Ngachitha Izinsuku Ezintathu E-DR Congo Ngizama Ukubona Intabamlilo—Futhi Usuku Nohhafu Kwakuyitrafikhi

Umgwaqo oyindilinga waseKinshasa ngehora lesine nohhafu ntambama uphenduka indawo yokupaka engenasiphetho. Itekisi yami ephuzi yayiphakathi kwamaloli, izithuthuthu, nabahamba ngezinyawo ababethwele izixha eziphelele zikabhanana emakhanda, ingahambi neze. Umshayeli, insizwa egama linguPascal, wehlisa iwindi wayobanga ngesiFulentshi saseCongo nomdayisi wamakhadi ocingo — hhayi ngokwamukela kwesiginali, kodwa ngoba umdayisi wayekholelwa ukuthi amaLeopards angawina okungenani umdlalo owodwa ku-Africa Cup elandelayo, futhi uPascal wathi: 'Uma amaLeopards eshaya igoli elilodwa ngizokunikeza le tekisi.' Ibhola liyisikhali sokuqala izingxoxo esisebenza kakhulu eKinshasa. Itrafikhi eyesibili.

IDemocratic Republic of the Congo isenhliziyweni yeAfrika, inhlokodolobha iKinshasa, inani labantu elingaphezu kwezigidi eziyikhulu. Indawo yayo yomhlaba iphindwe kane kuneFrance, kodwa inemigwaqo enegada engaphansi kwamakhilomitha angu-3,000. Lapho ngitshela abangani ekhaya ukuthi ngiya e-DR Congo ukuyobona intabamlilo, impendulo yabantu abaningi yayithi: 'Uyazi ukuthi iMount Nyiragongo yaqhuma okokugcina ngo-2021, akunjalo?' Enye impendulo evamile yayithi: 'Uyazi ukuthi itrafikhi yaseKinshasa imbi kangakanani, akunjalo?' Ngangisazokuzwa ngokwami.

IKinshasa yidolobha olizwa ngaphambi kokuba ulibone. Ngehora lesihlanu nohhafu ekuseni, umsakazo womakhelwane uqala ukuvuza nge-rumba yaseCongo — leso sigqi esivilaphayo nesingenakumelana esenza i-hiplife yaseNtshonalanga Afrika nesalsa yaseCuba kuzwe kunganele. Ngehora lesishiyagalolunye, ukumemeza kwasemakethe sekuphenduke ukuhlabelela okungenamqhubi — abadayisi bezinhlanzi, abathengisa amakhadi okushaja asetshenzisiwe, amasudi angomgunyathi, izinkukhu eziphilayo, wonke amazwi elwa ukuze aphile ngefrikhwensi efanayo. Emini, isikebhe soMfula iCongo sikhala ikhwela — inothi eliphansi kangangokuba lidlidliza esifubeni sakho. Ngehora lesithupha kusihlwa, ikhwaya yesonto iqala ukuzilolonga — iCongo iyizwe elikhulu kunawo wonke elikhuluma isiFulentshi futhi ingelinye lamazwe aseKhatolika ngentshiseko enkulu kakhulu. Ngehora lesishiyagalolunye ebusuku, ukuphelezelwa kwebhola kuqhuma ewindini elivulekile lendlu yokuphuza — igama likaChancel Mbemba ligingqika njengephethini yesigubhu saseAfrika. Ngachitha izinsuku ezimbili kuleli dolobha futhi angizange ngizwe nginodwa nakanye.

Umgwaqo osempumalanga usuka eKinshasa uvivinyo lokubekezela. Amakhilomitha angamakhulu amathathu angathatha noma yikuphi kusuka emahoreni ayisishiyagalombili kuye kwayishumi nambili — kuya ngesimo sezulu, ukujwayeleka kwezimbuzi ezinqamula umgwaqo omkhulu, kanye namathuba okuthi ithanga likawoyela liphuke. Ngaqeda isikhwama esigcwele ubhanana othosiwe wasemgwaqeni — uqhumile ngaphandle, uthambile ngaphakathi, ufafazwe ngosawoti omkhulu nesinongo — futhi umgwaqo wawungekacaciswa. Kodwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngabona okuthile: emnyango wawo wonke amadolobhana, kwakukhona indawo yomhlaba enyatheliweyo, futhi kuyo yonke indawo, izingane ezigqoke zinyawo zidlala ibhola — ezinye ngebhodlela leplastiki, ezinye ngenyanda yamanikinikini eboshwe yaba yibhola, ngezikhathi ezithile ibhola langempela elidala isikhumba salo sasigugile kwabonakala izintambo ngaphakathi. Yonke indawo yomhlaba yayi yiWorld Cup encane. 'Izinkundla zokubukela' kwakungamabhodlela epulasitiki abekwe ngomlomo. Unompempe kwakuyimbuzi edlulayo.

