Umgankla Uthela Amabhubesi Ngehlazo
NGONYAKA odlule eNingizimu Afrika, inyamazane enkulu—umgankla (kudu) oyiduna—wama ngaphambi kwendlu enhle yezivakashi yasesiqiwini saseLowveld. Wawubukeka uqaphile futhi unonya kakhulu, ngakho akumangalisi ukuthi omunye umgankla wakulendawo oyiduna wacasuka lapho ubona lokhu kuhlaselwa okucasulayo kwendawo yawo. Ufakazi wokuzibonela wabika ngokuhlasela kwalomgankla oyiduna: “Wabhonga, waphanda inhlabathi wase uthiba. Ubhekise izimpondo zawo phansi wahlasela. Lapho lomgankla ugadla washaywa uvalo olumangalisayo.” Umgankla oyisifiki awuzange unyakaze. Umgankla wakulendawo oyiduna wahlasela futhi. Kwaphinda kwanhlanga zimuka nomoya. Ukhungethwe ukuthukuthela futhi uqubulé ifu lothuli, lomgankla wakulendawo “wasiphula zonke izihlahla ezikuleyondawo ngaphambi kokuba ujokole.” Awukakabuyi, ngokusobala uphetha ngokuthi lesisifiki asinakunqotshwa.
Amakhosi ezilwane nawo ahlangabezana nokufanayo. Umqaphi wesiqiwi uCarlson Mathebula wabika ukuthi amabhubesi angu-12 akaka lomgankla. Wathi ngokubhekana kwawo nawo: “Ngokushesha amabhubesi amabili ayizinsikazi awunyonyobela. Ngokubhonga okukhulu elinye lagxumela emhlane walomgankla kuyilapho elinye ligijimela ohlangothini lwawo futhi lihlala izithonto entanyeni yawo. . . . Womabili awela phansi ngokwesaba futhi alala lapho ethuthumela. Elinye ibhubesi lensikazi lahlanganyela kulempi. Laqonda ngqó kulomgankla futhi ngamandla lazama ukuwuwisa phansi ngokuwukhela, kodwa wamane nje wama phuhlé.” Lamabhubesi angu-12 athukuthela agana unwabu ngenxa yokwehluleka kwawo ukuwisa lomgankla omkhulu kangangokuba “abulala umshini wokukala imvula, umshini wokunisela engadini namatafula nezihlalo okusetshenziswa phandle ngaphambi kokuba ajokole ehlazekile.”
Ngaphandle kokunyakaza, lomgankla usuye waxosha umhlambi wemigankla yalapha endaweni yayo futhi waxosha nomhlambi wamabhubesi. Umbiko owavela kuyi-Sunday Times yaseGoli, eNingizimu Afrika, wakhuluma ngalomgankla njengenyamazane enkulu enesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-300 futhi eyakhiwe nge-bronze. UMnu. Keith Calder, owakha lomgankla we-bronze, wathi: “Kuyangijabulisa ukuthi amabhubesi nemigankla awubona ungowangempela kangaka.”