IMPUKUVANE Ingabe Iyisiqalekiso Sase-afrika?

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENIGERIA

SASISANDA kuthuthela endaweni esemaphandleni eNtshonalanga Afrika. Sasizungezwe ihlathi lasezindaweni ezishisayo. Ngenye intambama umkami wangena egunjini lokugcina izimpahla wabe esememeza: “Nasi isibawu!”

Lempukane yandiza ngesivinini yaphuma egunjini lokugcina izimpahla futhi yangena egunjini lokugezela. Ngadumela ithini lesibulala-zinambuzane futhi ngayilandela, ngangena ngavala umnyango. Impukane yayingasabonwa. Ngokungazelele, yandizela ebusweni bami. Iyangihlasela! Ngaphebeza ngezandla, ngizama ukuyishaya ngiyiwise phansi kodwa ngahluleka. Yandizela efasiteleni. Isihenqo sayivimba yangakwazi ukubaleka. Yahlala kuso.

Ngaqondisa isifutho kuyo futhi ngayifutha ngesibulala-zinambuzane. Ngokuvamile ukufutha okuqonde ngqó ngaleyo ndlela kubulala noma iluphi uhlobo lwesinambuzane ngaso leso sikhathi. Akunjalo ngalempukane. Yandiza futhi yaqhubeka ibhuza izungeza egunjini lokugezela.

Ilukhuni lento! Ngangiqiniseka ukuthi isibulala-zinambuzane sasizokwenza umsebenzi waso futhi ngokushesha lempukane yayizoqathaka phansi. Kodwa ayizange iwe. Lapho iphinda ihlala, ngayifutha okwesibili. Yabuye yandiza.

Yimpukane enjani lena eqine kangaka? Okunye ukuyifutha kabili ngokuqonde ngqó kwagcina kuyibulele.

Ngafaka izibuko zami futhi ngasihlola ngokucophelela lesi sinambuzane. Sasisikhudlwana kunempukane evamile, nakuba singalingani nesibawu. Izimpiko zaso zaziphambene emhlane waso, zisenza sibukeke sicuthene kakhulu kunempukane evamile. Ngasemlonyeni, sinomboko omude ofana nenaliti.

Ngamemeza ngitshela umkami: “Akusona isibawu lesi. Yimpukuvane [tsetse fly].”

Lesi senzakalo sagcizelela kimi ubunzima bokuzama ukuqothula lempukane ezweni layo lase-Afrika elingamakhilomitha-skwele ayizigidi ezingu-11,7, indawo enkulu kuneyase-United States. Kungani abantu befuna ukuyiqothula? Mathathu amacala emangalelwa ngawo. Icala lokuqala:

Idla Igazi

Kunezinhlobo ezingu-22 ezihlukahlukene zezimpukuvane. Zonke zihlala e-Afrika eseningizimu ye-Sahara. Zonke, kokubili ezamaduna nezezinsikazi, ziyiziminzi zegazi lezilwane ezinomgogodla, zimunca igazi eliphindwe kathathu kunesisindo sazo lapho zilume kanye nje.

Zizitika ngezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezilwane eziklabayo—kokubili ezase-Afrika nezingezona ezakhona. Ziluma nabantu. Ukuluma kwazo kujulile, kuwukugwaza kokumunca igazi, okubukhali nokubuhlungu. Kuyaluma futhi kubuhlungu ngesikhathi esifanayo. Kuveza iqhubu.

Izimpukuvane zinekhono emsebenzini wazo. Azichithi isikhathi zilokhu zibhuza zikuzungeza ikhanda. Zingandizela kumuntu njengenhlamvu futhi ngandlela-thile zime futhi zihlale ebusweni kancane ngendlela yokuthi ungazizwa. Zingaba njengamasela; ngezinye izikhathi awuqapheli ukuthi seziye zeba igazi elithile kuze kube yilapho sezihambile—lapho sekusele nje ukuba uthole izinga lomonakalo.

Ngokuvamile zihlasela umzimba ongembathisiwe. (Kubonakala sengathi zithanda ingemuva lentamo yami!) Nokho, ngezinye izikhathi zinquma ukucaca ngomlenze webhulukwe noma ngomkhono weyembe ngaphambi kokuba zimunce umthambo wegazi. Noma uma zithanda, zibhoboza izingubo zikulume—lokho akuyona inkinga ngesinambuzane esikwazi ukubhoboza ngisho nesikhumba esiqinile sikabhejane.

