Ntumbuluko wa Matimu ya Richtersveld

Leswi aswi Hanya Khale

©Shem Compion

Ndzhawu ya Richtersveld a hi ndzhawu leyi ungayaka kona loko u lava ku vona swiharhi. Ku hava Big 5, rivala. Nakona, e handle ka maxelo lawa yopfumala mpfula, kuna tinxaka tohlaya leti nyanyulaka ta swihadyani leswi mamisaka, swikokovi, switsotswana na vutomi bya tinyenyani letinga tsakisaka eka vanhu lava tsakelaka sweswo. Kambe loko hinga se languta swiharhi swa manguva lawa leswi unga swikumaka, ahi languteni swivumbiwa leswi aswi hanya kona.
Ntsariso wa ti fossil wukombisa leswaku, himinkarhi leyi kutsakamaka, ndzhawu leyi ayiri na tihanci ta matimu, tindlopfu, giant shrews, swibodze, short-snouted crocodiles, predatory ‘bear-dogs’, tiyimbho na tinxaka tin’wani ta swivumbiwa. Minkoka ya leswi aswi hanya khale yiseketeriwa hi mikondzo yati fossil, minkele na masalela emisinyeni leswikombaka leswaku misava yonona ayi funengetiwile hi swihlahla. Lwandle narona ari kufumela hinkarhi walowo naswona matinu ya ti shark xikan’we na ti oyster shells letinga tolovelekangiki tihlamuseriwile hivanhu votala (kusukela kwalomuya kava William Paterson hi 1779).

Snapshots leswi Chavisiweke

Eka minkarhi nyana leyi yahaku hundzaka, ma-Bushmen ava vatla ti petroglyphs emaribyeni yale ndzhawini liya (vona laha hansi). Ti ‘snapshots’ leti chavisiweke tikombeta ti nghala, nhutla, xibejwani, hippo xikan’we nati ndlopfu leti ati famba famba eka ndzhawu liya. Namuntlha, hambiswiritano, swiharhi leswikulu swakala naswona i swiharhi leswintsongo leswi hanyaka kona.
Kutlhela kuva na vumbhoni bya marito na lebyi tsariweke lebyi tiyisisaka leswaku tindzhawu ta Namaqualand na Richtersveld ati tele hi mintlhambi leyikulu ya ti springbok na tin’wana tati antelope. Hi 1892, majistarata loyi anga e Springbokfontein (leyi sweswi kunga Springbok) utsale leswaku uve mbhoni yaku rhurha ka mamiliyoni ya swivumbiwa leswi.
Mintlhambi leyi yaswiharhi sweswi, xobiha, i swilo leswi hundzeke; leswi swinga nyanyisiwa ka kuherisiwa ka swona hikokwalaho ka ku hlota, mavabyi ya tihomu (kufana na Rinderpest epidemic of 1896) xikan’we naku nghenelela ka vanhu eka ndzhawu leyi. Hambi swiritano, ungaha tlhela u kuma swiharhi swofana na gemsbok (oryx), klipspringer, duiker, vaalribbok na steenbok endzhawini liya, hambi leswi swiharhi leswi swikumekaka ngopfu e ndzhawini liya ya timayini hile tlhelo ra Namibia eka tlhelo ra ndzelekano, laha kunga talangiki vanhu. Kutlhela kukumeka ngopfu ti Hartmanns’ Mountain Zebra.

Translated by Ike Ngobeni