Izakhamizi ezinegi esabelweni seMatabeleland South zilahlekelwe yizifuyo ezinengi ngenxa yokuswelakala kwamanzi lamadlelo. Esigabeni seInsiza eFilabusi, inkomo zife njengempukane zatshiya abalimi abanengi bedabuke kakhulu beswele lokuthi benzeni.
Bekusenkangala eInsiza inyanga ezimbalwa ezedluleyo okulenkomo ebezicubela emanzini emadamu zidinga amanzi okunatha. Izakhamizi zithi ziphelile inkomo emadamu, emakhaya legangeni ngenxa yokuswelakala kwamadlelo lamanzi. Ezinye izifuyo zicube ziqhutshwa ngabanikazi.
Lokhu kutshiye abalimi abanengi bethithibele esigabeni lesi bengazi ukuthi bazaphila ngani ngoba inkomo yinotho kazulu.
Omunye wabakhala kakhulu ngokwehlele isibaya sakhe nguMnu. Stephen Bhova Moyo, ohlala esigabeni seGwabhila, oleminyaka engamatshumi ayisitshiyangalombili.
“Ngihlala kuThula village, usobhuku nguKhesare Bhova. Inkomo zami zafa zaphelela lapha zibanjwa ludaka ezinye zisifa egangeni khonale, ezinye ngizitshisa, ezinye ngizihlinza nginika abantu badle. Ezinengi ngaqedisela ngizitshisa. Ngifelwe zinkomo ezingu 45 zona zingu87, kwaswala 43. Ngicela uncedo kuhulumende. Inkomo lezi kade zingisiza ngithengisa, ngifundisa abantwana ngazo, ngithenga lokudla.”
Banengi abephuke inhliziyo ngokulahlekelwa zinkomo. Omunye wabo nguNkosazana Lillian Ndlovu oseGwenyimo Village.
“Ngafelwa zinkomo ezingu-seven omakhelwane vele angikhulumi ziyakwana ama 40, 50 … Ukuswelakala kokudla lamanzi ngoba amanzi lawo zasezinatha udaka. Nxa sesizibisa emanzini sasihamba lemcilo ukuthi zazifika zibanjelwe emadakeni besebezikhipha ke nxa sezibanjelwe. Akulala zinto zokulima. Silima ngezandla."
Ukufa kwezifuyo bekungakhethi imizi. Umfelokazi uSibonisiwe Maphosa uthi siphose savalwa isibaya sakhe.
"Mina ngalahlekelwa zinkomo ezingu17 ngendaba yedrought. Kulendlala enkulu kakhulu. Bekuhlupha amanzi konke lotshani bekuwomile sokusele ezintathu. Kusele inkabi lenkunzi. Inkabi ezintathu lezinsikazi akusela. Lapha ngizama ukuthi kumbe engxenye ngingadinga ukuncedakala eVetinary Services. Bengizozama ukuthi ngithole uncedo lokuthi ngikhansilise lezi esezafayo."
Inkomo ziphelile njalo emapulazini angcelelane leMberengwa leFilabusi. UMnu. Edmore Lusinga ukhala ezimathonsi.
"Inkomo ezifileyo zifike ithumi zibulawa yindlala lamanzi njalo lonaleli idamu akade sesithembe kilo futhi njalo beselibangelwa ludaka. Ezinye eziseleyo sisele sezilomkhuhlane, azisahlubi ngendlela zokuthi into ezinatha khona zigcwele idoti. Bazamile sibili abantu ukuthi bazame ukuthi bawatshise manje bekungatshiseki ngoba zibenengi inkomo ezifileyo. Akula amanyé amaqhinga engingawenza ngoba into enginanzelelayo eziseleyo ezinengi ngezinduna, So, wonke umuntu sedinga into yokufuya ensikazi."
Banengi abaphelelwe zinkomo. UMnu. Sex Tshuma, ohlala eMbonweni Village, laye uthi kalankani ngokwenzakale emhlambini wakhe.
"Ezami zingu14 zifile. Esikukhangeleleyo yikuthi khona emadamini lapha singazama ukuthi sithi nxa kungaphela amanzi lawa akhona kugejwe udaka. Kwaswelakala ukuthi kus'kutshwe izulu laselifika, ukufika kwalo laselifika laba linengi. Amathambo manengi sibili kunye lezigogo ezinye zikhona lokhe zinjalo uthole'ngani inkomo ilele kanti seyafa kudala."
Obona ngezimpilakahle yezifuyo esigabeni seSanali, uMnu. Leanrmore Sibanda, uthi izifuyo zibulewe yikuswelakala kwamanzi lokudla hatshi imikhuhlane. Inkomo zakhe ziphose zaphela.
"Inkomo zifile sibili ngomumo obukhona umumo wendlala kuthi-ke ezinye bezibanjwa emadamu lokhu amanzi abesesilela emadamu. Okukhulu singathi yindlala. Imikhuhlane lanxa ikhona kodwa hayi iyabe inganeno kodwa inani leli liqanse kangaka yindlala. Lokhe beqhubeka abantu bebhalisa … bazabhalisa kakhulu kuhle emadibheni. Asikabi lenani kuhle kuhle eliphutshayo kodwa inani lakhona litshengisa alilikhulu kakhulu."
Kubikwa ukuthi inkomo ezedlula inkulungwane ezilitshimu lanhlanu, 16,000, zitshabalele esabelweni seMatabeleland South ngokucuba kubangelwa yikuswelakala kwamanzi lamadlelo. Esigabeni seNsiza abantu bahlulukelwe kakhulu njalo abazi ukuthi bazakwenzani bengasela zifuyo.
Izulu okwamanje liyana kodwa akusasizi lutho ngoba inkomo zife okumangalisayo. Izulu eline insukwana ezisanda kwedlula lihle lagcwalisa amadamu ezigabeni ezinengi kusenziwa yikuthi kulodaka olunengi emadamu acine egcwala masinyane.
