Swotsakisa hi rendzo ra Robben Island

Ku khandziya xikepe

©David Fleminger
Lexitsakisaka ngopfu hi rendzo leri hiloko u khandziye xikepe lexiyaka e xihlaleni. Xikepe lexi xiteka kwalomu ka 30 wa timinete kuya na tinwana letifanaka ku vuya, naswona doroba ra Cape Town na Table Mountain swilanguteka swisasekile swinene. Kahle kahle vakhandziyi hinkwavo ukuma leswaku vakhomelele ti khamera tavona kumbe tifoni leswaku vateka swifaniso leswi swo xonga swonghazi. Ti khamera ta video natona titele ngopfu naswona rendzo rinwana na rinwana ri hlayisiwa rihelerile hi vakhandziyi lava vatekaka swifaniso na ti video leti totala, leswi swiendlaka leswaku lexi xiva xikepe lexi tekiwaka ngopfu swinepe emisaveni hinkwayo. Switivi hambi swiritano leswaku lwandle ringa bohana nkarhi wunwana leswinga vangaka leswaku rendzo riherisiwa loko maxelo yangari kahle.
Swikepe swimbirhi swivakona kutleketla vanhu voringana kwalomu ka 160 wa vanhu hinkarhi, leswivulaka leswaku switshama switele. Leswi swiendla leswaku kuva na kususumetana loko ku khandziyiwa xikepe, ngopfu ngopfu loko magandlati yari ehenhla vanhu vahlengeletana endzhawu yinwe leswaku vatakota ku teka swinepe swakahle. Xikepe lexi xina xivhengelani lexi xavisaka swoxawule enonweni na swon’wa kambe aku endliwi swakudya exikepeni. Byalwa abyi xavisiwi loko xikepe xiya exihlaleni kambe byi xavisiwa ntsena loko xivuya.
Eka ntirho wunwana na wunwana, endzhaku ka rendzo ra kahle swinene raku tsemakanya exikarhi ka xihlala lexi na Cape Town, swikepe leswi swipakiwa e Murray’s Harbour e Robben Island. Vuyeni byi chika kutani byi famba byi hundza swifaniso swantima na ko basa leswo leha leswikombaka matimu ya xihlala kuya laha kuyimeke mabazi.

Rendzo ra bazi

©David Fleminger
Endzhaku ko tiphina hi nkateko waku famba famba e xihlaleni ndziri swanga. Bazi araha yimi helo kuringana nkarhi woleha nanswona awu pfumeleriwanga ku chika u vona ndzhawu. Kuna nkarhi lowu pimiweke xikanwe na nhlayo ya vanhu votala lava faneleke ku pfuniwa hinkarhi lowu. Kuya emahlweni, kuna vanhu voringana 150 lava hanyaka exihlaleni lexi naswona vutomi byavona byinga kavanyeteka swinene hikuva vanhu votala lavanga tivekeki vakumeka varikarhi va jika jika endzhawini leyi.
Leswi swinga xiswona, mabazi yatshama yarikarhi yahundza leswi swinga ntolovelo eka vana lava fambaka hi milenge kusuka exikolweni vanga tolovela kuvona swikandza leswi vanga switiveki swihlometela hi mafasitere. Eka nkarhi lowutaka, Robben Island Museum yikunguhata kuva na rendzo ra milenge e xihlaleni, kumbexani, ndlela ya tibasikiri. Loko sweswo se swikumeka, ndzi nga hlohletela leswaku u teka rendzo rero. U fanele ku tlangela eka misava yale xihlaleni lexi xa Robben Island kutiva matimba lawa yangana ndzhawu leyi. Nhlamuselo yohambana swinene ya vaaki na rendzo raku famba himilenge swinga kumeka laha hansi.

