IGreat Rift Valley
Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eKenya
IYISIGODI esikhulu, umgodi osemhlabeni omkhulu kangangokuba umuntu angawubona esenyangeni! Njengoba isuka eSigodini SaseJordani enyakatho ne-Israel yehle njalo ize iyofika eMozambique—amakhilomitha angu-6400—inqamula engxenyeni enkulu yezwekazi lase-Afrika.
Ngo-1893, isazi sokuma komhlaba saseScotland uJ. W. Gregory senza ukuhlola kokuqala okuningiliziwe ngalesi simangaliso semvelo. UGregory wathola ukuthi lesi sigodi esikhulu sasingabangelwanga ukuguguleka kwenhlabathi ngenxa yamanzi nomoya, kodwa sabangelwa “ukuzika kwamadwala amaningi, kuyilapho izwe elizungezile lihlala linjalo.” (Qhathanisa neHubo 104:8.) Wabiza lomfantu omkhulu emhlabeni ngokuthi iGreat Rift Valley.
Ososayensi namuhla abakawaqondi ngokugcwele amandla angaphansi komhlaba abangela lesi sigodi ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka edlule. Noma kunjalo, umuntu umane ahlabeke umxhwele ngezinto ezinhlobonhlobo ezingatholakala kuso. Ingxenye ese-Afrika yeGreat Rift Valley, eqala eTopiya, inenye yezindawo ezisabeka kakhulu emhlabeni, iSigodi SamaDanakil (esaziwa nangokuthi uNxantathu Wama-Afar). Lendawo enkulu enosawoti ifinyelela oLwandle Olubomvu futhi iwugwadule oluhlanganisa amakhilomitha-skwele angu-150 000. Lapha umhlaba ushone phansi ngamamitha angu-120 ngaphansi kogu lolwandle. Izinga lokushisa lingenyuka lifinyelele ekushiseni okukhiph’umkhovu etsheni okungu-54°C. Kusuka lapho lesi sigodi sikhuphukela ezinkangala zaseTopiya—eziphakeme ngamamitha angu-1800 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle, futhi ezineziqongo zezintaba ezifinyelela ekuphakameni okungamamitha angu-4300. Amahlathi emvula angodukathole amboze amagquma alamathafa avundile, angenisa amanzi emifuleni eminingana, njengomfula iBlue Nile. Uma wehlela eningizimu ohlangothini lwaso olungasempumalanga, lesi sigodi siyaqhubeka senyuka futhi sehla ngendlela emangalisayo.
Eceleni malungana neGreat Rift Valley kuneziqongo zezintaba-mlilo ezinokwakheka nobukhulu obuhlukahlukene kanye nemihosha emincane ephuma emaceleni. Ngasentshonalanga, amandla ezintaba-mlilo aye aveza ukhahlamba lwaseRuwenzori naseVirunga olusemingceleni yaseRwanda, eZaire nase-Uganda. Ezinye zalezi ziqongo zisabonisa izimpawu zokushukuma ngaphansi komhlaba, kanti ngezinye izikhathi zikhipha umusi nomlotha oshisayo. Budebuduze ngasempumalanga, izintaba-mlilo zasendulo ezinjengeKilimanjaro neMount Kenya ziphakeme kangangokuthi nakuba likhiph’umkhovu etsheni enkabazwe, iziqongo zazo zihlala zimbozwe yiqhwa. Kuyo yonke iRift Valley kukhona neziphethu ezishisayo ezikhipha isitimu namanzi abilayo, okufakazela isiyaluyalu esisaqhubeka ekujuleni komhlaba.
Ezansi ngaseningizimu, eTanzania, kunethafa eliyisikhotha eliwudedangendlale eligudla lesi sigodi. Libizwa ngokuthi i-siringet ngolimi lwesiMasai, okuyigama elisho “indawo ewudedangendlale.” Njengoba laziwa kangcono ngokuthi iSerengeti Plain, utshani balo obuningi bondla imihlambi emikhulu yezilwane zasendle. Kulapha lapho ukufuduka kwezinkonkoni okukhulu kwenzeka khona—isenzakalo esiwumbukwane ngempela!
