Amanzi omfula iNile angadunga omakhelwano
Izazi zezimpi zomhlaba kanye nabantu uqobo banokuvumelana ukuthi impi enkulu yomhlaba elandelayo kuzoba ngeyamanzi.
Amazwe amathathu ezwenikazi i-Afrika angomakhelwane kuyimanje abambene engxabanweni eshubile mayelana ngamalungelo amanzi ayigugu omfula iNile. Le ngxabano inganikeza isithombe sokuqala sezimpi zamanzi emhlabeni njengoba izinga lokushisa lomhlaba linyuka futhi isomiso sishiya abantu bengenamanzi anele ukuba baphuze babuye balime ngawo. I-Afrika iyizwekazi elisabalwa nelisathuthuka emhlabeni jikelele okuchaza ukuthi le ngxabano yalabo makhelwano ingathikameza ukukhula kweminotho yawo.
Ngesonto eledlule abaholi bamazwe amathathu okuyi-Ethiopia, i-Egypt kanye neSudan babike ukuthi zizoqhubeka izingxongxo mayelana neGrand Renaissance Dam Reservoir esemfuleni iNile. Lezi zimemezelo ezenziwe ngokwehlukana ngumholi wase-Ethiopia, uMnu u-Abiy Ahmed, umholi waseSudan uMnu u-Abdalla Hamdok kanye neHhovisi likaMengameli wase-Egypt, ziqhamuke ngemuva komhlangano we-African Union obubanjwe nge-inthanethi owawubizwe ngemuva kokuba la mazwe ahluleke ukuthola isivumelwano ekuqaleni kwephezulu. Enkundleni yokuxhumana iTwitter ihhovisi lika-Abiy labhala ukuthi “Lo mhlangano uphethwe wonke amaqembu ekufinyeleleni ekuqondeni okukhulu okufanayo okuzovula indlela yesivumelwano.” UMengameli waseNingizimu Afrika owayenguSihlalo walo mhlangano uRamaphosa ukuqinisekisile ukuthi zisazoba khona izingxoxo zokubonisana phakathi kwala mazwe ngesikhathi ebhala ethi, “Lezi zingxongxo zala mazwe amathathu zisazoqhubeka.”
Inkinga kulezi zingxoxo yaqala ngokuthi iSudan kanye ne-Egypt babesaba ukuthi leli damu leHydroelectric elibiza izigidi ezi-$4 lalingaholela ekushodeni kwamanzi emazweni abo.
Ukhwakhiwa kwaleli damu kwaletha izikhalo eziningi e-Egypt ngenxa yokuthi amanzi eliwathola emfuleni iNile avele anqindiwe futhi ukwakhiwa kwaleli damu kwakuzophoqa ukuthi yande imikhawulo yala manzi kunalokhu eyikhona. Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi iBlue Nile okuyiyo ethola amanzi emfuleni omkhulu iNile okuyilapho i-Egypt ethola khona amaphesenti angama-90 amanzi awo. Isitatimendeni esasivela eHhovisi likaMengameli wase-Egypt sithi: “Kwakuvunyelwene ekupheleni kwengqungquthela ukuthi kuqhubeke izingxoxo futhi kugxilwe kakhulu ekuhlinzekeni ngokubaluleka kwesivumelwano esibophayo somthetho esasizokhuluma ngokugcwaliswa nokusebenza kwaleli damu.” Okuphinde kwavela ukuthi i-Ethiopia ethi idinga leli damu ukuze ikwazi ukuqhikiza ugesi, ukugcwala konyaka wokuqala kwaleli damu sekwenzekile ngenxa yezimvula ezivakashele le ndawo. Kwaphinde kwavela isitatimende esasiphuma eHhovisi likaMengameli wakhona esasithi:
“Leli damu elisakhiwa selivele ligcwele futhi njenge-Ethiopia sizibophezele ezingxogxweni ezazizokwenza ukuthi lo mfula ukwazi ukuhlomulisa la mazwe womathathu.”
Amaqembu ezemvelo afana neOakland, California-Based International Rivers nawo ake akhombisa ukukhathazeka ngokwakhiwa kwaleli damu ngesizathu esithi ukwakhiwa kwalo kusho ukuthi lizothatha ama-1 680m2 ehlathi elise nyakathontshonalanga ne-Ethiopia eduze komngcele weSudan bese lidala ichibi elicishe liphindwe kabili kuneLake Tana okuyichibi lemvelo elikhulu kunawo wonke e-Ethiopia okwakuzoholela ekutheni abantu abayizi-20 000 badinge ukuba basuswe ukuze kwakhiwe leli damu.