Njengoba kusanda kubikwa, abaqaphi nabasebenzi base-Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) baphila ngendlela eyingozi lapho bethunyelwa eMt. I-Elgon National Park, njengoba ukuhlaselwa ngabazingeli abangekho emthethweni, abazingeli abazingeli kanye namasela ezigodo kubadalele ukulimala okuningi nokufa okuningana ngenkathi benza imisebenzi yabo ukuvikela ukongiwa kwemvelo, ukuvikelwa kwezilwane zasendle kanye nokugcina indawo ebalulekile ebamba amanzi.
Kodwa-ke, njengakwezimo eziningi, kunezinhlangothi ezimbili endabeni ngayinye futhi i-Uganda Human Rights Network ngesonto eledlule yazama ukumosha imigubho ye-UWA yoNyaka we-UN we-Gorilla 2009 kanye nokwethulwa komkhankaso wabo othi “Friend a Gorilla” osakazwe kakhulu ngawo. ikhiphe uhlangothi olubanzi olunesikhathi futhi oluhlosiwe olubhekiswe kumgwamanda kazwelonke wokuphatha izilwane zasendle. Labo abazaziyo izimo zaseNtabeni i-Elgon njengoba isimo sepaki sashintshwa sisuka ekubeni ihlathi elingavikelekile laya endaweni yokulondoloza imvelo egcwele ngokugcwele ngo-1993, babuka le mibhalo, kuhlanganise nezithombe eziyingcaca zabasolwa abahlukunyezwa yi-UWA. abasebenzi.
Ngokuya ngocwaningo lwe-eTN uqobo, ezinsukwini zakamuva ubukhulu besiqiwi sangaphambili - okwenzeka ukuthi kube yisiqiwi esinqamula umngcele eKenya nengxenye yokubambisana kwemingcele phakathi kwe-UWA neKenya Wildlife Service - kwehliswa kancane kancane phakathi kuka-1923, kanye nesikhathi sokuzimela kwe-Uganda ngo-1962, kukhombisa inani labantu elikhulayo kanye nezicelo zabo zokuthola umhlaba owengeziwe wezolimo ngaphambi kokuthi ekugcineni kuthathwe isimo nguhulumeni sokuthi imingcele ekhona manje kufanele ime uma ukulondolozwa kungagcina noma iyiphi incazelo. Ukuvikelwa okwandisiwe kwehlathi lezintaba njengepaki kazwelonke, empeleni, kwakuhlose ukusimamisa impilo yemiphakathi engomakhelwane kanye nabantu base-Uganda bebonke, njengoba nangaleso sikhathi kwaqashelwa umsebenzi wentaba njengendawo enamanzi, okuvumela ukuhamba njalo amanzi emifudlaneni nasemifuleni emincane ephuma eMt. I-Elgon futhi isetshenziselwa izinhloso ezahlukahlukene ngamakhaya nemizana engezansi nomfula.
Kodwa-ke, selokhu izwe lathola inkululeko, inani labantu elizungeze ipaki seliphindeke ngaphezu kokuphindwe kathathu, kanti ngenkathi ngokungangabazeki kunesidingo esiqhubekayo nesivamile sokuvula ipaki ukuze abantu bahlale kuso, isidingo sokuvikela imithombo yamanzi yazo zonke lezo zinombolo ezingeziwe sesibe ebaluleke kakhulu namuhla kunaseminyakeni eyi-15 noma engama-20 edlule. Ngakho-ke, kuphikiswa yi-UWA nethimba lokongiwa kwemvelo ukuthi ukuvumela ukuhamba kwepaki, noma izingxenye zalo, eminyakeni ezayo kuzokwenza impilo yemiphakathi ezungeze intaba ibe yimbi kakhulu, kunokuba ibe ngcono njengoba kusikiselwe osomathuba bezombusazwe nabagqugquzeli abathembisayo “Izulu emhlabeni” kulabo abazimisele ukulalela futhi abakulungele ukwenza okufunwa yibo ngokuhlasela njalo ezinkanjini zabaqaphi nabaqaphi abagade.
