Ngemva kokubuyiselwa umhlaba eminyakeni ewu-21 edlule, umphakathi waseBhangazi, eSt Lucia, unethemba lokuthi usuzohlomula ngento ecacile kulo mhlaba. USLINDILE KHANYILE uyabika

NGONYAKA ozayo kulindeleke ukuthi kwakhiwe indawo yokuvakasha, iHeritage Lodge, enamagumbi awu-60 nokubhekwe ukuthi idle uR20 million engxenyeni yomhlaba owabuyiselwa umphakathi waseBhangazi, eSt Lucia. 

Lo mhlaba ongamahekthare amahlanu uyingxenye yendawo eyakhethwa njengezingamagugu emhlabeni yi-UNESCO, iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Umphakathi wakule ndawo wawususwe kulo mhlaba ngeminyaka yama-1950. 

UNkk uJoyce Gumede, usihlalo weBhangazi CPA, uthe bajabule ngale ndawo ezokwakhiwa ngoba izovula namathuba omsebenzi azobahlomulisa njengomphakathi, ikakhulukazi intsha. Nokho uthe basajabula babuye nganeno okwamanje.

“Kade sasiyihamba le ndlela wengane; kuthi sekulunga, uthole ukuthi kukhona okunye okuqhamukayo, kuthiwe asime kancane. Uqala umhlaba ukubuyiselwa kithi ngo-1999 sakhokhelwa uR30 000 umuzi ngamunye; awusaphuphi nokuthi wawuthola ngoba kwakunini. 

“Kuthe nje nje sesithi sekulungile, samiswa futhi kwathiwa kukhona olunye ucwaningo okumele lwenziwe ukubheka umonakalo ongase wenzeke kwimvelo. Babuyile kwathiwa i-swimming pool nendawo yokucima ukoma kumele kuthi ukunyuka kancane. Sesilinde manje ukuthi kuphawulwe okokugcina nesithemba ukuthi ngeke kusaba bikho lutho oluphazamisa,” kuchaza uNkk uGumede.

Ukubuyiselwa umhlaba ngenye yezinhlelo eziseqhulwini selokhu kwaphatha uhulumeni wentando yabantu njengoba kumanje kubhungwa ngokuthi kuchitshiyelwe isigaba 25 soMthethosisekelo ukuze ukubuyiswa komhlaba kuzoqhubeka ngaphandle kwenkokhelo.

UNkk uGumede uthe ukubambezeleka kwalolu hlelo kubavusele izilonda zokususwa kule ndawo.

“Sigcine sesixabana sodwa ngoba sigidagida ndawonye futhi sasesingazi noma kanti yiSimangaliso yini esinqabayo. Size sababuza ukuthi njengoba abayiqala le ndlela sebafa bonke, kumele sife sonke yini thina esinolwazi lokuthi kwenzakalani (ukuze) kusale izingane zethu ezingazi lutho,” kusho yena.

I-Heritage Lodge kubhekwe ukuthi ivule amathuba emisebenzi awu-90 ngasekuqaleni bese kuthi abazoqashwa ngokugcwele babe wu-60. UNkk Gumede uthe nokho ukuthi nakuba besalindile ukuthi kuphase ukwakha, kodwa kukhona okuncane abasizakalayo ngakho kule ndawo.

“Bayakwazi abantu ukufika bazokha incema futhi baye bavume ukuthi bangene noma bengaphezu kwesibalo esivumelekile sosuku. Ngokomthetho, ngosuku kumele kungene abantu abawu-150 kodwa baye babavumele abangaphezu kwalokho; uthole ukuthi mhlawumbe bawu-200 kuya ku-250 abantu; nokusizayo ngoba leyo ncema basuke bezokwenza ngayo amacansi nokuyiwona abaziphilisa ngawo,” kusho uNkk uGumede.

UMnu uBheki Manzini, okhulumela iSimangaliso Wetland Park, uthe kumqoka ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ekufezeni izidingo zomphakathi nokubuyisela umhlaba kubanikazi bawo kodwa nemvelo iqhubeke ivikeleke.

Ukugada ingozi yokuthi abantwana babo basale bengenalwazi, uNkk Gumede uthe sebeqale izigcawu zokucobelela intsha ngolwazi futhi uthe inayo intshisekelo kakhulu. 

“Ukufa kufika noma yinini, yingakho sithi kumele bazi ukuthi yisiphi isigaba esikuso njengamanje; bakwazi nokusibuza imibuzo sisekhona. Sithe kumele kube nanekomidi layo intsha ukuze izokwazi ukuzikhulumela,” kuphetha uNkk Gumede. 

Umphakathi waseBhangazi ulekelelwa yiVumelana Advisory Fund okuyinkampani engenzi inzuzo esiza imiphakathi ebuyiselwe umhlaba ukuthi ikwazi ukuwusebenza umhlaba ebuyiselwe wona.