Ulawulo Lomhlaba wase Richtersveld

Imeko Ebuyisela Umva

©Nigel J Dennis
Phezulu eRichtersveld, isitishi sase mishini sama Kuboes sasilawula ngumfundisi olungileyo umfunisi uHein, wecawe iRhenish. Abantu bakhona yayingama Nama Khoikhoi, nabaThwa, nentsapho ze Baster (ezazisaziwa ngokuba zi Bastaards). Isigqibo sasilawulwa ngu Groot Raad (ikhansila enkulu), eyayenziwe yingqokelela yeenkokheli ezinyulwe luluntu imihlangano ibanjwa yintloko yomshumayeli vangeli.
Inkcazelo eqhelekileyo ichaza okokuba ‘uluntu lwase Richtersveld zintsapho ezingamashumi amane nesixhenxe (47), zinabantu abangama 380, uninzi lwabo ngama Hottentots, no Paul Links, unyana walowo wasishiyayo uCaptain Paul Links, njengo mgadi wemfuyo onkhulu; Imfuyo ehleliyo engamahashe angamashumi amahlanu (50), iinkomo ezinempondo ezingama 560, negusha neebhokhwe ezingama 3,200. Inkoliso yabo iyahlupheka, kwaye ndinoloyiko bakwimeko ebabuyisela umva.’

iGroot Raad

iGroot Raad yayijongene nengxaki zemihla ngemihla zase kuhlaleni. Ezingxaki zaziquka ‘Umyalelo wokondla, ukusombula izikhalazo, noku nikeza indawo yokuhlala namalungelo okulima’. Kodwa ke, lendlela yayinabo abagxeki, malunga nezi zitishi ze mishini nomthetho wokuhlala oyi ‘Communal Reserves Act’ wanyanzelisa ukwahlulwa kwe ziphathamandla zomthetho nezenkolo, endaweni yabashumayeli bevangeli bebeka umcebisi okanye ibhodi yolawulo (eyenziwa ngabantu abamhlophe abangahlali khona).
Isitishi sase mishini sinemigaqo (kwaye kwakhona, inkoliso yezitishi zemishini eMzantsi Afrika) zazingacaciswanga kakuhle. Ngeminyaka yo 1890, abantu base Richtersveld bacela ukucaciselwa njengoko umhlaba wabo wawu thabathwa kubo ngaba phambukeli abasuka kumazwe ngamazwe. Emveni koko ba khetha indawo ephantse ya ngu 700 000 morgen (ihectare ezingama 600 000) ngengomhlaba wabo wokulima bacela itikiti elisemthethweni lokuwuthabatha ukuqinisekisa amalungelo wabo. Kodwa umnumzana u- S. Melvill, umcedisi wesibini osebenza ngemihlaba – jikelele, wayeneminye imibono.
Kwi nkcazelo yakhe yase Palamente ‘malunga nemihlaba ehlala iintlanga kwimishini ezithile nezinye iindawo eNamaqualand’ u Melville wachaza okokuba lomhlaba bawufunayo mkhulu kakhulu. wacebisa ukuwehlisa ku 450 000 morgen (385 000 ze hectare) ngokusebenzisa umhlaba ochumileyo kakhulu ngakunxweme lomlambo we Orange kunye nebhanti elingase Lwandle, elinokusetyenziselwa ukuloba okanye ukulima. Akukho nto yenziwayo nge ngcebiso zakhe, kwaye akukho tikiti lokuwuthabatha umhlaba lakhutshwayo kuba aba bantu babebonwa njengabantu bakudala ukuba bangakwazi ukuzikhathalela.
Ngaphandle kokungabikho kwesigqibo kwicala lomthetho, ifama ezintlanu (5) ngase Lwandle zarentiswa kuma fama amhlophe ngo 1904. Ngo 1919, umfama ogama lingu Cloete wade wazama ukubanga yonke iRichtersveld okokuba yeyakhe, oku kwabangela umfundisi uHein acaphuke kakhulu. wathetha wathi ‘iRichtersveld yeyabantu bakhona, akukho bani uzimeleyo angathi yeyakhe’. Kwathi xa idayimane zise matheni ngonyaka ka 1920, umhlaba ongqunge umlomo we Orange river warentiswa kwaba funayo, nangona eli yayilicebo lasekuqaleni, ngoku banga umhlaba wase Richtersveld.

Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie