Umlando Webubulo Lemiqasa leSewula Africa

©Karoline Steenekamp
Umkhiqizo wokukgweba ngemiqasa wathoma eSewula Africa kafitjhani ngemva kwepi yomhlaba yesibili. Imiqasa bekungeminye yemihlobo embalwa yenyama egade ikhona lokha nakunepi e-Europe amadoda abuya epini aba nekareko kiyo. Amahogo wokuthoma akhiwa ngamasenke begodu gade amastepisi amathathu ukuyaphezulu.
Imiqasa egade ifuywa khulu gade ibizwa bona yi-New Zealand Whites kanye ne-New Zealand Reds egade ingeniswa enarheni le ivela e-New Zealand ngeminyaka yabo-1940. Ama-Californians angeniswa enarheni le avela e-USA ngeminyaka yabo-1960 ne-New Zealand White ehlukileko. Imiqasa le gade ingegcono kokobana kungakgwetswa ngayo kunomhlobo we-Whites evela e-UK begodu kwanje sele kumhlobo we-American New Zealand Whites kwaphela osetjenziswa eSewula Africa.
Ukusuka e-Transvaal', ukulima ngemiqasa kwasabalala kwaya e-Natal nakwamanye amaplasi ambalwa amakhulu, inyama enengi gade ikhiqizwa iya emkhumbini i-chandlers. Khonokho njengombana gade kuyinyama yokuthoma ekukgwetjwa ngayo yomqasa engeniswa enarheni le yehlobo le-Flemish Giants (nekuyinyama ethandekako nenesakhiwo esingakalungeli ukukhiqiza inyama) kanye ne-Silver Foxes (asetjenziswa ngakubili) yeza nayo, ingena enarheni le ibuya ngale nge-UK, kodwana abalimi ababarhwebi gade banekareko lenyama emalangeni wokuthoma kwaphela.
UMarion Keller (umtloli wencwadi i-Rabbit Breeding in South Africa' eyakhutjhwa phakathi kweninyaka yabo-70’s) gade kungomunye wabakgwebi ababakhiqizi bokuthoma begodu wathoma iplasi lakhe eJwanisbhege alalikhiqiza inyama yomqasa kanye nama-Angoras.
Phakathi kweminyaka yama-60’s u-Ms Keller wabanekareko ekuthuthukiseni umkhiqizo wesibili-ipelsi yomqasa–wathintana no Thorer's Cape Town, ongusiyazi we-karakul pelt tanners. U horer's wathatha ukutjhukwa kwamapelsi akhona. Umpelsi ibizo lakhe elingu Breger wenza imbaji, iingwani nezinye izinto ezibuya epelsini yekhwalithi. Ipelsi yemiqasa le, yoke kancani kancani sele ilethwa ngenarheni le bafuyi bayo eminyakeni le. Ipesli engakalungi bona kungakgwetjiwa ngayo gade ithengiswa emqalisweni wezokulima ofana ne-old goodwood show eKapa, e-the Rand Show kanye ne-Royal Show e-Pietermaritzburg.
I-The South African Rabbit Council yatlanywa ngeminyaka yabo-1950 eJwanisbhege.Umcopho wayo gade kukupha ibubulo lemiqasa ekhulako isekolo lelwazi, imiqaliso, nesekelo lokwazisa ngerhwebo lemiqaseli. I-the Rand Show ngonyaka ka-1952 yabanemiqasa eyi-1000 eyatlolisela ukungenela umqalisweni loyo, yayigade yehlulelwa ngu Marion Keller, Bill Elliot, Ronnie Watters kanye no-Mrs Stewart. Kuze kubenamhlanjesi, khange usaba khona umqaliso owangenelwa yinane elinengi njengaloyo.
Ngebhadi, iinkimu ezifuna ukurega zanyonyobela ibubuloleli, kwarholela bona lilobe khulu okwenziwa barhwebi abanganalwazi abasafikako ebubulweneli. Lokhukwangezelelwa si-scam ngeminyaka yabo-1980 lapha abalimi abangasoli litho bagcugcuzelwa bona bafuye imiqasa ngaphasi kwesivumelwano. Kwafuywa imiqasa emakhulu ngeskhatheso kodwana zange yafika, ebuhlabelo ngombana kade ingakenziwa ipromotjhini weemakede. Amakhulu wabantu aloba iingidi zamaranda begodu ibubulo lemiqasa lawa bhu. Kwasinda abathandi kanye namalunga we-clubs breeding speciality breeds, kwaphela.
Iplasi lemiqasa namhlanje lizithola lisebujameni obuhlukileko. Abafuyi bethu sele banabantu abastoka kibo kwanje ngombana amalanga wokungeniswa kwestkoko esitja sele sadlula. Isewula Africa ngethuba, netjhudu elihle ngenze yanarha ezimbalwa ephasini enamalwelwe amabili abulala khulu, i-myxomatosis kanye ne-viral hemorrhagic. Ngebangelo imigcele yethu ayivumeli kuthathwe imiqasa ebuya enarheni zangaphandle njeke abafuyi kuvuze basebenze ngestoko abanaso, ukwenza ngcono nokulima kuhle.
Ngokungafani nobujamo bango-1980 iSewula Africa kwanje sele inabalimi, ngaphasi kwehlangano ye-Coniglio Rabbit Meat Farms. Ikampani le imaketha imiqasa ephuma enarheni le,ubuhlabelo ibe iphe abalimi amaqhinga werhwebo. Kodwana, abalimi abafisa ukuthuthukisa iimakede zabo, kunerhonakalo lokobana bakhule, bazenzele ipilo ehle ngokukhiqiza inyama yemiqasa le. Ubawa bona ulinge ukwenza irhubhululo elipheleleko ngaphambi kokobana unathoma-uqiniseke bona kunobuhabelo kanye nalapha ungathengisa khona imiqasa yakho ngaphambi kokuyifuya.

Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana