Tihlahla taseRichtersveld

Buhle Bevelo

©Roger DelaHarpe

Indzawo yaseRichtersveld yindzawo lapho khona ubona buhle bevelo, futsi kunaleto tihlahla letingaka jwayeleki, bantfu labatsandza indalo indzawo labayivakashelako lena. Ngesikhatsi ngikulena ndzawo ngakhandza bantfu base Germany labatsandza timbale, lebesekukudzala bafuna kuta kulena ndzawo. Ngingasho nje kutsi abazange bajabha, bekumatima nekutsi bafihle injabulo yabo.
Nginesiciniseko kutsi abaphocekanga. eRichtersveld, tinhlobo tetimbali letingu 360 tabalwa endzaweni lencane nje lengu 1 square km. lihlobo letimbali lelibitwa ngekutsi yiMemsemb noma iVygie liyatfolakala kulena ndzawo. Loku kuhle endzaweni letfola imvula lengu 68mm ngemunyaka.

Kungafani Kwetihlahla

©Roger de la Harpe

Sizatfu salokungafani kwetihlahla sibangelwa kutsi iRichtersveld itfolakala emkhatsisini kwetimvula tasebusika taseNamaqualand phindze nase timvuleni telihlobo laseNama-Karoo. Kuletinye tindzawo loku kuhlukaniswa ngema km langu10 noma langu20, loku kwenta letihlahla tibe tinhle kakhulu.
Kungeta, kunetihlahla letinekufana eRichtersveld letingu: iSucculent Karoo lenemandla kunaleti letinye tihlahla letifana nayo, lihlandze lelincane lelifana naletinye tihlahla kanye naleto letitfolakala todvwa letibitwa ngekutsi iFynbos. Kufanele sisho kutsi lelihlobo lasetintsabeni, lelijwayele kuhamba lisuke enhla liye eshonalanga limisa iMalmokkies nemafu laletsa litulu kutsi angene ekhatsi. Sotindzawo letinyenti letehlelako letibukene nelwandle, titfola emanti lamanyenti. Kepha tindzawo letinye atitfoli emanti lamanyenti, njenge Nama-Karoo.

Kushintja Kwendalo

©David Fleminger

Tonkhe letimo leti tiletsa kushintja esimeni selitulu salena ndzawo yaseRichtersveld, yonkhe indzawo inendlela imvula lena ngakhona, umoya wakhona, umhlaba wakhona, kushisa kwakhona nalokunye lokunyenti.
Leti tihlahla letingakajwayeleki tenta kube nelushintjo – lapho khona sihlahla sibese sijwayela indzawo lesikhula kuyo, sihluke kuleso lesisijwayele. eRichtersveld letihlahla tiyashintja titama kuphila kulena ndzawo.
Noma sisikhulu noma sisincane intfo yinye lemcoka kutsi tonkhe titama kuphila. Njengoba sike sichaza ngenhla letihlahla tigcina emanti, kungaba semacembeni noma emtimbeni wesihlahla noma ngaphansi kwemhlabatsi.
Letinye tihlahla tihlala ngaphansi kwemhlabatsi tivele kancane kulomhlabatsi wesanti. Letinye tikhulela phansi tingayi etulu tibalekela umoya, nemacembe lamakhulu lagcina emanti.
Letinye tiba nemacembe laneboya kusita kubamba emanti.

Tindlela Tekuphila

©Shem Compion

Noma tonkhe tihlahla eRichtersveld tihlala tilihlata (lokumangalisako ehlandzeni lelitfola ivula yasebusika) tincane letehlisa emacembe ehlobo kuvikela kulahlekelwa ngemanti. Letinye tijikisa lilanga ngekukhulisa umtimba wesihlahla locinile noma ngekugcina emacembe lamadzala. Letinye tikhulela ematjeni, kutsi tihlale emtfuntini. Ngalamanye emagama tihlahla tase Richtersveld tihlale tinemacebo ekuphila.
Kahle kutsiwa iRichtersveld iphetse tinhlobo tetihlahla letingu4849, 40% waletihlahla awutfolakala kulenye indzawo emhlabeni. Letinye taletihlahla tinemusebenti kubantfu balendzawo. Tinhlobo letingu 70 tisebentiselwa kudla, letingu 40 tisebentiselwa umutsi bese kutsi letingu 54 tinalomunye nje umsebenti, njengekwakha intsambo, kwakha insipho kanye nekubasa. Kepha ungahambi ukhotsa letihlahla. Letinye takhona tiyingoti kakhulu. Kungeta kuleti tihlahla letingakajwayeleki, letitsandvwa bantfu laba vakasha kulena ndzawo, iRichtersveld iphindze ibenaletinye letinyenti tihlahla letijwayelekile.

Translated by Thandokuhle Motha