Ummoba—Eyona Ngca Inkulu
NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EOSTRELIYA
BESIYA kuba yintoni ngaphandle kweswekile? Siya kuba siyazibaxa izinto xa sisithi ihlabathi beliya kuma ngxingxilili—kodwa indlela yokutya bekuya kufuneka itshintshwe ngokukhawuleza ukuba iswekile ibingekho. Ewe, namhlanje kwiindawo ezininzi ehlabathini, ukusetyenziswa kweswekile kuye kwaba yinxalenye yobomi bamihla le, nto leyo ebangela ukuveliswa kweswekile kube lishishini elisehlabathini lonke.
Izigidi zabantu, koomaCuba nakooIndiya nditsho nakooBrazil nakooma-Afrika, balima iswekile. Enyanisweni, imveliso yeswekile yakha yankqenkqeza phambili njengelona shishini likhulu ehlabathini nelenza imali eninzi. Kunokuthiwa ummoba uye walitshintsha ihlabathi ngendlela eye yafikelelwa zizityalo ezimbalwa.
Ngaba ungathanda ukufunda okungakumbi ngesi sityalo simangalisayo? Ngoko hamba nathi njengoko sityelela ummandla oseQueensland, eOstreliya, apho ulinywa khona ummoba. Nangona kulo mmandla kuveliswa kuphela umlinganiselo ongephi wezi ndiza, iindlela zokulima nezokuvelisa ezisemgangathweni ziye zawenza elinye lawona mazwe ahamba phambili ehlabathini ngokuthumela iswekile ekrwada.
Ukutyelela Ilizwe Elineendiza Zeswekile
Umoya walapho ushushu yaye ufumile. Ilanga lakweleenjiko ligqatsa kumasimi athe tshitshilili ummoba osele womile. Umatshini omkhulu ofana nowokuvuna ingqolowa uthe chu ngcembe phakathi kwaloo matyongotyongo ommoba, usika iindiza njengoko uvuna uze uphose iindiza ozisikileyo kwinqwelwana ehamba ecaleni kwawo. Kungekudala incindi yeswekile iyamfimfa kwiindiza ezisikiweyo, nevumba elimnandi, liphinde libe nendawo yokungunda lithi saa emoyeni. Le ncindi ixabisekileyo iluqalile uhambo lwayo ukusuka emasimini ukuya kutsho kwisitya seswekile esisetafileni yakho.
Kwithuba nje elingekude, bekudla ngokuba ngumgudu ukusika ezi ndiza ngesandla apha eOstreliya njengoko kusenjalo kumazwe amaninzi avuna ummoba. Khawufan’ ucinge nje ngalo mbono. Abasebenzi basika iindiza ngesandla. Abasebenzi abasika ezi ndiza bathe dwe yaye kancinane bayaqhubeka nokugeca la masimi. Phantse kanye njengasemkhosini, aba basebenzi bahlanganisa iziqhuma zezi ndiza ngengalo enye baze baziqinise zijonge calanye. Uya kuva ngovuphu! Vuphu! Beziphosa ngamandla, abasebenzi abaphethe iisabile basika ezi ndiza kanye ngasemazantsi. Bazidwelisa kakuhle ecaleni ngokwemiqolo, baye kwelinye icala leendiza. Ehlabathini lonke, le meko itshintsha ngokuthe ngcembe njengoko amazwe amaninzi ngoku esebenzisa oomatshini.
Ummandla oneendiza zeswekile eOstreliya ubukhulu becala usisiqwenga esingaselunxwemeni esingangeekhilomitha ezingama-2 100 ubude, ubukhulu becala esihamba ecaleni kweGreat Barrier Reef edumileyo. (Bona inqaku elithi “Utyelelo KwiGreat Barrier Reef,” elikwinkupho kaVukani! [wesiNgesi] kaJuni 8, 1991) Imozulu eshushu unyaka wonke nefumileyo yalapha ikhulisa ummoba, yaye malunga nabantu abangama-6 500 abawukhulisayo bahlala ubukhulu becala kwiifama ezihlala iintsapho ezincinane, ezigqagqeneyo ngaselunxwemeni kanye njengezihloko zomdiliya kwisitiya sawo.
Emva kokuhamba umgama omde ngenqwelo-mafutha sabona isixeko ekulinywa iswekile kuso saseBundaberg, ngakunxweme olusembindini lwaseQueensland. Njengoko sisihla kwindulana ethile, sathi ntla ngombono okhwankqisayo—elundini phayaa kwakuthe tshitshilili iindiza ezinde zeswekile ezazihetyulwa ngumoya! Zazahlukahlukene ngemibala! Kumasimi awahlukeneyo zikhule ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo, ngoko ezi ndiza zimibalabala ezinye ziluhlaza ezinye zibugolide, zithe choko-choko ngombala omdaka kwezo ndawo ziselifusi kulo nyaka nezisandul’ ukuvunwa.
