ITopiya Ethakazelisayo

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ETOPIYA

EMINYAKENI eminingi iTopiya yayaziwa ngokuthi umbuso ofihlekile. Nakuba esephelile amakhulu eminyaka okuba ngayodwa kwayo, bambalwa namuhla abawaziyo umlando wayo othakazelisayo, abantu namasiko ahlukahlukene, kanye nokuma kwezwe okungajwayelekile. Njengoba inabantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-50—abacishe babe ngangabaseFrance—iyizwe elingenakushaywa indiva.

Kubonakala sengathi kwakungamaGreki asendulo asungula igama elithi “Topiya,” elisho ukuthi “Isifunda Sobuso Obufuswe Ilanga.” Nokho, umlando wayo wezombangazwe ugutshuzelwe imfihlakalo nenganekwane. Ukulandisa okuthile kuthi iTopiya yayiyingxenye yeSheba yasendulo yodumo yaseBhayibhelini nokuthi indlovukazi yakhona yayingumhlonishwakazi onothile owavakashela iNkosi uSolomoni. Ngakho ababusi abaningi baseTopiya besikhathi esidlule babethi bayizizukulwane zendoda okuthiwa uMenelik, okucatshangwa ukuthi iyingane eyavela ngenxa yokuthandana kukaSolomoni nalendlovukazi.

Nokho, ngokunokwenzeka empeleni iSheba yayiseningizimu-ntshonalanga ye-Arabia.a IBhayibheli liyakhuluma ngeTopiya kuzo zombili izingxenye zalo zesiHeberu (“ITestamente Elidala”) nezesiGreki (“ITestamente Elisha”). Ngokwesibonelo, izEnzo isahluko 8 zikhuluma ‘ngomthenwa’ waseTopiya, noma isikhulu sikahulumeni, owaphendukela ebuKristwini. Kodwa ngokwemingcele yanamuhla, iTopiya yaseBhayibhelini ngokuyinhloko yayihlanganisa indawo manje eyaziwa ngokuthi iSudan.

Ekhulwini lesithathu leSikhathi sethu Esivamile, kwase kumiswe umbuso wase-Aksum eTopiya. Wandlondlobala ngaphansi kweNkosi u-‛Ēzānā ekhulwini lesine. Njengoba naye ayeguqukile, u-‛Ēzānā waguqulela wonke umbuso wakhe “ebuKristwini.” ITopiya yasebenzelana namazwe aseNtshonalanga okwesikhashana, kodwa lobo buhlobo baphela ngekhulu lesikhombisa. I-Encyclopedia Americana iyachaza: “Eminyakeni engaba ngu-1000 kamuva, iTopiya yayihlukanisiwe namanye amazwe obuKristu emzamweni wayo wokuzivikela kumaSulumane ayengena ngesinyenyela evela enyakatho nasempumalanga, kanye nakubahlaseli abangamaqaba baseningizimu.” Ikakhulukazi ukunqoba kwamaSulumane iGibithe neNubia kwabuqeda ubuhlobo beTopiya neLobukholwa.

Ngokungafani namanye amazwe ase-Afrika, abaseYurophu abazange benze amakoloni isikhathi eside eTopiya, ngaphandle kwawesikhashana enziwa abase-Italy ngasekuqaleni kwaleli khulu leminyaka kusukela ngo-1935 kuya ku-1941. Ngo-1974 ukuketulwa kombuso abezempi kwagumbuqela umbuso omdala. Kusukela ngo-1991 umbuso omusha uye waletha izinguquko ekwenzeni lelizwe libe nenkululeko eyengeziwe. Ngenxa yalokho, sekungenzeka ukuhlolisisa lelizwe elalifihlekile.

Abantu Namasiko Abo

Kunzima ukubabopha ngabhande linye abantu baseTopiya ngenxa yokuthi bahlukene kakhulu. Kunemizulane engama-Afar ezulazula eDanakil Desert ehashazelayo. Ngasentshonalanga kunabantu abansundu baseNile. Eningizimu kuhlala ikakhulukazi abantu abangama-Oromo. Abantu abangama-Amhara bahlala ezinkangala ezimaphakathi nezwe, lapho belima khona eziqongweni zezintaba ezinomoya. Khona-ke akumangalisi ukuthi iTopiya inezilimi ezingaba ngu-300. Amaqembu ezinhlanga anezindlela zawo zokucwala izinwele, izinhlobo zezingubo, nezindlela zokwakha izindlu. Izindlela zokwakha izindlu zisukela kuma-tukul ayindilinga akhiwe ngoqalo avamile eningizimu kuya ezindlini zezitini zodaka ezifulelwe ngotshani enkabeni yeTopiya nezindlu eziyizitezi ezakhiwe ngamatshe enyakatho.

Kukhona nezinhlobonhlobo zamagama abantu athakazelisayo. Kunokuba abe izindlela zokuhlukanisa abantu, lamagama azwakala ngokuhlukile anezincazelo cishe ezaziwa kahle njalo endaweni. Amantombazane angase ethiwe ngokuthi Fikre (Sithandwa), Desta (Nonjabulo), Senait (Nobuhle), Emnet (Kholekile), Ababa (Mbali), noma Trunesh (Muhle). Ezinye izibonelo zamagama abesilisa elithi Berhanu (Nkanyiso), Wolde Mariam (Ndodana kaMariya), Gebre Yesus (Nceku kaJesu), Haile Sellassie (Mandla kaZiqu-zintathu), noma Tekle Haimanot (Sitshalo Senkolo).

