Ukuvakashela Izimpophoma Ezimangalisayo
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EZAMBIA
NGO-1855, uDavid Livingstone, owayeyisithunywa sevangeli saseScotland futhi engumhloli wamazwe, wayesechithe iminyaka ehla enyuka e-Afrika—izwekazi ngaleso sikhathi elalingaziwa ngempela ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba. Njengoba ayelibangise empumalanga egudla uMfula omkhulu iZambezi, wezwa abantu bendawo bekhuluma ngempophoma enkulu eyayingaphambili, beyibabaza. Ngenxa yomsindo omkhulu nomusi eyayiwubanga, abantu bendawo babeyibiza ngokuthi Mosi-oa-Tunya, okusho ukuthi “UMusi Ohlokomayo.”
ULivingstone wanquma ukuyoyibona mathupha le mpophoma, manje ebizwa ngokuthi iMpophoma iVictoria. Echaza lokho akubona ekuqaleni, wabhala: “Ngisondela onqenqemeni ngigaqa ngamadolo ngokwesaba, ngalunguza emhosheni omkhulu owawunqamula umfula obanzi iZambezi, ngabona kwehla amathantala amanzi angamamitha ayinkulungwane ububanzi namafidi ayikhulu [amamitha angu-30] abese ehlangana aminyane endaweni engamamitha angu-15 kuya kwangu-20 kuphela.”
Uma kunezikhukhula eMpophomeni iVictoria, ephakathi kweZambia neZimbabwe, namuhla ibhekwa njengempophoma enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni! Ngalezo zikhathi, kugeleza amanzi angamalitha angu-545 000 000 ngomzuzu ehlele emhosheni ongamamitha angu-108 ubukhulu. Wonke la manzi omfula iZambezi abe esegelezela esihosheni esimazombezombe esingamamitha angaphansi kwangu-65 ububanzi. Ukwakheka kwale ndawo ngale ndlela eyingqayizivele kwenza iMpophoma iVictoria ibe umbukwane oyisimangaliso ngempela.
Indawo ezungeze lezi zimpophoma nayo yinhle ngendlela eyisimanga. Njengoba yamiswa njengendawo kahulumeni yokulondoloza imvelo, inezihlahla nezimila ezihlukahlukene ezinhle, ngaphandle kwezilwane ezithakazelisayo—kuhlanganise izimvubu, izindlovu, izindlulamithi, izinkonkoni, amadube, ngisho namabhubesi. Emaweni anamadwala kuhlala izinyoni ezinhle njengezinkozi noklebe abayivelakancane ama-taita.
Ngokwamazwi kaLivingstone, “akukho muntu ongafanisa lobu buhle obuwumbukwane nanoma yini ake wayibona eNgilandi. Akukho muntu waseYurophu owake wabubona; kodwa izindawo ezinhle kangaka kumelwe ukuba izingelosi ziye zazibona lapho zindiza.” Namuhla, eminyakeni engaba ngu-150 selokhu uLivingstone abona le ndawo futhi wayiqamba ngokuthi iMpophoma iVictoria, eyiqamba ngeNdlovukazi yaseNgilandi uVictoria, kufika amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu minyaka yonke evela nxazonke zomhlaba ezozibonela ubuhle bayo.
IMpophoma iVictoria iyakufanelekela ngempela ukubizwa ngokuthi esinye sezimangaliso zemvelo. Kodwa zikhona nezinye izimpophoma ezingadumile kangako emifuleni eminingi emikhulu yaseZambia nazo ezinhle kakhulu. Ake sikutshele ngezinye zazo.
IMpophoma INgonye
Ngolunye usuku ngo-November, kushisa futhi libalele, eminyakeni cishe emibili ngaphambi kokuba abone iMpophoma iVictoria ngokokuqala ngqá, uLivingstone wafika eMpophomeni iNgonye, eyaziwa nangokuthi iMpophoma iSioma. Wabhala: “Iziqhingi ezingenhla kwale mpophoma zimbozwe uhlaza oluhle ngendlela eyisimangaliso. Uma ngimi emadwaleni amakhulu engamele le mpophoma, engakubona kwakukuhle kunanoma yini engangike ngayibona.” Abantu abavakashela iMpophoma iNgonye namuhla bavumelana ngokugcwele noLivingstone.
ULivingstone walandisa: “Lé phansi, ebangeni elingamakhilomitha amaningi, lo mfula uyancipha ube umngcingo ongaba amamitha ayikhulu ububanzi. La manzi ayagubhazela, futhi akwenza ucabange ukuthi kunamagagasi amaningi agubha umlibe, kangangokuthi ngisho nenhlambi echwepheshile ibingakuthola kunzima ukukhipha ikhanda.”
