Izintaba Zenyanga

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EKENYA

KWAKUNAMAHEMUHEMU ayeseqhubeke iminyaka eminingi: Endaweni ethile e-Afrika Ephakathi, kwakunezintaba ezimbozwe yiqhwa—umthombo wangempela weNayile. Kodwa umqondo wokuthi kuneqhwa eduze nenkabazwe e-Afrika wabonakala ungelona iqiniso. Nokho, ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesibili C.E., isazi sesayensi yokuma komhlaba esingumGreki uPtolemy sasisikisele ukuthi kungenzeka zikhona lezi zintaba, sazibiza ngokuthi i-Lunae Montes—Izintaba Zenyanga.a

Imizamo eyathatha amakhulu eminyaka yokuthola lezi zintaba ayizange iphumelele. Kodwa-ke, ngolunye usuku ngasekupheleni kwawo-1800, umcwaningi uHenry Stanley—owaziwa ngokuthi uyena owathola uDkt. David Livingstone—wabona isenzakalo esasithuke nje senzekile. Amafu amakhulu, ayesithe abacwaningi bangaphambili ukuba bangaziboni izintaba, aphenya kancane, okwenza uStanley wathi shazí iziqongo ezilele iqhwa. Wayethole Izintaba Zenyanga. Kodwa wazibiza ngegama elalisetshenziswa izakhamuzi zendawo ngaleso sikhathi elithi: Ruwenzori, okusho ukuthi “Umenzi Wemvula.”

Namuhla, kuyavunyelwana ngokuthi izintaba zaseRuwenzori zifeza ingxenye encane ekungeniseni amanzi eNayile. Nakuba kunjalo, abantu basathanda kakhulu ukuzibiza ngokuthi Izintaba Zenyanga. Futhi naphezu kokuba sekuyiwe kaninginingi kulo luyohlolwa, lolu khahlamba lwezintaba olwesabekayo luseyimfihlakalo. Njengoba zingasenyakatho nenkabazwe, izintaba zaseRuwenzori ziwumngcele ongokwemvelo ohlukanisa i-Uganda neDemocratic Republic of Congo, zingamakhilomitha angu-130 ukuphakama namakhilomitha angu-50 ububanzi.

Ngokungafani nezintaba eziningi zaseMpumalanga Afrika, ezaba khona ngenxa yokuqhuma kwentaba-mlilo, ukhahlamba lwaseRuwenzori luwuqweqwe olukhulu lomhlaba oluqubuka ngenxa yomfutho omkhulu owenzeka ngaphansi komhlaba ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka edlule. Nakuba izintaba zaseRuwenzori ziphakeme ngamamitha angu-5109, azibonakali kubantu abazibukayo. Isikhathi esiningi, lolu khahlamba lwezintaba lusuke lumbozwe inkungu namafu.

Njengoba igama lisikisela, izintaba zaseRuwenzori zithola imvula eningi neqhwa, ngoba isikhathi “esingenazimvula” sithé nje ukoma kancane “kunesikhathi sezimvula.” Ngakho-ke, ukuhamba ngezinyawo kungaba yingozi; kwezinye izindawo udaka lungafika okhalweni! Izimvula ezinamandla ziye zakha amachibi amahle amaningi amancane, enza kube nomhwamuko odingwa izitshalo eziminyene ngendlela engavamile eziqaqele imimango yezintaba. Empeleni, izintaba zaseRuwenzori ziyikhaya lezitshalo eziningi ezingavamile, ezinye zazo eziba nkulu ngendlela emangalisayo.

Ngokwesibonelo, izitshalo ezinkulu ezibukeka njengomunwe onezinwele ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-lobelia, ngokuvamile kwezinye izindawo zingaphansi kwamasentimitha angu-30 ubude, kodwa ezintabeni zaseRuwenzori zingafinyelela amamitha ayisithupha. Ama-senecio, noma ama-groundsel amakhulu, abukeka njengamaklabishi amakhulu ahleli phezu kweziqu ezinamagatsha. Kunezihlahla ezimbozwe ulwelwe ezingamamitha angu-12 ubude. Izimbali ezimibalabala nezinamaphunga anhlobonhlobo amnandi zenezela ebuhleni bendawo. Futhi kunezinhlobonhlobo zezinyoni ezinhle, ezinye zazo zitholakala ezintabeni zaseRuwenzori kuphela. Uma uthi ukwewuka kunezindlovu, ama-chimpanzee, onkonka, amahlosi nezinkawu.

Indawo Enhle

Labo abaqwala intaba bahamba phakathi kwamahlathi emvula asehlanzeni futhi banqamule uMfula iBujuku kaningi. Lapho bethi congcó phezulu esiqongweni esingamamitha angu-3000, bangabheka emuva futhi babuke phansi eRift Valley—babone ubuhle obumangalisayo!

Ngenhla nje kuneBigo Bog, indawo enotshani nezihlahla ezilele ulwelwe. Ngokuvamile udaka kulendawo lufika emadolweni. Ukukhuphukela eBigo Bog nakuyiLake Bujuku, phezu kwesiGodi saseBujuku, endaweni ephakeme cishe ngamamitha angu-4000, kukwenza ubone ubuhle beMount Baker, iMount Luigi di Savoia, iMount Stanley, neMount Speke, okuyiziqongo ezaziwa kakhulu kulolu khahlamba.

Phezulu kuneqhwa elingancibiliki okuthiwa i-Elena Glacier. Lapha umuntu kufanele aphathe izinsimbi zokukhuphuka, futhi asebenzise intambo nezimbazo zokumba iqhwa ukuze bakwazi ukuqwala kulo. Ngokulandelayo unqamula endaweni ebekile eStanley uye phezulu esiqongweni iMargherita phezu kweMount Stanley, okuyisiqongo esiphakeme kunazo zonke ezintabeni zaseRuwenzori. Uma ubheka phansi ukuleyo ndawo ephakeme ubona iziqongo, izigodi, amahlathi, imifudlana namachibi, kuyamangalisa ngempela.

Nakuba kunjalo, lolu khahlamba lwezintaba alukanqotshwa. Kuseyisiqalo nje lokho izintaba zaseRuwenzori ezisakuvezile okuyizimfihlo zazo. Kusekuningi okungaziwa ngokwakheka kwalolu khahlamba, izilwane kanye nezitshalo zalo. Ngakho izintaba zaseRuwenzori ziseyimfihlakalo engaziwa—eyaziwa ngokugcwele uMdali wazo ohlakaniphile nonamandla onke. Yebo, uYena ngempela ‘okungezakhe iziqongo zezintaba.’—IHubo 95:4.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Izithombe ekhasini 17]

1. Ngokuvamile izintaba zaseRuwenzori zisitshekelwa ifu elikhulu

2. Izimvula ezinamandla ‘zoMenzi Wemvula’ zimatisa imimango yakhe enolwelwe

3. Emzileni wokuqwala, kunezimbali eziningi namaphunga amnandi