uMthunywa
Nkosilathi Sibanda
OMAMA abalima ngokuthelezela esivandeni se-Somnene Irrigation Scheme sebezaqala ukulima amatamatisi ngezinga eliphezulu kulandela ukunikwa usaba olwedlula i-2500 yinkampani yeMbewu Family ngomzamo wokuthuthukisa ezokulima eMatabeleland.
ISomnene Irrigation Scheme isesigabeni seBulilima, esabelweni seMatabeleland South. Isivande lesi sasungulwa ngo-1986 njalo kuminyaka edluleyo bekulinywa ikakhulu umumbu, amazambane, inyawuthi lamazambane.
Ukulima kulindawo kubuye kwehla kuminyaka yama-1990s, kubangelwa yikuthi isivuno besesiphansi njalo lezakhamuzi zasezinlutshwane ukuthi zizimisele kulumsebenzi.
Ngokuzwa ukuthi kulekopa le, elenani labomama abanengi, inkampani yeMbewu Family, eyakoBulawayo yakubona kufanele ukuthi iphathise ngokukhuthaza ukulinywa kwamatamatisi lokunye okungajwayelekanga eziqintini zakoMthwakazi.
Ngeviki edluleyo, ngoLwesibili, omama abedlula amatshumi amabili baphiwe usaba lomhlobo we-HTX, okubikwa ulenzuzo enengi yamatamatisi.
Ngaphandle kokunikeza iSomnene Irrigation Scheme, inkampani yeMbewu Family iphathise abantwana abazintandane emzini weKhayelitsha Children’s Village, uMzingwane Community Garden labalimi abaseNyamandlovu.
Umaqhuzu we-Imbewu Family uProsper Chikwara ubikele iphephandaba likazulu ukuba isizatho sokuthi banikeze omama baseSomnene Irrigation Scheme yikuthi inkampani yabo ihlose ukuphakamisa ezokulima esabelweni seMatabeleland.
“Size lapha eSomnene Irrigation Scheme ukuzophathisa ikakhulu omama abalimayo. Sibaphe usaba lwamatamatisi iHTX, ukuze baqale iphorekithi yokulima,” kutsho umaqhuzu lo.
UChikwara, odume kakhulu koBulawayo ngokuba ngumlimi ozimiseleyo, uthe banike isivande seSomnene usaba oluyi-2500. Uthe bakhangelele ukuthi ngemva kwenyanga ezimbalwa, omama baqale ukuvuna.
“Lapha sikhuthaza abalimi abasezigabeni zomuzi wethu weMatabeleland ukuthi bakhuthalele ukulima. Umhlabathi uyavuma, izulu likhona njalo siyenelisa ukukhengezela amanzi ezulu silime ngkutheleza. Pho yini engasibuyelisa emuva?
“Umhlobo lo wamatamatisi ukhula ubeyisibhazubhazu njalo ukhipha isivuno esihle, kukanti letamatisi leli lifunwa linengi labantu.”
Omunye wabalimi baseSomnene uNkosikazi Qaphelani Ndebele uthe ukubambana lenkampani yeMbewu Family kubeyisibusiso.
“Lokhu yikho esikubiza sithi yikubambisana ukuze siphakamise isizwe seMatabeleland. Njengabo mama bakulindawo yaseSomnene Irrigation, kubeyisibusiso sibili,” kutsho uNkkz Ndebele.
Isiphathamandla sokuqondiswa kwenhlelo kulinkampani uTembo Moyo uchazele omama baseSomnene ngokubaluleka kwetamatisi esivandeni.
“Ukulima kulemali ngakho omama abadinge Imakethe yokuthengisa itamatisi leli. Ngaphandle kokulima umumbu, asikhuthalele ukulima lokunye.”
