Ngachitha Amalanga Amathathu EDR Congo Ngizama Ukubona Intaba-Mlilo—Kanti Ilanga Nengxenye Kwakusitimeleni Somgwaqo

Umgwaqo oyindilinga weKinshasa ngehora lesine nengxenye ntambama uba yindawo yokumisa iimoto engenasiphetho. Itekisi yami ephuzi beyicindezelwe phakathi kwamalori, izithuthuthu, nabahamba ngeenyawo abathwele iinhloko ezipheleleko zeebhanana, kungahambeki ndawo. Umqhubi, insizwa ebizwa ngoPascal, wehlisa ifasitela wangena empikiswaneni ngesiFulentshi saseCongo nomthengisi wamakhadi womtjalekwabo — akusikho ngokwemukela isiginali, kodwana ngombana umthengisi ukholelwa ukuthi amaLeopards anga wina okungenani umdlalo munye emidlalweni ye-Africa Cup elandelako, kanti uPascal wathi: ‘Nange amaLeopards akhaba igoli linye kwaphela ngizokunika le tekisi.’ Ibhola leenyawo kisingeniso esiqinileko seKinshasa. Isitimela somgwaqo kisesesibili.

IDemocratic Republic of the Congo ihlezi enhliziyweni ye-Afrika, ihamba phambili iKinshasa, abantu abangaphezu kwezigidigidi ezilikhulu. Ingubhuko yayo yomhlaba iyiphinda kane eyeFrance, kodwana inamakhilomitha angaphasi kwezi-3,000 wemigwaqo enetiyela. Nangitjela abangani ekhaya ukuthi ngiye eDR Congo ukuyobona intaba-mlilo, abantu abanengi bathi: ‘Uyazi ukuthi iMount Nyiragongo yaqhuma ngokufaka ngo-2021, akusinjalo?’ Okhunye okusabela okujayelekileko bekukuthi: ‘Uyazi ukuthi isitimela somgwaqo saseKinshasa sikhulu kangani, akusinjalo?’ Bengisazokuthola.

IKinshasa lidorobho olizwako ngaphambi kokuthi ulibone. Ngehora lesihlanu nengxenye ekuseni, umsakazo kamakhelwana uqalisa ukuvuza irumba yeCongo — leso sigqi esivilaphako, esingaphikisekiko esenza ukuthi i-hiplife yeNtshonalanga ye-Afrika ne-salsa yaseCuba koke kubonakale kungenele. Ngehora lesishiyagalolunye, umsindo wemarikeni sewuphenduke i-symphony engenawo umphathi — abathengisi benhlanzi, abathengisi beentjhadji zamatjhudiswa womtjalekwabo, iinsudi zesibili, iinkhukhu eziphilako, woke ilizwi lilwela isisekelo sefrikhwensi efanako. Ngehora lesihlanu emini, ipholi yomfula iCongo ikhala ipholi — iphimbo eliphasi kangangokuthi lidlidlizela esifubeni sakho. Ngehora lesithandathu ntambama, ikhwaya yesonto iqalisa ukusilungisela — iCongo lilizwe elikhulu kunavo woke elikhuluma isiFulentshi kanti lelinye lamazwe athembekile khulu kwezobuKhatholika. Ngehora lesishiyagalolunye ebusuku, iinkulumo zebholo leenyawo ziqhuma efasiteleni elivulekileko lebhari — ibizo likaChancel Mbemba likhamba njengephethini leengoma zobu-Afrika. Ngachitha amalanga amabili kileli dorobho kanti angikhenge ngizizwe ngingedwa okwe simzuzu.

Umgwaqo osuka empumalanga yeKinshasa kuhlolwa kokubekezela. Amakhilomitha angamakhulu amathathu angathatha kusukela emahoreni ayisishiyagalombili kuye kwayi-12 — kuye ngesimo sezulu, ukuvama kweembuzi ezinqamula umgwaqo omkhulu, namathubha wokuthi ithangi lamafutha liphuke. Ngaqeda isikhwama esipheleleko seemplanteni ezithosiweko zasemgwaqweni — zimuncu ngaphandle, zithambe ngaphakathi, zifafazwe ngesawoti elimahhadlahhadla netjhili — kanti umgwaqo bewungakavulwa. Kodwana kancane kancane ngaqala ukubona into ethileko: esangweni ledorobhana ngalinye, bekunesiqhephana somhlaba, kanti esiqhepheni ngasinye somhlaba, abantwana bakhahlela ibholo benganazo izikatjhulo — abanye ngamabhodlela weplastiki, abanye ngesiqunta samanikiniki aboshwe babeyibholo, ngezinye iinkhathi ibholo leenyawo leqiniso elinzefileko isikhumba salo sasigugile kwaze kwabonakala iintambo ngaphakathi. Isiqhephana ngasinye somhlaba besiyiNdebe yoMhlaba encani. 'Iinkundla' bekungamabhede weplastiki aphendukileko. Unompempe bekulibhuzi elidlulako.

