Lo mjaho obizwa ngokuthi i-Tusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon, uzokuba ngoSepthemba 2, 2023, esifundeni sase-Kasese ezansi neqhwa, amamitha angu-5,109 e-Ruwenzori entshonalanga ye-Uganda. Ngokusho kwabaxhasi abakhulu bamarathon, iTusker Lite, inhloso yalo mgijimi ukukhuthaza impilo enempilo, ukukhulisa ezokuvakasha esifundeni, nokweseka imiphakathi yasendaweni ngamandla okugijima ngokuhlanganisa abagijimi bakuleli nabakwamanye amazwe.
Lo mcimbi uthemba ukukhombisa izindawo ezimangalisayo zezintaba zase-Rwenzori kanye ne-Queen Elizabeth National Park, okuhlanganisa nezinguzunga zayo ezidumile, iziqongo eziphakeme, amahlathi aluhlaza, nama-savannah abanzi. Umgomo omkhulu uwukwenza i-Rwenzori Marathon umcimbi okufanele uwuhambele kubagijimi nabashisekeli bangaphandle abavela emhlabeni wonke. Lo mcimbi futhi uhlose ukudala umthelela ohlala njalo esifundeni, ukusekela imiphakathi yendawo kanye ukugqugquzela intuthuko esimeme.
Ethula umcimbi ngoLwesine, Agasti 24, eKampala Sheraton Hotel, isikhulu esiphezulu se-Uganda Lodges u-Amos Wekesa ukhulume namalungu abezindaba kanye nenhlangano yezokuvakasha yonkana ebikhona okuhlanganisa noMhlonishwa uNgqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha Wezilwane Zasendle Nezakudala, u-Mugara Bahinduka; Umphathi Omkhulu Webhodi Lezokuvakasha lase-Uganda, uLilly Ajarova; UMqondisi Wezamabhizinisi we-Uganda Wildlife Authority, uStephen Sanyi Masaba; abamele izinkampani ezizimele; kanye nabagqugquzeli okuhlanganisa nomshayisibhakela okhahlelayo one-motor mouthed Moses Golola, umculi uPasaso, uFina Masanyaraze, et al.
Enkulumeni ekhombisa ugqozi ezethamelini, uWekesa uthe: “Ngigijime i-half marathon e-'Kili' (Kilimanjaro) kulo nyaka, futhi ngiyazi ukuthi imuphi umthelela okwenziwa yilowo mgijimi. Ngakho-ke sicabange ukuthi kulungile, uKili wenza abantu abangaba ngu-65,000 abaqwala leyo ntaba, iNtaba iRwenzori okuyintaba egqame kakhulu ezwenikazi yenza abantu bangaphandle abangaphansi kuka-2,000 ngonyaka. Sacabanga, siyiphusha kanjani le ajenda ukuze empeleni ibe nokuncintisana? Sinabantu abangu-65,000 abakhuphukayo minyaka yonke, ngamunye walabo abakhokha isilinganiso samaRandi angu-5,000 300; sikhuluma ngaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-XNUMX zamadola atholwa emnothweni waseTanzania.
“UKili uyintaba ehanjwayo. Intaba enobuchwepheshe kakhulu empeleni iyi-Ruwenzoris eneziqongo eziyi-16, ezi-5 zazo ziphakathi kweziqongo eziyi-10 eziphakeme kakhulu ezwenikazi. Ngigibele iRwenzori ngonyaka odlule, ngehle ngamakhilogremu angu-7 ezinsukwini ezingu-7.”
“Ayikho into engakulungiselela inselelo njengoba nje kungekho okungakulungiselela ubuhle obubona kuleyo ntaba.”
“Kungani abantu abangaphansi kwawo bempofu? Abantu abangaphansi kwalo bangaphuma kanjani ebumpofu? Yilokho-ke ukucabanga ngemuva kweRuwenzori marathon. Ngakho ngonyaka odlule siqale ukuphusha i-ajenda yeRuwenzori Marathon. Besilokhu sikuwo njalo, futhi ngiyakutshela ukuthi awukho umcimbi ofana neRuwenzori marathon ophushwayo.
“Ngonyaka odlule sibe nabagijimi abangu-800, abangu-150 base-Uganda abangamamodeli ethu okubhekiswe kubo. Kuze kube manje sinabangu-1,500 ababhalisiwe. Sihlose ukuba nabagijimi ababalelwa ku-2,500 ngempelasonto ezayo. Yilokho umthelela wale marathon ozoba yikho. Njengamanje njengoba sikhuluma, wonke amahhotela aseKasese acishe abhukhwa, iFort Portal isiqala ukugcwala. Ngonyaka odlule, izitolo ezinkulu ngoSepthemba 3 zaphelelwa inkukhu, zaphelelwa amaqanda, yazo zonke izinto, futhi kwadingeka ziye eFort Portal futhi zilethe okunye ukudla. Yilokho okukhuthaza umnotho ukuthi uthuthuke.”