Amachibi Alesi Sigodi
Ohlangothini olungasempumalanga lweGreat Rift Valley e-Afrika kunamachibi amaningi angcoliswe ama-sodium carbonate. Lamakhemikhali aye aphuma ezindaweni zezintaba-mlilo ezibamba amanzi noma aye angena emachibini ngokushukuma kwamandla ezintaba-mlilo ngaphansi komhlaba. Amanye amachibi, njengeLake Turkana enyakatho yeKenya, anohlotshana oluthile lwe-alkali. Njengoba izungezwe ihlathi eliyizinkulungwane zamakhilomitha-skwele ogwadule olungenalutho, ngezinye izikhathi iLake Turkana iba nombala omuhle oluhlaza okotshani futhi iyikhaya leqembu lezingwenya elikhulu kakhulu emhlabeni. Amachibi anjengeLake Magadi eKenya neLake Natron eTanzania agcwele usawoti kangangokuba anezinguzunga eziqinile ze-soda emhlophe. Iyini imbangela yalokhu? Ukungabi bikho kwendawo losawoti ongaphuma kuyo. Iningi lamanzi liqedwa umhwamuko, okushiya amaminerali amaningi kakhulu. Zimbalwa izilwane ezikwaziyo ukuphila kulamanzi nasendaweni ezungezile yamachibi e-soda aseRift Valley. Nokho, izilwane ezihluke ngokuphawulekayo onondwebu ababomvana abaya emachibini ahlukahlukene, badle ulwelwe oluncane olugcwele kulamanzi ababayo. Kulendawo kukhona izigidigidi zonondwebu, abasibekela indawo ngombala obomvana.
Esinye isilwane esichumayo kulamanzi abulalayo inhlanzi encane okuthiwa i-tilapia grahami. Lenhlanzi emelana ne-alkali ngokuvamile itholakala emifantwini ekhipha isitimu ngaphansi kwamanzi, lapho kunamanzi ashisa kangangokuba ngeke uwathinte ngesandla. Nakuba kunjalo, lenhlanzi encane iphila khona, idla ulwelwe lwaleli chibi.
Amachibi ambalwa kuphela asempumalanga yalesi sigodi anamanzi ahlanzekile. Elinye lawo iLake Naivasha, eKenya. Lingamamitha angu-1870 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle, futhi emanzini alo acwebile kunezinhlobonhlobo zezinhlanzi kanye nemihlambi yezimvubu. Ezingwini kunezindawo eziluhlaza ze-papyrus nezitshalo zasemanzini, ezihlala izinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-400 zezinyoni ezimibalabala. Njengoba izungezwe izihlahla zomtholo ophuzi nezintaba zokhahlamba, iLake Naivasha iwumbukwane omuhle kakhulu.
Kulesi sigodi kunechibi lesibili elikhulu emhlabeni, iLake Victoria. Amanzi alo awumngcele weKenya, i-Uganda neTanzania, futhi lingomunye wemithombo yoMfula iNayile. Eningizimu, amanzi eLake Tanganyika ajule ngamamitha angu-1440. Leli ichibi lesibili elijule kunawo wonke emhlabeni.
Izilwane Ezinhlobonhlobo
IRift Valley eMpumalanga Afrika isekela izilwane zasendle ezinhlobonhlobo. Izinyathi, izindlulamithi, obhejane nezindlovu kungezinye zezilwane ezinkulu ezincelisayo ezithé chithi saka kulesi sigodi esikhulu. Ezindaweni ezomile ezingenamanzi ungathola amadube, izinyamazane i-oryx nezintshe. Izinyamazane ezinhle zigxuma ziye phezulu njengoba zitshakadula kulamathafa. Amakati anamabala njengengwe nengulule azingela emathafeni avulekile, kanti ukubhonga kwebhubesi elinesithunzi ngokuvamile kuzwakala phakathi nobusuku. Phezulu ezintabeni zokhahlamba zaseVirunga kuhlala i-gorilla eyivelakancane. Phansi esigodini, kunqamula imihlambi yezimfene ihamba kancane, ifuna izinambuzane, izimbewu nofezela. Phezulu emoyeni, izinkozi namanqe anamandla anamaphiko amakhulu atshuza emoyeni oshisayo osemkhathini. Amagwalagwala amibalabala, ama-barbet, izinsingizi nopholi bahlala emahlanzeni. Izibankwa ezinokubukeka, ubukhulu nemibala ehlukahlukene zidlula zigijima, njengokungathi izinyawo zazo ziyasha.
