(eTN) Ngalesi sikhathi sonyaka, izigidi zezinhlanzi ezivela emathafeni ezikhukhula zibambeka emfudlaneni omkhulu weZambezi bese zibhukuda ezansi nomfula amamayela. Lapho bedlula emanzini, obhasikidi abadobayo balinda ubusuku bonke. Ekuseni, abadobi abajabule baphuma behamba nge-makora yabo bayothulula obhasikidi futhi balungiselele ukubamba izinhlanzi zakusasa ebusuku.
Sahamba sayohlanganyela ekuvuneni kwebonanza ngolunye usuku ekuseni kubanda. Sithatha “idada lenjoloba” elinenjini, sangena emfuleni oseduze neRoyal Chundu ukuze sihlole abadobi kanye nabakubambile ngalolo suku. Ingxenye yethu yokuqala yomfula yayikhuphuka ngomzila. Amanzi ayegeleza ngesivinini esikhulu kangangokuthi sasicishe siqonde. Ukuze uqonde amandla abadobi ku-makora, kufanele ukholelwe ukuthi babesidlula!
Lapho singena emseleni omkhulu, umfula wawugubha kakhulu, amagagasi eshaya izinhlangothi zesikebhe. Inkungu yayigcwele phezu komfula, izinyoni zazibuka amanzi phezulu eziqongweni zezihlahla. Kwakubanda kakhulu… futhi manje ngase ngimanzi te izinyawo. Ngibambelele emaceleni esikebhe, ngazizwa ngikhululekile kodwa ngangazi ukuthi ngangingeke ngibe semakora - lezo zinto zenzelwe ochwepheshe; ngisho nokuhlala kuzo kuyikhono.
Sidlulele esiteshini ukuze sibone obhasikidi bekhishwa emfuleni. Abadobi babopha intambo eqinile phakathi kwezigxobo ezimbili futhi, kulokhu, baqinise obhasikidi babo. Ngamunye obhasikidi bayasuswa bafakwe ku-makora. Lapho umkhumbi ugcwele obhasikidi, bayiswa esiqhingini futhi bangenalutho.
Sawalandela sangena esiqhingini ukuze sibheke. Obhasikidi bathululelwa phansi kwe-makora, ezinye izinhlanzi zisanyakaza. Izinhlanzi zaziyizinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zokwakheka nobukhulu, kodwa i-parrotfish yayibonakala ngokucacile ngeziqephu zayo ezibomvu neziphuzi.
Sathola i-tigerfish, i-barbel, izinhlanzi eziphuzi, ama-minnows, ama-churchill, i-bottlefish, ama-bulldog, nabaphangi, kanye ne-parrotfish. Yeka amagama angavamile lezi zinhlanzi ezinawo. Angiyena umdobi ngakho konke bekukusha kimi. Ngavele ngabuka ngesaba ukuthi kunezinhlobo eziningi zezinhlanzi emfuleni. Ngokwezincwadi, kunezinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-60 kule ndawo yeZambezi.
Njengoba sasibabhekile belayisha izikebhe zabo futhi belibangisa ezweni elikhulu, nathi salibangisa ekhaya, siphinde saba manzi te kodwa sibheke ngabomvu inkomishi yekhofi elishisayo nokomisa amasokisi nezicathulo.
Siphuze ikhofi, saxoxa ngemikhuba ye-parrotfish, namanje engishiya ngididekile. Kodwa yilokhu esikunqume ngokucabanga okuthile okunengqondo. Ngijabule kakhulu ukutshelwa ukuthi nginephutha ngakho ngicela ungazise.
Izigidi ze-parrotfish zehla ngomfula ngalesi sikhathi sonyaka - phakathi kukaJuni no-Agasti. Bangabaphakeli abaphansi futhi ababona ababhukudi abaqinile njenge-tigerfish. Azibuyeli enhla nomfula ngokuhamba kwesikhathi - njengoba kwenza i-salmon, isibonelo. Ngakho, izinhlanzi zehlela ezansi nomfula futhi zihlale lapho. Izinhlanzi eziningi ze-parrot zisala emibhedeni ye-papyrus enhla nomfula, futhi yilezi ezizalela ngonyaka olandelayo. Lezo ezehlela ezansi nomfula zingathola izindawo zokuzalela ezintsha noma zingazaleli.
