IiMurchison Falls—Inxalenye Entle YomNayile WaseUganda

“Ezi yayizezona ngxangxasi zakha zantle kumNayile.”—umkhenkethi oliNgesi uMhlekazi uSamuel White Baker.

AKUNGOKU iingxangxasi zithandwa ngabantu. Isandi samanzi abetha ematyeni kunye nenkungu epholileyo ephuma ezingxangxasini iyazihlaziya iindwendwe ezingenakubalwa ezizityelelayo.

Kuba njalo naxa utyelele iiMurchison Fallsa zaseUganda. UMlambo umNayile uhamba iikhilomitha ezingaphezu kwama-6 400 yaye abanye bathi ezi ngxangxasi yeyona nxalenye yawo inomtsalane. Liyinyaniso lona elokuba ezi ngxangxasi azikho nde njengeeAngel Falls ezikuMzantsi Merika yaye azinamanzi maninzi njengeeVictoria Falls eziseAfrika okanye iiNiagara Falls ezikuMntla Merika. Kodwa ubuhle beeMurchison Falls abulibaleki.

Imbali YeeMurchison Falls

IiMurchison Falls ziyenye yeendawo ezintle kwiMurchison Falls National Park ezizizkwe khilomitha ezingama-3 841. Ipaki, yona ekumntla-ntshona weUganda yenziwa ngowe-1952. Ezi ngxangxasi zatyelelwa nguBaker ngasekuqaleni kweminyaka yee-1860. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Albert N’yanza ubalisa ngotyelelo lwakhe lokuqala kwezi ngxangxasi.

Wabhala wathi: “Sathi xa sijikela ekoneni, sabona umbono esingasokuze siwulibale. . . . Amanzi eengxangxasi ayemhlophe okwekhephu yaye ubuhle bawo babubalasela nangakumbi njengoko esehla phakathi kwamawa, singasathethi ke ngemithi yesundu neminye eyenza le ndawo ithi ndijonge. Ezi yayizezona ngxangxasi zakha zantle kumNayile.” Ekuqaleni, lo kaBaker wathiya ezi ngxangxasi ngokuba ziiMurchison Falls, ezithiya ngegama lomongameli weRoyal Geographical Society.

Iindlela Zokubuka Ezi Ngxangxasi

Ukuze uzibone kakuhle ezi ngxangxasi kufuneka uhambe ngesikhephe. Uhambo lwakho luqala eParaa yaye uba nethuba lokuhamba kumlambo umNayile uze kwangaxeshanye ubone izilwanyana zasendle qelele phaya. Iimvubu, iindlovu ezinkulu zaseAfrika, iingwenya neenyathi zixhaphakile apho. Eneneni, ukubona ezi zilwanyana ezingakumNayile kunokukwenza ukhe ulibale okomzuzwana ukuba kanene eyona nto ubuyizele kukubona iingxangxasi. Kodwa uthi usakubona loo manzi amhlophe qhwa okwekhephu nabonakala ngathi ampompoza ematyeni, utsho usiqonde isizathu sokuba lo kaBaker angawuval’ umlomo.

Nangona iindwendwe ezininzi zithanda ukuvela ngezantsi xa zibuka ezi ngxangxasi, zintle naxa uzibona umi ngasentla. Abanye bathi eli lelona cala lazo lihle. Xa umi apho utsho ubone umlambo umNayile, oziimitha ezingama-49 ububanzi, uncipha ube ziimitha ezintandathu kuphela uze ugxagxaze kangangeemitha ezingama-40 ukuya ezantsi. Kuthiwa “ayikho enye indawo emhlabeni enamanzi agxagxaza njengala.” Ngamanye amaxesha abantu abatyelela apha bakhe beve ngathi umhlaba uyashukuma njengoko amanzi ebetha ezantsi.

UBaker usibalisela ngoko kwenzekayo ngaphambi kokuba abone ezi ngxangxasi. Uthi, ngoxa wayehamba-hamba ekuseni, weva ngathi kuyaduduma. Wayecinga ukuba kukududuma kwezulu okwakusenzeka kwiindawo ezikude, kodwa wothuka akufumanisa ukuba esi sandi sasiphuma kwezi ngxangxasi.

Nyaka ngamnye, njengoBaker amawakawaka abantu basala bebamb’ ongezantsi bubuhle namandla ezi ngxangxasi. Ukubona indlela anamandla ngayo la manzi njengokuba esihla esiya ezantsi ngumbono ongasoze uwulibale. Singatsho sithi, iiMurchison Falls ziyinxalenye entle yomNayile.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

IMurchison Falls National Park

Ubalo lwezilwanyana olwenziwa ngowe-1969 lwafumanisa ukuba kule paki kwakuhlala iimvubu ezili-14 000, iindlovu ezili-14 500 neenyathi ezingama-26 500. Kumashumi eminyaka eyalandelayo, inani lezi zilwanyana lancipha kakhulu. Kutshanje, ngenxa yokuba kuye kwenziwa imizamo yokuzilondoloza, inani lazo liye landa kwakhona. Ngoku, kumahlathi alapho kuhlala iitshimpanzi neemfene ngoxa emadlelweni kukho iindlulamthi neebhokhwe zasendle. Eneneni, kule paki kuye kwabonwa iintlobo ezingaphezu kwama-70 zezilwanyana ezanyisayo kunye nezeentaka ezingaphezu kwama-450.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

All photos pages 16 and 17: Courtesy of the Uganda Wildlife Authority