Amachandle emikhumbi avalelwe ngaphandle ebhizinisini lokuhamba ngezikebhe eliwubukhazikhazi ngenxa yokwehluleka ukuhlangabezana nezindinganiso zamazwe omhlaba.
Abahlinzeki bempahla basekhaya basavaleleke ngokuphelele ebhizinisini ngenxa yezindinganiso eziqinile zamazwe ngamazwe mayelana nekhwalithi yezimpahla ezithengwa ama-luxury cruise liner.
Okusengcupheni izigidi zamaRandi ezisetshenziswa abaqhubi bemikhumbi ethwala abantu ezintweni ezidingekayo kuzo zonke izigaba eziyinhloko zohambo lwabo. Amalayini amakhulu okuhamba ngomkhumbi afana ne-Pv Marco Polo noma i-Pv Queen Elizabeth II avakashele eMombasa izikhathi ezimbalwa angamahhotela ezinkanyezi ezinhlanu ngokwezinga futhi athwala abagibeli abangu-600 kanye ne-1,200, ngokulandelana.
Kepha abashayeli bemikhumbi eMombasa bathi baphoqeleka ukuthi bashiye eceleni babuke njengoba kulethwa izinto eziyisisekelo ezifana nokudla, izithelo namanzi amaminerali kulethwa yonke le ndlela isuka eNingizimu Afrika nasemikhunjini ehamba ngomkhumbi njalo uma ifika ibiza futhi ingena. Berth I echwebeni laseKenya.
“Kuyathokozisa ukwazi ukuthi izimpahla ezivela kwamanye amazwe ezingatholakala kuleli zilethwa abahlinzeki bempahla abavela eNingizimu Afrika noma eSingapore. Silahlekelwa kakhulu njengama-chandlers nanjengezwe,” kusho uMnu Roshanali Pradhan, unobhala weKenya Ship Chandlers Association (KSCA).
UPradhan uthe esinye sezizathu ezenza abagibeli bemikhumbi bagweme ukuthola izimpahla zabo eKenya yingoba izinto ezitholakala ezimakethe zakuleli zisezingeni eliphansi.
Esinye isici yileso sesimo esibi sezimakethe zezithelo nemifino njengaseKongowea.
“Njengomphakeli wemikhumbi, angikwazi ukuthinta iKongowea. Ngokwezindinganiso zamazwe ngamazwe, kuyingozi futhi uMkhandlu Kamasipala waseMombasa ubukeka ungayinakekeli imakethe mayelana nokuqinisekisa ukuhlanzeka, ”engeza.
Usihlalo weKenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO), uNkz Tasneem Adamji, uvumile ukuthi abahlinzeki abaningi bendawo abakwazi ukufeza izidingo eziqinile zokuphepha nenhlanzeko ezibekwa imboni yezokuvakasha ngomkhumbi.
Noma kunjalo, u-Adamji ethi le nkinga kufanele iqondwe ngendlela efanele, uthe isikhathi sonyaka semboni kwenze kwaba nzima kubantu baseKenya, abakhiqizela imakethe yangaphandle, ukuletha ingxenye yomkhiqizo wabo eMombasa ukuze kusetshenziswe imikhumbi yokuhamba.
"Ngicabanga ukuthi inkinga enkulu ukuthi akukho ukunxenxa okwanele ukukhuthaza ukuvakasha kwabantu ngomkhumbi, okungase kuhehe izimboni ezihlinzeka ngempahla," kusho yena.
Mayelana nezinga lemikhiqizo yakuleli, uveze amawolintshi athe aweqophelo eliphansi kanti abahlinzeki abaningi banxuswa ukuthi bawabheke ngaphandle uma becelwa ukuba bahlinzeke ngomkhumbi ohamba ngezikebhe kanye nezindawo ezijwayele izivakashi.
Uthe umango waseKenya kanye namaphayinaphu bekusezingeni elihle lokuthekelisa ngaphandle, kodwa iningi labakhiqizi/abathengisi bakhetha ukuthumela cishe amaphesenti angama-99 omkhiqizo wabo e-European Union, phakathi kwezinye izindawo, kungashiyi sabelo ekuhlinzekweni kwemikhumbi yokuhamba ngomkhumbi.
Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi imikhumbi yokuhamba ngomkhumbi ayibizi ethekwini unyaka wonke, noma njalo.
Inkinga ingaxazululwa kuphela ngokumaketha iKenya ukuthi ivakashele ezokuvakasha ngamandla kanye nokusebenzisana nezinye izindawo esifundeni, esho, wengeza ngokuthi uhlelo lwe-Indian Ocean Cruise Tourism Promotion - oluhlanganisa amazwe ayisithupha aseMpumalanga Afrika neziqhingi - luhlinzeka ithuba elingcono kakhulu futhi itheku kufanele libe nolaka.
U-Adamji, ongumqondisi ophethe we-Africa Quest Safaris kanye nelungu lebhodi le-Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF), uzwakalise ukungeneliseki ngejubane elincane le-Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) ekusebenziseni indawo ehlongozwayo yokusingatha umkhumbi ohamba ngomkhumbi e-Berth I, kulindeleke ukuthi ihehe imikhumbi eminingi uma isiqalile ukusebenza.
Uthe ama-chandler asengakwazi ukuhlinzeka ngemikhumbi yezempi nemikhumbi yezimpahla.
"Le mikhumbi (yamasosha nempahla) ayiqinile njengemikhumbi, entanta ngamahhotela ezinkanyezi ezinhlanu kanye nenotshi ephezulu ngokwezindinganiso," kusho umphathi weKato.
Ezikebheni ezihamba ngomkhumbi, akukho okusala ngengozi ngoba zihlala zisolwandle futhi noma isiphi isigameko sokudlelwa ushevu ekudleni nakanjani sizodala usizi, wengeza.
Unxuse abaphathi bechweba laseMombasa ukuthi basebenzisane nemboni yezokuvakasha kanye nabanye abadlali esifundeni saseMpumalanga Afrika ukukhuthaza ezokuvakasha ngomkhumbi, wathi noma ngabe itheku lizama kanzima kangakanani lilodwa, ngeke liye kude njengoba ezokuvakasha ngomkhumbi zisekelwe. Lokhu kusho ukuthi iKenya idinga ukusebenzisana namazwe afana neMauritius, Tanzania, Seychelles, Zanzibar kanye neComoros, phakathi kwamanye.
allafrica.com