Nganquma ukuthi inhlanzi kufanele ibanjwe isivunguvungu samanzi njengoba ishiya izikhukhula futhi igijima yehla nomfula. Okusididayo wukuthi izinhlanzi zibonakala zehla ngomfula ebusuku nje ingekho inyanga. Bathanda futhi uma kubanda. Angikwazi ukuthola ukuthi kungani lokhu kungenzeka. Ingabe ukhona onemibono?
Abadobi bonke basebenzisa obhasikidi abenziwe endaweni. Isakhiwo esikhulu sakhiwe ngomhlanga, oboshwe ndawonye ngentambo eyenziwe ngamahlamvu esundu. Ubhasikidi unikezwa amandla azungeze umugqa ongaphezulu ngokusebenzisa amagatsha esihlahla se-mopane. Konke kuhlakaniphe kakhulu. Yebo, indlela yabo yokubamba izinhlanzi besebenzisa obhasikidi isimeme ngokuphelele njengoba bebamba ingxenye encane yalezo ezidlula emiseleni. Asethembe ukuthi ikusasa alisho ukuthi libi ngezinhlanzi futhi imisebenzi emikhulu yokunetha amanetha ngeke ithathe izintambo.
Isiteshi ngasinye siphethwe umndeni ohlukene - lokhu kunqunywa phakathi kwawo, futhi akudali ukuxabana. Ubuhle bubalungele bonke. Ezwekazini, ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezizayo, izakhamuzi zakha izitebele zazo - zithengisa yonke into kusukela ezinhlanzini kuya kubhatata, kusukela ekuxutshweni kwamazinyo kuya kwezimpahla ezingamasekeni. Kwaphela izinyanga ezimbili wonke umuntu ejabule – sabona isigubhu sechibuku sithwalwa siyiswa onqenqemeni lomfula njengoba sisuka.
Iningi lezinhlanzi zomisiwe, kodwa i-parrotfish ikhethekile ngoba iwumthombo wamafutha okupheka, angahlala unyaka wonke, uma ecutshungulwa kahle. Inhlanzi iyasikwa futhi esiswini kuneqhubu lamafutha. Kubekwe ibhodwe emlilweni libe nemihlanga, amanoni abekwe emhlangeni. Njengoba ibhodwe liya kushisa, amafutha ayancibilika futhi aconse ebhodweni elingezansi. U-SK, ongumqondisi wethu, uthe uyise uqoqa amalitha angu-20 kawoyela ngale ndlela, futhi uwusebenzisa unyaka wonke ekuphekeni kwakhe.
Lapho nje i-parrotfish iqala, izindaba zisakazekela ku-Livingstone. Amatekisi aqala ukufika ezothenga inhlanzi eyomisiwe aphindele emakethe. Sahlangana netekisi eyodwa, imoto eyayiphihlizekile, idudulwa emgwaqeni onamatshe - yagcina iqalile, kodwa umuntu uyazibuza ukuthi koze kube nini.
Lokhu kimina i-Afrika imayelana nayo. Kuyisivuno esimeme ngokuphelele; abantu bebelokhu bekwenza izizukulwane ngezizukulwane. Kumnandi kubo bonke futhi kunenzuzo enkulu kwezomnotho kubantu balapho. Asethembe ukuthi kuzohlala kunjalo.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- Holding on to the sides of the dinghy, I felt quite relaxed but knew that I could not have been in a makora – those things are made for experts.
- I decided that the fish must get caught up in the whirl of water as it leaves the floodplains and rushes downstream.
- Of course, their method of catching the fish using baskets is totally sustainable as they catch only a small proportion of those that pass through the channels.
