Imigwaqo—Imizila Yempucuko
KUSUKELA ezikhathini zasendulo, abantu baye bakwazi ukuxhumana besebenzisa uxhaxha lwemizila nemigwaqo emincane nemikhulu. Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi umuntu unesifiso sokuhamba nokuhwebelana nabanye—kanye nesifiso sokulwa nokwakha imibuso. Yebo, imigwaqo yembula nezici ezimbi ngabantu.
Umlando wemigwaqo, kusukela ezikhathini zakudala lapho abantu nezilwane kwakuhamba ngezinyawo emizileni emincane kuze kube semigwaqweni emikhulu yesimanje, awukhona nje ukuhlola isikhathi esidlule. Uyindlela futhi yokufunda isimo sengqondo sabantu.
Imigwaqo Yokuqala
I-New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi “abakhi bokuqala bemigwaqo yangempela ngokunokwenzeka kwakungabantu baseMesopotamiya.” Laba bantu babehlala esifundeni semifula iTigris ne-Ewufrathe. Le ncwadi inezela ukuthi imigwaqo yabo “kwakuyimigwaqo egandayiwe eyayinezitini namatshe anetiyela.” Le ncazelo isikhumbuza lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngezinto zokwakha zasendulo: “Izitini zaba-ngamatshe abo, nebitume laba-ludaka lwabo.”—Genesise 11:3.
Ukuze ama-Israyeli asendulo afeze izibopho zawo ezingokwenkolo, kwakudingeka imigwaqo. Eminyakeni engaba ngu-1500 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu, ama-Israyeli ayalwa: “Kathathu ngomnyaka bonke abesilisa bakho bayakubonakala phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho [ukuzogubha umkhosi ongokomoya] endaweni ayakuyikhetha.” (Duteronomi 16:16) Leyo ndawo yaba iJerusalema, futhi ngokuvamile yonke imikhaya yayiya kule mikhosi ejabulisayo. Kwakudingeka imigwaqo esesimweni esihle!
Kusobala ukuthi imigwaqo emikhulu yayakhiwe kahle. Sikhuluma ngoSolomoni, owabusa eminyakeni eyinkulungwane ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu, isazi-mlando esingumJuda uFlavius Josephus sathi: “Akazange akudebeselele ukunakekelwa kwemigwaqo, kodwa wakha umgwaqo omkhulu ngamatshe amnyama eceleni kwemigwaqo eyayiya eJerusalema.”
Kwa-Israyeli kwakunemizi eyisithupha eyayiyisiphephelo kubantu ababulala abanye ngengozi. Imigwaqo eya kule mizi nayo yayigcinwa isesimweni esihle. Imilando yamaJuda ibonisa ukuthi kuwo wonke amakhona emigwaqo kwakunezimpawu ezicacile ezikhomba umuzi wesiphephelo oseduze.—Numeri 35:6, 11-34.
Imigwaqo yaba neqhaza elikhulu ekwandeni kwezentengiselwano, futhi enye yezinto ezazithandwa kakhulu endulo kwakuwusilika. Kuthiwa esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba ama-Israyeli abe isizwe, amaShayina athola indlela yokwenza usilika ngokotini ophothwa isibungu, kodwa ayigcina iyimfihlo indlela yokwenza usilika kwaze kwaba ngemva kokuzalwa kukaKristu. Ngisho nangaphambi kwalokho, usilika wawuthandwa kakhulu emazweni aseNtshonalanga kangangokuba ngokwencwadi kaGeoffrey Hindley ethi A History of Roads, kwakhishwa izimemezelo “zokuba amadoda anqatshelwe ukuwusebenzisa,” njengoba lokho “kwakubhekwa njengomkhuba wabesifazane.”
Umzila wezohwebo okwakuthuthwa ngawo usilika usuka eChina wawaziwa ngokuthi uSilk Road. Ngesikhathi uMarco Polo ehamba ngalowo mgwaqo elibangise eChina ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-13 leminyaka C.E., wawusuneminyaka engu-1400 ukhona. Iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-2000, uSilk Road kwakuwumgwaqo omude kunayo yonke emhlabeni. Wawungamakhilomitha angaba ngu-12 800 ubude kusuka endaweni usilika owawenziwa kuyo eShanghai, eChina, kuya eGades (okuyiCádiz namuhla), eSpain.
