Amatsheketshe Oju—Intandokazi Yasogwadule
UYUMINIYA, umngane wethu ongowoMdabu wase-Australia, ufuna ukuhlanganyela nathi enye yezimfihlo zakhe zasogwadule. Njengoba esihola siya ogwadule enyakatho ye-Alice Springs maphakathi ne-Australia, uhlolisisa kahle inhlabathi ewumgubane. Kule ndawo, ngaphansi kwezihlahla zohlobo oluthile lomtholo, ubukisisa izilwanyana ezizosiholela emvuzweni omnandi. Lezi zilwanyana amatsheketshe oju.
Umba ngamandla, elandela imigudu yamatsheketshe eshona phansi kule nhlabathi ewumgubane. Ngokushesha umgodi wakhe usungaphezu kwemitha elilodwa ukujula futhi ubanzi ngokwanele ukuthi ungahlala phakathi kuwo. Njengoba ekulo mgodi uthi, “Ungawamba nganoma yisiphi isikhathi sonyaka amatsheketshe oju, kodwa kungcono kakhulu ebusika ngoba ehlobo kushisa kakhulu.” Siyambuka njengoba ehlola imigudu ngeso lakhe eliqeqeshiwe. Uyachaza, “Kufanele wazi ukuthi yimuphi okufanele uwulandele.”
Ngokushesha uYuminiya uyasithola isidleke. Kulesi sidleke kunamatsheketshe oju angaba ngu-20 anezidunu ezikhukhumele ezingangamagilebhisi nezigcwele uketshezi oluphuzi. Lezi zinambuzane ezincane zilenga ophahleni lwesidleke oluyinhlabathi, azikwazi ukuhamba ngenxa yalezi zidunu zazo ezinkulu. Ngokushesha, uYuminiya ubutha amatsheketshe angaphezu kwekhulu asemigudwini eminingana. Uthi, “Uju lwala matsheketshe luphakathi kwezinto ezimnandi kakhulu esizithola ehlathini.”
Izimbiza Zoju Eziphilayo
Amatsheketshe oju awuhlobo olungavamile kunazo zonke izinhlobo zamatsheketshe ezaziwayo ezingaphezu kuka-10 000. Ngokungafani nezinyosi ezigcina uju emakhekhebeni, amatsheketshe oju agcina umpe emizimbeni yamatsheketshe ayizisebenzi okuthiwa izimbiza (repletes). Leli qulo lamatsheketshe lithembela kulezi “zimbiza zoju” eziphilayo ngesikhathi sendlala.
Ukuze lifake noma likhiphe ukudla, itsheketshe lisebenzisa izimponjwana zalo ukuze lenze uphawu olufanele ezimponjwaneni zetsheketshe eliyimbiza. Leli tsheketshe libe selivula umlomo walo ukuze kuvuleke “imbiza yoju.” Isivalo esikhethekile esiyizingxenye ezine, silawula okungenayo nokuphumayo. Ekuphileni kwalo konke okuyizinyanga ezimbalwa, itsheketshe eliyimbiza lingakhishwa futhi liphinde ligcwaliswe ngompe izikhathi eziningana.
Ngokuvamile amatsheketshe ayizimbiza ahlala ngaphansi endaweni ephephile, lapho evikeleka khona esomisweni, ekushiseni nakwezinye izinambuzane eziyingozi. Kule ndawo emnyama engaphansi, agwema ukungenwa amagciwane noma isikhunta ngokugcoba imizimba yawo ngoketshezi olubulala amagciwane olukhiqizwa indlala ethile ekhethekile.
Luvelaphi “uju”? Ukwakheka kwalo kuqala ngenomfi kanye nompe lwezihlahla zomtholo. Ngemva kwalokho, izinambuzane ezincane ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-aphid zidla lolu ketshezi lwemvelo. Amatsheketshe ayizisebenzi abe esemunca ushukela wama-aphid, obizwa ngokuthi uju noma amunce umpe ezihlahleni. Ekugcineni, zifaka lolu ketshezi eseziluqoqile kula matsheketshe okuthiwa amatsheketshe ayizimbiza. Njengoba la matsheketshe engenzi lutho adla kancane, ngakho uju oluningi luphelela “enqolobaneni yoju”!
Kuthiwani ngama-aphid? Ingabe awatholi lutho? Akunjalo neze. Okokuqala, la matsheketshe awashiya nompe olwanele. Okwesibili, ayawavikela ezilokazaneni eziphila ngezinye nasezinambuzaneni eziwadlayo. Yebo, kokubili amatsheketshe nama-aphid kuyazuza kulobu budlelwane bokubambisana okungokwemvelo.
IBhayibheli lithi, ‘Yana entuthwaneni, bheka izindlela zayo uhlakaniphe. Nakuba ingenamlawuli nasikhulu nambusi, ilungisa ukudla kwayo ehlobo; ibutha ukudla kwayo ngesikhathi sokuvuna.’ (IzAga 6:6-8) Yeka ukuthi ayiqiniso kanjani la mazwi, ngoba amatsheketshe abambisana ngempela, ahleleke kakhulu futhi akhuthele! Yeka nokuthi kumangalisa kanjani ukuthi lezi zinambuzane zasogwadule zikwazi ukukhiqiza uju olumnandi kangaka ngaphansi kwezimo ezingezinhle neze!
[Isithombe ekhasini 11]
Isidunu esikhukhumele setsheketshe loju sigcwele umpe olumnandi
[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 11]
Pages 10, 11, top: M Gillam/photographersdirect.com; page 11: © Wayne Lynch/age fotostock