penzmalinga – Mpophomeni Conservation Group
September 12, 2018 June 25, 2019 | penzmalinga
In Mpophomeni, horses are notorious and have become a synonym with the 20 something gangs and their tattoo faced free riding robbers. So naturally when people see horses they run well away, shutting their doors behind them. This is now starting to change because of Sabelo Xaba.
It has become prevalent for great ideas to be conceived over Sunday Chillas beers at a bar. “We were just chilling and chatting over drinks one day and I said to my friend Thobelani Dlamini “You have all these beautiful horses here, why don’t we take people for a ride on them?” That is the day Mpophomeni Horseback Tours was born.
Horse Parking lot.
With the assistant of horseman Vuyani Zondi, who is a fountain of knowledge about horses, takes care of them and calms them down when they are skittish. Their first debut was at the Mpophomeni farmers market where short rides were on offer to the young and old and they were also featured at the Howick 10km Marathon.
I (Penz Malinga) was recently sponsored by Mnandi – a Taste of Mpophomeni to go on my very first horseback experience. Arum Bydawell and her gorgeous mom Angie from Hilton came to ride along as well. Arum and Angie had previous experience with horses, I had none except for occasionally bumping into them grazing in the foothills while walking my dogs.
I was just beyond excited, a smile was glued permanently on my face from the moment I climbed on and held on to the reigns.
Penz Malingas selfie with old Mlanduli
Our most experienced rider was 8 year old Lwandle who started riding when he was 3 years old so he was well seasoned by now.
8 year old Lwandle.
Sabelo and Vuyani helped us on and explained how we were to maneuver the horses, then we were A for away. We rode through the old waste water treatment works, which is very smelly but has plenty of biodiversity and birdwatching potential. We spotted the resident blacksmith plovers, some black ducks eduda edamini , a romantic pair of Egyptian geese and a lone Yellow billed kite riding the current. We also bumped into Mr Mtshalis horses grazing and Vuyani went to whisper to them to keep away from us.
Vuyani rounding up Baba Mtshalis horses.
As we gently crossed the Umhlangeni and Umthinzima tributaries of the Umngeni river, we were leaving the township behind climbing higher through the new housing development on the ancient road alongside hundreds of common soap aloes still in flower.
We realised that none of us had bought carrots with us when we stopped for a photo opportunity at the reservoir overlooking the entire township. Luckily Sabelo had some stale bread that we enjoyed feeding our horses.Sabelo pointed out some of the pioneering houses that were built in the 1960s.
Riding across the ridge was challenging okay maybe a little bit scary, but we knew that we could put our faith in our horses to find their own way. We then made our way back, through eMadala on Mtholampilo road, keeping to people’s outer lawns because not all our horses had shoes on all the way back to an optional delicious lunch at Midmar View Restaurant.
Arum and Penz all smiles after a delightful ride.
This is accessible to everyone young and old to be enjoyed by beginners and jockeys alike.
To book contact Sabelo Xaba on cellphone number- 078 492 7515 and do follow Mpophomeni Horseback Tours on Facebook.
HABASHWE! Indaba emayelana nokubholwa okwenqatshelwe KwaZulu-Natal
November 27, 2015 | penzmalinga
Abazingela igesi namafutha KwaZulu-Natal bahlangane nembibizane kanye nezinsongo zokuyiswa kwalenkampani yokuhlola evela eTexas, enkantolo ngenxa yokuphula imigomo emayelana nemvelo. Inkampani iRhino Resources ifake isicelo ukugunyazwa ukucinga igesi, nowoyela nokunye endaweni enamapulazi ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi, endaweni ethatha amaphesenti ayishumi nesithupha maphakathi nesifundazwe.
Ngemuva kochuchungechunge oluvuthayo ngesikhathi semihlangano yomphakathi emadolobheni amaningana ngenyanga eyedlule, abakwaRhino baxwayiswe ukuthi bangabhekana nezinyathelo zenkantolo ngenxa yokuphambana nemigomo emayelana ne Fracking egwema ukubholwa noma ukuqhumbuzwa kwezindawo lapho kungadungeka imifula, imithombo kanye namaxhaphozi.