Iningi lalamagama libonisa ithonya elisobala lenkolo yobu-Orthodox. Ngempela, inkolo ithonya cishe wonke amasiko aseTopiya! Ikhalenda elinezinyanga ezingu-13 ligcwele imikhosi yenkolo. Evelele kakhulu kulena i-Meskel, “uMkhosi Wesiphambano,” ne-Timkat, nohide lwayo olumibalabala lokugubha ukubhapathizwa kukaKristu. Futhi akufanele kumangalise ukuthi ubuciko obuningi obungokwesiko baseTopiya bunesizinda esingokwenkolo.

Ukuma Kwendawo

Ukuyihlola kwakho kokuqala ngqá iTopiya kufanele kuhlanganise nokuma kwayo okukhangayo. Esinye isici esivelele iGreat Rift Valley, enqamula lelizwe ishone ngaseKenya. Onqenqemeni lwayo kunemithombo eminingi eshisayo nemihume. Kunamachibi angu-7 athe chithi saka lapho ihamba khona. Kunezinkangala eziphakeme nhlangothi zombili ngamamitha angaphezu kuka-2000, ezifinyelela enyakatho eziNtabeni zaseSimyen. Lezi zintaba zibizwa ngokuthi uPhahla Lwase-Afrika oluphakeme ngamamitha angaphezu kuka-4600! Iziqongo eziphakeme nemihosha ehlaba umxhwele yalendawo kuyakhanga ngempela. Bude buduze kuneLake Tana nomthombo weBlue Nile. Lomfula unomhosha wawo okhangayo oyinsongensonge oya entshonalanga ngaseSudan. Eduze neLake Tana, iBlue Nile futhi inombukwane omuhle—iziMpophoma iTisissat, ewulukuhlela emaweni njengengxenye encane yeVictoria Falls edumile. Enyakatho-mpumalanga, izigodi zikasawoti ezimibalabala zihlobise iDanakil, ugwadule olusendaweni ephansi kunazo zonke e-Afrika. Ingaphansi kokuphakama kogu lolwandle.

ITopiya ikhiqiza izilimo ezimangalisayo ezinhlobonhlobo, kusukela kukolweni, ibhali, ubhanana, ummbila, nokotini kuya kumagilebhisi, amawolintshi, nezinongo eziningi. Futhi kuthiwa iTopiya iyisizinda sokuqala okwatholakala kuso ikhofi, futhi kuze kube namuhla ikhiqiza ingxenye enkulu kabhontshisi wokwenza ikhofi. Bese kuba khona nokusanhlamvu okungajwayelekile okuthiwa isinandi. Kufana notshani, futhi imbewu yako encane iyagaywa ukuze kukhiqizwe ukudla okuyinhloko okuthandwayo eTopiya futhi okuwukudla kwesizwe, i-injera. I-injera yenziwa ngohhavini okhethekile futhi ngokuvamile ifakwa kubhasikidi omkhulu oyindilinga, i-mesob yokuhlobisa. Njengoba ibekwa phansi emakhaya amaningi aseTopiya, i-mesob iwusizo futhi iyingxenye ebalulekile yomhlobiso!

Izilwane Zasendle

Iziphi izilwane zasendle ezitholakala eTopiya? Ziyinqwaba. Eqinisweni, iTopiya ineziqiwi eziningi ezisemajukujukwini ezinezinyamazane ezinhlobonhlobo namabhubesi. Kuthiwa kunezinhlobo zezinyoni ezingaphezu kuka-830 ezihlala kulelizwe, ezinye zazo ezitholakala eTopiya kuphela.

Phakathi kwezilwane ezingajwayelekile kakhulu kune-walia ibex ekhangayo, imbuzi yasendle enhle ehlala kuphela eziNtabeni eziphakeme zaseSimyen. Angamakhulu ambalwa ahlala emaweni angafinyeleleki. Angeqa umhosha ojule kakhulu ngaphandle kokushelela. Kukhona ne-gelada enhle. Ngenxa yoboya bayo obude nebala elibomvu tebhu esifubeni sayo, ibizwa nangokuthi i-lion monkey nangokuthi i-bleeding-heart baboon. Akudingekile ukuba uhambe ibanga elide ukuze ubone izilwane. Phela, ngokuvamile imigwaqo yaseTopiya igcwala amakamela, iminyuzi, izinkomo, nezimbongolo!

Kuyavunywa, lelizwe linazo izinkinga. Inhloko-dolobha, i-Addis Ababa, iyidolobha lesimanje elikhulu elinabantu abangaphezu kwesigidi. Kodwa likhathazwa ukuntuleka kwezindlu nokuswelakala kwemisebenzi. Isomiso nempi yombango kuye kwabangela ukungabi namakhaya, izinyonga, nenani elikhulu labafelokazi nezintandane. OFakazi BakaJehova kulelizwe bayazikhandla ukuze basize abantu baseTopiya ukuba baqaphele ukuthi okuwukuphela kwekhambi lezinkinga zabo uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngaphansi kukaKristu Jesu.—Mathewu 6:9, 10.

Okwamanje, iTopiya iyizwe elikufanele ukwaziwa. Sithemba ukuthi lokhu kulihlola kafushane kuye kwavusa isithakazelo sakho, kangangokuthi mhlawumbe ngelinye ilanga uyozihlolela wena mathupha lelizwe elithakazelisayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Izithombe ekhasini 18]

I-“mesob” isetshenziselwa ukuphaka i-“injera,” ukudla kwesizwe kwaseTopiya