Baobab

© Peter Delaney

Igama

Baobab [Adansonia digitata]
Amanye amagamawo afaka hlangana i-boab, boaboa, tabaldi, bottle tree, upside-down tree, kanye ne-monkey bread tree.

Igama lesi-Latin

Adansonia digitata

Ihlathululo

Yoke imihlobo yemithi le ebizwa ngama-Baobabs mimithi elahlekelwa makarawo qobe sikhathi sebusika begodu ubude bokuphakama kwayo kubalelwa ukusuka emamitheni amahlanu ukuya kamasumi amabili. Umhlobo lo womuthi ngobonakala ungakavami khulu begodu umila eendaweni eziphasi e-Afrika kanye ne-Australia. Ungakhula ngesilinganiso esikhulu begodu indlela yokulinganisa iminyka isimilo esingayiphila iveza bonyana ungaphila iminyaka eyi-3 000 yobudala.
Kunomhlobo womuthi lo omdala otholakala enarheni ye-Zimbabwe, mukhulu kangangobana kungahlala abantu abamasumi amane ngaphakathi kwesiqu sawo. Imithi le yama-Boabab ehlukahlukeneko isetjenziswa njengeentolo, ijele, indlu, indawo yokubulunga izinto kanye nendlu eyibhesi. Iqiniso kukuthi umuthi lo uhlukile kuneminye imithi ejayelekileko. Isiqu sawo siyatjhelela begodu siyarhanyazela, nokho kungasi woke amaqolo wemithi, begodu unombala obukhobe okuvangeke ngomlotha nofana umbala oyikhopha.
Lokha unganamakari amagatja womuthi lo afana nemirabhu esemoyeni, begodu ubonakala kwanga utjalwe waqaliswa phasi. Kunzima khulu ukuwubulala umuthi lo, ingatjhiswa, nofana ihlutjwe amaqolwawo kodwana ivele imile amanye amaqolo begodu iragele phambili nokumila.
Nayifako, ithoma ngokubola ngaphakathi bese iyawa, itjhiya amatlhurhelo amanengi kube ngathi ayifi, kodwana uyanyamalala. Umuthi we-Boabab omdala ukghona ukuzakhela ubudlelwano nezinye izinto zemvelo, ngokuthi usekele ipilo yeenlwanyana ezinengi, ukusuka eenlwani zomhlobo omunyisako ukuya eenkulungwa zeenlwanyana ezincani ezingena ziphume khona emaphadlhukweni womuthi omkhulu lo.
Iinyoni zakha iindleke zazo emagatjeni; iinkghabu zizidlela iinthelo; kuthi amadzinyana kanye nabomaphelaphelana baziselele amanzani wamathuthumbo kanye nokunotha kwawo, iindlovu zona zaziwa ngokuphula umuthi bese zidle koke ezikuwisileko.
Umntwana womuthi lo i-Baby Baobab tree ubonakala uhlukile kunalowo omdala begodu kungebangelo ama-Bushmen akholelwa bonyana awukhuli njengeminye imithi, kodwana uvele uwele phasi ehlabathi ngokuvuthelwa mumoya bese ukhula khule kuthi ngelinye ilanga unyamalale. Kungebangelo abantu baqabanga bonyana kumumuthi onemilingo nofana imihlolo.

Amathuthumbo kanye neenthelo

Umuthi lo unamathuthumbo amakhulu amhlotjhazana avamise ukuvuleka ebusuku. Isithelo sawo, esikhula besilingane nenyamo ngobude, simumethe i-asede ebizwa nge-tartaric acid kanye ne-Vitami C begodu ingamunywa nofana iminyelwe ngemanzi ukwenza isiselo esipholisa umzimba. Zingabaswa nofana zigaywe ukuze kwenziwe isiselo esifana ne-coffee.
Isithelo akusiyincenye eyodwa kwaphela engasetjenziswa emthini we-Boabab. Kungasetjenziswa amaqolo ukwenza irobho, umada, umantji, amaphepha, kanye namatjhila; amakari wona angabiliswa bekadliwe, begodu kungenziwa nesinamathiseli ngencenye yokunotha kwawo.

Umsebenzawo

Amaqolwawo amade angasetjenziselwa ukwenza irobho, umantji, amatjhila, iindrajana zeenliliswa zomvumo kanye neengwani ezingangeni amanzi. Lokha nakuhlutjwa amaqolo wencenye ephasi yemithi eminengi kuvame ukurholela ekufeni kwayo, nokho ama-Boabab akasindi kilesi senzo kwaphela, kodwana avele amile amanye amaqolo.
Amaqolo asesematjha apha umrorho odlekako ofana ne-spinach novamise ukusetjenziselwa ukulapha amalwelwe weziso kanye nesinya, i­-asthma, ukulunywa ziinunwana, kanye namanye amalwelwe ahlukileko. Imbewu neenthelo ezinambitha bezimumathe ama-natritions zemihlobo ohlukahlukeneko izunywa khulu khuthi iputjana etholakala emathuthumbenawo ivangwe namanzi ukwenza isinamathelisi (glue) emithini ye-Boabab ye-Afrika kanye ne-Australia.

