Ngachita Emalanga Lamatsatfu eDR Congo Ngitama Kubona Intsabamlilo—Kodvwa Lihora Nesigamu Lawo BekuyiTraffic

Umgwaco losisindvo saseKinshasa ngehora lesine nemizuzu lengemashumi lamatsatfu ntsambama uphendvuka indzawo yekupaka lengenakuphela. Itekisi yami lephuzi beyicinitselwe emkhatsini wemaloli, emabhayisikhili, kanye nabahambi ngetinyawo labalinganisela tindzawo tonkhe tebhanana emahlombe abo, ingayi ndzawo. Umshayeli, lijaha lelibitwa ngekutsi nguPascal, wehlisa lifasitelo wangena engcikishanweni ngeFulentji laseCongo nemdayisi wemakhadi elucingo — hhayi ngekwemukela lokutsite, kodvwa ngoba lomdayisi acabanga kutsi emaLeopards angawina okungenani umdlalo munye kwiNdzebe ye-Afrika letako, futsi uPascal watsi: 'Nangabe emaLeopards ashaya ligoli linye nje ngitakunika letekisi.' Ibhola letinyawo yindlela lesebenta kakhulu yekucala kukhuluma eKinshasa. ITraffic ngeyesibili.

IDemocratic Republic of the Congo ihleti enhlitiyweni ye-Afrika, inhlokodolobha iKinshasa, bantfu labangetulu kwetigidzi letingemakhulu. Indzawo yayo lephelele inetisindvo letine taseFrance, kodvwa inemakhilomitha langaphasi kwa-3,000 emigwaco levuniwe. Nase ngitshela bangani bami ekhaya kutsi ngiye eDR Congo ngiyobona intsabamlilo, bantfu labanyenti baphendvula: 'Uyati kutsi iMount Nyiragongo yagcina kughamuka nga-2021, angitsi?' Lokunye lokuvamile kwakutsite: 'Uyati kutsi iTraffic yaseKinshasa mimbi kangakanani, angitsi?' Bengitawutfola.

IKinshasa lidolobha loleva ngaphambi kwekutsi ulibone. Ngehora lesihlanu nemizuzu lengemashumi lamatsatfu ekuseni, umsakato wemakhelwane ucala kuvuza iCongolese rumba — leso sinciphiso lesivilaphako, lesingenakuvimbeka lesenta umculo lomkhulu waseNshonalanga ne-Afrika kanye nemculo waseCuba begcwele kungafanele. Ngehora lesiphohlongo, kumemeta kwemakethe sekuphendvuke kuhlabelela lokungenamcondvondvomo — badayisi betinhlanti, badayisi betinsimbi tekushaja telucingo, emasudi langamasekhandi, tinkhukhu letiphilako, wonkhe livi lilwela kuphila ngefrikhwensi yinye. Emasikati, umkhumbi weCongo River ushaya luphondvo lwayo — liphimbo leliphansi kanganaba liyavevethala ekhasini lesifuba sakho. Ngehora lesitfupha ntsambama, likhwaya lelisontfo licala kuhlolwa — iCongo live lelikhulu kakhulu emhlabeni lelikhuluma siFulentji futsi lingelinye lamave lakhonzela kakhulu emaKatolika. Ngehora lesiphohongolo ebusuku, kuhlatiya kwebhola letinyawo kuvungama kusuka efasteleni lelivulekile lebhawa — ligama laChancel Mbemba ligincika njengephethini lesigubhu sase-Afrika. Ngachita emalanga lamabili kuledolobha futsi angikaze ngitive ngingedvwa.

Umgwaco losuka enshonalanga yeKinshasa uvivinyo lwekubeketela. Emakhilomitha langemakhulu lamatsatfu angatsatsa emahora lasiphohlongo kuya kwayalishumi nakubili — kuya ngesimo selitulu, kuvama kwetimbuti letiwela umgwaco, kanye nekungenzeka kwekutsi ithangi le-oyela liphuke. Ngacedza sikhwama sonkhe sebhanana lembhila lelothisiwe lasemgwacweni — kugedvuka kwaphandle, lokutsambile ngaphakatsi, kufafatwe ngeluswayi lolukhaliphile nechili — kantsi umgwaco awukavuleki. Kodvwa kancane kancane ngabona lokutsite: kuto tonkhe tindlela tekungena emadolobheni, bekuneligumbi lemhlabatsi lesitakiwe, futsi kuto tonkhe tigodzi temhlabatsi, bantfwana labagucule tinyawo badlala ibhola — labanye ngetibodlela teplastiki, labanye ngesigujo semanikinikini labophile baba libhola, ngesikhatsi letsite ibhola leliciniso leliphelile lelisikhumba salo sesigugile kuze kubonakale lokufakwe ngaphakatsi. Tonkhe tigodzi temhlabatsi bekuyiNdzebe yeMhlaba lencane. 'Tihlalo' bekungebhakede leplastiki lehlatjelwe phansi. Umtsetfosisekelo bekungumbuti lowelukako.