Abantu babeka impukuvane icala lokungabi ehlakaniphile nje kuphela kodwa nangokuba enobuqili. Ngesinye isikhathi lapho ngizama ukubulala enye ngesibulala-zinambuzane, yandizela egunjini lami lokugcina izimpahla futhi yacasha esikhindini sami sokubhukuda. Ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbili lapho ngigqoka leso sikhindi, yangiluma kabili! Kwesinye isenzakalo impukuvane yacasha esikhwameni semali somkami. Wathatha leso sikhwama waya naso ehhovisi, futhi lapho efaka isandla phakathi, lempukuvane yamluma. Yabe isindiza igcwala igumbi, ibangela isiphithiphithi phakathi kwezisebenzi zasehhovisi. Wonke umuntu wayeka ukusebenza ukuze azame ukuyishaya.

Ngakho-ke icala lokuqala elibekwa impukuvane elokuthi iwummunci wegazi oluma kabuhlungu. Icala lesibili:

Ibulala Izilwane

Ezinye izinhlobo zezimpukuvane zidlulisela isifo esibangelwa amagciwane amancane abizwa ngokuthi ama-trypanosome. Lapho impukuvane imunca igazi lesilwane esinalesi sifo, igwinya igazi elinalamagciwane. Ayakhula ande ngaphakathi kulempukane. Lapho iluma esinye isilwane, amagciwane aphuma kuyo adlulele emthanjeni wegazi waleso silwane.

Lesi sifo yi-trypanosomiasis. Uhlobo oluba sezilwaneni lubizwa ngokuthi unakane (nagana). Amagciwane onakane ayakhula emithanjeni yegazi yezilwane eziningi zase-Afrika, ikakhulukazi inyamazane, inyathi, izingulube zasendle, izimpunzi, umziki, nezintibane. Lamagciwane awazibulali lezi zilwane.

Kodwa amagciwane ayishaya ayibhuqe imfuyo okungeyona eyase-Afrika—amakamela, izinja, izimbongolo, izimbuzi, amahhashi, iminyuzi, izinkomo, izingulube, nezimvu. Ngokukamagazini i-National Geographic, unakane lubulala izinkomo eziyizigidi ezintathu unyaka ngamunye.

Abelusi bezinkomo, njengamaMasai aseMpumalanga-Afrika, baye bafunda indlela yokugwema izindawo ezinezimpukuvane eziningi, kodwa ngezinye izikhathi isomiso nokuntuleka kwamadlelo kwenza lokho kungabi nokwenzeka. Phakathi nesomiso samuva, imikhaya emine eyayigcina izinkomo zayo ezingu-600 ndawonye yayilahlekelwa inkomo eyodwa usuku ngalunye ngenxa yezimpukuvane. ULesalon, omdala kunabo bonke kulemikhaya, wathi: “Thina maMasai singabantu abanesibindi. Siyaligwaza ibhubesi futhi sibhekane nenyathi ehlaselayo. Siyishaya ngenduku imamba emnyama futhi sibhekane nendlovu ethukuthele. Kodwa kuyi-orkimbai [impukuvane]? Asinamandla.”

Zikhona izidakamizwa zokwelapha unakane, kodwa abanye ohulumeni bavumela ukusetshenziswa kwazo ngaphansi kokuqondisa kukadokotela wezilwane kuphela. Kunesizathu esihle salokho, ngoba izilinganiso ezingaphelele azisibulali nje kuphela isilwane kodwa zenza kube namagciwane amelana nezidakamizwa. Kungase kube nzima ngomalusi wezinkomo osehlathini ukuba athole udokotela wezilwane ngesikhathi ukuze elaphe izilwane zakhe ezifayo.

Amacala amabili okuqala abekwe impukuvane aye afakazelwa ngokungenakuphikiswa—idla igazi futhi isakaza isifo esibulala izilwane. Kodwa kunokwengeziwe. Icala lesithathu:

Ibulala Abantu

Abantu ababi ne-trypanosome yonakane. Kodwa impukuvane ithutha olunye uhlobo lwe-trypanosome ilususe komunye umuntu iluyise komunye. Lolu hlobo lwe-trypanosomiasis lubizwa ngokuthi isifo sokulala. Ungacabangi ukuthi umuntu onesifo sokulala umane nje alale kakhulu. Lesi sifo asikhona ukulala okujabulisayo. Siqala ngokutubeka komzimba, ukuphelelwa amandla, nemfiva esezingeni eliphansi. Ngemva kwalokho kuba isiyezi esiqhubekayo, imfiva esezingeni eliphezulu, ubuhlungu bamalungu, ukuvuvuka kwezicubu zomzimba nokwesibindi nobende. Ekugcineni, njengoba amagciwane engena esimisweni sezinzwa esiyinhloko, izinga lokusebenza kwengqondo yesiguli liyehla, sihlaselwe izifo, siquleke isikhathi eside, sigcine sifile.

