I-Port Bell yehluleka ukusebenzela izivakashi

Ingxubevange yomoya ohelezayo wesikole kanye nokushisa okuhlabayo okunamandla njengoba kuphawulwa isibhakabhaka sasehlobo santambama sase-Afrika, ithatha indawo emaphakathi futhi ibusa ogwini lwechibi. Umoya unuka izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zokubola, unyakaza usuka emikhunjini eyihlane, kwesokudla, amatafula angasasetshenziswa asetshenziselwa ukusika izinhlanzi, kwesokunxele kukhona i-filtrate yokhula lwasolwandle eluhlaza entanta echibini elingaphambili.

Ezweni, inqwaba yezinkuni namalahle enqwabelene igcwele, ilindele uhambo lwazo lokunqamula ulwandle luye kunoma yisiphi seziqhingi eziningi ezikuleli chibi noma kumthengi onenhlanhla.

Imakethe esanda kumiswa iqhele ngamamitha ambalwa. Kunabantu abambalwa abadlulayo, abanye babonakale behlezi ngasogwini, bathule babheke emanzini. Uma ugeja ibhodi elikhulu le-East Africa Breweries lapho ungena, ayikho into ezokutshela ukuthi usePort Bell, ingasaphathwa eyokuthi umi emagcekeni echweba elidala kakhulu lase-Uganda.

Eqanjwe ngombusi waseBrithani wase-Uganda ngaleso sikhathi, uSir Hesketh Bell, iPort Bell yavulwa ngo-1908 ukuze isingathe ukuthengwa kwempahla yase-Uganda ngolwandle.

Ukubaluleka kwawo kwakuqine kangangokuthi lapho kuvulwa i-Uganda Railway ngo-1931, yaxhunywa ethekwini ukuze kube lula ukuthuthwa kwezimpahla ezazifike ngolwandle ziya eKampala.

Kodwa namuhla iPort Bell ibonakala isikhohliwe, ilele esigcemeni se-lee eKampala, ayinakwa. Ukuthi iyichweba elidala kunawo wonke e-Uganda kwanele ukuligunyaza ukuthi libe phakathi kwezikhungo zezokuvakasha eziphezulu zezwe, kodwa nakuba bonke abantu okukhulunywe nabo bevuma, kuncane okwenziwayo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ijabulela indawo eyifanele lapho. Futhi ngenxa yalokho, izinzuzo zezomnotho ebezingase zibe umphumela nazo ziyimfihlakalo.

Womabili amachweba iMalindi kanye neMombasa, amachweba amadala kakhulu eKenya, asephenduke ezinye zezikhungo ezihamba phambili zezivakashi kuleli. Kungashiwo okufanayo ngeDar-es-Salaam neZanzibar, amachweba amadala kakhulu eTanzania. Zonke manje ziyizimpawu ezibalulekile zefa lamazwe abo, isimo iPort Bell esinqatshelwe kabuhlungu.

Ukusesha nge-inthanethi kwezokuvakasha e-Port Bell kuveza amasayithi akhangisa ulwazi lwezivakashi mayelana nohambo, amahhotela kanye namaholide e-Port Bell. Kodwa ngokuchofoza lezo zixhumanisi, akukho lutho oluvelayo; uphawu lokuthi ama-ejensi amaningi ezivakashi ayayazisa le ndawo njengesikhungo sezokuvakasha esingase sibe khona kodwa akukho lutho oluphansi olungakusekela lokho okushiwo.

UMnu Richard Oyamo, onguNobhala Jikelele we-Railway Zone, uthi ukubaluleka kwechweba kungatholakala kuphela ngombono, hhayi ukwenza. “I (Port Bell) ayinakho ukubaluleka okungaba khona, ngendlela yokuthi noma yini okufanele ibe sechwebeni njengoba amanye amachweba engekho kodwa yiwona amakhulu lapha. Uma uyiqhathanisa namachweba aseKisumu naseMwanza, sisalela emuva,” kusho uMnu Oyamo.

Uthi akukho osekulungisiwe ukuphatha abantu abangaba izivakashi. “Ukuphela kwento ekhanga izivakashi ngamanzi; akukho okunye. Abavakashi beza lapha behamba bengazi ukuthi sebefikile ePort Bell,” kwengeza uMnu Oyamo.

UMnu John Baptist Kayaga, ongungqongqoshe wezokuvakasha kanye nezimboni, uthi amandla echweba aphazamisekile ngenxa yokunganeliseki kwabafuna abatshalizimali kanye nohulumeni.

“Umbono wayo womlando nezindawo zayo zinhle ngokwanele kodwa akekho oke wakucabanga kanjalo. Sonke besicabanga ukuyithuthukisa ngokuhambisana nesikhungo sezohwebo,” kusho uMnu Kayaga.

Uthi amanye amachweba afana neKisumu anezikhungo eziningi zezentengiselwano lapho izivakashi zithenga khona kodwa lokho akukho ePort Bell.

UMnu Oyamo uthi uhulumeni ubengakahleleli leli chweba kodwa uvele walishaya indiva. Ungqongqoshe wezokuvakasha kuzwelonke, uMnu Serapiyo Rukundo, uthi nokho itheku banalo ezinhlelweni zabo. “Sizama ukuhamba ngomkhumbi eLake Victoria. Abantu beza nemibono yokuthi bangakhangisa kanjani ezokuvakasha khona.”

Isikhulu sezoBudlelwane boMphakathi eMnyangweni wezeMisebenzi nezokuThutha, uNksz Susan Kataike, ugcizelele ukubaluleka kwePort Bell embonini yezokuthutha yakuleli, kodwa wathi isasebenza ngendlela esezingeni eliphezulu, ikakhulukazi ngoba imikhumbi ethwala abantu iphansi.

Uthi uMnyango uzoqala ukwakha idokodo elomile ethekwini kanye nokulungisa ulayini we-MV Kahwa noPamba.

Ukuthi abantu bazochitha isikhathi nemali bengagcini nje ngokufika bezobabaza ubuhle obumangalisayo basePort Bell, kodwa baphinde bagibele izikebhe, kukhombisa ukuthi umfutho wezokuvakasha ongase ube khona echwebeni uzwakala kwabaningi kodwa awakafinyelelwa.

Omunye ohamba ngesikebhe uthe ezinyangeni ezintathu ezedlule itheku seliphenduke indawo yabantu abafuna ukuzibulala. “Kufike umuntu obukeka njengebhizinisi wacela ukugitsheliswa isikebhe ukuzungeza iziqhingi. Lapho efika phakathi, ugxumela emanzini bese kufanele ubhekane nemiphumela uma ubuyela ogwini wedwa,” usho kanje.

Le nganekwane iwuphawu olulula lokuthi ichweba elidala lase-Uganda lehliselwe kwaba yini. Imibono ephethwe yilabo ababambiqhaza ngenhla iyinkulumo yakho yosopolitiki ejwayelekile, ekhuluma ngokuthi 'amacebo ahamba phambili' kanjani ukuthuthukisa isizinda. Ukuze ingabi nalo nolulodwa uphawu lwezokuvakasha kusitshela okuningi ngekhono lase-Uganda lokuqapha amagugu ayo, futhi akushiyanga kuzibuza ukuthi kungani izindawo eziningi ezashiywa ama-imperialism seziyincithakalo.