Abaqokeleli Bokuqala base Richtersveld

iGordon’s Bay

©Shem Compion

Emveni kokubuya ekubukeni umlomo we Orange River ngonyaka ka 1977, uColonel Gordon wabayi Nkumanda yama Datshi (Dutch Garrison) eKapa. Waqhubeka ehamba-hamba indawo ngeendawo, azobe kwaye ahlula hlule imimangaliso yendalo eyahlukileyo awayibonayo. Isityalo iHoodia gordonii ibizwa ngegama lakhe. Emveni koko ngonyaka ka 1795, uNapoleon waqala ukwenza iingxaki e-Yurophu wabhukuqa indlu yobukumkani yase Orange.
Ama Britani athabatha inkosi yama Datshi eselubhacweni, athumela inqwelo manzi okanye iinqanawe ezininzi ukuze bathabathele ulawulo lwe Ntshona Kapa endaweni yakhe. Ukunyaniseka kuka Gordon kwakuphakathi kosapho lwasebukhosini olususwe etroneni kunye nabaphathi bakhe abatsha abalawulwa ngu Napoleon, kwikumkani wama Datshi.
Emveni kokuba ama Britane oyise amajoni wama Datshi kwimfazwe yokulwela iMuizenberg, ukungakwazi ukuthatha isigqibo kukaGordon kwagxekwa kakhulu. uGordon wayegula kwaye enazo nezinye iingxaki ebomini bakhe. Ngonyaka ka 1975, emveni kokunikezela kwama Dutshi, Urj Gordon wazibulala. iGordon’s Bay, cebukuhle eKapa, yabizwa ngaye, ngenjongo zokuzukisa igama lakhe.
Kwiminyaka eyalandelayo, nabanye abenzulu lwazi abasuka kumazwe ngamazwe bandwendwela eNamaqualand nase Richtersveld.
Oko kwakuquka abo basebenza ngeentaka uFrancois le Vaillant (1783), Carl Ludwig Phillip Zeyher (1830) kunye no Johann Franz Drege (1833/4). Lowokugqibela ke waziwa ngokuba ‘ungutata we SA phytogeography’ (elichaza icala lezityalo elijongana nokusasazwa kwezityalo ngokwendawo). Ingangabililo igama elinikeza umdla kakhulu, kodwa izityalo ezingapha kwe 100 zibizwa ngozuko kwigama lika Drege – kwaye oku kuhamba kakuhle.

Isicelo se Namaqualand

Kwinkulungwane ye 20th, isicelo se Namaqualand, kunye ne Richtersveld ngokucacileyo kwaqhubeka ukwenza umtsalane kwinjongo yabaqokeleli ukujonga iintlobo ezintsha. Ezi ziquka abakhuluwa u Rudolph no Max Schlechter, Dr. Louis Leipoldt kunye no Selmar Schonland – uhlobo lwezityalo olwaziwa ngokuba zi ‘succulents’, kwaye ke sizithanda sonke.
Okunikeza umdla kukuba bonke ababafuni lwazi babengabamazwe angaphandle, kwaye ingqokelela zabo zazithunyelwa kumasebe angaphesheya kwee Lwandle. Isifundo zezityalo zalapha eMzantsi Afrika zaqala xa usomashishini nomsebenzi wezityalo (osaqala) uHarry Bolus waqalisa isebe lezifundo zezityalo kwi kholeji yo Mzantsi Afrika (ngoku ibizwa iYunivesithi yase Kapa/UCT) ngonyaka ka 1902.
Umntu wokuqala ukuthabatha isihlalo se Bolus yabangu Harold Pearson, owayenomdla kakhulu kwizityalo zase Namaqualand. Wathabatha uhambo olusingise kwindawo ezimbini ezisingise kummandla (ngo 1908-09 kunye no 1909-10) waqokelela ulwazi oluninzi olutsha nemizekelo. uPearson yabangu mphathi omkhulu wokuqala eKirstenbosch Botanical Gardens ngonyaka ka 1913, kwaye wanceda ekusekeni iNational Botanical Institute (ngoku yaziwa njenge National Biodiversity Institute). Ikhala elinqabileyo iAloe pearsonii labizwa ngegama lakhe.

Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie