Izazi zamadwala zase-UJ zithi isigaxa sedwala esiwe esibhakabhakeni samahlazeka saqala sakha umgede omkhulukazi waseGauteng
Eminyakeni eyizigidigidi ezimbili ezedlule, isigaxa sedwalakazi samahlazeka emhlabeni sakha isiqongo sebhilidi esiyindingilizi phezulu sase-Vredefort eningizimu neGoli. Izazi zamadwala zaseNyuvesi yase-Johannesburg (UJ) zikholelwa ukuthi lokhu kumahlazeka kwenze izakhiwo zamatshe ezaqala ukwakhiwa kohlelo lomgede oyingqalizivele omkhulukazi entshonalanga nedolobhakazi.
Umfundi osefundela iziqu eziphezulu wase-UJ uMnu Pedro Boshoff obebhekwe uSolwazi Jan Kramers noDkt Herman van Niekerk, uhlola izimfihlo zamadwala zakudala ezikulo mgedekazi ngezifundo zakhe zeMastasi. Njengengxenye yeKlabhu i-Speleological Exploration (SEC) u-Pedro wamangala ukuthola ngokwakheka kwamadwala asobala uma ehlela ekujuleni komgede. Njengokuningi okwatholwa ososayensi, uhlelo lomgedekazi lwembulwa izimo okwaqatshukwa sezivelile.
Ngeminyaka ye-1990, umlimi entshonalanga neGoli wavuka kusempondozankomo ethukile. Wezwa ukumahlazeka okukhulu. Ngemva kokuphuma kwelanga, omunye wezisebenzi zasefamu ekhiphe wonke amehlo wagijimela kumlimi nalezi zindaba. Bekunomgodi onamanzi emasimini ommbila.Kuthe uma sekulinganiswa waba amamitha ayi-18 ububanzi nokudepha okungafaka ibhilidi lamahhovisi elinezitezi eziyi-12.
Ngemva kweminyaka embalwa kwaba khona okunye ukumahlazeka. Kwelinye icala, ingaphansi lomgodi wamanzi waba nokunye ukudepha okwedlulele.
Ngomhla we-13 kuMasingana 2013, isithungu sochwepheshe, esibizwa nge-SEC, esihlola imigede ngesikhathi sabo sokungasebenzi babona okokuqala lo mgodi onamanzi.
“Ngaphezulu komgodi wamanzi kwabonakala, kwelinye ikhona ngaphansi isithunzi esasikhombisa ubumnyama obukhulu obungaba khona. Kodwa besingenalo ithemba elikhulu lokuthola umgede omusha”, kusho u-Steven Tucker, ilungu le-SEC.
Ngemva kwesonto, babuyela, u-Tucker waba owokuqala ukwehlela ngaphansi komgodi onamanzi nokungena ethunzini. Leso sithunzi sabe sesiba yindawo yokungena ohlelweni lomgede omude owomile eNingizimu Afrika.
Banqume ukubiza lo mgede nge-Armageddon.
“Siwubize nge-Armageddon ngezizathu ezimbili. Okokuqala, umgede uyingozi ngenxa yamatshe awayo. Lawo matshe enza ukuthi kube nzima ukuba sibeke ama-ziplines amathathu noma ama-foefieslides, emigodini ejulile emgedeni”, kusho u-Tucker.
“Esinye isizathu esenze siwubize nge-Armageddon kungenxa yomgede obizwa nge-Apocalypse. I-Apocalypse nayo iseNingizimu Afrika. Lowo mgede mkhulu kunayo yonke ezweni, uma ulinganisa isamba sobude bemihubhe.
“Kodwa lo mgede, i-Armageddon, udephe kakhulu. I-Armageddon ibuye ibe yinde uma uqhubeka uhamba ezingeni elilodwa. Ngakho inquma kabili ebangeni elikhulu elithwishikile kanti kuthatha isikhathi eside ukuwuhlola.
“Okwamanje sinendawo eve kancane nje kumakhilomitha ama-4 ehlelwe kahle ngendlela yeleyiza. Uphahla lude, indlela olungalinganiswa ngayo yindlela yeleyiza. Sihlala sithola izelulo namazinga athe xaxa … siyazi ukuthi uhlelo lwe-Armageddon lunamazinga okungenani amathathu, kanti lungamamitha okungenani angama-350 ukudepha.
U-Pedro Boshoff wathatha olunye lwezinkambo eziningi ehlela e-Armageddon. Ngenkathi u-Boshoff esefike ezansi emgedeni omkhulukazi, wabona okuthize okungajwayelekile ngamatshe ayengaphakathi. Ayehihliziwe njengoba ungabona iphepha lethishu lidatshulwa.
“Amatshe ebehlela ngendlela eyingqalizivele. Angikaze ngiyibone into enje phakathi komgede ngaphambili. Isimo samatshe besisizilwe ngamandla amakhulu. Amandla amakhulu amasinyane kangangokuba namunye umsolwa ojwayelekile obengabekwa icala. Kucacile ukuthi kukhona okuthize okungemuva kwalezi zimo ematsheni, into engadabula idwala ngokuphazima kweso nje”. kusho u-Boshoff.
”Sicabanga ukuthi kwenzeke ngale ndlela … Ngenkathi isigaxa sedwala sishaya emhlabeni eminyakeni eyizigidigidi ezimbili ezedlule esigodini sase-Vredefort, amatshe endaweni enkulu ahlanganiswa ndawonye amandla okushayana. Okunye okwenzekile ukuthi ezinye izingqwembe zamatshe zashelela zaphambana zadala izimo ezintsha. Sibiza lezi zimo ngamaphutha ahlehlisa umnyakazo nge-engele ephansi. Lapho amadwala ebonakala ehlukene sibona la maphutha ahlehlisa umnyakazo nge-engele ephansi”, kusho u-Boshoff. Masinyane ngemva kokushayana ngamandla amakhulu amadwala e-dolomite ayakhukhumala futhi, kanti kubonakale izinyembezi ezidephile ezihamba ngomudwa ngqo. Ukuhlangana kwalezi zimo kuvumele inqubo yokwakheka kwedwala ukuthi iqale, inqubo esaqhubeka nanamuhla, kusho uDkt van Niekerk.
Cishe akwenzeki ukuthi kulinganiswe iminyaka yobudala bomgede. Kodwa-ke, siyazi ukuthi isigaxa sedwala esiwe esibhakabhakeni samahlazeka emhlabeni eduze neGoli cishe iminyaka eyizigidigidi ezimbili ezedlule. UDkt van Niekerk uthi: “Sethemba ukuthi sizothola okumbiwayo okubizwa nge-sericite, esibuye sikubize nge -mica eyizinhlamvu ezicolisakele phambi kwamaphutha ahlehlisa umnyakazo emgedeni. Lokhu okwembiwayo kusebenza njengewashi lezamadwala kithina. Sicabanga ukuthi ukumahlazeka kwedwala kungabe kudale i-sericite ethize. Uma sithola okuthize sikwazi nokuthola ubudala be-radiometric kuyona, sizokwazi ngokuqinisekile kuthi uma izimo zakhiwa nini nokuthi ukuqala kokudaleka komgede kwenzeka nini? Nalapho kusazoba nzima ukuthola iminyaka yedwala ngokwalo”.
Phakathi ekujuleni kwedwala, kuqhuma inzika yokwembiwayo nezinalithi ze-aragonite ezinezinhlansi zixoxa indaba ngokwakheka komgede ngemva kokushayisana ngamandla amakhulu. Umgede i-Armageddon omunye wemibili eyaziwayo umhlaba wonke odalwe ukushayisana ngamandla kwamadwala. Ngenxa yokuba ningi kwezimo esifundeni ezidalwe ukwakhiwa komgede, kungenzeka ukuthi zikhona eziningana ngezansi kwengxenye engasentshonalanga yeGauteng.
