Kulabadabuka eZimbabwe abahlala kweleBotswana asebethole ithuba elihle elokuziphilisa ngezokulima kulandela isinqumo sakulelozwe esokuthi kungasathengwa ezinye izilimo ezifana lembhida, amatamatisi, lokunye ngaphandle kwelizwe.
Ngomnyaka ka2022, eleBotswana lanquma ukuthi kungasathengwa ezinye izilimo ngaphandle kwelizwe ukwenzela ukuthuthukisa ezokulima kulelo lizwe.
Lokhu sekuvulele amathuba kwabanye abeZimbabwe, ikakhulu abafundela ukulima ekhaya, ukuthi bangene kuhlangothi lolu. Omunye wabo nguMnunzana Sipho Moyo owafundela ezokulima ekolitshini leEsigodini Agricultural College esigabeni seMzingwane.
UMoyo ulima izilimo ezifana lamakhabe, umumbu, ibilebile eliluhlaza, idelele kanye lamatamatisi duze komuzi weMorwa wona obucwadlana nje ledolobho leGaborone.
Uthi isinqumo seBotswana sokuthi kungasathengwa ezinye izilimo phakathi kwelizwe kuyabaphathisa kakhulu ngoba belima besazi ukuthi izilimo zabo zizathengwa.
“Kuyasiphathisa ngoba kusinika amathuba okuthola umkambo ovele ulinde zona izilimo zethu. Uyakwazi ukuthi isilimo sakho singavuthwa uhle uhambise endaweni ethize. Njalo uyabe ungasela dubo lokutshona ubhoda uthwele izilimo zingathengwa.”
Uthi noma nje ukulima kulibhizimusi eliletha inzunzo, kulemigoqo abahlangana layo.
“EleBotswana liyatshisa. Kuba lama heat wave imnyaka yonke. Yikuzama ngokutheleleza ngempompi njalo sifake lamanzi amanengi ukuthi izilimo zethu zingabuni ngoba singalahlekelwa kakhulu.”
Njengabalimi bonke, uMoyo uthi ukuntshintsha komumo womkhathi, iclimate change, iyabalimaza kakhulu, okudala ukuthi balahlekelwe yizilimo.
“Udaba lwe climate change luyasilimaza kakhulu ngoba ucina ungakwazi ukuthi uhlele njani ukulima kwakho. Ungakhangela umnyaka odluleyo, abezomumo womkhathi kade bethe akusoke kube lomtshazo, kodwa ngenxa yokuntshintsha kumumo womkhathi, kwaba lemitshazo, okwabulala izilimo zethu kwasibuyisela emuva.”
Omunye laye okubhizimusi yokulima uMnunzana Mpumuzo Nyoni uthi wabona ithuba lokungena kwezokulima ngenxa yomkhathi otshisa kakhulu kweleBotswana lokuswelakala nje kwezilimo ezitshiyeneyo.
"EleBotswana ngesikhathi sokutshisa litshisa kakhulu, kuthi kungathi kuyaqanda, kuyaqanda sibili kusuke kube nzima kubalimi. Mina khonokho ngakubona njengethuba lokuthi ngilime izilimo ngiphambana lomumo womkhathi."
Uthi ukuba ngumuntu wokuza encintisana lezizalwane zeBotswana noma nje kungumgoqo, akubahluphi kangako.
“Akukhathazi kangako ngoba lapha kulabantu abalesifiso sokuthi bafunde kithi ulwazi lokulima, yikho siyabambisana.”
UNyoni uthi umuntu uyabe engalahlekanga uma ekhethe ukungena kwezokulima.
“Inzunzo ikhona sibili, ngoba uma ilanga liphuma, kumele kube lokudla etafuleni, kungaba yini, kumbe ngumtshado, kuyafuneka ukudla ukuthi kuqhube kahle.”
Ngesikhathi ehlangana loMongameli Emmerson Mnangagwa kumhlangano oqhutshwa mnyaka yonke phakathi kweleBotswana leleZimbabwe eyeBi-National Commission, UMongameli Mokgweetsi Masisi wancoma kakhulu izizalwane zeZimbabwe ngolwazi lwazo olujulileyo kwezokulima.
UMasisi wathi kungenzeka ukuthi bakhulumisane ukuthi abeZimbabwe abanye bazophathisa njengabalimisi ukuthuthukisa isigaba sezokulima kweleBotswana.
EleZimbabwe lalihlonitshwa kakhulu kwezokulima, ikakhulu ekulimeni umumbu emhlubulweni wangezansi kwezwekazi leAfrica.
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