Kule mihla, abantu abaninzi banika iZimbabwe indawo ebanzi. Benza oku ngezizathu ezimbalwa: okokuqala, "Ngaba ikhuselekile?" okwesibini, "Kutheni ubeka imali kwingxowa yaseZimbabwe?"
Ndijikeleza eZimbabwe ngamaxesha athile, ngoko ke ndicinga ukuba ndingayiphendula loo mibuzo. Ikhuselekile, kodwa inokucaphukisa. Kukho iibhlokhi zendlela kuzo zonke iindlela ezinkulu. Ngokuqhelekileyo amapolisa anobuhlobo, kodwa anokuba ngenye indlela. Xa kungenjalo, baxoliswa ngawo onke amaxwebhu afanelekileyo. Kutheni ubeka imali kwingxowa yaseZimbabwe? Ewe, iZimbabwe ayingoRobert Mugabe kunye nabahlobo bakhe. IZimbabwe ininzi kakhulu kunoko. Lilizwe elinabantu abanobuhlobo kunye neendawo ezintle zokubona. Ndiyazi ukuba andinako ukuyitshintsha into eqhubekayo eZimbabwe; ukuba ndiyahamba okanye andiyi kuthetha nto.
Ndisandul’ ukuya kwaBulawayo ndaza ndaya eHarare. Ukuya eHarare, ndandindedwa, kodwa ndandingenaxhala. Iziseko zophuhliso ziwohloka kancinane – imingxuma embalwa apha naphaya, iirobhothi azifane zisebenze, iibhodi zamagama ziyawa. Ngokuqhelekileyo amapolisa ayethandeka de ndabhaqwa komnye wemigibe yawo yesantya. Ekuqaleni elinye ipolisa eliselula lafuna ukuba ndiye kwisikhululo samapolisa kwalandela ukuvela enkundleni. Noko ke, ekugqibeleni wandihlawulisa iidola ezingama-20, ndaza ndaphinda ndahamba. Kukhangeleka ngathi iZimbabwe inemali yokuthenga izixhobo zokukhwela isantya – bezininzi – kodwa ngandlel’ ithile azibonakali ngathi zibondla abantu bazo.
Endleleni ebuyela eLivingstone isuka eHarare, sikhwele umhlobo wakhe, uJosh, samisa eHwange Safari Lodge. Ndiyithanda ngokupheleleyo iHwange Safari Lodge: yindawo, indawo, indawo. Indawo yokulala ingaphandle kweHwange National Park kwindawo yabucala. Umbono ovela kwi-lodge yi-depression, ejikelezwe yihlathi le-teak; ukudakumba kunomngxuma wamanzi, ogcinwa umpontshwa ngamanzi kwaye ukhanyiswa yimvula ebusuku.
Ndiye ndachitha iiyure ndihleli ndibukele loo mngxuma wamanzi, ndingafuni nokuhamba. UJosh, umzobi wezakhiwo, uwuchaza lo mtsalane “njengesisongelo nendawo engcwele.” Ukuhlala kunye nokubukela i-waterhole kukhuselekile ngokupheleleyo ngaphakathi kweendawo zokuhlala, kodwa kumngxuma wamanzi, izilwanyana zasendle zibonelela ngosongelo. Omnye wabaweyitara uye wasixelela ukuba kwiinyanga ezimbalwa ezidlulileyo, ingonyama yabhadula kwibala lehotele, yaya kutsho kwindawo yolwamkelo, emva koko yajikeleza ibhloko yokulala. Ndiyakwazi ukucinga ukuba bekuya kuba mnandi.
IHwange Safari Lodge inamagumbi ayi-100 kwaye ibikade ixakeke kakhulu. Noko ke, ngoku ayikatyelelwa kakhulu; yayisithi sodwa abantu ababehlala ngobo busuku. Ikhangeleka idiniwe kwaye ifuna ukuhoywa apha naphaya. Oko, nangona kunjalo, akunamsebenzi. Ixabiso le-US $ 120 kubantu ababini, ibhedi kunye nesidlo sakusasa, lixabiso elihle kakhulu. Ukutya nenkonzo zilungile – abanye babasebenzi bebelapho iminyaka.
IHwange Safari Lodge ikumgama oziikhilomitha ezili-180 ukusuka kwiiNgxangxasi zeVictoria. Kakade ke, idolophu yaseVictoria Falls isaxakekile yaye isaziwa. Yi-hop emfutshane kuphela ukusuka apho ukuya kwesi setingi somlingo. Kuyacetyiswa ngokuqinisekileyo.
