I-Uganda: Emthonjeni We-Nile, Ukuzwa I-Echo Yebholo Nehlathi Lemvula

Umsindo wokuqala wokuhambela i-Uganda, akukhona impophoma, futhi akukhona ihlathi lemvula, kodwa ibholo elikhahlelwe ngephutha ebumnyameni base-Kampala. Ibholo lasukuma endleleni yenhlabathi ebomvu, lahlwitha isondo le-boda-boda, laginqika ngaphambi kwesitolo sikakhova oyosiwe. Umthengisi akazange athukuthele, wagoba walikhahlela nge-flip-flop, walibuyisela ezinyaweni zezingane. Eduze kwakunomuntu omemezayo "Onyango," intsha yahlekana, yaphinde yawujaha. Ngalowo mzuzu ngaqonda ukuthi, ibholo lase-Uganda alikona nje umdlalo, kufana kakhulu nolimi olujwayelekile lomgwaqo: ngaphandle kwenkundla, ungawuqala umdlalo; ngaphandle kwezicathulo zebholo, ungagijima.

I-Kampala yakhiwe ezintabeni, ukukhuphuka nokwehla kwedolobha kufana nomdwebo wamaqhinga ongakaqedwa. Emini, amatekisi, amabhasi amancane, izithuthuthu nabahamba ngezinyawo balwela umgwaqo omncane ofanayo; ebusuku, izimakethe zibuyisela ijubane kancane. Izibani zemakethe yase-Owino zilenga phansi, intuthu yenyama eyosiwe, iphunga lamalahle, umoya oshisayo we-cassava ethosiwe kanye nephunga lomhlabathi osanda kufakwa imvula konke kuhlangene. Umfana ogqoke ijezi leqembu lesizwe lase-Uganda wasonga ipulasitiki wenza ibholo, wazilolongela uku-lima phakathi kwamatende. Ngaso sonke isikhathi lokhu, abantu babemhuqa. Ithemba laleli zwe alihlali libhalwa eziqubulweni, imvamisa, lisengaphakathi kwebholo elidala elikhahlelwe.

Ngosuku olulandelayo ukuya e-Jinja, amanzi e-Lake Victoria akhanya ngaphandle kwefasitela. I-Uganda ivamise ukubizwa ngokuthi izwe lomthombo we-Nile, lapho umi eceleni komfula e-Jinja, la mazwi ngokungazelelwe awasafani nencwadi ye-geography. Amanzi aphuma e-Lake Victoria, aqala ngokuthula abe yi-Victoria Nile, bese eqhubekela enyakatho, edlula emathafeni, ezihosheni nasemingceleni, ekugcineni abe ngumfula omkhulu oguqula ikusasa lezwekazi. Umugqa we-ikhwetha nawo udlula kancane kuleli zwe, kufana nomugqa ophakathi ongabonakali: i-hemisphere eseningizimu ne-hemisphere esenyakatho ziyaxhawulana lapha, amanzi echibi, imifula, inhlabathi ebomvu namazwi abantu konke kuya phambili ndawonye.

Ngabona umdlalo omncane eceleni komfula. Amapali ngamatshe amabili, ingxenye yenkundla kwakungutshani, enye yayiludaka. Omunye wayegqoke i-Arsenal, omunye e-Manchester United, abanye begqoke amajezi agugile e-Uganda Cranes. Unozinti omude waziphonsa phansi, izandla zakhe zagcwala inhlabathi ebomvu, kodwa lapho evuka wahleka kakhulu. Ibholo lapha akukhona ukubalekela iqiniso, kodwa ukulibhala kabusha okwesikhashana kube ngokunye okungenzeka. Ungahlala endaweni eminyene, ungabi nayo inkundla yokuzilolonga efanele, kodwa uma nje ibholo liseduze konyawo lwakho, ikusasa lisengacatshangwa.

I-Murchison Falls yaphazamisa lo mcabango othuleyo. Imoto ifinyelela e-Top of the Falls, umsindo wamanzi uqale wafika ngaphambili kusuka ngemumva kwezihlahla. Lapho umi eduze kwensimbi yokubamba, uyaqonda ukuthi akukhona 'ukuduma' okwanele ukukulingana. Wonke umfula i-Nile udobheka emgodini omncane wamatshe, ushayeka phansi ngamandla, ama-spray afinyelela ebusweni, kufana nomuntu oshaya isigubhu esimhlophe eduze kwendlebe. Umqhubi wathi, umfula lapha ucasuka ngoba uphoqelekile ukuthi unciphe. Kodwa lapho ngibuka amanzi agelezayo, kunalokho ngawabona njengolunye uhlangothi lwabantu base-Uganda: bacindezelwe, kodwa abalahlekelwa amandla okuya phambili.

Ukuqhubekela eningizimu-ntshonalanga, umgwaqo uqala ukungena ezintabeni. I-Uganda iyikhaya lezimpandezi zesiliva ezicishe zibe yingxenye yomhlaba, kanti i-Bwindi Impenetrable Forest igama alihayi amanga. Akulona ihlathi onga 'lingena' kulo kalula, kufana nodonga oluhlaza, olusindayo, noluphefumulayo. Ngehora lesikhombisa ekuseni, abalindi bachaza imithetho endaweni yokuhlangana: amaqembu wabantu abayisishiyagalombili, uma nithole izimpandezi nihlala ihora elilodwa kuphela, akukho flash, kufanele nilandele imiyalo. Wonke umusho wawujwayelekile, kodwa lapho amathonsi emvula eshayela umphetho wesigqoko, wonke umuntu wathula, kufana nokungena emkhubeni omdala.

