IGabon—Ikhusi Lezidalwa Zasendle
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EGABON
KHAWUBE nombono weendlovu zisitya kufuphi nonxweme, iimvubu zidada, kukwakho neminenga namahlengesi. Kunxweme lwaseAfrika oluziikhilomitha ezili-100 ubude, kuqhelekile ukukubona oku.
Ngokuqinisekileyo olu nxweme lukhethekileyo, kuya kufuneka lulondolozwe ukuze nezizukulwana ezilandelayo zikwazi ukunandipha ubuhle balo. Okuvuyisayo kukuba, amalungiselelo okululondoloza enziwa ngoSeptemba 4, 2002, xa umongameli waseGabon wabhengeza ukuba ummandla waseGabon omalunga ne-10 ekhulwini—kuquka unxweme olukhulu lwalapho olusulungekileyo—wawuza kubekelwa ecaleni ukuze kwakhiwe kuwo iipaki.
Lo mmandla uneepaki ugubungela izikwekhilomitha ezingama-30 000, yaye unezinto ezininzi ezintle zemvelo. UMongameli welo, uOmar Bongo Ondimba wathi: “IGabon iza kuba sisazulu sezinto zemvelo, ibe nomtsalane kubantu abavela mbombo zone, abafuna ukubona izinto zemvelo ezingasekhoyo kwamanye amazwe.”
Yintoni ebangela ukuba ezi paki zibaluleke kangaka? Ummandla waseGabon omalunga nama-85 ekhulwini usenamahlathi yaye kukho iintlobo-ntlobo zezityalo ezingama-20 ekhulwini ezingafumanekiyo kwamanye amazwe. Ngaphezu koko, kumahlathi alo mmandla ukufuphi neikhweyitha kukho iigorila, iinkawu, iindlovu nezinye izilwanyana ezininzi. Ezi paki zisandul’ ukwenziwa, ziya kubangela ukuba iGabon inkqenkqeze phambili eAfrika ekubeni neendidi ezahlukahlukeneyo zezinto eziphilayo.
ILoango—Unxweme Olubalaseleyo Ngobuhle
IPaki YaseLoango imele ukuba yeyona paki yezilwanyana ibalaseleyo eAfrika. Inonxweme olukhulu olusulungekileyo olukufuphi namachibi anamanzi acocekileyo namahlathi ashinyeneyo. Kodwa eyona nto yenza olu nxweme lwaseLoango lubalasele, zizilwanyana ezizula-zula apho—iimvubu, iindlovu, iinyathi, amahlosi neegorila.
Yintoni etsalela izilwanyana zasehlathini kolu nxweme lwaseLoango olunentlabathi emhlophe? Ngamadlelo alo ekutya kuwo iimvubu neenyathi. Imithi yesundu ekhula kolo nxweme, ineziqhamo ezithandwa gqitha ziindlovu oku kwabantwana abathanda iilekese. Eyona nto ibalaseleyo ngolu nxweme kukuba akukho bantu bahlala kufuphi nalo. Ekuphela kweenyawo ezinyathela apho zezezilwanyana.
Ukungabikho kwabantu abahlala kufuphi nalapho kubangela ukuba iimfudo zaselwandle zithande ukuzalela amaqanda azo apho. Neentaka ezitya iinyosi zithanda ukuzalela kwindawo efanayo, yaye zakha iindlwane zazo kufuphi nonxweme. Ehlotyeni, iminenga engaphezu kwewaka idibana apho eLoango ukuze ivelise inzala kuloo manzi acwengileyo.
Kukho amachibi amabini amakhulu phakathi konxweme kunye nehlathi laseLoango, yaye zihlala apho iingwenya neemvubu. Zininzi iintlanzi kolu lwandle, yaye kunxweme lwalo kukho amahlathi emangrove. Iinkozi zaseAfrika eziphila ngeentlanzi noonomakhwezana babhabha phezu kwala machweba, ngoxa bona ooxomoyi abayimibalabala bezingela iintlanzi kuloo manzi angekho nzulu kangako. Iindlovu ezithanda amanzi, zinqumla kuloo machweba zisiya elunxwemeni ukuze zitye iziqhamo ezizithandayo.
Kweli hlathi, iinkawu zijinga emasebeni zisuka komnye umthi ziye komnye, ngoxa amabhabhathane ebhabha kwindawo enelanga. Amalulwane atya iziqhamo ahlala kwimithi ayithandayo emini, aze ebusuku enze umsebenzi wawo obalulekileyo wokusasaza iimbewu ehlathini. Enyeleni yelo hlathi, iingcungcu zifunxa incindi kwimithi nakumatyholo aneentyatyambo. Siyaqondakala ke isizathu sokuba kuthiwe iLoango “ngowona mmandla ubalaseleyo weikhweyitha yaseAfrika.”
ILopé—Indawo Eneegorila Ezininzi
Emantla ePaki YaseLopé kukho amahlathi ashinyeneyo angekagawulwa neendawo ezigqagqeneyo ezingenamithi. Le ndawo ibafanele ngokwenene abantu abathanda indalo nabafuna ukubukela iigorila, iinkawu okanye iimfene endle. Kukho iigorila eziphakathi kwama-3 000 nama-5 000 ezizula-zula kummandla obiyelweyo omalunga nezikwekhilomitha ezingama-5 000.
