ILake Victoria—Ulwandle Lwase-Afrika Olukhulu Oluphakathi Nezwe

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eKenya

MAPHAKATHI ne-Afrika, ngonyaka ka-1858, indoda ethile eyiNgisi yahamba yaguduza ezweni eliyihlane nelalingakaze lihlolwe. Njengoba yayihamba nedlanzana labaNsundu kuphela ababeyithwalele imithwalo, yayisigula, ikhathele futhi isingabaza, yanxusa la madoda ukuba aqhubeke. UJohn Hanning Speke wayefuna igugu okungelula ukulibona—isizalo seNayile.

Njengoba ayeshukunyiswe izindaba ayezizwa ngolwandle oluphakathi nezwe, labo abahweba ngezigqila abangama-Arabhu ababelubiza ngokuthi i-Ukerewe, uSpeke wazabalaza enqamula ehlathini elalibonakala liwudukathole. Ekugcineni, selihambe izinsuku ezingu-25, leli qembu elincane lezihambi lavuzwa ngombukwane. Phambi kwalo, kwakunolwandle oluphakathi nezwe olukhulu olunamanzi ahlanzekile, olwalulukhulu kangangokuba wawulubuka kuze kufiphale amehlo. USpeke kamuva wabhala: “Angisangabazi ukuthi ichibi elisezinyaweni zami liwumthombo walowo mfula othandekayo, umthombo wawo oye wacatshangelwa izinto eziningi, futhi wahlolwa kabanzi.” Waqamba lokhu ayekutholile ngendlovukazi eyayibusa eNgilandi ngaleso sikhathi—uVictoria.

Isizalo SeNayile

Namuhla njengoba leli chibi lisabizwa ngalelo gama, lidume ngokuba ngelesibili emachibini amakhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni futhi anamanzi ahlanzekile—iLake Superior kuphela enkulu kunalo, eseNyakatho Melika. Njengoba ibenyezela njengesibuko esikhulu siselangeni lasenkabazwe, indawo yeLake Victoria eyithafa, enjengengilazi ihlanganisa indawo engamakhilomitha-skwele angu-69 484. Njengoba inkabazwe inqamula ngasenyakatho emaphethelweni aleli chibi, futhi liphakathi kwengxenye yeGreat Rift Valley esempumalanga nesentshonalanga, lingene kakhulu eTanzania nase-Uganda futhi liwumngcele waseKenya.

UMfula iKagera oseTanzania yiwo ongenisa amanzi kakhulu kuleli chibi, uthola amanzi evela ezintabeni zaseRwanda. Nokho, amanzi amaningi agelezela eVictoria awemvula, aqoqelekela endaweni enkulu ebamba amanzi, efinyelela kumakhilomitha-skwele angaphezu kuka-200 000. Ukuphela kwendawo leli chibi elikhipha ngayo amanzi iseJinja, e-Uganda. Uma esefike lapho amanzi aya ngasenyakatho abese eba isizalo seWhite Nile. Nakuba iLake Victoria kungeyona yodwa ewumthombo woMfula iNayile, isebenza njengethange elikhulu elihlala ligeleza amanzi ahlanzekile naphuzwayo kuze kuyofika e-Egypt.

Ukuphila Kuleli Chibi

Isikebhe sikaseyili, esinoseyili omhlophe obhakuza phezulu kuhle kwephiko lovemvane olume lwaqonda, sihamba phezu kwaleli chibi. Njengoba nsuku zonke sipheshulwa umoya ovela endaweni ezungezile, lesi sikejana siphephukela maphakathi nechibi. Emini umoya uyashintsha usiphephule usibuyisele emuva lapho siqhamuke khona. Abadobi bakuleli chibi baye baphindaphinda le nqubo izinkulungwane zeminyaka.

Imizi nemizana, enezindlu ezifulelwe ngotshani, izungeze la manzi aseVictoria. Ezakhamuzini zaseNayile, inhlanzi iwukudla okusemqoka, futhi zithembele kuleli chibi ukuze zithole okuya ngasethunjini nsuku zonke. Abadobi baqala umsebenzi ngaphambi kokuphuma kwelanga. Amadoda akhipha amanzi ezikebheni zawo ezivuzayo, abese eqala uhambo emanzini anenkungu. Eshaya imvunge, agwedla aye emanzini ajulile abese ephakamisa oseyili bawo abamanikiniki. Abesifazane bama ogwini babukele njengoba izikejana ziphela emehlweni. Ngokushesha baphindela emuva ngoba mningi umsebenzi obahlalele.

