Ukhenketho Kwiingxangxasi Ezithi Ndijonge
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EZAMBIA
NGOWE-1855, umvangeli waseSkotlani owayehamba ehlola amazwe uDavid Livingstone wayesele echithe iminyaka emininzi ehambahamba eAfrika—ngelo xesha elo lizwekazi lalingekaziwa kwezinye iindawo zehlabathi. Ngoxa wayesinge ngasempuma egudle uMlambo omkhulu iZambezi abemi balapho bomthonyama, bezaliswe yimincili babemxelela ngengxangxasi enkulu awayeza kuyibona ngaphambili. Ngenxa yengxolo nomphunga ophuma kuloo ngxangxasi abantu balapho babeyibiza ngokuba yiMosi-oa-Tunya, okuthetha ukuthi “Umsi Oneendudumo.”
Lo kaLivingstone wazimisela ukuba aye kuzibonela kufutshane ezi ngxangxasi ngoku ezibizwa ngokuba zii-Victoria Falls. Echaza oko wakubonayo, wabhala wenjenje: “Ndithe chu kuhle kolo ngqameko, ndaphosa amehlo ezantsi kumwonyo owawukudonga lomlambo omkhulu iZambezi, ndaza ndabona umsinga wamanzi oliwaka leemitha ububanzi uqukuqela kwingxangxasi engamashumi amathathu eemitha ukuphakama ukuya kungena kumwonyo oziimitha ezilishumi elinesihlanu ukusa kwezingamashumi amabini.”
Xa ziphuphuma, ii-Victoria Falls ezikumda weZambia neZimbabwe, zigqalwa njengeyona ngxangxasi inkulu kwesi sijikelezi-langa! Xa ziphuphuma, kugaleleka iilitha ezingama-545 000 000 mzuzu ngamnye kumwonyo oziimitha ezili-108 ukuphakama. Onke amanzi akuloo mlambo iZambezi angena kumwonyo onzulu ongamajiko-jiko ongaphantsi kweemitha ezingama-65 ububanzi. Konke oku kwenza ii-Victoria Falls zibe ngumbono obukekayo.
Nommandla okufuphi nezi ngxangxasi mhle ngeyona ndlela. Kulo mmandla okhethelwe ukuba ube yipaki kukho iintlobo ngeentlobo zemithi nezityalo ezihle, ngaphandle kwezilwanyana ezithandekayo—kuquka iimvubu, iindlovu, iindlulamthi, iinqu, amaqwarhashe kwaneengonyama. Iintaka ezintle njengeenkozi nookhetshe zihlala emaweni.
Ngokutsho kwalo kaLivingstone, “kuzo zonke izinto ezintle ezikhoyo eNgilani ayikho enokuthelekiswa nobuhle bale ndawo. Akukho mntu waseYurophu wakha wabubona obu buhle ngaphambili; kodwa obu buhle bumele ukuba bubukelwa naziingelosi xa ziphaphazela zidlula.” Namhlanje, malunga neminyaka eli-150 emva kokuba uLivingstone wabona ezi ngxangxasi waza wazibiza ngokuba zii-Victoria Falls ezithiya ngegama likaKumkanikazi uVictoria waseNgilani, minyaka le abantu abangamakhulu amawaka abavela mbombo zone zomhlaba bayeza ukuza kuzibonela ngawabo amehlo obu buhle bezi ngxangxasi.
Ii-Victoria Falls zifanele ukuduma ngolu hlobo njengenye yezinto ezimangalisayo zemvelo. Kodwa kukho nezinye iingxangxasi ezininzi kufuphi nemilambo eliqela emikhulu kweli laseZambia, ezingadumanga kangako, ezintle ngendlela emangalisayo. Makhe siye kubona ezinye zazo.
Ii-Ngonye Falls
NgoNovemba ngenye imini elaligqats’ ubhobhoyi, malunga neminyaka emibini ngaphambi kokuba abone ii-Victoria Falls okwesihlandlo sokuqala, uLivingstone waya kwii-Ngonye Falls, ezikwabizwa ngokuba zii-Sioma Falls. Wabhala wenjenje: “Umhlaba ongasentla kweengxangxasi ugqunywe zizityalo ezihle ngeyona ndlela. Ndimi kwiliwa eliphezu kwale ngxangxasi, ndabona ubuhle endingazanga ndabubona.” Abantu abatyelela ii-Ngonye Falls namhlanje bavumelana ngokupheleleyo nalo kaLivingstone.
ULivingstone wathi: “Kwiikhilomitha ezininzi ukubheka ezantsi, lo mlambo ungaphantsi kweemitha ezilikhulu ububanzi. La manzi aphuphuma oku kwamanzi abilayo abonakale ngokungathi maninzi kakhulu, kangangokuba noyena mntu ukwaziyo ukudada angakufumanisa kunzima ukudada apho.”