Ekuqaleni kwaleli khulu leminyaka, ukuqubuka kwesifo sokulala konakalisa izwekazi lase-Afrika. Phakathi kuka-1902 no-1905, lesi sifo sabulala abantu abangaba ngu-30 000 eduze neChibi iVictoria. Emashumini eminyaka alandela, lesi sifo sasakazekela eCameroon, eGhana, naseNigeria. Emadolobhaneni amaningi ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yabantu yayinalesi sifo, okwenza kwadingeka ukuba inani elikhulu labantu lisuke ezindaweni eziningi ezingasemifuleni. Amaqembu asebenzisa omahamba-nendlwana elapha amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu. Kwaze kwaba sekupheleni kwawo-1930 lapho lomqedazwe wanyamalala khona futhi waphela.

Namuhla lesi sifo siphatha abantu abangaba ngu-25 000 unyaka ngamunye. Ngokwe-World Health Organization, abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-50 emazweni angu-36 aseningizimu ye-Sahara basengozini yokungenwa yilesi sifo. Nakuba isifo sokulala sibulala uma singalashiwe, zikhona izidakamizwa zokuselapha. Muva nje kwenziwe isidakamizwa esisha sokwelapha lesi sifo esibizwa ngokuthi i-eflornithine—isidakamizwa sokuqala salolu hlobo eminyakeni engu-40.

Sekuyisikhathi eside abantu belwa nempukuvane nesifo esithwalayo. Ngo-1907, uWinston Churchill wabhala ngomkhankaso wokuqothula impukuvane: “Kwelukwa ngokungenasihawu inetha elihle eliyizungezayo.” Uma kubhekwa emuva, kuyacaca ukuthi “inetha elihle” likaChurchill lalinezimbobo ezinkulu. Incwadi ethi Foundations of Parasitology ithi: “Kuze kube manje, iminyaka engu-80 yokuqothulwa kwempukuvane iye yaba nomphumela omncane ekusakazekeni kwayo.”

Izwi Elivikelayo

Imbongi yaseMelika u-Ogden Nash yabhala: “Ngokuhlakanipha kwaKhe uNkulunkulu wenza impukuvane, wabe esekhohlwa ukusitshela ukuthi kungani.” Nakuba kuyiqiniso ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu unguMdali wezinto zonke, ngokuqinisekile akulona iqiniso ukuthi uyakhohlwa. Uvumela ukuba izinto eziningi sizitholele ngokwethu. Kuthiwani-ke ngempukuvane? Ingabe kukhona okungashiwo ekuvikeleni lokhu okubonakala kuyiselelesi?

Mhlawumbe isivikelo esinamandla kuze kube manje siwukuthi indima yayo ekubhubhiseni izinkomo iye yasiza ekuvikeleni izindawo zokulondoloza imvelo zase-Afrika. Izindawo ezingodedangendlale zase-Afrika zifana namazwe agcwele utshani asentshonalanga ye-United States—izwe ngokwalo liyakwazi ukondla imfuyo. Kodwa ngosizo lwempukuvane, izilwane ezifuyiwe zibulawa ama-trypanosome angazibulali izilwane eziklabayo zendawo.

Abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi ukube bekungengenxa yempukuvane, izindawo ezinkulu zase-Afrika zokulondoloza imvelo ngabe kudala zathathelwa indawo imihlambi yezinkomo. “Ngiyayisekela impukuvane,” kusho uWillie van Niekerk, umqondisi endaweni yokulondoloza imvelo yaseBotswana. “Qeda impukuvane izinkomo zizogcwala yonke indawo, futhi izinkomo zingabaphangi be-Afrika, abaqothula leli lizwekazi libe indawo eyodwa enkulu engalinywa.” Wanezela: “Impukuvane kumelwe ihlale ikhona.”

Yiqiniso, akubona bonke abavumelana nalokho. Lempikiswano ayifezi lutho ekugculiseni indoda ebona abantwana noma izinkomo zayo zihlushwa i-trypanosomiasis. Futhi ayibagculisi nalabo abaphikisa ngokuthi i-Afrika idinga izinkomo ukuze izondle.

Noma kunjalo, ngokungangabazeki kusenokuningi okumelwe kufundwe ngendima efezwa impukuvane ngokuphathelene nemvelo. Nakuba amacala abekwa yona ebonakala enamandla, mhlawumbe kusekusha kakhulu ukuba singayahlulela.

Njengoba sikhuluma ngezimpukane, enye isanda kundizela egunjini. Uxolo, ake ngiyoqiniseka ukuthi akuyona impukuvane.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 11]

Tsetse fly: ©Martin Dohrn, The National Audubon Society Collection/PR