UWekesa ubonge abalandeli abakhulu okuhlanganisa abakhiqizi bakabhiya bakwaTusker Lite abanikela ngemali elinganiselwa esigidini sezigidi zamarandi, iStanchart Bank inikela ngo-100 million wamasheleni, i-UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) yafaka ngaphezu kuka-R300 million wamasheleni, kanye nokunye okuvela kwa-Coca-Cola, njll. ukuthi uMnyango Wezokuvakasha ukujabulele kakhulu ukungena: ;…bafake cishe izigidi ezingama-50 zamasheleni, sibe ne-UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) ifaka imali, isinika amabhasi ngalokho, futhi siyaphusha. yona. Kulo nyaka sifuna ukusebenzisa imali elinganiselwa ezigidini ezingama-500 ukuthengisa iRuwenzori ngaphandle kwase-Uganda. Siqashe inkampani yezokukhangisa ebizwa ngePindrop futhi ubonile ukuthi sihamba phambili e-USA. Ukube besingenalo 'ibhili yezitabane', besizoba namaNgisi angaphezu kwama-500 abezayo. Njengoba sikhuluma manje, sinabantu ababhalisiwe abavela emazweni ayi-13 emhlabeni jikelele. Amazwe ayisishiyagalolunye kulawa angamazwe ase-Afrika. Sine-Egypt, iNingizimu Afrika, i-Ethiopia, nazo zonke lezi zindawo. Ngakho-ke sibheke ngabomvu ukubona nina. ”…
UNgqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha, Izilwane Zasendle Nezakudala, uMhlonishwa u-Mugara Bahinduka, ubonge abagqugquzeli kanye nabezindaba abakhona. Wabona u-Bonifence Byamukama,, uSihlalo, i-ESTOA (i-Exclusive Sustainable Tour Operators Association), kanye no-Jean Byamugisha, oyi-CEO, i-Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA), phakathi kwabanye. Uphinde wethula isigqoko kulowo owandulelayo uMhlonishwa uGodfrey Kiwanda ngokuqhakambisa ezokuvakasha kuleli. Ulibonile igalelo lezivakashi zakwamanye amazwe ngokuletha imali ethe xaxa kodwa waphawula ukuthi kubalulekile nokuthuthukisa ezokuvakasha zakuleli ukuze zikwazi ukusimamisa lo mkhakha. Uzivumile izinselelo zobhubhane lwe-COVID-19 kanye ne-Ebola kodwa wathi ukuphela kwendlela abanganqoba ngayo lezi zinselelo ukukhuthaza ezokuvakasha zasekhaya. Ubonge bonke emkhankasweni wasekhaya wokuqhakambisa ezokuvakasha kuleli obizwa nge-“Tulambule” lapho umkhankaso usuyiswe empumalanga, entshonalanga, nasenyakatho ye-Uganda. Ubonge labo abaqhubekile nokuvakasha kanye ne-“Explore Uganda” ngisho nangemva kwemikhankaso.
IRuwenzori Marathon
Ngonyaka odlule, iNtaba iRwenzori ibe phezulu ohlwini lwama-half-marathon amahle kakhulu emhlabeni aqoqwe yi-Outdoorswire USA namuhla abezindaba echaza izintaba ezimbozwe yiqhwa eduze kwenkabazwe kanye nokulandela umkhondo wama-gorilla.
IRuwenzori Marathon ihlelwe ngemuva kwezintaba ezinhle kakhulu zeRwenzori, ezaziwa nangokuthi "Izintaba Zenyanga" eziziqhenya ngesiqongo sesithathu ngobukhulu e-Afrika, iMargherita Peak (5,109 metres ASL).
Itholakala esifundeni esisentshonalanga ye-Uganda, isifunda sase-Rwenzori sinikeza izindawo ezimangalisayo, izitshalo nezilwane ezihlukile, kanye namathuba okuzijabulisa angenakuqhathaniswa. Kusukela eziqongweni eziphakeme eziphakeme ngaphezu kwamafu kuya emachibini acwebe njengeqhwa namahlathi aminyene agcwele indawo, amaRwenzori ayisimangaliso esingokwemvelo ngempela.
Njengoba isazi esingumGreki sasendulo uPtolemy sathi lezi “Zintaba Zenyanga” ezinganekwaneni zaziwumthombo weNayile, iziNtaba ZaseRwenzori ziye zathatha amehlo ezihambi nabahloli bamazwe. Ukuze ubhalisele umjaho webanga, Chofoza lapha.
