Njengokulithembisa kwethu, kuliviki sikhangela ukutshabalala kwamadamu ezansi lasenyakatho yeMandebeleni kanye laseNkabazwe.
Ukudubuka lokugqibeleka kwamadamu endaweni ezitshiyeneyo sokutshiye inyamazana zendle zisilela ngamanzi njalo ezinengi zisifa ngendlala. Uzulu laye uthwele amagabha avuzayo.
Amadamu amanengi aseleminyaka leminyaka edubukile njalo amanye egqibelekile engasabambi manzi.
Siqale ngedamu leMabhongane eliseBambadzi, ePlumtree, emangweni weBulilima West emgceleni weZimbabwe leBotswana. Abanye balibiza ngokuthi yiMaitengwe Dam. Liduzane njalo leHwange National Park,
Le yinkalakatha yedamu elakhiwa nguhulumende kaIan Smith ngo1965 njalo ubude balo buyi9 kilometers. Ngensuku zalo, inyamazana zendle zaziphila kulelidamu lozulu laye elagisa izifuyo.
Bekusikwa utshani kanti labelungu labo bebevame ukuzadlalela emanzini ngezikepe bethiya inhlanzi lokubuka ubuhle bemvelo.
Kodwa, konke lokhu sokuyimbali nje ngemva kokudubuka kwedamu leli ngo2005.
“Bekulidamu ebelisenelisa ukubamba amanzi okweminyaka efika emine lanxa izulu lingani. Inyamazana zonke bezisuka eHwange National Park zizenatha eMabongani,” kutsho isakhamuzi seJutjume uMnu Difa Dube.
Amazwi akhe agcizelelwe ngumeli weBulilima West edale lephalamende uMnu Dingumuzi Phuti, ongumsekeli njalo kamphathintambo obona ngokwethulwa kwemibiko lokusetshenziswa kwemitshina yakulezinsuku.
“Kwakulensimu yokuthelezela eyengqoloyi ngoba indawo yakhona iyisidaka esilokudla kakhulu ekulimeni. Namhlanje ke sesibona inyamazana zifohla zisiza ebantwini zicine zibabulala,” kuchasise uMnu Phuti.
Abogatsha olubona ngezamanzi olweZimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) bake bayafika kulelidamu ngoNhlolanja lonyaka.
Kuthe ngoMabasa bethula umbiko bemema abafisa ukuphiwa umsebenzi wokulilungisa. Kulenkampani ebikwa yaphumelela kulokhu kodwa uhulumende waseswela imali.
Owake waba ngumkhokheli wohlangothi olwalukhangelane lokulondolozwa kwalelidamu olweCommunal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE), eJutshume, uMnu Tjebukani Nleya utshele iStudio 7 ukuthi uhulumende kumele adinge imali ukuze idamu leli lilungiswe.
“Sisakhala lamanje ukuthi ngabe uhulumende uyasizwa, abe loncedo ngoba izifuyo ziphelile,” kutsho uMnu Nleya.
Ku-budget yakhe yomnyaka ka2020, umphathintambo kahulumende obona ngezemali uMnu Mthuli Ncube uhlele imali engange$205 million ekhangelane lokulungisa amadamu atshiyeneyo.
UMnu Dube uthi enye yalimali kumele isetshenziswe ukuvuselela idamu leMabhongane.
“Kuqakathekile ukuthi uhulumende akwenze kube yinto emqoka ukuvuselelwa kwalelidamu abantu baphile kuhle lezifuyo zabo njalo lenyamazana zitshiyane lokuhluphana labantu,” kugcizelele uDube.
Ngaphandle kweMabhongane, manengi amadamu aseBulilima West akusimo sinye. IMadlambudzi, ngokutsho kwesenye isakhamuzi, ngelinye lawo.
“Idamu leMadlambudzi ligcwele udaka, lifuna ukulungiswa sibili ngoba iMadlambudzi yindawo esilezitendi esezakhiwe,” kutsho isakhamuzi lesi esithumele umbuko waso emsakazweni weStudio 7 sangazibethi ngegama.
Amanye agoqela idamu leNyele, elakoDoto koTokwana, eleKariba eDombodema kanye lamanye amanengi-nengi.
Ukusilela kwamanzi lendlala lonyaka sokubulele inkomo ezedlula inkulungwane ezilitshumi elizweni lonke jikelele. Isigaba seMatabeleland South yiso esikhokhelayo ngenkomo eziphezu kwe4,500.
Indlovu zona zedlula amakhulu amabili. Ezinye zazo zifele edamu leMabhongane ngemva kokubanjelwa edakeni zizama ukunatha kokulichibi okuncane okwasalayo.