IVirunga National Park isenyakatho yeGoma. Kungenela lelipaki kudzinga umlindi lolomkhatsi — hhayi ngekuhlasela kwetilwane, kodvwa ngoba lesifundza sihlale sihlaselwa tintfo temphi emashumini eminyaka. Umlindi bekulijaha leliseminyakeni yekucala yemashumi lamatsatfu lelibitwa ngekutsi ngu-Emmanuel. Emtsipheni wakhe wesekudla, sibabha lesidzala — '2008, imfene. Bekungasikho kuhlasela — ivele yagxuma kusuka esihlahleni yangikhubekisa.' Wayitsela lendzaba angamoyizeli. Abesolo akhiphe emaphoyisa langetulu kwa-120 ekulwa nekucingela lokungekho emtsetfweni, futsi utsite uma kucatsaniswa nentsabamlilo, bacingeli labangekho emtsetfweni bebangaqageli kakhulu.

Kukhwela iMount Nyiragongo kucala emamitheni la-1,989 ngenhla kwelizinga lesolwandle, ehlatsini lemvula. Ema-awa lamabili ekucala: umoya lomkhulu lonelikusu, ema-futha agcwele ludzaka. Tihlahla tishintja kusuka emacembeni labanzi kuye kumahlamvu lamancane kuye kubulembu lobusakatekile, bese — bese konkhe lokuhlata kuyanyamalala. Ngenhla kwamamitha langu-3,000, inhlabatsi iba lidvwala lemvelo lemnyama. Tonkhe tigcabhi tiyahwahlaza, njengekuhamba ngemabhisikidi lashile. Lithempheretja lehla kusuka emkhatsini wemashumi lamatsatfu liye kwasiphohlongo. Umhlahlandlela watsi: 'Nyalo uyacondza kutsi kungani ngikutshele kutsi uletse lijazi lelengetiwe.'

Hora lesikhombisa nemizuzu lengemashumi lamatsatfu ntsambama. Bengimi emaphethelweni elihubhu. Lichibi lelabovu lelisetulu leliphila kakhulu emhlabeni beligubhuka emamitheni langemakhulu lamabili ngephasi — hhayi lebovu, kodvwa ngumkhalo lotsite longakachazwa weliwolintshi, titfo tangaphakatsi telilanga, ingati yeMhlaba iveziwe emoyeni. Kute imigca yekuvikela. Kute nobe ngukuliphi kukhanya lokungesiko kwemvelo. Kukhanya lokuphelele bekuyilowu mhlambi wekucatsakala kwelidvwala lelincibilikile. Umoya bewudvonsela ngenhla kusuka ekujuleni kwelibhobho, uphethe umkhabito kanye nekuvungelela lokunemfrikhwensi lephansi — hhayi umsindvo ngekwecniso, kodvwa kuvevethala lokuva ematsanjeni akho. Lomngani wami wekukhwela — umfundzi waseGoma — wacambalala edvwaleni emaphethelweni futsi akazange asho nobe yini emaminithini lalishumi lagcwele. Wase usho lokutsite ngeLingala. U-Emmanuel wahumusha: 'Utsi — njengomntfwana bengicabanga kutsi tintsabamlilo betitintfo tasenganekwaneni, tidwetshwe emabhukwini. Nyalo angisakholwa.'

Endleleni yekwehla, imilente yami beyivevethala. Hhayi ngekwesaba — i-creatine kanye nekukhathala. Kukhanya lokusakatekile kwaseGoma kwakukhanya ngephasi, umfula iCongo River waba ngumcu lomnyama ebusuku. Umfana lomncane wakhomba emabhutsi ami ekuhamba intsaba watsi ngeFulentji: 'Tu es allé au volcan?' Ngavuma ngekuhle. Wanginika sithupha wahlangana ngekugijima. Tinkundla tebhola letinyawo taseGoma tivuniwe ngenhlabamhlophe yentsabamlilo — ibhola ligcumuka endzaweni lephansi lephutsile, kuphindvwa kuphambene nemitsetfo lesezingeni. Kodvwa bantfwana balapha sebayifundze kudala. EDR Congo, uhlala ulungisa lokugcumukako lokungalandzeli imitsetfo lelindzelekile — kungaba ibhola, iTraffic, nobe intsabamlillo lenelulaka.

Emuva eKinshasa, imvula yasekuseni beyina. Itekisi yaPascal beyibambekile kuwo lomgwaco losisindvo lofananako — nobe okungenani munye lobukeka shengatsi uyafana. Umsakato bewudlala irumba; abehayela kanye nawo, ashaya umculo ngeminwe yakhe esiteringini. Ngambuta kutsi usacabanga yini kutsi emaLeopards angashaya ligoli. Wamomoteka: 'ECongo, kuba nelitsemba likhono lekusindza — kubaluleke njengekwati kucutsana.' Ngaphandle kwelifasitelo, ngabona lijaha linebhola letinyawo etinyaweni talo, emanti emvula afafata kusuka endzaweni yalo, abamba kukhanya. Umsakato waPascal washintja kusuka erumbeni waya ekuhlatiyeni kwemdlalo — Chancel Mbemba abesolo ashaya emagoli. Wehlisa lifasitelo wamemeta kumuntfu longamati eceleni kwemgwaco. Akekho lowacondza kutsi utsini. Kodvwa wonkhe umuntfu wamomoteka.