IKilimanjaro—Isiqongo Sase-Afrika
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EKENYA
EMINYAKENI engu-150 edlule, ingxenye enkulu ye-Afrika yayingaziwa muntu. Kubantu basemazweni angaphandle, lelizwekazi lalingakahlolwa futhi liyimfihlakalo. Ezindabeni eziningi ezazivela eMpumalanga Afrika, kwakuneyodwa okwakubonakala ibamangalisa kakhulu abantu baseYurophu. Kwakuwumbiko wezithunywa zevangeli zaseJalimane okuthiwa uJohannes Rebmann noJohann L. Krapf, ezathi ngo-1848 zabona eduze nenkabazwe intaba eyayiphakeme kangangokuba isiqongo sayo sasimhlophe yiqhwa.
Indaba yokuthi kwakunentaba embozwe yiqhwa e-Afrika eneshisandlu ayizange ingatshazwe nje kuphela kodwa futhi yahlekwa usulu. Nokho, izindaba ezazilandiswa ngalentaba enkulu zavusa ilukuluku lokufuna ukwazi nesithakazelo ezazini zokuma kwezwe nakubahloli bamazwe, futhi ekugcineni bayiqinisekisa imibiko yezithunywa zevangeli. Ngempela yayikhona intaba eyayiyintaba-mlilo eyayimbozwe yiqhwa eMpumalanga Afrika ebizwa ngokuthi iKilimanjaro. Abanye abantu babethi lelo gama lisho ukuthi “iNtaba Enkulu.”
“Isiqongo” Sase-Afrika
Namuhla iKilimanjaro yaziwa ngobuhle bayo obuvelele nokuphakama okukhangayo. Imbalwa imifanekiso emihle nekhumbuleka njengalowo womhlambi wezindlovu eziklabile unqamula emathafeni ase-Afrika omile futhi anezintuli, ngemuva buqamama kubonakala “iKili” ephakeme embozwe yiqhwa.
IKilimanjaro iyintaba ephakeme kunazo zonke ezwekazini lase-Afrika futhi iphakathi kwezintaba-mlilo ezinkulu ezingasaqhumi emhlabeni. IseTanzania, ngaseningizimu yenkabazwe eduze nomngcele waseKenya. Lapha, umhlaba uye wakhipha umlotha wentaba-mlilo ongama-cubic meter angaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezine, okwabangela ukuba khona kwalentaba enesiqongo esifinyelela emafwini.
Ubukhulu balentaba bugqanyiswa ukuthi ithé qekelele. Njengoba ithé qekelele, isuka phansi ehlathini lezwe elomile lamaMasai, elingamamitha angu-900 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle, iyosho phezulu ekuphakameni okungamamitha angu-5895! Akumangalisi ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi iKilimanjaro ichazwa ngokuthi iyisiqongo sase-Afrika.
IKilimanjaro yayibizwa nangokuthi “iNtaba Yomahamba-nendlwana,” ngoba njengendlu ekhanyayo yokuhlaba umkhosi olwandle, izinguzunga zayo zeqhwa zingabonakala ebangeni elide kunoma yiluphi uhlangothi. Emakhulwini eminyaka adlule isiqongo sayo esimbozwe yiqhwa sasivame ukuqondisa omahamba-nendlwana ababephuma enkabeni ye-Afrika, begcwele imithwalo yamazinyo endlovu, igolide nezigqila.
Iziqongo Zayo Ezikhangayo
IKilimanjaro ineziqongo ezimbili zezintaba-mlilo. IKibo iyisiqongo sentaba-mlilo esikhulu; isiqongo sayo esihle esiyindilinga sihlala sineqhwa. Ngasempumalanga kunesiqongo sesibili, okuthiwa iMawenzi, esiphakeme ngamamitha angu-5354 futhi singesesibili ngokuphakama eziqongweni zezintaba zase-Afrika, silandela iKibo. Ngokungafani nemithambeka yeKibo ezothile, iMawenzi inamangelengele futhi inesiqongo esikahle esinamadwala nhlangothi zonke. Iziqongo zeKibo neMawenzi zihlanganiswe ebangeni elingamamitha angu-4600 yithafa elikhulu eliwumthambeka elinezimbokodo zamatshe. Ngasentshonalanga yeKibo kuneShira, okuyizinsalela zentaba-mlilo yasemandulo osekuyisikhathi eside yagugulwa umoya namanzi, manje eyingxenye yenkangala ekhangayo ephakeme ngamamitha angu-4000 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle.
Umsebenzi Wobuciko
IKilimanjaro inezindawo ezihlukahlukene ezihlukaniswe ukuphakama, imvula nohlaza. Ngezansi kunemithambeka embozwe amahlathi angonakalisiwe lapho kuzulazula khona imihlambi yezindlovu neyezinyathi. Phezulu ezihlahleni kunezinhlobonhlobo zezinkawu, futhi ngezinye izikhathi isivakashi singabona onkonka abanamahloni nezimpunzi, ezicasha kalula esinindolweni.