Ukubaluleka Kwayo Kwezempi
Intuthuko enkulu ekwakhiweni kwemigwaqo yabangelwa isifiso sokuthola amandla ombuso. Ngokwesibonelo, imigwaqo yoMbuso WamaRoma ngaphansi koKesari yayisabalele nalo lonke elaseYurophu, eNyakatho Afrika naseMpumalanga Ephakathi, inobude obuyingqikithi engamakhilomitha angu-80 000. Lapho amasosha aseRoma engekho ezimpini, ngezinye izikhathi ayenikezwa umsebenzi wokwakha nokulungisa imigwaqo.
Ukubaluleka kwemigwaqo ekunqobeni kwabonakala nasezikhathini zamuva. Isifiso sika-Adolf Hitler sokunqoba abanye abantu sakhula ngokushesha ngenxa yesimiso sakhe sokwakha umgwaqo omkhulu, esaqalwa ngo-1934. Ngokwesazi-mlando uHindley, lesi simiso senza ukuba elaseJalimane “libe yizwe lokuqala elinoxhaxha lwemigwaqo yezimoto emikhulu emhlabeni.”
Ukwakha Imigwaqo—Ubungoti
Besebenzisa ithuluzi elalibizwa ngokuthi i-groma, abaklami baseRoma babakha imigwaqo eyayiqonde njengothi lomkhonto. Abaqophi bamatshe babebeka amatshe ngobunyoninco, kanti onjiniyela beshaya imithetho yesisindo semithwalo eyayithuthwa. Le migwaqo yayinesisekelo futhi iqinile. Kodwa isici esiyinhloko esasenza ukuba ihlale isikhathi eside kwakuyisimiso sokukhipha amanzi emgwaqweni esasisihle ngoba umgwaqo wawungesona isicaba futhi wawuphakeme kunendawo ezungezile. Laqanjwa kanjalo-ke igama elithi “highway [umgwaqo omkhulu].” Kwakuthengiswa ngisho namabalazwe emigwaqo ezitolo.
Isazi-mlando esithile sithi: “Lapho ebona okwafinyelelwa amaRoma njengabakhi bemigwaqo, umlobi uzithola ekhexa, futhi kuyangabazeka ukuthi sikhona isikhumbuzo somlando woMuntu esiye sasetshenziswa isikhathi eside njengemigwaqo yase-Italy.”
Ngokwencwadi ethi A History of Roads, i-Appian Way, esuka eRoma iye eningizimu, “iwumgwaqo wokuqala ogandayiwe omude emlandweni wabantu baseNtshonalanga.” Lo mgwaqo omkhulu odumile wawunobubanzi obungamamitha ayisithupha futhi ugandaywe ngezinguzunga ezinkulu zamatshe akhishwa yintaba-mlilo. Lapho eya eRoma njengesiboshwa, umphostoli uPawulu wahamba ngalo mgwaqo, onezingxenye ezisasetshenziswa nanamuhla.—IzEnzo 28:15, 16.
Abaningi bangase bawathole emangaza ngendlela efanayo amakhono okwakha imigwaqo amaNdiya asendulo aseNingizimu Melika. Kusukela ngawo-1200 kuze kube ngawo-1500, ama-Inca akha uxhaxha lwemigwaqo enobude obungamakhilomitha angu-16 000, eyayihlanganisa isizwe sabantu abangaba ngu-10 000 000. Le migwaqo yayidlula kwezinye zezindawo ezimbi kakhulu, inqamula ogwadule nasemahlathini emvula, iwela ngisho nezintaba eziphakeme zase-Andes ePeru!
