Aimaski yobusoMuva nje ithathe umhlaba wobuhle ngesivunguvungu, abasebenzisi bebabaza ngemiphumela yayo emangalisayo. Ngemuva kokuthandwa kwayo okungazelelwe kulele indaba ethakazelisayo yokuhlola kanye nokusungula izinto ezintsha okwenza umlingo wayo ube yisimanga ngempela. Uhambo lokudala lesi sifihla-buso somlingo lwaqala eminyakeni emithathu edlule ngohambo olunesibindi. Ithimba labacwaningi lezwa izindaba ze-algae engavamile echuma ekujuleni okukhulu kweNingizimu Pacific, lapho ukukhanya kwelanga kungangeni khona kalula futhi ingcindezi ifinyelela emazingeni amangalisayo. Bethakaselwe ikhono laso lokusinda ezimweni ezinzima kangaka, baqala uhambo lwezinyanga eziningi, bebekezelela ulwandle olunezivunguvungu kanye nezinselele zobuchwepheshe zokuqoqa amasampula alesi sidalwa esiqinile. Babengazi ukuthi le ngcebo yolwandle olujulile yayizoba yitshe lesisekelo somkhiqizo wabo wokunakekelwa kwesikhumba oguqukayo. Uhambo lokudala lesi sifihla-buso somlingo lwaqala eminyakeni emithathu edlule ngohambo olunesibindi. Ithimba labacwaningi lezwa izindaba ze-algae engavamile echuma ekujuleni okukhulu kweNingizimu Pacific, lapho ukukhanya kwelanga kungangeni khona kalula futhi ingcindezi ifinyelela emazingeni amangalisayo. Bethakaselwe ikhono laso lokusinda ezimweni ezinzima kangaka, baqala uhambo lwezinyanga eziningi, bebekezelela ulwandle olunezivunguvungu kanye nezinselele zobuchwepheshe zokuqoqa amasampula alesi sidalwa esiqinile. Babengazi ukuthi leli gugu lolwandle olujulile lizoba yitshe lesisekelo somkhiqizo wabo wokunakekelwa kwesikhumba oguqukayo.
Emuva elabhorethri, inselele yangempela yaqala. Ukukhipha amakhemikhali awusizo ku-algae ngaphandle kokulimaza izakhiwo zawo kwaba umsebenzi onzima. UDkt. Emma Zhang, owayehola ithimba locwaningo, wachaza: “Sizame izindlela zokukhipha ezingaphezu kuka-120. Izinyanga ezingu-18, ithimba lethu lasebenza ngokuzikhandla, livame ukuhlala kuze kube sebusuku kakhulu, ukuze lithole ibhalansi ephelele phakathi kokulondoloza ubuhle bemvelo be-algae nokulenza lisetshenziswe efomini yokunakekelwa kwesikhumba.” Ukuphikelela kwabo kwagcina kuzuzile lapho bethuthukisa inqubo yokukhipha eyingqayizivele eyabamba ingqikithi ephelele ye-algae eyigugu.
Kodwa umlingo wemaski awuveli olwandle kuphela. Ithimba locwaningo liphinde laya ezindaweni ezikude zezintaba zaseYunnan, lapho lafunda khona amakhambi asendulo kubantu abadala bendawo. Laba bagcini bokuhlakanipha bendabuko babelane ngolwazi lwezitshalo eziye zondla isikhumba izizukulwane ngezizukulwane. Ngemva kokuhlola okuqinile, ithimba lakhetha amakhambi amathathu asezintabeni ahambisana nolwelwe olujulile, lakha ingxube ehambisanayo enikeza kokubili ukumanzisa okusheshayo kanyeukondliwa kwesikhathi eside.
Inqubo yokukhiqiza ihlanganisa ubuchwepheshe obusezingeni eliphezulu nobuciko obucophelelayo. Iqoqo ngalinye lenziwa endaweni ehlanzekile yesimanje, lapho imishini enembile iqinisekisa khona izilinganiso eziqondile zezithako. Izisebenzi ezinekhono ezinolwazi lwamashumi eminyaka ziqondisa isigaba ngasinye, kusukela ekuxubeni ifomula enamandla kuya ekupakisheni ngokucophelela imaski ngayinye. “Siphatha yonke imaski njengokungathi iyisipho esiyigugu,” kusho omunye umphathi wokukhiqiza. “Ukuhlola kwethu ikhwalithi kunzima ngoba sifuna wonke umsebenzisi athole imiphumela efanayo emangalisayo.”
Okwenza le mask ihluke ngempela ubuchwepheshe bayo obusha bokuvundisa i-bio, obuhlukanisa izithako ezisebenzayo zibe ama-molecule amancane angangena esikhumbeni ngempumelelo enkulu. Lokhu kuchaza ukuthi kungani abasebenzisi bebikaintuthuko ebonakalayongemva kokusetshenziswa okumbalwa nje. UNksz. Jessica Wang, isikhulu sokumaketha eShanghai, wabelane ngolwazi lwakhe: “Ngizame imaski eminingi, kodwa akukho okuqhathaniswa nalokhu. Ngemva kwamasonto amabili nje ngisebenzisa, isikhumba sami sizizwa siqinile, sikhanya, futhi sinamanzi amaningi. Amabala omile ayengikhathaza asenyamalele ngokuphelele.”
Ukuphepha kungenye isici somlingo wayo. Iqembu ngalinye lihlolwa kabanzi, ngokuhlolwa kwekhwalithi okungaphezu kuka-40 okuqinisekisa ukuthi lihlangabezana nezindinganiso eziphakeme kakhulu. “Sihlola konke kusukela ekuhlanzekeni kwezithako kuya ekuvumelaneni kwesikhumba,” kusho uchwepheshe wokulawula ikhwalithi. “Ukuzibophezela kwethu ekuphepheni kusho ukuthi abasebenzisi bangakwethemba lokho abakufaka esikhumbeni sabo.”
Ukuthandwa kwale mask kusabalale ngomlomo, abasebenzisi babelana ngolwazi lwabo olushintshayo ezinkundleni zokuxhumana. Abantu abanethonya kwezobuhle bayincome kakhulu indlela esebenza ngayo, futhi isidingo sikhuphuke kakhulu selokhu yasungulwa. Lokho okwaqala njengomsebenzi othakazelisayo weqembu elincane lososayensi sekuphenduke into yokunakekelwa kwesikhumba eshintsha indlela abantu ababhekana ngayo nemikhuba yabo yobuhle.
Njengoba abantu abaningi bethola izinzuzo zayo, umbuzo usalokhu ukhona: yimuphi umlingo ophethwe yile mask yobuso? Iyinhlanganisela ephelele yokuqina kwemvelo, ukusungula izinto ezintsha kwesayensi, kanye nokunakekelwa kobuciko - inhlanganisela eletha imiphumela ebonakalayo futhi ibuyisele ukuzethemba ekunakekelweni kwesikhumba. Kulabo abaye babhekana nemiphumela yayo, impendulo icacile: lokhu akuyona nje imaski; kuyinguquko yokunakekelwa kwesikhumba ephaketheni.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Julayi-26-2025
