Arthur Greene
Iqembu labadobi abavela e-Yemen, elinye lamazwe ampofu kakhulu emhlabeni, liwele phezu kwengcebo ebiza izigidi ezingama-R20 esiswini sesidumbu somkhoma.
Kodwa lomkhoma wesidoda oshonile ubungawugwinyile umcebo. Okutholwe ngamadoda bekungu- $ 1.5 million wama-ambergris, isigaxa “somhlanzo” womkhoma oqinile osetshenziswa ekwenzeni amakha.
“Uma uthola ama-ambergris omkhoma, kuyigugu,” omunye wabadobi etshela i-BBC.
Iqembu lamadoda angama-35 lihambe ngesikebhe esikhulu sokudoba e-Gulf of Aden, ngemuva kokuzwa ithiphu ngesidumbu somkhoma emanzini.
Babazi ukuthi amathuba abo mancane. Imikhoma yesidoda kuphela ekhiqiza ama-ambergris. Futhi phakathi kwalokhu, kutholakala kuphela ku-1-kuya ku-5% ayo.
Kodwa ngesikhathi besondela, iphunga libe seliqina. Lokhu kwakuyisibonakaliso esihle.
“Ngokushesha nje ngesikhathi sisondela kuwo, kwaba nephunga elinamandla,” kusho umdobi ongadalulwanga ngegama. “Futhi besinomuzwa wokuthi lo mkhoma unokuthile.”
Badonsele umkhoma ogwini.
“Siwusikile ukuze sibone ukuthi yini ebingaphakathi esiswini sawo, yebo, bekungama-ambergris. Iphunga belingelihle neze – kodwa imali iningi kakhulu,” ehleka.
Abadobi abavela esigodini sase-al-Khaisah bahlukanise inzuzo kwisaka elingu-127kg lama-ambergris ngokulinganayo, bakhokhela wonke umuntu osebenzile.
Ama-Ambergris, aziwa nangokuthi “umhlanzo wegolide”, adaleka ngemuva kweminyaka eminingi ngaphakathi emathunjini omkhoma wesidoda. Asetshenziselwa amakha abizayo ukugcina iphunga.
Omunye wabadobi utshele i-Middle East Eye ukuthi iningi lamadoda lisebenzisa ingxenye yawo ukuzakhela impilo.
“Izigidigidi ezingama-30 zase-Yemeni [R1,7 million] zanele kulezi zinsuku ukwakha ikhaya nokushada, futhi yilokhu iningi labadobi elisebenzisa le mali kukho,” esho.
Iningi lamadoda liphinde lanikela ngesabelo salo semali kwabaswele endaweni, okuyikhaya lababaleki abaningi ezweni elihlaselwe yimpi.