Ubume Bomhlaba Wase Richtersveld

Ubume Bomhlaba

©Shem Compion
Ngaphambi kokuba singene nzulu, masikhe siqale sithathe nje umzuzwana siziqhelanise nobume bomhlaba wale ngingqi. Ngokwendawo ome kuyo, ubukhulu bommandla wase Richtersveld, kungatshiwo ukuba wenza isikwere esihrabaxa kwikona engasekunxele ekumantla oMzantsi Afrika.
Imida yesi sikwere imi ngoluhlobo: kumda ongasentshona kukho unxweme lwe Atlantic, ukusuka e Alexander Bay ukuya kuma ePort Nolloth; emzantsi, kubekho indlela ka R382 eqala ePort Nolloth ukuya kuma e Steinkopt (neyasisakuba sisikhululo se mishini malunga nama 90km embindini welizwe); entshona, kukho ihighway eqala e Steinkopf inyuke iye kuma kumda welizwe lase Namibia eVioolsdrift; ze emntla kubekho umlambo we Orange River (okanye i-!Gariep, eligama lithetha ‘umlambo omkhulu’ ngolwimi lwesi Nama) kwaye lomlambokazi uphawula umda phakathi kwelizwe loMzantsi Afrika kunye nelase Namibia.
Xa sithetha ngeze politiki, amazantsi elizwe lase Namibia awayonxalenye ye Richtersveld, kodwa ke ngokwendalo, ezindawo zimbini ziyafana kakhulu. Kwicala elise Mzantsi Afrika, eyona dolophu inkulu ikufutshane yegquthayo yona idolophu ebizwa nge Springbok, emalunga nama 60km ukuya emzantsi we Steinkopf kwi highway yendlela ka N7.

Ikhostina

©David Fleminger
iRichtersveld Community Conservancy imi kanye esizikithini sesi sikwere, ijikelezwe ngamadlelo aluhlaza ukuya emzantsi nase ntshona, ngakwi highway yendlela ka N7 kwakunye ne Nababiep Nature Reserve ese Mpuma, kunye neentaba ze Vandersterre Mountains ukuya emntla. Ngaphaya kwe Vandersterre Mountains kukho iRichtersveld National Park,nedlulela ecaleni komlambo we Orange River. Umhlaba ophakathi konxweme kunye nezingingqi zimbini zokongiwa kwendalo usezandleni zabanini babucala kwaye usetyenziselwa ukomba ubucwebe obuphantsi komhlaba, yimigodi ke ukutsho.
Xa sinaba nje kancinci, sizakubona ukuba iRichtersveld imi kwikona ekwicala langasekhohlo lommandla wase Namaqualand. Oku ke akucacanga ncam, kwaye kungacaciswa ngeendlela ezohlukeneyo. Njengoko uWillem Steenkamp ebalisa kwincwadi yakhe yeenkumbulo zobomi bakhe, nesihloko sithi Land of the Thirst King, ‘Lendawo ifana ne khostina. Ukuba ufuna ukuhlala phakathi kwimida yayo ungayinweba uye kuma eVredendal. Kodwa ukuba awunamnqweno wokubizwa njenge Namaqualander ungayicinezela ithi paca de iphelele nje eGarries, kube kuphelele apho.’

iKaroo Enezityalo Ezigcina Amanzi

©Roger de la Harpe
Xa sithetha ngeze zityalo, iNamaqualand ichazwa njenge ‘nxalenye Karoo Enezityalo ezigcina amanzi nezichatshazelwa kakhulu ziimvula zobusika kunye nenkungu’. Kulandela le nkcazelo, umda ose mazantsi we Namaqualand unwenwa ukusuka kumlomo womlanbo I Olifants River, kufutshane nendawo yase Vredendal, ukuya ngase Matsikamma Mountains eVanrhynsdorp.
Umda ongase mpuma uze ulandele iBokkeveld Escarpment,ehamba phakathi kwendawo zase Nieuwoudtville kunye ne Loeriesfontein, ze ziye emntla-ntshona, ziya kuqhina kunxweme lwase Lüderitz kwilizwe lase Namibia. Ngokweze politiki ke, iNamaqua District Municipality iquka iqela leziza zendalo ezohluke kakhulu kune Karoo enezityalo ezigcina amanzi.
Yiyo lonto emntla ihamba ngakumlambo we Orange River, ukusuka eAlexander Bay ukuya e Pofadder (eBushmanland). Ngase ntshona, ilandela unxweme lwe Atlantic ukuya kuma 35km we Garies. Ukusuka apha ixwesela ngasempuma nangasemzantsi iye e Hantam Karoo (kuquka iidolphu zase Loeriesfontein, Nieuwoudtville, Calvinia, Sutherland kunye nase Fraserburg).

Iiintyatyambo Zase Ntlakohlaza

©Roger de la Harpe
Okokugqibela, sizakujonga iiintyantyambo zasendle. Ezi ntyantyambo zikhula kuwo wonke ummandla we Namaqualand, kuquka nekhangeleka ingenakukhula sityalo indawo yase Richtersveld. Ungazifumana iintyatyambo zasendle nasemzantsi weVanrhynsdorp, kwindawo ebizwa ngokuba yi Cape Floral (okanye iFynbos) biome. Nangona izikhilomitha eziliqela ukuqelelana, iidolophu zase Springbok kunye nase Nieuwoudtville zivamise ukubazezona ndawo kungonwatyelwa kuzo iintyatyambo zase Ntlakohlaza.
iNamaqua National Park esandula kubakhona, ekufutshane nedolophu yase Kamieskroon, yenye ingingqi ekungabonwa kuyo iintyantyambo ezintle. Ezinye iindawo onokufumana kuzo iintyantyambo ezintle, ezingaphandle kwase Namaqualand ingafumaneka kwiintaba zase Cederberg, ngakunxweme olujikeleze iElands Bay kwakunye nase West Coast National Park at Langebaan (eyona ndawo ikufutshane ne Kapa).

Translated by Zizipho Silwana