iRichtersveld National Park

Ikhethekile Kwaye Ayilibaleki

©Jacques Marais

Umhlaba wase Richtersveld ukhethekile kwaye awulibaleki. Ubuhle bayo obomileyo, basentlango busenokungafani nobomhlaba ochumileyo ohlaza wase Ntshona Koloni okanye eGarden Route, kodwa kunento nje ethile ngalendawo ehlala isengqondweni yalowo uthe wayityelela. Ngethamsanqa i-ecosystem yalendawo sele isongiwa/ikhathalelwa kwinani leendawo zokulondoloza indalo.
Amalinge okuqala okukhusela lentaba yentlango kwakunye nezityalo zayo ezingaqhelekanga, aqala ngomnyaka ka 1975 ngethuba iNational Parks Board yangeloxesha yavuma ukuphanda ngokusekwa kwe national park kwisiza esisemantla ase Richtersveld. Kodwa ke, lo yayingumhlaba woluntu kwaye wawungenakuthengiswa okanye uthathwe. Iingxoxo kunye nge council yalendawo zathatha phantse iminyaka engama 20, de ekugqibelweni kwabakho isivumelwano.

Ingeloncedo Kwaphela

©David Fleminger

Kwathi kufika umnyaka ka 1989, kwabe sele kukho ikhontrakthi. Kwalile xa kanye le paki sele izakubangwa ngokusesikweni, iqela le ‘Komiti Yoluntu’ lamisa yonke le nkqubo. Ngoko kwabo, le council ‘yayingabameli kwaye yayilawula ngegqudu’ kwaye uluntu lalunganikwanga thuba lokunika eyalo imbono.
Eneneni, imimiselo yale khontrakthi yayingeloncedo kwaphela kuluntu lwalendawo. Le contrakthi yeminyaka engama 99 yayimise ukuba yonke imfuyo kufuneka isuswe kule paki, amanzi kunye nezityalo aye ngenakusetyenziswa kwaye kwakungathenjiswa ukuba abantu balendawo bazakufumana amathuba engqesho.
Ngamanye amagama, ukusekwa kwale paki kwakuzakuvalela ngaphandle uluntu lwalendawo. Phofu kumhlaba obusaya kuba likhaya labo iminyaka engaphaya kwama 2000. Kwakubonakala ngathi iParks Board yayifuna ukukhusela lomhlaba kubantu balapha endaweni yokuwukhuselela inzuzo yabo.

Inxalenye Ebalulekileyo ye Ecosystem

©David Fleminger

Umsitho wotyikityo lwesivumelwano wanyenyiswa ze kwabanjwa uthotho lweentlanganiso kunye nawo onke amaqela abandakanyekayo. Ngeli lixa lezintlanganiso nothethwa-thethwano, iParks Board yade yaqaphela ukuba abantu balendawo bayinxalenye ebalulekileyo ekongeni le ndawo; ngokolawulo lwendalo, ubango kwakunye nanje ngabatyeleli.
Ngaphezu koko, abantu bemvelo base Richtersveld babeyinxalenye ebalulekileyo kwi ecosystem kwaye ubomi babo besintu babusemngciphekweni wokutshabalala kanje njengezityalo zale ndawo ezinqabileyo.
Emveni koko kwaphinda kwabhalwa isivumelwano/khontrakthi entsha enemimiselo equka uluntu lwalendawo. Isivumelwano sokusebenzisa umhlaba sacuthwa sabayiminyaka engama 30. Uluntu lwalendawo lwavunyelwa ukuba lugcine imfuyo yalo kulendawo (kodwa kugcinwe ezingama 6600 kuphela iyonke imfuyo), bavunyelwa nokuba bangasebenzisa izityalo namanzi ale paki. Kwaye neqela elithile lemisebenzi yabekelwa bucala ukuze ixhanyulwe luluntu lwalendawo. Emveni kokuba kutyikitywe isivumelwano, kwaqulunqwa ikomiti ebambiseneyo ezakujongana nokusebenza kwale paki.
Isivumelwano satyikitywa ngo Julayi 1991. Le yabayi national park yokuqala ukutyikityelwa isivumelwano eMzantsi Afrika (umhlaba wabucala olawulwa yi Parks Board kunye noluntu lwalengingqi). Ekuhambeni kwethuba, lendlela yolawulo yathi yasetyenziswa ukusombulula umba ohlabayo wobango lemihlaba kwezinye iinational park, ezifana necala loshishino lwase Maluleke phakathi eKruger Nationa Park.

Indalo Engachukunyiswanga

Lomhlaba uzihekthare ezingama 162 000 ze Richtersveld National Park (RNP), wawusadinga ukulingiswa izinto ezininzi emveni kokuba usekiwe njenge national park. Iindlela zazifana nezingekhoyo, iziza zenkampu zazingaphucukanga kwaphela kwaye kwakugcwele amahlahla nemithi ndawo yonke.
Kwabo ke babefuna ukuhlala empenge mpengeni ekwa ntii, le ndawo yayilizulu. Ngelishwa ke, nangona le ndawo yayikude nelizwe lamaxesha, kwakukho izikhalazo ezithile ezazisuka kuluntu lwalendawo. Ezi zikhalazo zazimayelana nemimiselo yokubhaliswa kwabelusi bemfuyo (zazingama 29 kuphela iintsapho ezazivumelekile kule paki, ngethuba yayisekwa) kwakunye nokukhethwa kwabasebenzi abazakuqashwa kule paki.
Kodwa ke, namhlanje izinto zithande ukuzola kakhulu. Uluntu lwalendawo sele luyamkele le paki isekhayeni labo. Imigangatho yeziza zeenkampu sele iphuculiwe. Iindlela naso sele ziphuculiwe (nangona kusakhuthazwa ukuba uhambe ngemoto yohlobo lwe 4x4).
Kwaye kukho iichalet kakwunye noo ronta bokulala. Amaxhego akhumbula iintsuku zamandulo zokwenza iinkampu kwindalo engachikinyiswanga, awakuthandisisi ncam oku. Kodwa ke uninzi lwabatyeleli bazakuyonwabela lengxube vange yendalo engachikinyikiswanga kunye namagumbi alamaxesha enza intlalo ibelula.

Translated by Zizipho Silwana