Ii-Lumangwe Falls
Ezinye iingxangxasi ezininzi zaseZambia zikwanti yaye zisenjengokuba zazinjalo ukuqala kwazo ukubakho. Azilingani ngobukhulu. Ii-Lumangwe Falls zikhangeleka njengee-Victoria Falls ezincinane. Kodwa ezi ngxangxasi azikho ncinane. Ingxangxasi enye yenza umsinga omalunga neemitha ezingama-30 yaye xa iyonke ingaphezu kweemitha ezili-100. Inkungu ephuma kwezi ngxangxasi ibangela ukuba ihlathi elincinane elishinyeneyo elikufuphi nazo lihlale lilihle.
Ii-Kalambo Falls
Ii-Kalambo Falls, ezizezona ziphakamileyo eZambia, ziqukuqela ukuhla kwithambeka eliphakamileyo ukuya kuthi xhaxhe ngeGreat Rift Valley yaseAfrika. Ziqukuqela kumgama ongaphezu kweemitha ezingama-200 ukuhla ukuya kutsho kwiliwa elisezantsi apho amagwababa azalela khona ngamaxesha ekungekho manzi ngawo.
Incwadi ebizwa ngokuba yi-National Monuments of Zambia ithi: “Kwezona ngxangxasi ziphakamileyo eAfrika, iKalambo ikwindawo yesibini [ilandela iiTugela Falls zaseMzantsi Afrika] yaye ikwindawo yeshumi elinesibini kwezona ziphakamileyo ehlabathini lonke—ubude bayo buziphinda kabini ii-Victoria Falls.”
Nangona kunzima ukuya kufika kwezi ngxangxasi, umbhali walapho uC. A. Quarmby uthi iKalambo “yenye yezona ndawo zintle ngendlela engathethekiyo eAfrika.” Uthi: “Kuya kuthabatha ithuba elide ngaphambi kokuba bonke abantu bakwazi ukufikelela apha. . . . Bambalwa gqitha abantu abakwaziyo ukuya kufikelela eKalambo.”
Eneneni, kunzima ukuya kufikelela kwiingxangxasi ezininzi zaseZambia nakwezinye iindawo ezintle zalapho. I-National Monuments of Zambia ithi ezinye “unokufikelela kuzo xa uhamba ngeLand-rover kwezo ndlela zingamaxethuka, kwezinye unokufika xa ubetha ngezikaTshiwo.” Yiloo nto kanye ke ebangela ezi ndawo zibe zezikhethekileyo. Sekunjalo, iindwendwe zamkelekile. UMnu. Kagosi Mwamulowe, ongumlondolozi wendalo kwiZambia’s National Heritage Conservation Commission, uthi usukelo lwabo kukuba abantu banandiphe ukubukela ezi ndawo zintle kwangaxeshanye bafuna ukulondoloza ubuhle bazo.
Obona Buncwane BaseZambia
Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Zambia, umbhali uRichard Vaughan uthi: “IZambia iselelona lizwe linezinto zemvelo ezintle ngokumangalisayo, ezininzi kwezo zinto azaziwa ziindwendwe nangabemi baseZambia. Kweli lizwe kukho amachibi, imilambo, amahlathi neentaba ngeentaba.” Kodwa obona butyebi beli lizwe bufunyanwa kwenye into.
Lo kaVaughan uthi: “Abantu balapha badume ngobubele, udlamko nokomelela.” Ngokutsho komnye umbhali uDavid Bristow, “eyona nto ihlab’ umxhelo eZambia ngabantu balapho abaziindlezana.” Mhla waya kufika kweli lizwe lithi ndijonge, siqinisekile ukuba uya kuvumelana nathi.
[Imaphu/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 26]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
TANZANIA
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
ANGOLA
ZAMBIA
KALAMBO FALLS
LUMANGWE FALLS
Lusaka
NGONYE FALLS
VICTORIA FALLS
ZIMBABWE
MOZAMBIQUE
INDIAN OCEAN
[Imifanekiso]
Ii-Lumangwe Falls—ingathi zii-Victoria Falls ezincinane
Ii-Kalambo Falls—zinde ngokuphindwe kabini kunee-Victoria Falls
Ii-Ngonye Falls—“amaxesh’ amaninzi uyibuka wedwa le ndawo kungakhange kufike abanye abakhenkethi”
[Inkcazelo]
Lumangwe and Ngonye Falls: Marek Patzer/www.zambiatourism.com; map: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24, 25]
Ii-Victoria Falls—“Umsi Oneendudumo”
[Inkcazelo]
Marek Patzer/www.zambiatourism.com