Amazwibela ngohambo lwaseRobben Island

Uhambo Ngesikebha Sokubuyela emumva

©David Fleminger
Amazwibela ohambo oluyisikebhe ukuya esiqhingini. Lesikebha sithatha imizuzu ewu 30 ukuya nokubuya, lapho-ke ukubuka iKapa neTable Mountain inhle ni!
Kahle hle bonke abagibeli ubabona bekotele nama khamera nomakhalekhuwini babo bethwebula izithombe ukuzama ukushaya izithombe zomhlaba. Nama-video camera asuke ekhona, lonke uhambo lwesikebha luyathwesthulwa, yinqwaba yabathwebuli–cishe yilona hambo oluqoshwe kunazo zonke emhlabeni.
Nokho yazi ukuthi, uma ulwandlwe ludlangile uhambo luyabhuntshiswa kumbe uma isimo sezulu singesihle.
Izikebhe ezisebenzayo njengamanje zimumatha abantu abawu 160 sikhathi sinye, zihlala zigcwele. Okugcina ngokuba kududulwane, abantu beya ngapha nangapha esikebheni ukuze babuke kahle.
Lezikebhe zinesitodlwana esidayisa ama kip-kip nokuphuzwayo, nokho ukudla akwenziwa khona eskebheni. Utshwala abudayisi ohambweni oluya esiqhingini, butholwa mase kubuywa kuphela.
Emva kohambo olumnandi ekuweleni usuka eKapa, isikebhe sifike sime echwebeni eMurrays eRobben Island.
Bese zehla izivakashi bese zedlula umbhushongo wezithombe ezimnyama nokumhlophe zenkathi eyedlula ngesiqhingi, seziya esitobhini samabhasi.

Uhambo Ngebhasi

©David Fleminger
Emva kokuthakasela ukujikeleza isiqhingi ngedwa. Alihambi lima yonke indawo ibhasi isikhathi eside, futhi awuvumelekile ukuphuma ebhasini ubukabuke. Kunezikhathi ezinqunyiwe nabantu abadinga ukusetshenzwa.
Ekuqhubekeni kunabantu abawumphakathi owu 150, izimpilo zabo zingaphazamiseka ngezinkumbi zabantu ezide zifika zizophazamisa inhlalo yabo. Njengoba kunjalo,izingane mazihamba zibuya esikoleni sezakhula zibujwayele ubuso bezihambi zivele ngamafastele zithathazisa.
Kunohlelo lokuba Inqolobane Yomlandu wase-Robben Island iqophe isasasa lokuhanjwa kwesiqhingi, mhlawumbe kungaba wumzila wamabhayisikili entaba.
Uma loluhlelo selwenziwe, ngiyophakamisa uqinisekise ungaliyeki lelothuba. Uchazo oluthe xaxa ngohambo lwami emphakathini engazenzela lona mina nje, ludekwe ngezansi.

Indlu kaRobert Sobukwe

©David Fleminger
Ekushiyeni Ichweba, udlula kukhonkolo onophawu lwesiqhingi (imbali) nesisho sejele lobandlulo, ‘Sikhonza ngeqholo – Ons dien met trots’. Bese kuba nomchwenso “Wemukelekile” upendwe endleleni ongena ngayo.
Umbhalo wesibhamu sombutho seMpi Yomhlaba Yesibili ubonakala kancane kwesokhohlo, bese ingxenye enkulu ethi memfu yijele eliphambi kwakho. Ibhasi liqhubeke ngesokhohlo, kungabonakali o phengwini, bese lidubula liya ngasemalibeni amadala, aseduze nezindonga zejele.
Amathuna amadala lawa awabanochoko, ubuso bawo obuxoxa ngokuzenyeza nokulila kwabahlali bawo.
Isitobhi esilandelayo Yindlu kaRobert Sobukwe, ethe qekelele kubahlali. Lendlwanyana emagumbi mabili ibukeka incane kabi ukuba yikhaya lesikhulu esiwuSobukwe, nokho yilapho kanye aphila khona iminyaka ewu 9 cishe engaxoxi namuntu.
Indlu yezinja zombutho iseduze kwalendlu yengezwa ngo 1976, emumva kwezibhelu zase Sowetho, lakhona izinja ezingazwile zokuhlasela zengezwa ukuze zithobise iziboshwa ezazizintsha zingezwa mshini. Ibhasi liqhubekela esontweni le Good Shepherd.
Lesisakhiwo esilula nje, sabunjwa wu Sir Herbert Baker sibe indawo yokukhonza kwabnochoko, ababehlala eGeneral Infirmary. Sasingenazihlalo futhi sinamawindi amancane, ukuze igciwane lingangeni kwabanye abahlali. Seliwumqopho wesizwe wesikhumbuzo osemthwethweni, sakhiwa ngo 1895.

Ukuhamba ngesithuthi ngaphakathi kubahlali

Manje usuhamba ngaphakathi endaweni yabahlali ephinde futhi idume ngokuthi yi Irish Town. Kuyingxubevange yezakhiwo. Ezinye zakhiwa kusaphethe Indlovukazi yaMaNgisi uVictoria ngesikhathi lesiqhungi sasiyisibhedlela, abanye bathi sakhiwa emva kwempi yesibili Yomhlaba.
Zikhona nezakhiwo ezintsha ezazakhelwe ojele ababehlala lapha ngesikhathi siseyijele lobandlululo. Lezizakhiwo azihleki nsini zithe tu njengosopolotiki bamaNational bangalesosikhathi, nenkompolo eyayakhelwe abelungu abangabaqaphi ababeyizmpohlwa ihlasimulisa umzimba, nakuba ingconywana kunegumbi lejele.
Njengenxenye yokuzinikela ekuphatheni amafagugu, izakhiwo zase Robben Island ziyazanywa ukulondwa zisesimweni ezaziyiso mhla zakhiwa. Upende uvumelekile ukuphasha, ukulungiswa kabusha akuvumelekile, ngaphandle kwalolo lungiso olusuke lusemqoka olungenza izakhiwo ziwe uma lungenziwanga.
Lokhu kusemqoka kwinqolobane yomlandu nokho kwenza baphile kanzima abahlala khona. Njenge hhovisi lakhona lakhiwe kukhonkolo ongapendiwe nokho lusaqinile njengezindonga zakuqala amahhovisi amajele.
Kusho izinto zasendaweni yabahlali azivunyelwe ukushintshwa, nendawo okwakugcinwa khonwa abesifazane isakhona, ikhala ibhungane nobubi bempela

Translated by Sbonelo Ngema