“Isihlahla Esibheke Phansi”

LELO igama lokugcona lesihlahla saseAfrika okuthiwa ibaobab (Adansonia digitata). Lapho imbozwe amahlamvu nezimbali, ibaobab ibukeka kahle kakhulu. Kodwa ebusika kuvela amagatsha amafushane angenalutho esiqwini esikhuluphele futhi abukeke njengezimpande zesihlahla esibheke phansi.

Iqoqo lamabaobab enyakatho Botswana libizwa ngokuthi amaSeven Sisters. Adwetshwa umdwebi owumcwaningi uThomas Baines ekhulwini le-19 leminyaka. Uma uqhathanisa umdwebo kaBaines wekhulu leminyaka eledlule nezihlahla zanamuhla, kunomehluko omncane kakhulu obonakalayo.

Lokhu kubonisa isikhathi eside esiphilwa ibaobab. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi izihlahla ezinkulu kakhulu zinezinkulungwane zeminyaka ubudala. Amabaobab akhula kahle ezifundeni ezishisayo, ezomile zaseAfrika futhi anezakhi eziningi ezisekela ukuphila. Imidumba inezimbewu ezimhlophe qwa ezinambitheka njengokhilimu wetartar. Izindlovu ziyakujabulela ukudla amagxolo kanye nokhuni oluthambile, olunomswakama omningi. Eqinisweni, amaconsi amanzi emvula ngezinye izikhathi atholakala emhubheni walapho kuhlangana khona amagatsha nasemigodini eyakheka ngaphakathi kwesihlahla.

Esinye isici esihlaba umxhwele sebaobab ubukhulu baso obubabazekayo. Ezinkulu kakhulu kuzo kubikwa ukuthi zisemimangweni engaseningizimu yeNtaba iKilimanjaro eTanzania; zinobuqatha obungamamitha angu-28. Enye ibaobab ewumhubhe ngaphakathi eseZimbabwe yayisetshenziswa njengesitobhi sebhasi futhi yayingakhoselisa abantu abangu-30.

Kubonakala kudida ukuthi umuntu ohlakaniphile kufanele aphile iminyaka yakhe emifushane engamashumi ayisikhombisa kuyilapho “isihlahla esibheke phansi” singaphila izinkulungwane zeminyaka. Ngokujabulisayo, sinaso sonke isiqiniseko sokuthi uMdali wazo zonke izinto eziphilayo uyosigcwalisa ngokuphelele isithembiso sakhe sokuthi izinsuku zabantu bakhe ziyoba “njengezinsuku zomuthi.”—Isaya 65:22; IHubo 90:10.