Izinyathelo zase-Bwindi zikhethekile. Akukhona umsindo wezicathulo endleleni, kodwa umsindo wodaka olubamba amabhuthi, imivimbo edonsa ibhulukwe, imisele egawulwa ngamajeke, ukukhala kwezinyoni kude ngokungazelelwe kuyeke. Sahamba ngamabhanana, saphinde sangena emthunzini wezihlahla ezimnyama. Ihlathi lemvula alenzelanga izivakashi indlela ebushelelezi, imithambeka iyashelela, izimpande zezihlahla zifana nezandla ezikhubekisayo. Abakanye nami ekuqaleni babexoxa, kamuva kwasele ukuphefumula kuphela. Abalindi babema ngezinye izikhathi, balalelisisa umsakazo, bese bephakamisa isandla ukusikhomba ukuthi silandele.

Ngemva kwamahora amathathu, umlindi owayephambili ngokungazelelwe waguqa. Umoya wafana nokubanjwa. Emamitha ambalwa, indoda yesiliva yehlezi phakathi kwezihlahla, uboya bayo obumnyama bunamathele amathonsi emvula, umgwaqo wayo osemhlane okusiliva wawukhanya emthunzini. Ayizange ibonise umdlalo, futhi ayizange isamukele, yamane nje yagoba igatsha elincane, yalifaka emlonyeni yalihlafuna. Eduze kwakhe izimpandezi ezincane zazigingqika, zidonsa amaqabunga, zifana nezingane ezilwela ibholo emakethe yase-Kampala ebusuku. Kodwa lapho indoda yesiliva iphakamisa amehlo, ihlathi lonke laphinde lathula.

Lelo hora alizange lizwakale njengehora. Uzokhohlwa ikhamera, ukhohlwe udaka, ukhohlwe ukuthi usebenzise amandla amangaki ukufinyelela lapha. Abantu bahlala bethanda ukwenza izilwane zasendle zibe 'yindawo yezivakashi,' kodwa e-Bwindi, ubuhlobo buyaphenduka. Yizimpandezi ezisivumela ukuthi sihlale okwesikhashana emaphethelweni empilo yazo. Zidla amaqabunga, ziyalala, zisondelelana, azisidingi nakancane ukumangala kwethu. Lapho sisuka, ngabheka ngemumva, leyo ndoda yesiliva yayisephendukile, kufana nedwala elimnyama elinyakazayo, kancane ibuyela ekujuleni kwehlathi.

Endleleni ebuyela e-Kampala, ngangilokhu ngicabanga ukuthi ibholo nezimpandezi kuhlobene kanjani. Enye isemgwaqweni wenhlabathi ebomvu, enye isehlathini lemvula elisezintabeni eziphakeme; eyodwa ingeyomsindo, ukugijima nokumenyeza, enye ingeyokuthula, ibanga nokuhlonipha. Kodwa zombili zikhuluma into efanayo: ukuthi i-Uganda iligcina kanjani amandla okuphila. Ibholo lulimi lwethemba, izingane zilisebenzisa ukuthi 'ngisakwazi ukugijima'; indalo ilulimi lwesikhathi, i-Bwindi ilisebenzisa ukuthi 'kufanele wehlise ijubane.'

Ngosuku lokugcina, ngaphinde ngaya emakethe yase-Kampala ebusuku. Amalahle ngaphambi kwesitolo senyama eyosiwe ayesavutha kakhulu, umsakazo wawukhipha ukusakazwa kwebholo, amadoda amaningana ezungeza isikrini esincane ephikisana ngesinqumo. Kude izingane zaziqhubeka nokukhahlela ibholo, ibholo laginqika langena emthunzini, laphinde lakhahlelwa labuyela ngaphansi kwezibani. Ngakhumbula i-Nile eqala ngokuthula e-Jinja, ngakhumbula i-Murchison Falls ecindezela umsindo wamanzi esifubeni, ngakhumbula indoda yesiliva e-Bwindi ehlafuna amaqabunga ngekhanda eliphansi.

Lokhu yi-Uganda engiyikhumbulayo ngohambo lwami: akukhona umbono owodwa we-Afrika, akukhona nje i-safari, izimpophoma noma izimpandezi. Kungumgwaqo osuka enkundleni yomgwaqo uye ekujuleni kwehlathi lemvula. Uqala e-Kampala uzwa izingane zimemeza ithemba, bese use-Mfuleni i-Nile ubona amanzi eqala uhambo lwawo, ekugcineni e-Bwindi ufunda ukwehlisa iphimbo. Lapho usuka, inhlabathi ebomvu isanamathele esicathulweni, umsindo wezinyathelo zehlathi lemvula usesendlebeni, kanti lelo bholo elidala elikhahlelwe, kusengathi lisagingqika ngaphansi kwezibani zemakethe ebusuku.