Woza Uzobona UMfula Omkhulu IMekong
UMFULA iMekong uzombeza phakathi kwamazwe ayisithupha ase-Asia, wondla abantu abangaba yizigidi eziyikhulu bamaqembu abomdabu nezinhlanga ezicishe zibe yikhulu. Njalo ngonyaka, kudotshwa amathani ezinhlanzi ayizigidi ezingu-1,3 kulo mfula—inani eliphindwe kane lezinhlanzi ezibanjwa eNorth Sea! Njengoba ungamakhilomitha angu-4 350 ubude, lo mfula mude kunayo yonke imifula eseNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia. Futhi ngenxa yokuthi uthubeleza phakathi kwamazwe amaningi, lo mfula unamagama amaningi, kodwa elaziwa kakhulu—elithi Mekong—liyisifushaniso segama lesiThai elithi Mae Nam Khong.
Njengoba isuka le phezulu ezintabeni zaseHimalaya, iMekong igeleza ngokuhlokoma okukhulu njengoba yehla ezintabeni nasezingoxini ezijulile. Athi amanzi ayo ephuma eChina, lapho lo mfula ubizwa khona ngokuthi iLancang, abe esehambe cishe ingxenye yobude balo mfula futhi esehambe ibanga elingamamitha angu-4 500 esuka phezulu ezintabeni. Ingxenye engezansi yeMekong yehla ngamamitha angu-500 kuphela. Ngenxa yalokho, le ngxenye yomfula igeleza ngokuthula. Uma usuka eChina, lo mfula wakha umngcele ophakathi kweMyanmar neLaos kanye nengxenye enkulu yomngcele ophakathi kweLaos neThailand. Uyahlukana eCambodia bese ugelezela eVietnam usuyizingxenye ezimbili ezihlukene bese zichithela eSouth China Sea.
Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1860, amaFulentshi azama ukuthola indlela okungahamba kuyo imikhumbi ekhuphuka iMekong iyongena eChina. Nokho, amathemba awo ashabalala lapho ebhekana nezingxenye lapho umfula uhlokoma khona eduze nedolobha laseKratie, eCambodia, kanye nezimpophoma eziningi ezinamandla ezibizwa ngokuthi iziMpophoma zaseKhone, eningizimu yeLaos. Maningi amanzi agelezela eziMpophomeni zaseKhone kunakunoma iyiphi enye impophoma emhlabeni, awaphinda kabili ngisho naweziMpophoma zeNiagara, ezisemngceleni ophakathi kweCanada ne-United States.
Umfula Wokuphila
IMekong ibaluleke kakhulu emnothweni waseNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia. Amadoloba amabili iVientiane, inhloko-dolobha yeLaos, nePhnom Penh, inhloko-dolobha yeCambodia, angamatheku akulo mfula. Ezansi nomfula, iMekong iwukuphila kwabantu baseVietnam. Ihlukana khona ibe izingxenye ezingu-7, yakhe izizalo ezingamakhilomitha-skwele angu-40-000 ezinobude obungamakhilomitha acishe abe ngu-3 200. La manzi amaningi achelela amasimu avamile nawerayisi futhi aletha nodaka oluyigugu, okwenza abalimi bakwazi ukutshala irayisi kathathu ngonyaka. Ngokuqinisekile, iVietnam iyizwe lesibili emhlabeni wonke elithumela lokhu kudla okubalulekile kwamanye amazwe, idlulwa iThailand kuphela.
Kulinganiselwa ukuthi kunezinhlobo ezingaba ngu-1 200 zezinhlanzi eziphila kuyiMekong, futhi ezinye zazo kanye nezimfanzi ziyafuywa. Inhlanzi ethandwa kakhulu, i-trey riel, ithandwa ngenxa yesizathu esingavamile—imali yaseCambodia, i-riel, iqanjwe ngale nhlanzi. IMekong futhi iyikhaya lohlobo oluthile lobhabhula (catfish) abasengozini yokuqothulwa abakhula babe ngamamitha angu-2,75. Ngo-2005, abadobi babamba ubhabhula ongamakhilogremu angu-290, cishe inhlanzi yasemfuleni enkulu kunazo zonke ezake zatholakala emhlabeni! Esinye isilwane esisengozini yokuqothulwa, okungenani eMfuleni iMekong, ihlengethwa lase-Irrawaddy. Abacwaningi bathi kungenzeka ukuthi sekusele angaphansi kwekhulu kulo mfula.
Ngaphandle nje kokondla izigidi zabantu, iMekong iwumgwaqo wemikhumbi emikhulu nemincane—izikebhe ezincane eziwelisa abantu, imikhumbi emikhulu ethwala izimpahla, nemikhumbi emikhulu engena iphuma olwandle. Lo mfula uthandwa kakhulu nayizihambi ezibuka amazwe, iningi lazo elithanda ukuhamba lize lidlule eziMpophomeni zaseKhone livakashele eVientiane. Sekuyiminyaka engaphezu kwenkulungwane leli dolobha elidume ngemiselekazi yamanzi, amathempeli anemibhoshongo nezindlu ezakhiwe phezu kwezingodo liyisikhungo sezentengiselwano, ezombangazwe kanye nenkolo. Umuntu angakhuphuka ngomfula aye eLouangphrabang esuka eVientiane. Leli dolobha eliyitheku lake laba yinhloko-dolobha yesifundazwe esikhulu saseThai-Lao futhi lake laba yinhloko-dolobha yasebukhosini baseLaos ngenkathi lisabuswa amaFulentshi. Kuleli dolobha elingokomlando kusenezinto ezibonisa ukuthi lake labuswa amaFulentshi.
Muva nje kuye kwenzeka izinguquko ezikhathazayo eMfuleni iMekong. Lezi zinguquko zihlanganisa izindlela zokudoba ezicekela phansi, ukuqothulwa kwamahlathi kanye nokwakhiwa kwamadamu amakhulu aphehla amandla kagesi. Kubantu abaningi abayizingqapheli, lesi simo sibonakala singalawuleki. Kodwa likhona ithemba.
IBhayibheli lithembisa ukuthi uMdali wethu onothando ngokushesha uzongenela ezindabeni zabantu esebenzisa uMbuso wakhe. (Daniyeli 2:44; 7:13, 14; Mathewu 6:10) Ngaphansi kokuqondisa kwalowo hulumeni wezwe ophelele, umhlaba wonke uyophulukiswa, futhi imifula ‘iyoshaya ihlombe’ ngokomfanekiso ngenxa yenjabulo. (IHubo 98:7-9) Kwangathi uMfula iMekong onamandla ungahlanganyela ekushayweni kwalelo hlombe.
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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
MYANMAR
LAOS
CHINA
THAILAND
CAMBODIA
VIETNAM
UMfula iMekong
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Amasimu erayisi, eMekong Delta
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Kunezinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-1 200 zezinhlanzi eMfuleni iMekong
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Imakethe entantayo, eVietnam
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Rice paddies: ©Jordi Camí/age fotostock; fishing: ©Stuart Pearce/World Pictures/age fotostock; background: © Chris Sattlberger/Panos Pictures
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Market: ©Lorne Resnick/age fotostock; woman: ©Stuart Pearce/World Pictures/age fotostock