Ngaphezu kwaleli hlathi kunendawo enezimbali ezinsomi. Izihlahla ezindala ezinamaqokolo, ezisontwe ukuvunguza komoya nobudala, zimbozwe ulwelwe olufana nezintshebe zamakhehla esezimpunga. Lapha, ubona uhlangothi lwentaba, bese kuvela indawo ebanzi enezimbali ezinsomi. Izidindi ezihlangene nezixha zezimbali ezimibalabala ziyenza ibukeke kahle lendawo yasemaphandleni.
Futhi ngalé kwezihlahla kusenenkangala. Esikhundleni sezihlahla kunezitshalo ezingajwayelekile okuthiwa ama-giant groundsel, ezikhula zibe amamitha amane ubude nama-lobelia, afana neklabishi elikhulu noma nama-artichoke. Ezimbokodweni zamatshe nasemadwaleni kuhlala kunezimbali ezinjengotshani, ezizwakala zomile futhi ezenezela umbala kulendawo ebukeka iphaphathekile.
Lapho wenyuka, kukhona indawo yama-alpine kulenkangala. Lendawo iphaphathekile futhi inombala onsundu nompunga. Zimbalwa izitshalo ezingamila kulendawo encane eyomile. Kuleli qophelo iziqongo ezinkulu ezimbili, iKibo neMawenzi, zihlanganiswa umthambeka omkhulu wogwadule oluphakeme, olomile futhi olunamadwala. Amazinga okushisa aphakeme kakhulu lapha, afinyelela ku-38°C. emini kanti ebusuku ayehla aze afinyelele ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa.
Ekugcineni sifinyelela esiqongweni. Lapha umoya uyabanda futhi uhlanzekile. Uma ziqhathaniswa nesibhakabhaka esiluhlaza, izinguzunga zeqhwa zimhlophe qwa, zihambisana kahle nombala onsundu walentaba. Lapha kuheleza umoya omncane futhi cishe unengxenye yomoya-mpilo otholakala ezindaweni ezisekuphakameni kogu lolwandle. Esiqongweni seKibo esiyisicaba kunomlomo wentaba-mlilo, ocishe ube yindilinga futhi onobubanzi obungamakhilomitha amabili nengxenye. Kulomlomo maphakathi enkabeni yalentaba kunomgodi womlotha omkhulu onobubanzi obungamamitha angaphezu kuka-300 futhi ojule ngamamitha angu-120 kulentaba-mlilo. Kuthunqa intuthu yesibabule kulomgodi ihlangane nomoya obandayo, okufakazela ukuthi inkulu into eyenzeka ngaphakathi kulentaba.
Ubukhulu beKilimanjaro bubangela ukuba ibe nesimo sayo sezulu. Umoya oswakeme, oheleza ezweni usuka e-Indian Ocean unqamule emathafeni athola imvula encane, ufika kulentaba udlulele phezulu lapho uphenduka khona imvula. Lokhu kuvundisa imithambeka yalentaba ukuze kutshalwe ikhofi nokudla okondla abantu abahlala ngaphansi kwalentaba.
Ukunqoba “IKili”
Abantu abahlala ngaphansi kweKilimanjaro babenenkolelo-ze yokuthi imithambeka yayo yayinemimoya emibi eyayingalimaza noma ubani ozama ukufinyelela esiqongweni sayo esibandayo. Lokhu kwavimbela abantu bendawo ukuba bazame ukufinyelela esiqongweni sayo. Kwaze kwaba ngo-1889 lapho abahloli bamazwe ababili baseJalimane baqwala lentaba futhi bafika esiqongweni esiphakeme kunazo zonke e-Afrika. Isiqongo sesibili, iMawenzi, okunzima kakhudlwana ukusiqwala, asizange sinqotshwe kwaze kwaba ngo-1912.
Namuhla noma ubani ongumqemane angayiqwala iKilimanjaro futhi abantu abavakashela eMpumalanga Afrika bayathanda ukuyiqwala. Iziphathimandla zepaki laseTanzania ziye zenza amalungiselelo amahle alabo abafisa ukuqwala lentaba. Izingubo zokugqoka nezinto zokuqwala ziyaqashisa. Kunabathwali bezimpahla nabaqondisi abaqeqeshiwe, kanti abaqwali bangathola izindlu zokulala ezinethezekile kusuka ekuqaleni kuze kube sekupheleni kohambo kulentaba. Kulentaba kwakhiwe izindlu ezindaweni ezisekuphakameni okungefani, lapho umuntu oyiqwalayo engalala futhi aphumule khona.
Ukuzibonela mathupha iKilimanjaro kuyakhanga futhi kushukumisela umuntu ukuba azindle. Kwenza umuntu avumelane namazwi athi ngoNkulunkulu: ‘Umisa izintaba ngamandla akhe.’ (IHubo 65:6) Yebo, njengoba iphakeme kunazo zonke izintaba e-Afrika, iKilimanjaro iwubufakazi obubabazekayo bamandla oMdali Omkhulu.
[Ibalazwe ekhasini 16]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
AFRICA
Kenya
KILIMANJARO
Tanzania