Ukuqongelela Izitembu—Umsebenzi Wokuzilibazisa Onehuha Futhi Ongenisa Imali Eshisiwe

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRITHANI

UKUQONGELELA izitembu kuthiwa “umsebenzi wokuzilibazisa ophambili emhlabeni.” Izitembu zokuqala ‘kwakuyizingcezu nje zamaphepha ezazinenhlaka ngemuva, ozisebenzisayo ayengazinamathisela ngemuva encwadini ngokuzithambisa nje kancane,’ ngokusho kowaletha izinguquko kwezokuposa eBrithani uSir Rowland Hill (1795-1879). Ayekubiza ngokuthi ‘izingcezu zamaphepha’ kwathandeka kakhulu kangangokuthi namuhla izitembu zinconywa njengomklamo owashintsha ezokuxhumana kuwo wonke umhlaba.

Kubaqongeleli nakubathengisi, izitembu zinamanani ahlukahlukene kusukela ezeni kuya ezindodleni zamaRandi ayisigidi noma ngaphezulu. Kungenzeka kanjani lokhu njengoba izitembu zivame kangaka? Futhi yini ezenza zikhange futhi zibize?

I-Penny Black Eyingqayizivele

Izitembu zokuqala ezigxivizwa ngesandla ezazibonisa ukuthi iposi selikhokhelwe zaqanjwa umthengisi uWilliam Dockwra, owasungula i-London Penny Post ngo-1680. Iposi elalilethwa endlini yokudiliva laligxivizwa ngophawu lweposi olungunxantathu onemigqa emibili olunamazwi athi PENNY POST PAID, selilungele ukuhanjiswa izithunywa zikaDockwra. Kodwa ezinye izithunywa nabantu abathutha iposi bamelana ngokuqinile nalelilungiselelo ngoba babenomuzwa wokuthi lisongela indlela yabo yokuziphilisa. Iposi likahulumeni nalo labheka iposi likaDockwra njengesiphazamiso egunyeni lawo lokulawula.

Izinguquko kwezokuposa azizange ziphumelele ekwenzeni ukuposa nge-penny kutholakale ezweni lonke kwaze kwaba sekuqaleni kwekhulu le-19. Ngo-May 1840, kwathengiswa isitembu sokuposa sokuqala esinamathelayo eBrithani ngokushesha esaziwa ngokuthi i-Penny Black. (Bheka isithombe.) Sasingenazo izimbobo, futhi isitembu ngasinye kwakufanele sisikwe sikhishwe ekhasini.

Ngo-1843, iBrazil yaba izwe lokuqala ngaphandle kweBrithani ukukhipha izitembu ezinamathelayo ezazisetshenziswa ezweni lonke. Kancane kancane amanye amazwe aqala ukuzisebenzisela iposi elihamba ngaphakathi ezweni. Kamuva, ukuze kukhuthazwe ukuthunyelwa kweposi phesheya kwezilwandle, kwasungulwa inyunyane yezokuposa yomhlaba wonke. Namuhla i-Universal Postal Union, enendlunkulu eBern, eSwitzerland, iyinxusa eligunyazwe iZizwe Ezihlangene.

Okuqongelelwayo Kulandisa Indaba

Njengoba ukuxhumana komhlaba wonke kwakwanda, izwe ngalinye laklama futhi lanyathelisa izitembu ezihlukile. Ezinye, ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-commemorative, zibonisa izenzakalo ezivelele nabantu; ezinye, ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-definitive, zisetshenziswa kahle ngendlela evamile ngokuhlukahluka ukuze kuhlangatshezwane nezidingo ezihlukahlukene zokuposa. Eminyakeni edlule izinhlangano zokuposa ezingaba ngu-600 ziye zakhipha izitembu ezintsha ezilinganiselwa kwezingu-10 000 ngonyaka. Bobabili umfundi wezitembu ozimisele (i-philatelist) nomuntu ojabulela nje ukuqongelela izitembu njengendlela yokuzilibazisa bathola abakuthandayo ezitenjini ezihlukahlukene ezingu-250 000 esezikhishiwe kuze kube manje!

Ngokusobala, njengoba kunenani elikhulu lezitembu ezihlukahlukene kangaka, akekho umqongeleli ongalindela ukuba nohlobo ngalunye lwesitembu esake sakhishwa. Kunalokho, abaningi bakhetha ukuqongelela izitembu ngokwezihloko zazo. Amabhuloho, amalahle, amandla, ezemidlalo, ezokuthutha, ezolimo, i-Antarctica, iMidlalo Yama-Olympic, imihume, imithi, indawo yebhayisikobho, inkolo, isayensi yokwakheka kwezwe, isi-Esperanto, isikhunta, iSiphambano Esibomvu, i-UN, iYurophu, izilwane, izimbali, izimboni, izindiza, izinkonzo zeposi, izinyoni, izwe, ukuthatha izithombe, umculo, umkhathi, umlilo, ngisho nesimo sezulu kuphakathi kwezindaba umuntu angaziqongelela. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ufunani, iyatholakala ezitenjini.

