I-Richtersveld

I-Eden Engenakwenzeka

©Shem Compion

I-Richtersveld itholakala enyakatho-ntshonalanga yeNingizimu Afrika. Njengalokhu, ikude kakhulu nakho konke, okuhlukaniswe yi-Atlantic Ocean entshonalanga, ihlane laseNamib elisenyakatho kanye ne-savannah eyomile yeKalahari kuya empumalanga.
Lesi yisifunda esomile, ngokweqile ihlobothizene nehlane, elinemvula engaphansi kuka-220 mm. Izintaba zedwala ezingenalutho zidlulela emathafeni ashisayo. Insobonsobo yezitshalo ezinamaqabunga aminyene zibambelela emagcekeni bese zicasha emthunzini.
Amazinga okushisa ehlobo angakhuphukela kuma-degree angaphezu kwamashumi amahlanu nobusuku obusika bungabanda. Umthombo wamanzi kuphela ongenamkhawulo umfula i-Orange onamandla, ogeleza ngokungaqondakali ezweni elinyumba. Futhi, ngenxa yalokhu konke, i-Richtersveld ingenye yezihlane enezinto eziphilayo zemvelo ezihlukahlukene emhlabeni.
Ibuye ibe namasiko agcinwe isikhathi eside, achazwe abafuyi bendabuko be-Nama, abaye bondla izimbuzi zabo lapha iminyaka engaphezu kwezinkulungwane ezimbili.
Ngakho-ke, ubuqotho bemvelo kanye namasiko esifundeni kubaluleke kakhulu futhi kungenzeka ukuthi ukuhlukaniswa kwendawo okuyiyonanto okuqinisekisile isimo sayo esifanele. Ngamanye amazwi, kunzima ukufinyeleleka ukuthi amandla amakholoni ahlukahlukene (abavame ukufaka izinto ezweni lonke) akatholanga indlela yokusebenza ngokunenzuzo e-Richtersveld.

Ingxenye Eyehlukile yase-Afrika

©Shem Compion

Ngakho-ke, lokhu kusho ukuthini kumuntu ofuna ukuhlola i-Richtersveld namuhla? Eqinisweni, ngokuthuthuka kwabantu, kunezindlela ezimbalwa nabantu abambalwa. Amadolobhana ambalwa kuphela anikezela nganoma yiluphi uhlobo lwenqalasizinda yezenhlalo nezokuvakasha. Imisebenzi yezomnotho incane kakhulu. Kunomkhakha omncane wokulima kwezohwebo emabhange eMfula i-Orange, kodwa umsebenzi oyinhloko kule ndawo yizimayini zedayimani (okubonakala kubuswa yizinkampani ezinamandla zonke ezisebenza ngaphansi kweveli elingenakunqunywa lokufihla). Kodwa ungangivumeli ngibe nehaba. I-Richtersveld iyafinyeleleka kakhulu futhi akunzima ukuhlela uhambo engxenyeni ehlukile ye-Afrika.
Kodwa, ngaphambi kokuba siqhubeke, kufanele ngigcizelele ukuthi i-Richtersveld ayikwazi ukuqondwa ngaphandle kwengqikithi yendaba. Lesi sifunda sinjenge-anyanisi; uchungechunge lwezingqikithi ezihlukahlukene zezitshalo, ezombusazwe kanye namaqembu amasiko konke okuqoqwe endaweni eyodwa. Okubaluleke nakakhulu, i-Richtersveld iyingxenye yesifunda seNamaqualand esikhulu, futhi leyo ayikwazi ukuxoxwa kahle ungakhulumanga ngeyinye.

I-Namaqualand

NjengeRichtersveld, iNamaqualand yindawo eyomile futhi ebanzi kakhulu. Eminye imithombo ithi isibalo sabantu-umuntu oyedwa kuphela ngehora elilodwa lesikwele, futhi umgwaqo wokuqala esifundeni wakhiwe kuphela ngawo-1960. Ngakho-ke, amadolobha amancane futhi asakazeka, ahlukaniswe umhlabathi obanzi. Kodwa, njengoba kunjalo neRichtersveld, indawo yokuvakashela futhi ifinyeleleka kalula kubahambi.
Kubantu abaningi, inhlangano yokuqala neNamaqualand 'zimbali ezifana nodlutshana'. Lokhu indlela elula yokuchaza isenzakaliso sonyaka lapho izigidi zezitshalo ziqala ukuqhakaza amaviki ambalwa entwasahlobo. Lokhu kuboniswa kwansuku zonke kumele kubonwe, futhi izifunda ezivamile zeNamaqualand zihlala nezivakashi ngesikhathi sembali. Ngeshwa, izimbali azigcini isikhathi sokufika futhi ukufika endaweni efanele ngesikhathi esifanele kungaba yinto ekhohlisayo.

Isikhathi Esihle Sokuvakasha

I-Richtersveld, empeleni, ihlane ngoba imithetho evamile ingasebenza. Izinyanga zasehlobo (maphakathi no-Okthoba kuya maphakathi noFebruwari) ziyashisa kakhulu futhi zomile, kanti izinga lokushisa liphakeme cishe kuma-degree angamashumi amahlanu. Izinyanga zasebusika (ngoMeyi-Julayi) zingabanda futhi zishaye, ikakhulukazi kusihlwa nasekuseni. Ngakho, izinkathi okunezivakashi eziningi zingaba ngcono kakhulu.
Okufanelekile, zama ukuvakashela i-Richtersveld ngenkathi yembali ekuqaleni kwentwasahlobo (ekupheleni kukaJulayi kuya phakathi kuka-Septhemba). Amazinga okushisa anethezekile futhi isimo sezulu sivame ukubasihle. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lesi yisikhathi sonyaka lapho izitshalo eziningi ziqhuma khona, zishaya, zisakaza umhlaba ngombala njengemidwebo kaJackson Pollock.
Kodwa phawula ukuthi akukho ziqinisekiso. Ngesikhathi ngise-Eksteenfontein, isibonelo, imvula yanetha amahora angamashumi amabili nane futhi umoya obandayo usuke uvela ogwini. Kwakudingeka senze indawo endlini yezivakashi yeqembu labantu abahamba ngezithuthuthu abahlanu ababemanzi bephoqelekie ukuba bafune indawo yokukhosela esimweni sezulu esibuhlungu.

Translated by Nsika Khoza