Emihlanganweni yomphakathi ekade ise Ashburton, Lions River, Mooi River nakwezinye izindawo, abaRhino bathola ukuphikiswa kakhulu ngabalimi bendawo kanye namalungu omphakathi. Abanye babephethe izingqwembe ezibhalwe “Angifun’ Ifracking”, “Amandla elanga Kunawe Gesi”. uPhillip Steyn wakwa Rhino Oil & Gas wahluleka ukuphendula imibuzo eminingi, Omunye wawo ilapho ebuzwa uFrancois Du Toit ophethe iAfrican Conservation Trust ukuthi bazimesele ngokudlisa ushevu abantwana abangaki ukuze bagcwalise amaphakethe abo noma bafeze izidingo zabo.
Umphakathi waKwaZulu- Natal uzokhumbula futhi kumele ukuxwaye ukuthi inkampani yakwa Soekor yachitha iminyaka, ubhola izimbobo ngemishini ngesikhathi sangama 1960 kodwa abazange bawuthole uwoyela.
Balinganiselwa kwizinkulungwane ezintathu abantu asebesayine isicelo simayelana nokungavumeli ukuhlolwa ngalaba abafake lesisicelo semvume. uNikki Brighton wase Dargle uthe “abantwana besikole bangenele ngokuthi babhale izincwadi eziphikisayo, zithumelelwe kuhulumeni.
Umhlangano owawuse Matatiele wavalwa uModimo Lebenya ngelithi habashwe, ukhala ngokungabi khona kwenhlonipho kulaba abafaka isicelo ngokungaceli imvumo kuye kuqala Ngaphambi kokuba baze ukuzomutshela ukuthi bazokwenzani endaweni yakhe kanye nabantu bakhe. Elinye ilunga lomphakathi kade liqeda ukubabuza ukuthi bayayazi yini iNkosi yakulendawo abakhuluma ngayo, laqhubeka lathi banenhlanhla yokuthi abantu sebaphucezeka bayalalela ngoba ngesikhathi esidlule bebezovele bathi “HABASHWE” bashiswe babulawe.
Hlanganyela kanye nathi kwiMashi emayelana nokuguquka kwesimo sezulu, ezobe iseHowick, ngeSonto, ngesikhathi kugamanxa ihora leshumi nanye, ezobe ikuMain Street iphelele eNogqaza
September 22, 2015 September 22, 2015 | penzmalinga
Amagama ajwayelekile: Ouhout, Zulu: Umtshitshi, Sotho: Cheche
Ngaphambi kobuba kuzinze Laba abaphuma eYorophu emathafeni ase midlands, yayimibalwa kakhulu imithi ngaphandle kwaleyo ehlangene ndawonye ezindaweni ezimanzi kanye nalezo ezisemadwaleni. Omunye wemithi eyavela eMidlands kwaba iLecosidea Sericia umtshitshi. Ingomunye wemithi ekwazi ukumila kuqala ivule indlela yokuthi neminye imithi ilandele futhi itholakala ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene.
Lemithi iyatholakala emathafeni akhona la Mpophomeni, lapho Uyithola ikhula neminye imithi njengo Mlahlankosi. Uyithola iyihlahlana esifushanyana esiyisixhanti futhi ayijwayele ukukhula idlule amamitha ayisithupha. Inamaqabunga aluhlaza okusampunga anuka kamnandi, izimbali zayo ezikhangayo, ezincanyana eziphuzi okusaluhlazana zikhula kwimikhawulo yamagatsha. Amagxolo aso awekho bushelelezi ngathi amaflakes.
Lomuthi awulithandi ihlobo elishisayo kodwa uyakwazi ukumelana nongqoqwane, nesithwathwa ingakho ungawuthala ukusungula insimui entsha ebandayo ngoba siyashesha ukukhula. Izinyoni zijwayele ukwakha izidleke emagatsheni kanti amaqabunga awo adliwa imbabala bushbuck.
Lomuthi muhle kakhulu ukubasa umlilo ngoba awushi ngokushesha, abanye bawusebenzisela ukubaza kanye nokwakha izinqola ezithutha utshani noma ezokuvuna. Ezindaweni eziyizintaba ukuba khona kwalomuthi kade phambilini kukhombisa ukuthi imifula yangakhona ingafakwa izinhlanzi ezibizwa nge trout.