Ndandingazange ndiye kummandla waseSavute eBotswana ngaphambili, kodwa ndandifundile ukuba yayiyindawo eyayinokubonwa ngamaxesha eemvula. Iincwadi zathi iSavute Channel yomile ngokupheleleyo ngo-1982, ukuba ngexesha lonyaka elomileyo yayiyi-dustbowl. Ezi ncwadi zikwakhankanye ukuba xa iimvula zinetha, lo Mjelo waba nguthotho lwemingxuma yamanzi nethafa lengca elichumileyo apho zazithontelana khona iinyamakazi zamathafa, zilandelwa ngawo onke amarhamncwa.
Ngoko xa sifika eSavute, ndothuka gqitha kukubona umlambo. Ndaxelelwa ukuba iSavute Channel yayigcwalise ngo-2009 kwaye yayihlala igcwele ngexesha lonyaka elomileyo. Ngoku, emva kwemvula yasekuhlaleni ngo-2010, amanzi eChannel ebesephezulu.
Umlambo iKwando, oqukuqela kumda ophakathi kweBotswana neNamibia, uthatha igophe elibukhali ukuze ube ngumlambo iLinyanti. Kwiminyaka eyadlulayo, iKwando yayidla ngokuqukuqela emazantsi ukuya kwingingqi ye-Okavango, iqukuqela ukuya kutsho kwiipani zeMakgadikgadi, eyayifudula iyindawo yolwandle olukhulu oluphakathi emhlabeni. Iintshukumo kuqweqwe loMhlaba zamisa ukuqukuqela ukuya emazantsi kwaye zawuthumela emantla ukuba udibane neLinyanti kunye neChobe ukuya kuMlambo iZambezi.
Kusekho unxibelelwano phakathi kweKwando/Linyanti kunye neOkavango eyaziwa ngokuba yiSelinda Spillway. I-Spillway nayo yomile iminyaka emininzi kodwa ngoku izele ngamanzi – amanzi aqukuqela ukusuka eOkavango ukuya eLinyanti. Umahluko kumphakamo omncinci kakhulu (awukho ngaphezulu kweemitha ezilishumi ngaphezulu kweekhilomitha ezingamashumi amahlanu) kwaye indlela yokuchitheka, ndiye ndaxelelwa, yaziwa ngokuqukuqela nakweliphi na icala.
Kuninzi okuye kwayitshintsha le mbonakalo yomhlaba ngaphambili, kwaye kunzima ukuyichaza ngezivakalisi nje ezimbalwa. Inyani yokuba utshintsho lusaqhubeka njengoko uMhlaba uqhubeka nokugruzuka ngaphantsi kwaye ngaloo ndlela uguqula indlela yemilambo, yenza le ndawo ibe nomtsalane ngakumbi.
IWilderness Safaris ineLinyanti Concession. Ngaphambili, bampompa imingxuma yamanzi ecaleni kweSavute Channel ukutsala izilwanyana, kodwa ngoku ukuba umjelo ukhukulisekile, iimpompo zabo azisafuneki. Endaweni yoko kwafuneka bakhe ibhulorho entsha ukunqumla kuyo.
Sahamba kakhulu sijikeleza indawo kunye nomkhokeli wethu, uMnu. T, kwaye safumana imidlalo emininzi. Sadibana neengonyama ezimbini eziselula zihleli phantsi komthunzi wetyholo zilinde unina. Kamva samfumana umama. Wayekumgama ongangekhilomitha kwaye wayebiza abantwana bakhe. Wangqengqa wabalinda bade bafike.
Sabona izilwanyana ezininzi kunye neentaka kuhambo lwethu olungakumbi lokujikeleza lo mmandla. Kubonakala ngathi iinkabi zazisebenza ixesha elongezelelekileyo zichola amakhalane kwizilwanyana ezininzi. Esithombeni, indlulamthi icoca iimpondo zayo, kwaye iikudu zazingenazintloni, zifota kakuhle. I-Burchell's Starling yayixhatshazwa ngamantshontsho ayo ecuckoo elambileyo; ingwamza yayitshisa ilanga, ikhangeleka ihlekisa kakhulu. Sibone okuninzi, kodwa oko kuya kulinda de kube libali elilandelayo.