UJulayi yeyona nyanga ibandayo enyakeni, yaye ixesha lokuvuna nokungqusha lisandul’ ukuqalisa. Oku kuya kuqhubeka de kube ngoDisemba njengoko esi sityalo sihambela phambili ngokukhula. Ngoku sele sifuna ukuya kubona indawo ekusilwa kuyo iswekile size sibone ukuba kwenziwa ntoni ngalo mmoba usandul’ ukuvunwa. Kodwa kucetyiswa ukuba ngaphambi kokuba senjenjalo, sifunde okuthile ngommoba. Ngoko sigqibe kwelokuba siqale simise kwiziko ekuhlolwa kulo iswekile kuloo mmandla. Apha izazinzulu ziqokelela iindiza ezintsha ezahlukahlukeneyo ukuze kuphuculwe ukulinywa nokuveliswa kommoba.
Imvelaphi Nokulinywa Kwazo
Kwiziko lokuhlola iswekile, ingcali yomhlaba enobubele iyakuvuyela ukusifundisa ngommoba ize isichazele ngendlela okhuliswa ngayo. Njengoko ngokuqhelekileyo ifumaneka kumahlathi ashinyeneyo akuMzantsi-mpuma Asia naseNew Guinea, ummoba ngowona mkhulu kwiintlobo zengca, kuquka iintlobo zengca ezahlukeneyo njengengca elinywayo, ukutya okuziinkozo, nomthi woqalo. Zonke ezi zityalo zivelisa iswekile kumagqabi azo ngenkqubo yephotosynthesis. Sekunjalo ummoba uyahluka wona kuba uvelisa ngezixa ezikhulu uze uyigcine le swekile njengencindi emnandi kuwo.
Ukulinywa kommoba kwakusaziwa ngokubanzi eIndiya. Apho ngowama-327 B.C.E., ababhali bemikhosi ehlaselayo ka-Aleksandire Omkhulu bathi abemi balapho “babehlafuna ingcongolo emangalisayo, eyayivelisa uhlobo oluthile lobusi ngaphandle koncedo lweenyosi.” Njengoko ukusingasinga ihlabathi nenkqubela zazihambela phambili ebudeni benkulungwane ye-15, ukuveliswa kommoba kwanwenwa okomlilo wedobo. Namhlanje ezi ndiza sele zingamawakawaka, yaye ngaphezu kwamazwe angama-80 aba negalelo kwimveliso emalunga neetoni eziliwaka lezigidi.
Kwiindawo ezininzi ehlabathini, ukutyala kungowona msebenzi unzima. Ummoba osele umkhulu uyasikwa ube malunga neesentimitha ezingama-40 uze utyalwe kwimingxuma eqelelene malunga neemitha ezili-1,5. Qela ngalinye likhula lisisicuku esimalunga neendiza ezisi-8 ukuya kwezili-12, eziye zikhule kwisithuba esimalunga neenyanga ezili-12 ukuya kwezili-16. Ukuhamba kula masimi axineneyo koyikisa ngokwenene. Ummoba onamagqabi amakhulu ukhule wafikelela kubude obuziimitha ezine. Ngaba urhwasharhwasha omva apho ngumoya nje, okanye mhlawumbi yinyoka okanye yimpuku? Mhlawumbi uya kuzinceda ukuba ubalekele kwindawo ekhuselekileyo netyhilekileyo!
Kuye kwenziwa uhlolisiso kuzanywa ukufumana indlela yokulwa nezinambuzane nezifo ezinokuchaphazela ezi ndiza. Kuye kwaphunyelelwa kweminye yale migudu, nangona ke kungaphunyelelwanga kuyo yonke. Ngokomzekelo, ngowe-1935, xa kwakuzanywa ukutshayela ibhungane elitya iindiza, amagunya athumela isele elihlala ezindizeni kumantla eQueensland. Ngelishwakazi, eli sele lakhetha ukutya enye into eyahlukileyo kunokuba litye ibhungane elitya iindiza, lazala kakhulu, yaye lona ngokwalo lonakalisa kakhulu kulo lonke elomntla-mpuma Ostreliya.
Ngaba Ufanele Uwutshise Ngaphambi Kokuwuvuna?
Ngaloo ngokuhlwa sikhwankqisiwe sabukela umlimi walapho entumeka ngomlilo iindiza zakhe ezazisele zikhulile. Ngemizuzwana nje loo masimi mancinane ayelidangatye yaye isisi esasilapho sasiphokokela esibhakabhakeni. Ukutshisa ezi ndiza kuluncedo ekususeni amagqabi angafunekiyo nezinye izinto ezinokuphazamisana nokuvunwa kwazo nokungqushwa. Noko ke, kutshanje, bekukhe kwakho umkhwa wokuvuna ngaphandle kokuqala kutshiswe. Le nkqubo ibizwa ngokuba kukuvuna izinto zisekrwada. Ayiphuculi imveliso yeswekile nje kuphela, kodwa ikwashiya ukufuma okukhuselayo emhlabeni, okuthi kamva kuncede ekulweni nokukhukuliseka komhlaba nokhula.
