Umasindakunzima Oyisimanga
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENAMIBIA
LAPHA oGwadule iNamib oluseningizimu-ntshonalanga ye-Afrika, umoya wakhona uyahlaba futhi upholile. Licwathile namuhla. Njengoba ilanga liphakama, kuphakama nezinga lokushisa. Yizwe lamagquma ezihlabathi namathafa anohlalwane ashanelwe umoya. Siqalaza ngapha nangapha sikhexe imilomo. Yini le engumfunzana wamaqabunga aluhlaza laphaya? Lapho sisondela, sithola ukuthi sizithele kwesinye sezihlahla eziyinqaba emhlabeni—okuthiwa i-Welwitschia mirabilis. Ingxenye yesibili kuleli gama lesayensi lalesi sihlahla iyisiLatini futhi isho ukuthi “okumangalisayo.”
Izihlahla zama-welwitschia ezizimilela endle zitholakala kuphela ezingwadule zase-Angola naseNamibia. Zihluke kakhulu kwezinye izihlahla kangangokuthi ososayensi bazifaka kowazo wodwa umkhakha futhi ziwuhlobo olulodwa kuphela. “Ezinhlotsheni zezihlahla ezingu-375 000 umuntu azaziyo, asikho esinye isihlahla esiye savusa ilukuluku lezazi zesayensi yezihlahla njenge-Welwitschia; futhi asikho esinye isihlahla esiye senza ukuba ziyimise emthumeni kungaziwa ukuthi sizofakwa kusiphi isigaba sezihlahla,” kubhala uChris Bornman encwadini yakhe ethi Welwitschia—Paradox of a Parched Paradise.
Izihlahla zama-welwitschia zingase zibonakale ziyimfumba nje yamaqabunga ezungeze isiphunzi somuthi, kodwa empeleni lesi sihlahla sinamaqabunga amabili nje kuphela. Umoya wasogwadule uwaklaya asale emichilochilo. Igama lesiBhunu lalesi sihlahla elithi tweeblaarkanniedood, ngokwezwi nezwi lisho ukuthi “amaqabunga amabili angasoze afa.” Yeka ukuthi linembe kangakanani lelo gama! Amazinga okushisa emini lapha ngezinye izikhathi afinyelela ku-40°C., kanti ebusuku kuyenzeka kubande ngendlela eshubisa umnkantsha njengoba kungekho namithi ebamba imimoya evunguza ngamandla. Nakuba izihlahla eziningi zithembele ngokuphelele ezimpandeni zazo ukuze zimunce amanzi enhlabathini, akunjalo nge-welwitschia. INamib ithola imvula engaphansi kwamamilimitha angu-25 ngokwesilinganiso ngonyaka, futhi ngezinye izikhathi ayibi khona nhlobo imvula iminyaka ilandelana! I-welwitschia iyaqhubeka ikhula futhi amaqabunga ayo eluhlaza ngisho nangaphansi kwezimo ezinjalo. Sekuyisikhathi eside ososayensi bezibuza ukuthi kazi kwenzeka kanjani lokho. Kubonakala sengathi amaqabunga e-welwitschia amunca umlalamvubu wasekuseni imimoya yasogwini evunguza njalo ewuqhubela ogwadule.
Amaqabunga e-welwitschia awawohloki kukhule amanye amasha. Wona lawo okuqala aqhubeka ekhula phakathi naso sonke isikhathi sokuphila kwayo. Lapho lisonjululwa, elinye iqabunga latholakala lingamamitha angaphezu kuka-8,8 ubude! Cabanga ukuthi kwakuyokwenzekani ukube amachopho eqabunga le-welwitschia ebengafi futhi avithike! Umagazini wesayensi i-Veld & Flora uchaza ukuthi “uma ingase iphile iminyaka engu-1500, i-welwitschia ingase ibe neqabunga elingaba [amamitha angu-225] ubude.” Kodwa kungenzeka yini ukuba lesi sihlahla siphile isikhathi eside kangako? “Izihlahla zama-welwitschia zikhula kancane futhi ngokuvamile ziphila iminyaka engu-1 000 kuya kwengu-2 000,” kuqinisekisa i-World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia.
Ngempela i-welwitschia ingumasindakunzima omangalisayo. Kwenziwa yini ukuba lesi sihlahla esiyingqayizivele siphile isikhathi eside kangaka ezimweni ezinje zasogwadule okungayi lubuyayo kulo? Ngokuyinhloko, kumelwe sibonge uMklami ohlakaniphe kakhulu, uMdali, uJehova uNkulunkulu, owenza ‘izimila ngenjongo yokuba zisetshenziswe isintu.’—IHubo 104:14.