Abanye abaqongeleli bagxila ezicini ezingafani zezitembu. Lokhu kuhilelani? Ake uphinde ubuke i-Penny Black. Uyaziqaphela yini izinhlamvu ezinyatheliswe emakhoneni angezansi esitembu? Ekuqaleni, lezizitembu zazinyatheliswa ekhasini elinezitembu ezingu-240 ezihlelwe ngemigqa evundlile engu-20 ehlelwe yaba ngu-12. Isitembu sokuqala emugqeni ophezulu sasinezinhlamvu ezithi AA; esokugcina kulowomugqa sinezithi AL, kwehle njalo ekhasini ngokwezinhlamvu zolimi kuze kube u-TA no-TL ekuqaleni nasekupheleni komugqa wama-20. Lezizinhlamvu zazigxivizwa ngesandla emakhoneni ayizikwele esitembu engxenyeni yokugcina yokunyathelisa. Isisebenzi saseposini sasingacabanga ukuthi kunomgunyathi uma izitembu zezincwadi eziningi esizisingethe zazinezinhlamvu ezimbili ezifanayo.

Nakuba kwakhishwa izitembu ze-Penny Black ezilinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-68, umqongeleli onesitembu esingakasetshenziswa namuhla unokuthile okuyivelakancane nokuyigugu—okulinganiselwa emaRandini angu-15 200 kuya kwangu-24 700.

Ngaphandle kwezici ezincane ezingafani endleleni eziklanywe ngayo, izitembu ezinyatheliselwe emakhasini angafani, ephepheni elinezimpawu ezingafani ezifihlekile (umdwebo olufifi ephepheni, obonakala lapho libhekiswe ekukhanyeni), ngisho nalezo ezinenani elingafani lezimbobo (izimbobo ezisemachosheni) zonke zivusa isithakazelo sabaqongeleli abafuna okuthile. Ukuze ziphumelele, izingcweti ezinjalo azidingi isikele (Ungalokothi usebenzise iminwe yakho!) nezibonakhulu kuphela. Izikali zithungatha umehluko ezimbotsheni; izibani ze-ultraviolet ziveza umonakalo, ukuklayeka okufihlekile, neminye imininingwane emincane.

Abanye abaqongeleli banesithakazelo esikhethekile emaphutheni asemklamweni wezitembu nokunyatheliswa kwazo. Kubona, ukuba nokuthile abanye abaqongeleli abangazange bakuphawule kuyinto ebalulekile. Cabangela umehluko enanini. Ngokokulinganisela kwango-1990, i-Penny Red ka-1841 engenalo uhlamvu u-A, iphutha elisesitenjini sokuqala emugqeni wesibili wekhasi, yayibiza ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingaba ngu-1 300 kunaleyo engenalo leliphutha!

Izitembu Zingenisa Imali Eshisiwe

Namuhla ukuqongelela izitembu kukhanga abantu abahlukahlukene abazibekelela imali. Ozibekelela imali ngempela uthenga amasethi ezitembu zakudala eziyivelakancane lezo abathengisi abakholelwa ukuthi inani lazo lingase likhuphuke ngemva kwesikhathi esithile esimisiwe. Lapho lesosikhathi sifika, umthengisi uqala ukuthengisa amasheya amakhasimende akhe ngamanani aphakeme atholakalayo. “Izimpawu zeposi ezikhanyayo, ezicacile ziyimfuneko ezitenjini ezisetshenziselwa ukuposa—izitembu ezivame kakhulu azivamile ukuba nezimpawu zeposi ezithandekayo noma ezingavamile futhi zikhokhela imbuyiselo efanayo. Ukubukeka kwesitembu kuyindaba ebucayi enanini laso,” kubhala isikhulu sezitembu uJames Watson.

Ngo-1979 i-Daily Mail yaseLondon yabika ukuthi “eminyakeni emihlanu edlule, izitembu zakudala (zango-1840 kuya ku-1870) bezikhuphuka ngaphezu kwamasheya nezinye izindlela zokuzibekelela imali, futhi ezimweni eziningi, ngisho nangaphezu kwentengo yezindlu.” Isethi yezitembu ezingu-7 eziyivelakancane eyayibiza amaRandi angu-307 460 ngo-1974 yakhuphukela emaRandini angu-1 110 780.

Ngo-1990 isikhangiso se-Time International sabika: “Njengendlela yokuzibekelela imali, izitembu zikhokhela ngezindlela ezishintshashintshayo. Ngawo-1970 amanani akhuphuka ngokushesha okukhulu njengoba ababelindele ukuzuza ngezitembu ezingavamile babeqongelela amasethi okuzibekelela imali. Kodwa lapho kubanjwa i-Stamp World Exhibition eLondon ngo-1980, amathemba ashabalala futhi ababelindele ukuthola inzuzo bathola ukuthi okuwukuphela kwabantu ababelungele ukusekela imakethe kwakungabaqongeleli, futhi babehoxe ngokunengqondo. ‘Lapho ababezibekelele imali bezama ukuthengisa amasethi abo, bathola ukuthi izitembu eziningi azilona ivelakancane njengoba babecabanga,’” futhi balahlekelwa. Yeka isixwayiso lokhu okuyiso kulabo abazibekelela imali ngezitembu!

Khona-ke, njengomqongeleli, noma ngisho njengomfundi wezitembu, linganisela. Zijabulele izitembu zakho. Funda kuzo—ngomhlaba, ngokwakheka kwawo, ngabantu, nangamasiko. Ungakuvumeli ukuziqongelela kukulawule. Sihlaziye ngokucophelela isithakazelo sakho ezitenjini, bese usiqhathanisa nezinto ezibaluleke kakhudlwana ekuphileni.

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

I-Penny Black

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Izitembu zase-Austria, eSpain, naseBrithani