IVirunga National Park ingenyakatfo yeGoma. Ukungena epakini kulifuna ilunga elihlomileko — akusikho ngebangelo lokuhlasela kwezilwane zasendle, kodwana ngombana isigodi lesi besihlala sidlulelwa ziimpi nokuphikisana okuhlomileko iinkhathi ngeenkathi. Ilunga beliyinsizwa eseseminyakeni yawo amashumi amathathu yokuqala egameni linguEmmanuel. Esifoleni sakhe sokunene, isilonda esidala — '2008, imfene. Akusikho ukuhlasela — yehla kwaphela esihlahleni yangikhubekisa.' Watshaya leli hlaya angenakuhleka. Ubesemavikini wokuvimbela ukuzingela ngokungemthethweni alikhulu namashumi amabili, wathi ukuqhathanisa nentaba-mlilo, abazingeli abangekho emthethweni abanokuqagela okuncani khulu.

Ukwenyuka kweMount Nyiragongo kuqala emamitheni ayi-1,989 ngaphezulu kwezinga lelwandle, ehlathini lemvula lesitirhobhi. Ama-awa amabili wokuthoma: umoya ugcwele umswani, imilenze imbozwe ludaka. Iimila zitjhuguluka zisuka emacembeni abanzi ziye emaferni ziye emafusini aphasalazekileko, bese — bese koke okuluhlaza kuyanyamalala. Ngaphezulu kwamamitha ayizigidigidi ezintathu, ibulongo liba litshe lemvelo elimnyama. Isinyatho ngasinye siyabhuruzeka, njengokuhamba phezu kwamabhiskidi atjhisweko. Izinga lokutjhisa lehla lisuka emadigrini wamashumi amathathu liye kwayisishiyagalombili. Umkhambeli wathi: ‘Kwanje uyazwisisa ukuthi kungani ngikutjhele bona ulethe ibhantshi elongeziweko.’

Ngehora lesikhombisa nengxenye kusihlwa. Ngema emaphethelweni womgodi omkhulu. Itsala lelava eliphila khulu emhlabeni beligobagoba amakhulu amabili amamitha ngaphasi — akusikho okubomvu, kodwana umthunzi ongachazwa wobugolide-ombovana, iingaphakathi zelanga, ingazi yoMhlaba ivezwe ngqo emoyeni. Azikho iinsimbi zokuvikela. Akhuna nokukhanya okungekhona okwemvelo kwalo nanyana yimuphi uhlobo. Ukukhanya kukodwa bekulilo lelo tsala eliginqikako lamatshe ancibilikileko. Umoya wadonsela phezulu usuka ebulongweni bomgodi, uphethe isibabule nomdumo wefrikhwensi ephasi — akusikho umsindo ngempela, kudlidlizela okuzwako emathanjeni wakho. Umhambi engihamba naye — umfundi ovela eGoma — wambheda phasi edwaleni emaphethelweni wangakhulumi lutho imizuzu elitjhumi epheleleko. Ngemva kwalokho wakhuluma into ethile ngesiLingala. UEmmanuel wahumutjha: ‘Uthi — njengomntwana bengicabanga bona iintaba-mlilo zizinto ezisemlandweni wezinto ezingekho, zidwetshelwe emabhukwini wesikolo. Kwanje angisenasi isiqiniseko.’

Endleleni ehlela phasi, imilenze yami beyivevezela. Akusikho ngebangelo lokwesaba — i-creatine nokudinwa. Izibane eziphasalazekileko zeGoma zazikhanya ngaphasi, umfula iCongo uribhoni emnyama ebusuku. Umfana omncani wakhomba iimbhutshisi zami zokuhamba wathi ngesiFulentshi: 'Tu es allé au volcan?' Ngavuma ngehloko. Wanginika isithupha esiphakanyisiweko wagijima. Iinkundla zebholo leenyawo zeGoma zihlelwe ngomlotha wentaba-mlilo — ibholo ligxuma ngobude obuncani obungalungile, ukuphenduka kwalo kuphikisana nefiziksi evamileko. Kodwana abantwana balapha sebayifunde kade. EDR Congo, uhlala ulungisa ukugxuma okungalandeli imithetho elindelekileko — nanyana kungubhola leenyawo, isitimela somgwaqo, namkha intaba-mlilo enomoya omumbi.

Sengibuyele eKinshasa, imvula yasekuseni beyina. Itekisi kaPascal yayibhajwe emgwaqweni ofanako oyindilinga — namkha okungenani omunye obukeka unjengawo. Umsakazo bewudlala irumba; yena wayevungamela, atjhaye iminwe yakhe esondweni lokuqalaza. Ngambuza bona usakholelwa yini bona amaLeopards angakhaba igoli. Wamomotheka: 'ECongo, ukuba nethemba likghono lokurhweba — libaluleke njengokwazi ukuthengiselana.' Ngaphandle kwefasitela, ngabona insizwa enebholo leenyawo ezinyaweni zayo, amanzi emvula atjhariza ebusweni bayo, ebamba ukukhanya. Umsakazo kaPascal watjhuguluka kusuka kurumba kuye eengxoxweni zomdlalo — uChancel Mbemba wake wakhaba igoli futhi. Wehlisa ifasitela wamemetha umuntu angamaziyo ephasijini. Akhuna muntu owazwisisa bona uthini. Kodwana woke umuntu wahleka.