I-UWA ithi isuse cishe amahektha angama-2,000 XNUMX omhlaba ohleliwe futhi olinywe ngokungemthetho, okuthiwa ubaluleke kakhulu ekuvikeleni imithombo yamanzi nokuvikela ukuguguleka kwenhlabathi nokuguguleka kwenhlabathi, ikakhulukazi ngokuqala kwezimvula ezinamandla ngokweqile ezibangelwe yi-el Nino . Ukuqalwa kwamahlathi nezinye izindlela zokulungisa ezihlobene nazo kuyaqhubeka ezindaweni ezinjalo, futhi, njengoba kwashiwo.
Engxoxweni nomphathi omkhulu we-UWA uMoses Mapesa, wakulahla ngokuphelele noma yikuphi ukusikisela nezinsolo zokuthi i-UWA yayijwayele ukwenza ngamabomu ukuhlukumeza noma ukwenza izinto ezingekho emthethweni futhi yenqaba ukuthi le kwakuyindlela yenhlangano yokusebenza noma empeleni kuyindaba yenqubomgomo njengoba kusikiselwe ngabaphikisi bayo. Ukuba ngumqondisi wenhlangano ngaphambi kokuqokelwa esikhundleni sokuba yi-CEO, nokuhlonishwa kabanzi njengomuntu ohloniphekile nothembekile, hhayi e-Uganda kuphela kodwa nasendaweni ebanzi empumalanga ye-Afrika, kunikeza ubufakazi bokuthi uyamphika.
Ngenkathi iMapesa ingakwenqabeli ukuhlangana komqaphi ngamunye ngokuvumela abantu ukuba bangene epaki ukudala ama-shamba [amapulazi amancane] ngendlela ekhohlakele, wafunga ukuthi uzobabuyisa labo basebenzi ababi, ngenkathi futhi ethembisa ukulandela ngamaphoyisa nezinye izindlela zomthetho. labo abalimaze noma ababulala abasebenzi bakhe emasontweni nasezinyangeni ezedlule.
UMapesa uqhubeke wathi ezinye zezithombe ezishicilelwe yizishoshovu zamalungelo abantu ngesonto eledlule empeleni ziyizisebenzi ze-UWA ezalimala ngesikhathi kuhlaselwa futhi HHAYI ezabantu abangenacala abashaywa ngabasebenzi be-UWA nokuthi lezi zithombe zanikezwa abezindaba yi-UWA njengobufakazi bokuthi lokho kuhlaselwa kwabaqaphi nabaqaphi.
Ekuphetheni ingxoxo yethu, uMapesa wabeka icala elikhulu eminyango yabantu ababefisa ukuba ngosopolitiki kanye nabazenzisi bezepolitiki, ababhebhezela izixuku kaninginingi ngonyaka ka 2000, 2001, 2005, naphambi kwesikhathi, futhi ekugcineni ababangela ukuchitheka kwegazi okwenzeka ngesikhathi sezingxabano zabashushisi ababenodlame, abazingeli abangekho emthethweni, abalimi abangekho emthethweni, namasela ezokhuni ngakolunye uhlangothi nabasebenzi bezomthetho be-UWA nezinye izinhlaka zokuphepha ngakolunye uhlangothi.
Lokhu-ke, yiphethini efanayo etholwe yiNational Forest Authority, nayo eye yabona abasebenzi babo bezinsimu behlaselwa njalo lapho bezama ukuphoqelela umthetho olawula ukuphathwa kweziqiwi ezimaphakathi. Ngasekuqaleni kwaleli sonto, i-NFA ikhiphe imininingwane eyengeziwe ngokuhlaselwa okusha kwamahlathi okuthinta cishe amahektha ayizi-6,000 amahlathi afakwe kugazethi ngenkathi uhulumeni ecabanga okufanele akwenze futhi ahlale ezandleni zakhe esikhundleni sokuxhasa ngokuqinile inhlangano ebhekele ukunakekelwa kwamahlathi kuzwelonke.
Izindaba ezimnandi manje ukuthi i-UWA, ngokubambisana nabaholi bomphakathi bezobuqotho, yenze isivumelwano esalungiswa nezigodi eziseduze, esizovumela ukusetshenziswa okuqinile okulawulwa ngokuqinile kwezingxenye zemingcele yepaki yehlathi, okubandakanya ukugcinwa kwezinyosi, ukuqoqwa kwamakhambi nezitshalo zokwelapha, kanye nokusetshenziswa okulinganiselwe kwamapulangwe ngabazuzi abaqokiwe ngobuningi ukuqinisekisa ukusimama kwesikhathi eside kwalokhu kubambisana kwezomnotho.
