Abaphathiswa beFriends of Hwange Trust, kanye labangane emhlabeni wonke jikelele, badane kakhulu ngokuthelelwana kwendlovu lezinye izifuyo lenyoni eHwange National Park eZimbabwe. Nokho, kuyajabulisa kakhulu ukubona iziphathimandla ziphendule ngendlela efanele lesi sihluku esinyanyeka kangaka futhi zingashiyi lutho ukuze zifinyelele ekugcineni. Baphinde benza konke okusemandleni ukuqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izigilamkhuba ziyaziwa futhi zibhekwana nazo kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi lolu hlobo lwento aluphinde lwenzeke.

Kuyajabulisa ukubona ukucasuka kwabantu emhlabeni wonke futhi ngisho nangaphezulu kangangokuthi abantu abaningi baseZimbabwe bashaqekile ngempela futhi bazimisele ukusiza. Ngeshwa miningi imibiko engenabufakazi nenehaba ehambayo ebanga umsindo nokudangala futhi engenzi lutho ukuthuthukisa isimo. Benza kube kubi kakhulu njengoba izivakashi ezingase zifike zingadangala futhi zenze ezinye izinhlelo ngaleyo ndlela zehlise imali engenayo epaki nezwe lonke. Njengoba ungase ucabange ukuthi kunzima ukuthola isilinganiso esigcwele sezilwane ezibulewe kodwa imibiko yakamuva ikholelwa ukuthi inani lezindlovu ezibalelwa ku-100 okuqinisekisiwe ukuthi zifile futhi mhlawumbe nangaphezulu. Ngokudabukisayo idlanzana lezinye izilwane nezinyoni nazo zifile kuhlanganise namanqe amaningi okuyinhlekelele yemvelo.

Okuhle wukuthi akuzona kuphela iziphathimandla ezikuthathela phezulu lokhu kodwa ziphumelele ukubamba nokugwetshwa idlanzana lababazingeli abangekho emthethweni. Izigwebo zasejele zinzima kakhulu futhi ziyiminyaka engu-15. Kusetshenziswa nezinhlawulo ezinzima. Okukhuthaza nakakhulu ukuthi abanye abaphakathi nezikhulu ezikhohlakele bayabizwa futhi bagwetshwe. Ulwazi luyaqoqwa okuholela phezulu “kubathengisi” abaqhuba uhwebo olungekho emthethweni. Okunye okujabulisayo wukuthi uNgqongqoshe usesungule iTrust yabantu abangahlangene nepolitiki ezobheka ukuphathwa kwepaki kanye nezidingo zayo. Kutshalwe inqwaba yezimoto ezintsha okuzosiza kakhulu.

Imizamo kaHulumende kayipheleli eHwange National Park ngoba imisebenzi yokulwisana lokuzingela ngokungemthetho isanda elizweni lonke jikelele. Impumelelo enkulu, futhi ezuzisa nakakhulu, ukuthi uhlelo lwezomthetho lusekela umkhankaso futhi likhipha izinhlawulo okufanele zidikibalise abazingeli nabadayisi ukuba bahlanganyele kulo msebenzi wokuhweba. Lokhu kusekelwa okuvela kwezobulungiswa kubalulekile futhi kubeka futhi kube yisibonelo kuyo yonke i-Afrika. Muva nje umzingeli ongekho emthethweni obanjwe ne-pangolin uthole isigwebo seminyaka engu-9!

Isixazululo esengeziwe esingasiza, okusazoxoxwa ngaso neziphathimandla, kungaba ukuqoka abantu abazimele abasebenza endaweni “njengabaqaphi abahloniphekile” okungabanika igunya lokubamba nokusebenzisa umthetho. Okunye ukuvumela “amavolontiya” ukuthi akhe isisekelo eduze nemingcele yePaki ngaleyo ndlela andise ukuba khona endaweni.

Okwakhathesi iFriends of Hwange umsebenzi uyaqhubeka phakathi kwePaki beqinisekisa ukuthi imigodi eminengi iyasebenza njalo inika amanzi ezipanini. Kuyashisa kakhulu futhi komile njengamanje futhi ukubuka kwezilwane kuhle kakhulu njengoba ikhava yaphansi incane futhi izilwane zigxile emigodini yamanzi. Sibheke ngabomvu izimvula esithemba ukuthi zizosinika isikhathi sokuhlanganisa futhi sihlelele unyaka olandelayo. Imoto yethu idinga ukunakekelwa nokulungiswa okuningi njengoba manje isiwohloka ngemva komsebenzi onzima kulesi sikhathi somiso. Izimvula zizohlinzeka ngamanzi adingeka kakhulu futhi zisinikeze ithuba lokusevisa kanye nokulungisa kabusha izinjini namaphampu kanye nokushintsha amapayipi omgodi amanye aneminyaka engaphezu kwengama-50 ubudala. Ugandaganda uzoba matasa ulungisa ukuguguleka kwemisele nokulungisa imigwaqo.

LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:

It is, however, very encouraging to see that the authorities have responded in a manner befitting of such a despicable atrocity and are leaving no stone unturned to get to the bottom of it.
An additional solution that may help, still to be discussed with the authorities, could be to appoint private people working in the area as “Honorary Wardens” which would give them the authority to apprehend and apply the law.
It is very hot and dry at the moment and game viewing is excellent as the ground cover is sparse and the animals are concentrated around the waterholes.