Ikhuluma ngomunye umgwaqo, i-New Encyclopædia Britannica iyabika: “Umzila wase-Andes wawuyisimanga. Lo mgwaqo wawunobubanzi obungamafidi angu-25 (amamitha angu-7,5) futhi wawunemizila emazombezombe ewela izintaba eziphakeme nedlula emagqumeni angaphakeme kakhulu. Wawunezintuba emadwaleni aqinile kanye nezindonga eziphakeme ezisekela umgwaqo. Izigodi zazigqitshwe ngamatshe kanti amabhuloho anovolo noma izintambo zemicu yezitshalo ayewela imifula emikhulu yasezintabeni. Izindawo eziningi zazigandaywe ngamatshe futhi kwakusetshenziswa kakhulu izinto zetiyela.”
Ama-Inca ayengalazi ihhashi, kodwa uxhaxha lwawo lwemigwaqo lwaluwanikeza lokho okuye kwabizwa ngokuthi “umzila woqobo wezithunywa zasebukhosini.” Esinye isazi-mlando saphawula: “Kuwo wonke umgwaqo kwakunezindawo zokuma, ezaziqhelelene cishe ngemayela nesigamu [amakhilomitha amabili], ngayinye eyayinesikaniso samabutho neqembu lezithunywa ezingochwepheshe. Ibanga lalilifushane ngokwanele ukuba lihlanganiswe ngokushesha, kanti njengoba yayisebenza ubusuku nemini, le ndlela yayingathumela umyalezo ngezinsuku ezinhlanu kusuka enhloko-dolobha eCuzco kuya edolobheni laseQuito, eliqhele ngamamayela angu-1250 [amakhilomitha angu-2000]. Lokhu kwakusho ukuhlanganisa ibanga elingamamayela ayishumi [amakhilomitha angu-15] ngehora emgwaqweni owawuphakeme ngamafidi angu-15 000 [amamitha angu-4000] ngaphezu kogu lolwandle—isivinini engazange isifinyelele indlela yaseRoma yeposi lasebukhosini!”
Umthombo Wezinhlekelele
Imithambo yomzimba womuntu ingavaleka, futhi lokhu kungabangela imiphumela eyinhlekelele. Kanjalo nemigwaqo eye yathuthukisa izinga lokuphila ingaminyana futhi iliwohloze. Imigwaqo enqamula emahlathini emvula, ogwadule, emahlanzeni nasezindaweni zokulondoloza imvelo iyisiphazamiso ezilwaneni zasendle. Futhi ngokuvamile nabantu bomdabu namakhaya abo asehlathini bayahlupheka. Incwadi ethi How We Build Roads ithi: “UMgwaqo Omkhulu onqamula e-Amazon, nakuba wakhiwa ngezizathu zentuthuko, wabhubhisa amahlathi emvula amakhulu futhi wabadalela inhlekelele abantu abaningi abahlala kuleli hlathi, ngoba wabhubhisa yonke indlela yabo yokuphila.”
Amadolobha nawo abhekana nenkinga embi njengoba izimoto ezengeziwe ziminyanisa imigwaqo yasemadolobheni unyaka ngamunye. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uma kutholakala izimali, kwakhiwa umgwaqo omkhulu onqamulelayo. Kodwa ekugcineni, le migwaqo emikhulu ibangela izimoto eziningi, ezandisa ukungcola okugulisa izigidi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kufa abantu abangaba ngu-500 000 ezingozini zomgwaqo emhlabeni wonke minyaka yonke, futhi kulimala abanye abayizigidi ezingu-15, abanye balimala kabi kakhulu. Uma kuqhathaniswa, iMpi Yezwe I yabulala amasosha angaba yizigidi ezingu-9. Kodwa-ke leyo mpi yaphela. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukufa kwabantu emigwaqweni kuqhubeka njalo—kufa abangaphezu kuka-1000 njalo ngosuku!
Yebo, imigwaqo esiyisebenzisayo isho okuthile ngathi ngezindlela eziningi—iveza amandla nobuthakathaka bethu. Iveza nokuthi siyibheka kanjani le planethi enhle esiphathiswe ukuba siyinakekele.
[Isithombe ekhasini 21]
I-Appian Way, umphostoli uPawulu ahamba ngayo, isasetshenziswa
[Isithombe ekhasini 22]
Kufa abangaba ngu-500 000 ezingozini zomgwaqo emhlabeni wonke unyaka ngamunye