Abantu Bakulesi Sigodi Abayimizulane
ERift Valley eMpumalanga Afrika kunezizwe eziningi ezihlala endaweni esagwadule ezinemfuyo futhi eziyimizulane. Zingabantu abaqatha abathatha amagxathu amakhulu njengoba kuvamile ngemizulane yase-Afrika. Ezindaweni ezingenayo imvula, ngokuvamile umzana wonke uyathutha ufuna amadlelo amasha emfuyo yawo. Zingenazo izincwadi zokungena kwamanye amazwe noma ama-visa, lezi zizwe zinqamula ngokukhululekile emingceleni yamazwe engaphawuliwe futhi zibonakala zingenandaba nentuthuko yangaphandle nezinye izindlela zokuphila. Kulezi zindawo ezisemajukujukwini, ukuphila kushaya ngonyawo lonwabu. Isikhathi sibalwa ngokuphuma nokushona kwelanga. Ingcebo yendoda ilinganiswa ngenani lamakamela, izimbuzi, izinkomo, noma izimvu enazo noma ngenani lezingane enazo.
Izindlu zakhiwa ngendlela elula, kodwa ehlakaniphile. Kugotshwa amagatsha ezihlahla futhi aboshelwe ndawonye ukuze abe njengeqhugwane. Indawo engaphandle ibe seyivalwa ngotshani obulukiwe, ngezikhumba zezilwane, noma ngodaka oluhlanganiswe nobulongwe. Ngokuvamile izindlu ezinjalo zineziko, indawo encane yokuvalela izilwane zasekhaya, kanye nombhede okungase kube isikhumba sesilwane nje kuphela. Umlilo eziko ugcwalisa umusi endlini, okwenza ukuba izimpukane nomiyane kungabi bikho endlini. Ngokuvamile umzana noma umndeni wakha amaqhugwane awo abe yisiyingi esizungezwe amagatsha awuthango anameva ngaphandle, ukuze uvikele imihlambi yawo ezilwaneni zasendle ebusuku.
Kuyo yonke iGreat Rift Valley kukhona abantu abanhlobonhlobo abanezici zobuso, ulimi namasiko ahlukene ngokwezizwe zabo nendawo abakuyo. Izinkolelo ezingokwenkolo nazo zihlukene kakhulu. Abanye baye bamukela ubuSulumane; abanye bangamaKristu okuzisholo. Abaningi banezinkolelo-ze futhi bathambekele ekutheni yonke into abangayiqondi ibangelwa amandla angaphezu kwawemvelo. Eminyakeni yamuva nje iningi lezindawo ezisemajukujukwini liye lachayeka ethonyeni langaphandle ngezinhlelo ezinikeza imfundo nokunakekela kwezokwelapha.
Akumangalisi ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova nabo benza imizamo yokuxhumana nalaba bantu abayimizulane abaqatha. LaboFakazi bathemba ukuthi bazobajwayelanisa nesithembiso seBhayibheli sesikhathi lapho engekho oyokhandleka ukuze azigcine ephila ezweni elomile. IBhayibheli lithi: “Kuyakujabula ihlane nogwadule, kuthokoze uqwathule, lukhahlele njengentebe.” (Isaya 35:1) Okwamanje, iGreat Rift Valley isewubufakazi obuphawulekayo bezinto ezinhlobonhlobo zendalo yoMenzi wezinto zonke, uJehova uNkulunkulu.
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[Umthombo]
Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1995 Digital Wisdom, Inc.
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ESerengeti Plain, kwenzeka isenzakalo esiwumbukwane ngempela —ukufuduka okukhulu kwezinkonkoni
[Umthombo]
Below: © Index Stock Photography and John Dominis, 1989
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Kukhona izigidigidi zonondwebu, abasibekela indawo ngombala obomvana
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OFakazi BakaJehova bahlanganyela isigijimi seBhayibheli nabantu baseRift Valley