanyana eziphosa ezindongeni aye kuwela ezantsi emanzini iba ngumbono omhle. Inkoliso yazo ifika kwelinye icala lomlambo ikhuselekile. Ezinye zimka nomsinga okanye zityiwe ziingwenya ezisoloko zilindile ngaphantsi kwamanzi. Olu hambo luyingozi kangaka lwenziwa minyaka le. Olu hambo lwazo lusenokuba ziikhilomitha ezingama-3 000.

Umntu—Olona Tshaba

Kangangamawaka eminyaka, umntu ubengaphazamisani nokufuduka kweenqu. Kodwa ngoku umntu sesona sisongelo kwezi zilwanyana. Kumashumi eminyaka akutshanje urhulumente waseTanzania nowaseKenya baye benza imigudu yokukhusela izilwanyana ezikwithafa iSerengeti. Sekunjalo, nangona iinqu zidla ngokuhamba kwimida ebiyelweyo xa zifuduka, amawaka ezi zilwanyana ayathiyiselwa aze abulawe ngabantu abazingela ngokungekho mthethweni. Aba bantu badla ngokusebenzisa izabatha ezenziwe ngocingo, iintolo ezinetyhefu kunye nemipu xa bezingela ezi zilwanyana, yaye inyama yazo bayithengisela abantu abasoloko bengxangile nabantu abafuna ukuthenga izinto eziza kubakhumbuza ngamava okuzingela. Kukho oonogada abaninzi abasoloko bezula kwindawo ebiyelweyo, kodwa ithafa iSerengeti likhulu gqitha kangangokuba kunzima ukuqinisekisa ukuba zonke izilwanyana ezikulo zikhuselekile. Njengoko abemi besanda, abantu abaninzi baye befudukela kulo mmandla uchumileyo ngokungekho mthethweni. Ukubekelwa bucala komhlaba omkhulu kusenzelwa izilwanyana kuye kwabangela ingxwabangxwaba enkulu esoloko ingundaba-mlonyeni.

Kumathafa akuMntla Merika kwakukade kukho izigidi zeenyathi. Kodwa ngoku azisekho. Abanye abantu boyikela ukuba kuza kwenzeka into efanayo kwimihlambi yeenqu ekwiMpuma Afrika. Iya kuba mbi into yokubona ukuthi shwaka kobuhle bendalo obumangalisa ngale ndlela. Sikhangele phambili kumhla ekuya kuthi ngawo, phantsi kolawulo lobulungisa lukaThixo, abantu nezilwanyana bahlale ngoxolo. (Isaya 11:6-9) Okwangoku, siya kuhlala sibamb’ ongezantsi xa sibukele esi siganeko simangalisayo—ukufuduka kweenqu.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]

Imihlambi imele inqumle kwimilambo enemisinga enamandla