Iinkolelo neenolwana zabantu bendabu

Magega ne-Zambezi, iintjhaba zikholelwa bonyana ngesikhathi umhlaba usesemncani imithi ye-Boabab begade ijame rhwe begodu izikhakhazisa. Nanyana kunjalo ngeenzathu ezingaziwako, zibuse khulu ekukhuleni kancani komuthi lo. Kuthiwa abezimu basilingeka bese baruthula ama-Boababs, bagandelela bebahloma ihlokwawo phasi ehlabathini, kwathi imirabhu yasiwa ngaphezulu. Kuthi njenganje imoya emimbi izombeze amathuthumbawo amhlophe wenambitho elimnandi begodu omunye nomunye odobha ithuthumbelo uzokubulawa libhubezi.
Enye yama-Boababs amakhulu enarheni ye-Zambia kuthiwa ipokelwa sipoko sehlwathu ekulu. Ngaphambi kokufika kwamakhuwa, begade kunehlwathu ekulu ebegade ihlala emgodini womuthi lo, begodu begade ithandazwa babantu bendawo leyo. Nebegade bathandazela izulu, iintjalo ezihle kanye nokuzuma okuhle, ihlwathu leyo begade iphendula imithandazwabo. Ikhuwa lokuthoma lathuthumbisa ngesigidi ihlwathu leyo begodu lokho kwabangela ihlekelele ekulu kumbi.
Abahlali bendawo leyo begade bathi bebanokuragela phambili bezwe itjhada elenziwa yihlwathuleyo ebusuku elivela emthini omkhulu lo. Esiciwini i­-Kafue National Park e-Zambia, kunomuthi we-Boabab owaziwa ngokuthi yi-'Kondanamwali' nekumumuthi owaziwa ngokudla abasikazi.
Umuthi omkhulu lo wazithola uthanda abentazana abane ebegade basemthunzinawo. Besele bakhule ngokwaneleko begodu bebafuna amadoda bebenza bonyana umuthi lo ube nomona.
Ngobunye ubusuku, ngesikhathi kunombani omkhulu othusako, umuthi lo wavula isuqu sawo wathatha wafaka umntazana lo ngaphakathi kwawo. Begade kunedlu yokuphumulela eyakhiweko emagatjeni womuthi lo. Qobe nakubusuku obuneewuruwuru, begade kuzwaka isililo sabafazi abavalelweko nebegade kwenza abantu bathuthumele - kungasilo itjhada leenlwani zomango. EsiFundeni se-Limpopo, kukholelwa bonyana umsanyana omncani nakahlanjiselwa ngemanzini kufuze kuminyelwe iqolo lomothu we-Boabab ukuze akhule abeyindoda ekulu.
Nokho iinkolelo zabanye babantu bendabuko, ziveze ubufakazi bokuba nesayensi yalapho zisuselwa khona. Abanye babantu bakholelwa bonyana abafazi abahlala eembayeni lapho kwande khona imithi ye-Boabab, baba nabentwana abanengi ukudlula labo abahlala lapho ingasiminengi khona. Badla isopo eyenziwe ngamakari we-Boabab, nanothileko ngama-Vitamins. Lokhu kusiza ukujamiselela okutlhayelako ekudleni.
Abodoroderhe baqinisekisile bonyana amakari la asiza khulu naziza ekubeni nesapho nofana imbewu ebukhali yokubeletha. Abantu abama-Bushmen we-Afrika banenolwana abayidembako ngozimu u-Thora. Wazonda umuthi we-Baobab obegade umile ngesivandeni sakhe, wasithatha wasilahla ngokuseqisa iboda le-Paradise wasiphosela phasi eMhlabeni, begodu nanyana umuthi wafika phasi uqale phezu, waragela phambili wamila. Nokho akurari bonyana umuthi ubonakala ungakajayeleki lo ukuthi une neenolwana ezinengi ezisuselwa endleleni ongayo.
Abanye bakholelwa bonyana wakha ithuthumbo lawo uzokudliwa libhubezi, kodwana kuthiwa nawungasela amanzi aminyeka ukusuka embewini yomuthi lo uzokuhlala uphephile angekhe wasahlelwa ziingwenya. Imihlobo eminye yabantu be-Tranvaal bahlambisela umntwana omsana ngaphakathi kwamanzi abaminyele iqolo lomuthi we-Boabab. Lapho kukholelwa bonyana naye uzakukhula abemkhulu aqine njengomuthi lo.

Lapho itholakala khona

Imithi ye-Boababs isabalele ngobubanzi eendaweni zalapho itholakala khona e-Afrika. Iyamila ne-Madagascar, India, Ceylon kanye ne-Australia. Imila eendaweni ezinengi ze-Zimbabwe. EsiFundeni seTlhagwini itholakala phakathi kwe-Limpopo kanye ne-Zoutpansberg range. E-Messina lidorobha le-Boabab. Kunomuthi we-Baobab odumileko ophakathi kwe-Louis Trichardt kanye ne-Messina, nekukulapho eminengi isuka khona. I-Baobab kubonakala kumumuthi ozwana namabala wehlabathi eyisanda etjhisako.