Izityalo Ezigcina Amanzi kunye ne Vygies/iiMesemb zase Richtersveld

Izityalo Ezingamagqabi

©David Fleminger

Zininzi iindidi ezahlukeneyo ze vygies eNamaqualand kunye nase Richtersveld. Ezi zityalo zinegalelo elikhulu kwi biodiversity yalo mmandla. Nangona zichumile kule ndawo, ziqala ukuvela kushicilelo lweefosili malunga neminyaka engama 12000 esandula kudlula. Kodwa ke, oku kunobubangelwa kukuba umthetho wemihlaba esentlango ayikwazi kugcina iifosili zezityalo.
iiVygies zizityalo ezingamagqabi ezinamajoni akhethekileyo aqulathwe ngamagqabi. Iintyatyambo zezi zityalo zigqamile kakhulu, zide zibenendawo engathi iyalayita, kwaye zine phetali ezininzi kakhulu. Lo mbala uthi ndijonge, wenzelwe ukutsala izinambuzane ezisasaza ipholini. Maxa wambi iimesembs zibizwa ngee ‘ntyatyambo zasemini’, kuba zivamise ukuvula iintyatyambo zazo xa ilanga liqaqambe kakhulu. Amagqabi azo awatyiwa kwaye awafane atyiwe nazizilwanyana ezitya uhlaza okanye izinambuzane.
Intaba ye Rosyntjieberg ese Richtersveld National Park iqulathe inani lentlobo ezahlukeneyo zezityalo ze vygie.

An Appetite Yamakhandlela ne Bhotholo

©Jaques Marais

iBotterboom (Tylecodon paniculatus): ethetha ‘umthi we bhotolo’, sisityalo apha esisiqishimba esifutshane esinesiqu esityebileyo. Esi sityalo sifumaneka kwiziza ezininzi ze Richtersveld Community Conservancy kwakunye nase Richtersveld National Park.
iGhaap (Hoodia Gordonii): iHoodia yayisetyenziswa ngaBathwa kunye nama Khoikhoi njengeyeza lokuyeka ukucacela ukutya, kanganga makhulu-khulu eminyaka. Isithako esihamba phambili sesisityal sele sibekelwe bucala yi South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Esi sityalo sele sisemthethweni ukuba singasetyenziswa ziinkampani zamayeza ezisithengisa njenge pilisi ye dayethi.
Ngomnyaka ka 2002, iCSIR yaqukumbela iingoxo kunye nabameli baBathwa, kwaye ngoku ibhatala imali ezibizwa nge royalty kwi San Hoodia Benefit Sharing Trust. Ezi mali zibhatalelwa ukusetyenziswa kolwazi lwemvelo ukuze kuphuhliswe/kuveliswe lepilisi. Le mali isetyenziswa ukuphuhlisa uluntu lohlanga lwama San kumazantsi Afrika jikelele.
Ikhandlela laBathwa (Sarcocaulon patersonii). Esi sityalo sinexolo elingqindilili elinga likhandlela, elixolo lisikhusela esi sityalo kwiinkqwithelo zesanti. Eli xolo litsha msinya kwaye linomsi omninzi, yiyo lonto ke libizwa njenge khandlela laBathwa.

Uphawu Lwase Richtersveld

©Shem Compion

IiHalfmens (Pachydodium namaquanum) sisityalo esinomtsalane nesifotwa kakhulu, kangangokuba sele sisetyenziswa njengophawu lwase Richtersveld. Sisityalo esinesiqu esikhulu. Ezi halfmens (igama elithetha umntu ongagqibanga) zisemngciphekweni wokutshabalala. Esi sityalo sibukufana nomthi we tolofiya kunye namagqabi akhule ‘entlokweni’ yaso. ‘Intloko’ yaso isoloko ikekelele ngase mantla kwaye oku kucaciswa libali lakudala-dala.
Kwiminyaka emininzi eyadlulayo, kwaye kukho isizwe esasihlala silungele imfazwe. Ngenye imini, sathi sisemfazweni, soyiswa saze sagxothwa kumhlaba waso esi sizwe, Saleqwa sawezwa umlambo we Orange River saya kuqabela eRichtersveld. Kulendawo, abantu besi sizwe bajikwa ngu Thixo wabenza umntu-sityalo. Iinyawo zabo zamila emhlabeni, esi sizwe sabe asinakumka kulendawo.
Kunanamhlanje aba bantu basemi kumhlaba wase Richtersveld, bahlala bejonge ngase mntla benqwenela ukuphindela kwikhaya labo. Libali elimnandi lona, kodwa inkcazelo yebhotani yeyona ikholelekayo. Eneneni lamagqabi akwi ‘ntloko’ yesi sityalo, ngawo atsala amandla elanga kunye namanzi. Ngoko ke ezi zityalo zikekelela emntla ukuze zikwazi ukufunxa kakukhle amandla elanga.
Zikhula zifikelele kwisi 5 m ubude. Ihalfmens ikhula kakuhle ingakumbi kwiinyanga zobusika, nalapho idubula iintyatyambo ezizele yincindi, nezimile okwe trampethi. Ehlotyeni, amagqabi ayo ayawa ze ixhomekeke kwixolo elomeleleyo elinameva ukuze ilikhusele kwingqatsini yelanga. Lameva akwasikhusela esi sityalo kwizilwanyana ezitya uhlaza, kwaye akwasinceda ekuqokeleleni amanzi emvula namanzi asuka kwiimalmokkies.
Isityalo se halfmens sixhaphakile eRichtersveld kwaye sinqabile. Kwaya nam ngethuba ndityelele lendawo, andizange ndibone nomnye umthana wesi sityalo. Kodwa ke, sesinye sezona zityalo zidumileyo kulo mmandla. Enye indidi engeyona ihlobeneyo kakhulu nesi sityalo yi (P. lamerei) ifumaneka kuphela kwilizwekazi lase Madagascar.

Translated by Zizipho Silwana