Izingozi ezivelayo, ikakhulukazi ezinombono wokhetho lwango-2011 e-Uganda, kodwa-ke, ziye zagcizelelwa ngenkathi i-PRO yenhlangano, ngesikhathi sesithangami nezintatheli eBwindi iyodwa ngokwesimo sokuphendula umbuzo, sayifaka komunye izimpendulo zakhe kepha ngeke zize zidonsekele phambili endabeni. Ukudlala ngokulondolozwa kwenzuzo yezepolitiki yesikhashana kungaba nemiphumela emibi njengoba umthelela omkhulu wokuqothulwa kwamahlathi nokubhujiswa kweMau ngaphesheya komngcele eKenya kukhombisa kahle. Lapho, ngenxa yamavoti, osopolitiki bavale amehlo amashumi eminyaka ezinkingeni ezivelayo futhi manje kuphela lapho ukuwa kwendawo esemanzini ekhubazekile kungasafihlakali futhi kubangela izinkinga eziningi kunokukhishwa kwabantu okungahle kwenzeke, ukusabela kwenhliziyo eqala ukuvela kuhulumeni waseNairobi.
Izithombe zakamuva ezibonisa iMt. Indawo ephezulu yaseKilimanjaro engenalo iqhwa neqhwa, ukuncipha okuqhubekayo kweqhwa laseRwenzori, kanye nemijikelezo yesomiso kanye nezikhukhula njalo konke kungukuvuka kokugcina - ukusinda kwabantu isikhathi eside kusengozini, kanti ingqungquthela ezayo yeCopenhagen Climate kube yisibonakaliso esicacile okwamanje sokuthi ohulumeni bamazwe athuthukile, bavimbela kanjani amazwe, futhi ohulumeni bethu base-Afrika bazimisele kangakanani ukusindisa umhlaba ekubhujisweni.
Lokho kubhujiswa kuhlala kuqala ngezinga elincane kwenye indawo, yingakho i-UWA idinga konke ukwesekwa nokuxhaswa kwezepolitiki ukuvimbela ukuphazamiseka okuqhubekayo nokuhamba phambili eMt. I-Elgon National Park.
Ukufuna izigaxa zokwazisa ezishibhile njengalezo ezenziwa izishoshovu zamalungelo abantu ngokuqinisekile akuyona indlela eya phambili. Abekho abaqaphi abake bayiswa enkantolo ngokudala ukulimala emzimbeni, ukuhlukumeza, ukushaya, noma ukubulala kuze kube manje, futhi okungenzeka kakhulu ngenxa yokushoda kobufakazi njengoba kungenjalo labo abenza lezi zinsolo futhi ngabe sebebike ngokulinganayo ukushushiswa kanye nokugwetshwa - akukho okwenzekile.
Ekuphetheni, le mizwa eqondile nayo ivezwe ngokumangazayo yilezo zingxenye zemithombo yezindaba yendawo yokuphrinta neye-elekthronikhi ethathwa njengezibophezelekile, ngenkathi iqembu elihlukile labanye abezindaba bezama ukwenza imali eshibhile yezepolitiki ngezenzakalo ezidabukisayo lapho beveza uhlangothi olulodwa Izinsolo ezibhekiswe ku-Uganda Wildlife Authority futhi wazisebenzisa njengendawo yokuhlasela uhulumeni jikelele ngabo bonke abantu.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- According to eTN own research, in recent days the original size of the former forest reserve – incidentally also a national park across the border in Kenya and part of a trans-boundary cooperation between UWA and the Kenya Wildlife Service – was gradually reduced between 1923, and the time of Uganda's independence in 1962, reflecting growing populations and their requests for more agricultural land before eventually a position was taken by government that the existing boundaries would now have to stand if conservation was to retain any meaning at all.
- The widened protection of the mountainous forest as a national park was, in fact, aimed to sustain the livelihood of neighboring communities and Ugandans as a whole, as even then the function of the mountain as a water catchment area was recognized, permitting the constant flow of water in streams and small rivers emerging from Mt.
- Hence, it is argued by UWA and the conservation fraternity that letting go of the park, or even parts of it, would in coming years make the life of communities around the mountain much worse, instead of better as suggested by political opportunists and inciters promising “heaven on earth”.