IMpophoma ILumangwe
Eziningi zezinye izimpophoma zaseZambia ziqhelile futhi azonakaliswe yilutho. Ziyashiyashiyana kakhulu ngobukhulu bazo. IMpophoma iLumangwe ungathi yiMpophoma iVictoria encane. Kodwa le mpophoma ayincane neze. Kwenye ingxenye yayo iphakeme ngamamitha angu-30 futhi ingamamitha angaphezu kwekhulu ububanzi. Kuze kunanehlathi elincane lemvula elimatiswa yinkungu yalezi zimpophoma.
IMpophoma IKalambo
IMpophoma iKalambo, ephakeme kunazo zonke eZambia, igeleza isuka ethafeni eliphakeme yehlele kuyiGreat Rift Valley yase-Afrika. Yehla ngamamitha angaphezu kuka-200 emaweni anamadwala asabekayo, lapho kuzalela khona onogolantethe ngesikhathi kungekho zimvula.
Incwadi ethi National Monuments of Zambia ithi: “Ngenxa yalokho, iKalambo iyimpophoma yesibili ngokuphakama e-Afrika egeleza iqonde ngqo phansi [ilandela iMpophoma uThukela eNingizimu Afrika] futhi ingeye-12 ngokuphakama emhlabeni—iphakeme ngokuphindwe kabili kuneMpophoma iVictoria.”
Yize kunzima ukufinyelela kule mpophoma, umlobi wendawo uC. A. Quarmby uchaza iKalambo ngokuthi “omunye wemibukwane engalibaleki e-Afrika.” Uyabikezela: “Kusazodlula isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba wonke umuntu ayivakashele. . . . Bambalwa kuphela abantu abanenhlanhla yokufika eKalambo.”
Yebo, eziningi zezimpophoma zaseZambia nezinye izinto zemvelo ezinhle zisemajukujukwini. I-National Monuments of Zambia iphawula ukuthi ezinye “zifinyeleleka kuphela nge-Land-rover endaweni okunzima ukuhamba kuyo, kanti ezinye ungazifinyelela ngezinyawo kuphela.” Yiqiniso, lokho kuyingxenye yesizathu esenza lezi zindawo zibe ezekhethelo. Noma kunjalo, izivakashi zamukelekile. UMnu. Kagosi Mwamulowe, oyisazi sokulondolozwa kwemvelo e-National Heritage Conservation Commission yaseZambia, uchaza ukuthi umgomo wabo uwukusiza abantu bajabulele lezi zindawo ezinhle kuyilapho ngesikhathi esifanayo belondoloza ubuhle bazo obungaphazanyisiwe.
Igugu Elikhulu Kunawo Wonke EZambia
Encwadini yakhe ethi Zambia, umlobi uRichard Vaughan uthi: “IZambia iseyizwe elinobuhle obukhulu bemvelo, ingxenye yabo enkulu engakaziwa yizivakashi ngisho nanabantu baseZambia ngokwabo. . . . Leli zwe libusiswe ngamachibi, imifula, amahlathi, nezintaba ezinhlobonhlobo.” Kodwa ingcebo enkulu yaleli zwe ikomunye umthombo.
UVaughan uthi: “Abantu bakhona baziwa ngemfudumalo yabo nangenjabulo yabo kanye nokuqinisela kwabo.” Njengoba omunye umlobi, uDavid Bristow, esho, “ubuhle beZambia abantu bakhona, abanemfudumalo enjengeyelanga lase-Afrika.” Uma kwenzeka ufika kule ngosi yomhlaba enhle, siyaqiniseka ukuthi nawe uzovuma.
[Ibalazwe/Isithombe ekhasini 26]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
TANZANIA
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
ANGOLA
ZAMBIA
IMPOPHOMA IKALAMBO
IMPOPHOMA ILUMANGWE
Lusaka
IMPOPHOMA INGONYE
IMPOPHOMA IVICTORIA
ZIMBABWE
MOZAMBIQUE
INDIAN OCEAN
[Izithombe]
IMpophoma iLumangwe—ungathi iMpophoma iVictoria encane
IMpophoma iKalambo—iphakeme ngokuphindwe kabili kuneMpophoma iVictoria
IMpophoma iNgonye—“ngokuvamile uyozithola uwedwa kule ndawo”
[Imithombo]
Lumangwe and Ngonye Falls: Marek Patzer/www.zambiatourism.com; map: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.
[Isithombe ekhasini 24, 25]
IMpophoma iVictoria—“UMusi Ohlokomayo”
[Umthombo]
Marek Patzer/www.zambiatourism.com