UAugustin, owayesebenza kule paki, ukhumbula edibana neegorila ngowama-2002. Uthi: “Ngoxa ndihamba ehlathini, ndagagana neegorila ezine. Inkunzi yazo eyingxilimbela nemalunga neminyaka engama-35 ubudala, yema phambi kwam. Imele ukuba yayinobunzima obuphindaphindwe kathathu kunobam. Njengoko ndandixelelwe, ndakhawuleza ndahlala phantsi, ndathoba intloko ndibonisa ukuzithoba. Le gorila yasondela, yahlala ecaleni kwam yaza yandigona. Yandula ke yavula isandla sam yaza yasiqwalasela. Ekubeni yabonayo ukuba andisayi kuyenzakalisa intsapho yayo, yathi chu yaya kungena ehlathini. Ngolo suku endingasayi kululibala, ndabona indlela ekumangalisa ngayo ukuba phakathi kwezilwanyana kwindawo yazo. Nangona abantu bezibulala iigorila ukuze bafumane inyama okanye bazikhusele kuzo ekubeni becinga ukuba ziyingozi, azinabungozi yaye simele sizikhusele.”
ELopé, iimfene ezinkulu ziyaqokelelana zide maxa wambi zibe liqela elingaphezu kwewaka. Eli lelona qela likhulu leemfene ehlabathini, yaye ngokuqinisekileyo litsho ngengxolo enkulu. Omnye umntu owayetyelele evela eCameroon uchaza oko kwenzekayo xa wabona elinye lala maqela makhulu.
“Umkhenkethisi wethu wancedwa yiradio collar ukuze akwazi ukufumana indawo ezazikuyo ezi mfene. Sazihambela phambili ezi mfene, sazifihla ukuze zingasiboni, saza sazilinda. Kangangemizuzu engama-20 saphulaphula umculo omyoli weentaka nezinambuzane. Saphazamiseka xa elo gquba leemfene lisondela. Ingxolo yazo nokwaphula kwazo amasebe kwandenza ndacinga ukuba kuza isaqhwithi esikhulu. Kodwa xa ndabona iimfene ezikhokelayo, kwakubonakala ngathi zikhokela umkhosi. Iinkunzi eziziingxilimbela zazikhokela, zihambela phezulu, ngoxa zona iimazi kunye namantshontsho ejinga kumasebe esuka komnye umthi esiya komnye. Ngesiquphe, enye yeenkunzi yema ngxi yaza yabhekabheka ikrokra. Elinye intshontsho elalisemithini lasibona laza lalumkisa ezinye iimfene. Lonke elo gquba lahamba ngokukhawuleza, lisenza ingxolo engakumbi ekubeni licaphukile. Laphel’ emehlweni, kungabanga thuba lide. Umkhenkethisi wethu wathi zimalunga nama-400 ezo mfene zisandul’ ukudlula.”
Iinkawu, ezinengxolo elinganayo neyezo mfene, kunzima ngakumbi ukuzibona ekubeni zibaleka ngokukhawuleza kwelo hlathi zifuna ukutya. Kwelinye icala, abantu abatyelele apho badla ngokubona uhlobo oluthile lweenkawu ekuthiwa ziiputty-nosed monkey, maxa wambi ezifathula kwiindawo ezingenamithi kweli hlathi. Mhlawumbi olona hlobo lwenkawu ludla ngokuzifihla kwipaki yaseLopé yisun-tailed monkey, olwafunyaniswa kwiminyaka engama-20 kuphela eyadlulayo.
Iintaka ezinkulu neziyimibalabala kweli hlathi—njengoophezukomkhono nezinayigogo—uziva ngengxolo enkulu ukuba zikho. Kuye kwafunyaniswa iindidi zeentaka ezimalunga nama-400 kule paki, nto leyo eyenza abantu abazithandayo iintaka beze begaleleka apha.
Ikhusi Lezidalwa Ezahlukahlukeneyo
ILoango neLopé ziipaki ezimbini kuphela kwezili-13 ezikhoyo eGabon. Ezinye iipaki zinamahlathi emangrove, izityalo neendawo zokuhlala iintaka ezifudukele apho. ULee White weWildlife Conservation Society uthi: “IGabon yeyona ndawo ifanelekileyo yokuhlala izidalwa neyezityalo kulo lonke eli lizwe. Asibobukhulu nje bale ndawo obubalulekileyo kodwa ngumgangatho wayo. Ngowama-2002, ngexesha nje elingephi, kwenziwa eyona paki isemgangathweni, enazo zonke iindidi ezahlukahlukeneyo zezinto eziphilayo kweli lizwe.”
Kakade ke, zisekho iingxaki, njengoko uMongameli uBongo Ondimba ekuvuma oko. Uthi: “Siqalisa iphulo lehlabathi lonke ekuya kufuneka ukuba sizibhokoxe kulo ukuze sikwazi ukulondoloza ezi zidalwa ukwenzela ingenelo yezizukulwana ezizayo.”
[Iimaphu ezikwiphepha 17]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
AFRIKA
IGABON
Iipaki ezili-13 zaseGabon
IPaki YaseLopé
IPaki YaseLoango
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 16, 17]
Umnenga nommandla waseLoango
[Inkcazelo]
Whale: Wildlife Conservation Society
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 16, 17]
Imfene (ekhohlo) negorila (ekunene)
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 15]
Robert J. Ross