Nangona kumazwe amaninzi ekulinywa kuwo ummoba namhlanje usavunwa ngezandla, ngoku amazwe amaninzi avuna ngoomatshini abakhulu bokusika iindiza. Ezi ngxagruma zoomatshini zisiphula loo magxogxo ommoba, zisika zize zisuse ezi ndiza zize zizinqunqe zibe ziziqwentshana, ukuze zikwazi ukulungiswa kwindawo yokusila. Ngoxa umntu osika iindiza enokuvuna umlinganiselo weetoni ezintlanu ngemini xa evuna ngezandla, oomatshini bokuvuna iindiza banokuvuna iindiza eziziitoni ezingama-300 ngemini nje ngokulula. Amasimi anokuvunwa kanye ngonyaka kangangeminyaka emininzi ngaphambi kokuba siyeke ukuvelisa iswekile kuze ke kufuneke kutyalwe esinye emva kwaso.
Emva kokuba zisikiwe ezi ndiza, kufuneka kukhawuleziwe, kuba iswekile ekwiindiza ezivuniweyo yonakala ngokukhawuleza. Ukuze zithuthwe ngokukhawuleza ukuya kwiindawo zokusila, kukho imigaqo engangeekhilomitha ezingama-4 100 ehamba iinqwelwana kwimimandla elima iindiza eQueensland. Kungumbono ochukumisayo ukubona aba loliwe bancinane behamba kule migaqo njengoko benqumla ilizwe, betsala amakhareji azele qhu ngummoba.
Saya Kutsho Nakwindawo Yokusila
Ukukhenketha kwindawo yokusila iswekile kubangel’ umdla. Into oqala uyibone yimikrozo yeenqwelwana ezilindele ukuthulwa. Izixhobo ezikhulu zokucola nokugraya iswekile ziyaziguba ezi ndiza, zikhupha incindi yeswekile apho. Amasalela ayomiswa aze asetyenziswe njengomthombo wamandla okuhambisa oomatshini bale ndawo yokusila. Ezinye izixa ziphinda zithengiselwe imizi-mveliso yamaphepha neyezinto zokwakha ukuze iyisebenzise.
Izinto ezimdaka kwincindi yeswekile ziyasuswa, nto leyo eshiya incindi ecwengileyo. Ezi zinto zimdaka, kuthiwa ludaka, zisetyenziselwa izichumiso. Enye inyhobhanyhobha ephuma kwezi ndiza isetyenziswa njengokutya kwemfuyo okanye isetyenziselwe ukwenza isiselo esinxilisayo ekuthiwa yirum notywala obenziwa kwimizi-mveliso. Kubangel’ umdla kakhulu ukucinga ngezinto ezininzi ezenziwa ngeendiza zeswekile nokuba luncedo kwenkqubo yokusilwa kweswekile.
Obu tywala buyabiliswa ukuze kutshe amanzi akubo buze bube yincindi enqumbululu ethi yona idityaniswe neenkozo ezincinane zeswekile. Ezi nkozo ziyakhula de zibe nkulu ngendlela efunekayo. Ziyakhutshwa kulo mxube zize zomiswe. Kuphuma iswekile ekrwada nemdaka. Xa iphindwa icolwa kakuhle le swekile iba yiswekile emhlophe eqhelekileyo kwabaninzi ebekwa etafileni xa kusityiwa.
Mhlawumbi iti okanye ikofu yakho uya kuyinandipha ngakumbi emva kolu khenketho lumyoli nolufundisayo kwilizwe lommoba. Kambe ke, ukuba unesifo seswekile, kusenokufuneka ube ngathi akuyazi iswekile mhlawumbi usebenzise enye into endaweni yayo.
Ngokuqinisekileyo, siye sachukumiseka kukuba bhetyebhetye nobuchule baLowo wadala waza wabangela ukuba esi tyalo simangalisayo sommoba sikhule ngokugqithisele ngolu hlobo—ngokwenene yeyona ngca inkulu!
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 28]
Ngaba Yibhithi Okanye Ziindiza?
Iswekile iveliswa kwizityalo ezibini ezibalulekileyo ehlabathini. Ubukhulu becala ummoba ulinywa kwimimandla ekweleenjiko yaye kwenziwa ngawo ubuncinane ama-65 eswekile eveliswa ehlabathini. Ama-35 ekhulwini avela kwiibhithi zeswekile, ezilinywa kwiindawo ezibandayo njengaseMpuma naseNtshona Yurophu nakuMntla Merika. Ezi swekile zinemichiza efanayo.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]
Ummoba uyatshiswa ngaphambi kokuba uvunwe
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]
Oomatshini bokuvuna iswekile. Iteletele itsala inqwelwana
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 27]
All pictures on pages 27-30: Queensland Sugar Corporation