IVirunga National Park isenyakatho yeGoma. Ukungena epaki kudinga umqaphi ohlomile — hhayi ngenxa yokuhlasela kwezilwane zasendle, kodwa ngoba lesi sifunda besilokhu sinqanyulwa izingxabano ezihlomile emashumini eminyaka. Umqaphi kwakuyinsizwa eseminyakeni yamashumi amathathu yokuqala egama linguEmmanuel. Ethangeni lakhe langakwesokudla, isilonda esidala — 'ngo-2008, imfene. Hhayi ukuhlasela — yavele yehla esihlahleni yangikhubekisa.' Wayisho le ncazelo ngaphandle kokumomotheka. Wayeke waba semikhankasweni emelene nabazingeli abangekho emthethweni engaphezu kwayi-120, futhi wathi uma uqhathanisa nentabamlilo, abazingeli abangekho emthethweni babengakwazi ukubikezelwa kakhulu.

Ukukhuphuka kweMount Nyiragongo kuqala emamithini angu-1,989 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle, esehlathini lemvula elishisayo. Amahora amabili okuqala: umoya ogcwele umswakama, imilenze igcwele udaka. Izimila ziyashintsha zisuka emaqabungeni abanzi ziye emafeni ziye otshanini obusakazekile, bese-ke konke okuluhlaza kuyanyamalala. Ngaphezu kwamamitha angamakhulu amathathu, umhlabathi uphenduka amatshe amnyama entabamlilo. Zonke izinyathelo ziyafahlaka, njengokuhamba phezu kwamabhisikidi ashisileyo. Izinga lokushisa lehla lisuka emadigrijini angamashumi amathathu laya kwayisishiyagalombili. Umhlahlandlela wathi: 'Manje usuyakuqonda ukuthi kungani ngikutshela ukuthi ulethe ibhantshi elengeziwe.'

Isigamu kwehora lesikhombisa kusihlwa. Ngama ogwini lomgodi wentabamlilo. Ichibi lodaka lwentabamlilo elisebenza kakhulu emhlabeni laliphithizela emamithini angamakhulu amabili ngaphansi — hhayi okubomvu, kodwa umbala ongasho ndawo owolintshi, izitho zangaphakathi zelanga, igazi loMhlaba livezwe ngqo emoyeni. Azikho izivikelo. Akukho ukukhanya okungekhona okwemvelo nhlobo. Okuwukuphela kokukhanya kwakulolo chibi olugingqikayo lwamatshe ancibilikile. Umoya wawudonsela phezulu kusuka phansi komgodi, uthwala isalfari nenhlokomo engeyona impela umsindo — kuyidlidlizo olizwa emathanjeni akho. Umngane wami wokukhuphuka — umfundi waseGoma — wacambalala edwaleni emaphethelweni futhi akashongo lutho imizuzu eyishumi egcwele. Wabe esethi okuthile ngesiLingala. U-Emmanuel wahumusha: 'Uthi — ngisengumntwana ngangicabanga ukuthi izintabamlilo ziyizinto zasenganekwaneni, ezidwetshwe ezincwadini. Manje angisenaso isiqiniseko.'

Endleleni yokwehla, imilenze yami yayingingika. Hhayi ngenxa yokwesaba — icreatine nokukhathala. Izibani ezisakazekile zaseGoma zazikhanya ngezansi, uMfula iCongo wawuribhoni omnyama ebusuku. Umfana omncane wakhomba amabhuzu ami okunyuka intaba wathi ngesiFulentshi: 'Tu es allé au volcan?' Ngavuma ngekhanda. Wanginika isithupha wabe esegijima wahamba. Izinkundla zebhola zaseGoma zigandaywe ngomlotha wentabamlilo — ibhola ligxuma ngokuphakama okungafanele, ukuzungeleza kuphambana nefiziksi evamile. Kodwa izingane zakule ndawo sezijwayele. E-DR Congo, uhlala ulungisa ukugxuma okungalandeli imithetho elindelekile — noma ngabe yibhola, itrafikhi, noma intabamlilo enolaka.

Ngibuyele eKinshasa, kwakuna imvula yasekuseni. Itekisi kaPascal yayigxumile kulowo mgwaqo oyindilinga — noma okungenani omunye owawubukeka ufana. Umsakazo wawudlala i-rumba; wayehayiza ehambisana nayo, eshaya iminwe yakhe efilibheni lesondo. Ngamenza umbuzo ukuthi usacabanga ukuthi amaLeopards angashaya igoli. Wamomotheka: 'ECongo, ithemba liyikhono lokusinda — libalulekile njengokwazi ukuhwebelana.' Ngaphandle kwewindi, ngabona insizwa enebholo ezinyaweni zayo, amanzi emvula ephaphazela ubuso balo, ekhanyiswa ukukhanya. Umsakazo kaPascal washintsha kusuka ku-rumba waya ekuphelezelweni komdlalo — uChancel Mbemba wayeseshaye elinye igoli. Wehlisa iwindi wamemeza kumfolomunye owayesemgwaqeni. Akekho owaqonda ukuthi uthini. Kodwa wonke umuntu wamomotheka.