Yindlu ya Robert Sobukwe

©David Fleminger
Kusuka eka harbour, uhundza hileka makhumbi yambirhi lawa yanga khoma mfungho wa le xihlaleni (a lily) xikanwe na motto wa nkarhi w a xihlawuhlawu lowunge, “We serve with pride. Ons dien met trots”. Kasi hile tlhelo ku tsariwa marito yo amukela lawa yange ‘Welcome’ hile tlhelo kambe hindlela yopfumala nhlonipho kwala nyangweni. Kuvekiwe na xibalesa lexikulu xa vusocha kusuka eka nyimpi ya misava yavumbirhi (World War II) xivonaka hile tlhelo eximatsini, naswona ndzhawu leyikulu ya Khotso yivonaka laha emahlweni nyana. Bazi riya emahlweni riya eximatsini xa ndzhawu leyi, hambi leswi ri vhikaka ti penguins, kutani riya humelela emasirheni yak hale lawa yanga kusuhi na makhumbi ya khotso. Lawa i masirha yak hale swinene lawa se ya hlakalaka lawa ya vonakaka yarikarhi ku mbundzumuka nakuva yari xikombiso xa ku zila ka vatshami vawona.
Laha riyimaka kona la kulandzelaka hile ndlwini ya Robert Sobukwe, leyinga tshama eka mpfhuka lowuntsongo nyana kusuka laha kungana vaaki lavanwana. Xiyindlwana lexintsongo xa tikamara timbirhi xivonaka xiri xintsongo swinene kuva xirhurhele munhu nkulu swinene wa xiyimo xa Sobukwe, kambe hilaha anga tshama kona kuringana 9 wa malembe anga hlangani na munhu. Tindzhawu ta timbyana letingale tlhelo tivuye tingeteriwa hi lembe ra 1976, endzhaku ka madzolonga yale Soweto, loko timbyana to engetela titisiwile kuta pfuneta eka lava avaha kufikaka. Bazi ri hundza ku kongoma e Church of the Good Shepherd. Muako lowu wo olova, awu endliwile hi Sir Herbert Baker tani hi ndzhawu yodzunisela eka yona ya vanhu lava hanyaka na mavabyi ya leprosy, lava hinkarhi walowo avari vatshami vale General Infirmary. Awungari na mabence naswona awuri na mafasitere lawa yantsongo swinene, leswaku vuvabyi lebyi byitaka byinga tluleli vanwana lava tshamaka kona. Muako lowu wu akiwile hi 1895 naswona se i ndzhawu ya matimu.

Kuhundza hile ndzhawini ya vaaki

Sweswi unga chayela u hundza eka ndzhawu ya vaaki, leyi tivekaka hi Irish Town. Laha kuna miako yohambana hambana. Yinwana yisukela eka minkarhi ya Victorian laha xihlala lexi akuri xibedlele, kasi yinwana yisukela eka malembe yavusocha hinkarhi wa nyimpi ya misava yavumbirhi. Sweswi kuna yinwana miako leyi ya ha kuakiwaka yi akeriwa vanhu lava avatirha tani hi valanguteri va Khotso lava avatshama kona na mindyangu ya vona hinkarhi lowu akuri Khotso ra xihlawuhlawu.
Miako leyi yi vuye yi hundzuka miako leyinga tsakisiki hikuva vanwatipolotiki va xihlawuhlawu hinkarhi walowo, na ndzhawu leyi ayi akeriwe lava avanga se teka kumbe kuva na mindyangu vavalungu voavarindzi vobasa leti a atinga nyawuli, hambi leswi ati antswa ka kamara ra khotso. Tani hi xiphemu xaku tiyimisela eka ku lawula naku hlayisa ndzhaka, miako hinkwayo leyinga e Robben Island yitshikiwa yiri eka xiyimo xayona xa ntumbuluko. Pende yapfumeleriwa kutshikiwa yi kwamukela naswona mpfuxeto awu pfumeleriwanga, e handle ka mpfuxeto lowungata endla leswaku muako wusala waha yimile. Leswi hileswi swinga fanela eka ndzhawu yofana na museum, kambe aswi endli leswaku swingatoloveleki kutshama eka vanhu lava hanyaka no tirha kona.
Muako wa vufambisi, tani hi xikombiso, wu akiwile hi switirhisiwa leswinga laveki pende naswona yaha tiyile nakuva xikombiso xa khale ka tihofisi ta khotso leswi atiri xiswona. Hambi kuri laha kutshamaka vanhu, swilo aswipfumeleriwanga kuva swicinciwa naswona laha aku hlayisiwa kona vavasati lava avangari kahle emihleketweni kaha tshamise sweswo, akuna nchumu naswona kutshikiwile kutlhela kutwisa mbilu kuvava.

Translated by Ike Ngobeni