Ngesikhathi izingane zigxambuza emanzini angajulile zidlala, abesifazane bawasha izingubo futhi bakhe amanzi okuphuza echibini. Ekugcineni, bayawuqeda umsebenzi wabo osebeni lwechibi. Njengoba beyekelele imigqomo yobumba yamanzi emakhanda, bebelethe izingane futhi bebambe ngezandla zombili obhasikidi bezingubo eseziwashiwe, abesifazane bahamba kancane baye emakhaya. Emakhaya balima izingadi ezincane zommbila nobhontshisi, batheze izinkuni, futhi basinde izindlu ngobulongwe obuxutshwe nomlotha. Lé ngasogwini, abesifazane ngokucophelela baphotha imicu ye-sisal ukuze benze intambo eqinile nobhasikidi abahle. Kuzwakala kukhala imbazo emoyeni njengoba amanye amadoda ebaza izingodo ezinkulu enza ngazo isikebhe.

Njengoba ilanga seliya ngomutsha wendoda, amehlo abesifazane asephinde athi njó emanzini olwandle ahlanzekile. Ukuqala ukuvela kancane koseyili abamhlophe kuzosho ukuthi amadoda aseyabuya. Lokho bakubheka ngamehlo abomvu, bejahe ukubona abayeni babo kanye nezinhlanzi abazofika nazo.

Kulo lonke ugu lwechibi naseziqhingini, le miphakathi emincane yamukela izihambi eziletha isigijimi sokuthula. Kuhanjwa ngezinyawo nangezikejana, kufinyelelwa kuyo yonke imizi nemizana. Laba bantu bathobekile futhi bazimisele ukulalela. Bakujabulela kakhulu ukufunda izincwadi zeBhayibheli ezibhalwe ngolimi lwabo lwaseNayile nolomdabu.

Izinto Eziphila Emanzini

ILake Victoria yondla izinhlobo zezinhlanzi ezingaphezu kuka-400, ezinye zazo ezitholakala khona kuphela. Uhlobo olwande kakhulu i-cichlid. Lezi zinhlanzi ezimibalabala ezincane zinamagama azichazayo njenge-flameback, i-pink flush ne-Kisumu frogmouth. Amanye ama-cichlid anezindlela ezingavamile zokuvikela abantwana bawo. Uma kubonakala ingozi, inhlanzi engumzali ikhamisa kakhulu bese umntwana wayo omncane egijima angene emlonyeni ukuze avikeleke. Lapho ingozi isidlulile, imane ibakhafule bese beqhubeka ngendlela ejwayelekile.

ILake Victoria iyikhaya lezinyoni zasemanzini ezinhle ezihlukahlukene. Ama-grebe, ama-cormorant nama-anhinga atshuza ngaphansi kwamanzi exhakathisa ngobuciko izinhlanzi ngemilomo yawo ecijile. Onohemu, izindwandwe, onogolantethe nama-spoonbill kugxubhuza emanzini, kubuye kume kunganyakazi phakathi nendawo, kulindele ngesineke izinhlanzi ezingaqaphile ukuba zizobhukudela nganeno. Kuzwakala imihlambi yamavuba iduda njengama-glider amakhulu. Uma ebhukuda ngamaqembu, azungeza amaqembu ezinhlanzi abese ewabamba ngemilomo yawo emikhulu enjengobhasikidi. Ukuphakama kwesibhakabhaka kwaziwa inkwazi, namaphiko ayo aqinile. Indiza isuka egatsheni lesihlahla esingaphezu kwamanzi, yehla ngomshubo njengoba umoya uvunguza emaphikweni ayo anamandla, bese kalula nje izibambela inhlanzi phezulu echibini. Ama-weaverbird anemibala egqamile akha izidleke esiminyaminyeni somhlanga ozungeze ichibi, futhi ukukhala kalusizi kwensingizi kungazwakala kude ogwini ezihlahleni zomtholo.

Ekuseni nasebusuku, kuzwakala izimvubu zibhonga lé kude echibini elinokuthula. Emini zilala ogwini, kube sengathi zingamadwala abushelelezi ampunga, okucwile ingxenye yawo emanzini angajulile. Abantu baseNayile bahlala beqaphe ingozi yezingwenya zaseNayile. Ezimbalwa zalezi zilwane ezihuquzelayo ezesabekayo zisahlala emakhoneni akude eLake Victoria, nakuba eziningi zazo seziqothulwe abantu.

