Isimangaliso Saminyaka Yonke SaseNamaqualand
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENINGIZIMU AFRIKA
Izimbali ezimibalabala zendlaleke ethafeni eliwudedangendlale nxazonke lapho amehlo efinyelela khona. Ngokuvamile izivakashi aziwuvali umlomo njengoba zibona isimangaliso saseNamaqualand saminyaka yonke senzeka phambi kwamehlo azo. Simangele, esinye isihambi sathi: “Lapho uqala ukuzibona lezi zimbali, zifana nodaka lwentaba-mlilo oluphuma emifantwini, lugcwalise zonke izikhisi nezingoxi ngombala ogqamile owolintshi.”
Kodwa yini ngempela eyenza lolu shintsho lwezimbali zasentwasahlobo lumangalise kangaka? INamaqualand iwugwadule oluvulekile enyakatho-ntshonalanga yeNingizimu Afrika. Ngalé kwezintaba ezingasenyakatho, kunoMfula iSangqu owumngcele osenyakatho wale ndawo. INamaqualand, eyindawo enkulu kuneSwitzerland (ingaba amakhilomitha-skwele angu-50 000), inabela eningizimu ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-200, ibanga elingaphezu kwengxenye yebanga lokuya eKapa. Isikhathi esiningi onyakeni, amazinga okushisa kulolu gwadule afinyelela ku-40°C. emini abese ehla aye ku-8°C. ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa ebusuku. Njengoba cishe kungekho mifula namachibi kule ndawo, futhi engemaningi namanzi anosawoti angaphansi komhlaba, iNamaqualand ingase ibonakale ingakhangi—kuze kube yilapho kufika lesi simangaliso saminyaka yonke!
Unyaka ngamunye, ngemva nje kwezimvula ekuqaleni kuka-August kuya maphakathi no-September, amathafa aseNamaqualand awugwadule ngokuvamile, aphenduka umbukwane omkhulu wezimbali ezinhlobonhlobo. Amathafa agcwala izimbali eziwolintshi, eziphuzi, ezibomvana, ezimhlophe, ezibomvu tebhu, eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nezinsomi. Ngenxa yokuthi lo mbukwane uthatha amasonto ambalwa nje unyaka ngamunye, kuba nesasasa njengoba izivakashi ezivela kuwo wonke amagumbi omhlaba zilungela ukujabulela lobu buhle bezimbali eziqhakazile.
Imfihlo ebangela umbukwane omuhle ngempela yisilinganiso esifanele semvula elandelwa ukushisa kwelanga okwanele. Wonke umuntu ube esehlalela ethembeni lokuthi ngeke ifike imimoya eshisayo evela empumalanga, ngoba ingavele izibunise ngokushesha lezi zimbali ezintekenteke.
Ubuhle beNamaqualand bubangelwa nayimbewu eningi ekhiqizwa kule ndawo. Nokho, eziningi zalezi zimbali azihlumi minyaka yonke—ziveza ubuhle bazo uma kunesimo sezulu esifanele kuphela. Nakuba enye imbewu imila ngemva nje konyaka owodwa, enye ayimili kuze kuphele iminyaka eminingana, ilindele izimo ezifanele ukuze ikhule. Isivakashi esithile siyachaza: “Enye imbewu inesimiso esingokwemvelo sokuyivikela ukuze ingamili ngaphambi kwesikhathi. Esikhundleni sokuba imile ngemva kokuba line kanye nje kuphela uma kushisa, leyo mbewu imila kuphela uma kupholile futhi kunomswakama—okuyisimo esikahle engakhula kuso futhi iqhubeke ikhona kule ndawo eyomile.”
Kuye ngalesi simo esibucayi sezimvula nokungabikho kwemimoya eshisayo, kuba nombukwane oyingqayizivele unyaka ngamunye, eminye iminyaka inemibukwane emangalisa kakhulu kuneminye. Incwadi ethi Namaqualand—South African Wild Flower Guide iyachaza: “Ngenxa yokuthi uhlobo ngalunye lunezinga elithile lokushisa olumila kulo, kanti nezimvula zokuqala zingase zine ngo-April kuze kube ngo-July (izinyanga ezinamazinga okushisa angafani) kumila izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene unyaka nonyaka, kuye ngokuthi izimvula zokuqala zifika nini.”
Yeka ukuthi kunezimbali ezinhlobonhlobo kangakanani—izinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-4 000, ngalunye lunokwakheka, umbala, nendlela ehlukile olumila ngayo! Kwezinye izindawo, kungatholakala izinhlobo zezimbali eziyishumi kuya kwezingu-20 endaweni engaba yimitha-skwele kuphela. Ubuhle bale ndawo benza imifanekiso yabadwebi ibonakale ilufifi. Awekho namazwi afanele okuchaza ubuhle beNamaqualand obukushiya ukhexile.
Nokho, imibukwane emihle kangaka yezimbali eshukumisa abadwebi, abalobi bezinkondlo, nabalobi bezincwadi. Umlobi wezinkondlo waseNingizimu Afrika uD. J. Opperman wathi: “Kwakuwusuku olukhulu lokuhlwanyela imbewu emhlabeni, lapho . . . kwavuza khona imbewu eyigugu embotsheni yesikhwama sembewu yekhethelo seNkosi.” Enye ingqapheli ezifelayo ngale ndawo yabhala: “Kwakusengathi uthingo lwemvula luye lwashishiliza kulolu gwadule oluyihlane, lwashiya imibalabala kuyo yonke indawo.” Esinye isivakashi sathi: “Ubuhle obunjena obungenamkhawulo benza umuntu azise ukuphana okukhulu nokuhlakanipha koMdali wethu, uJehova.”
Ngaphezu kwalokho, ubuhle besimangaliso saseNamaqualand saminyaka yonke busiqinisekisa ngokuthi uMdali angasebenzisa izinqubo ezinjalo ezingokwemvelo ukuze avuselele iPharadesi emhlabeni wonke—kube injabulo yaphakade ezincekwini zakhe ezithembekile nezinokwazisa. (IHubo 37:10, 11, 29) Ngaleso sikhathi, ngezinga elikhulu, “ugwadule luyothokoza, nezimbali ziqhakaze kwahlongasibi.”—Isaya 35:1, Today’s English Version.
[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]
Wonke amathafa, ahlanganisa amakhilomitha-skwele angu-50 000, aqhakaza izimbali