Amanzi Asenkathazweni

Inani labantu base-Afrika seliye landa kakhulu kusukela ezinsukwini uJohn Speke aqala ukubona ngazo iVictoria. Emingceleni yogu lwechibi kuhlala abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-30 abathembele emanzini alo ahlanzekile ukuze baphile. Ezikhathini ezedlule, abadobi bakule ndawo babesebenzisa izindlela zomdabu zokudoba. Behlome ngezicupho eziphothiwe zezinhlanzi, amanetha otshani, amahhuku nemikhonto, babekubamba lokho ababekufuna. Namuhla njengoba sekukhona izikebhe zokudoba namanetha ayizicaba afakwa aqonde emanzini futhi angandlaleka ibanga elide abambe izinhlanzi eziningi emanzini ajulile, ukudoba ngokweqile kusongela izinto eziphilayo ezikuleli chibi.

Ukufika kwezinhlobo zezinhlanzi zakwamanye amazwe kuye kwabangela ukungalingani kwezinto eziphilayo okuye kwaphazamisa ukudoba kwabantu bakule ndawo. Okwenezela ezinkingeni zaleli chibi, ukhula oluntanta emanzini oluqhakaza imbali enhle ebukhwebezane, olubizwa ngokuthi i-hyacinth. Njengoba lwavela eNingizimu Melika, lolu khula lukhula ngokushesha kangangokuthi seluvimbanise izindawo ezinkulu zogu lwaleli chibi nezindawo ezingenisa amanzi, lwenza kungangeneki ogwini nasezikhumulweni zemikhumbi ngezikebhe zezimpahla, izikebhe ezithwala abagibeli, nezikejana zabadobi bakule ndawo. Ukugawulwa kwehlathi lendawo ebamba amanzi, ukuchithwa kwendle kanye nezezimboni, konke kuye kwabeka ikusasa laleli chibi engozini.

Ingabe iLake Victoria iyosinda? Lowo mbuzo kusaphikiswana ngawo, futhi akekho owaziyo ngempela ukuthi izinkinga zayo eziningi ziyoxazululwa kanjani. Nokho, iLake Victoria iyinto engokwemvelo ngokunokwenzeka eyoqhubeka emhlabeni isikhathi eside ngemva kokuba uMbuso KaNkulunkulu ususe bonke “abachitha umhlaba.” (IsAmbulo 11:18) Ngaleso sikhathi isintu siyokwazi ukucabanga njalo ngobuhle bolwandle oluphakathinezwe olukhulu e-Afrika.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Inhlanzi Eshwabadela Ichibi

Inamafutha, iyahaha, yanda ngokushesha, futhi ikhula ize ifinyelele emamitheni angu-1,8 ubude. Yini yona leyo? I-lates niloticus! Njengoba yaziwa ngokuthi i-perch yaseNayile, le nhlanzi enkulu, ehahayo eyafika eLake Victoria ngawo-1950, iye yaba yinkathazo ezintweni eziphilayo. Phakathi neminyaka engu-40 iye yakwazi ukudla cishe ingxenye yezinhlobo zezinhlanzi ezingu-400 zakuleli chibi. Lokhu kuqothulwa okukhulu kuye kwasongela ukudla kwezigidi zabantu bendawo abathembele kuyi-tilapia encane, ama-cichlid, nezinye izinhlanzi ukuze bondle imikhaya yabo. Lezi zinhlanzi ezincane zenza nokuthi lichume leli chibi. Ezinye zazo zidla iminenke ebangela isifo esesabekayo isichenene ngaleyo ndlela ziyasiza ekugcineni lesi sifo sisesilinganisweni. Ezinye zidla ulwelwe nezinye izitshalo zasemanzini manje ezikhula ngokungalawuleki. Lokhu kwanda okungalawuleki kuye kwabangela isimo esibizwa ngokuthi i-eutrophication, lapho ukuvunda kwezitshalo ezibolile kubangela ukuncipha komoya-mpilo emanzini. Njengoba zimbalwa izinhlanzi zakuleli chibi ezingavikela le nhlekelele, “izindawo ezifile,” izindawo zamanzi ezingenawo umoya-mpilo, ziye zanda, zibulala izinhlanzi eziningi. Njengoba sezimbalwa izinhlanzi engazidla, le nhlanzi yaseNayile ehlala ilambile isiye yaphendukela komunye umthombo—abantwana bayo! Le nhlanzi eshwabadela ichibi manje isisongela ukuzishwabadela yona ngokwayo!

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 15]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

UGANDA

KENYA

TANZANIA

LAKE VICTORIA

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Ukufakaza ogwini lwaseLake Victoria

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

I-“weaverbird”

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Amavuba

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Ilanda

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Ingwenya yaseNayile

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Indwandwe ime phezu kwemvubu