Inkinga yeNdzawo ye Richtersveld

Indzawo Lesusiwe

©David Fleminger

Ngekwenta sento ngemayini yedayimane, lohulumende wase Ningizimu Afrika wagcine atfolile kuncuma ngendzaba yase Richtersveld. Noma, emkhatsini wa 1925 kanye na 1926, khomishina wabekwa kwentela kwakha kukhetsa, base bacolela kutsi kucela kwa Melvill indzawo kwakusolo kukukhulu. Kwatsi leminye iminyaka letinkhulungwane nemashumi lamane nakutsatfu (emahekitha langu 122 500) asuswa kwase lelinani lekugcina lwase Richtersveld lafika langeteka kuna 300 000 wendzawo, kwabangaphansi kwehhafu yendzawo yabo labayifunako. Ngekwenyuka kwencenye, lenandzawo yavunywa kwentela kusetjentiselwa I ‘Hottentots kanye nemaVezandlebe’, ngaphansi kwemtsetfo wa Minista Lophetselene Nebumvelo. Ekugcineni, nga 1930, lithikithi lekusebenta (noma kubambisa) lentiwa nguye Minista Wetindzawo – noma nje lendzawo beyisolo ibanjwe ngekwetsemba ngu Hulumende.
Yona leyondlela leyentiwa ngulabanye betiteshi temamishini kulelive. Imiphumela yaphuma yatiwa njenge ‘kubanjelwa kwemibala’ noma ‘tindzawo tasemakhaya ngemabala’. eNamaqualand, lokusihlanu kwaloku kwasungulwa: Richtersveld, Steinkopf, Leliefontein, Komaggas kanye ne Concordia. Bebakadze baseveni lelikhulu, lelinemahekitha langu 1.5 ngetigidzi tetinkhulungwane.

Kubekela Ngelibala

Lelibhodi lelidzala leliphetse kanye nabo khansela kwagcinwa njengemtsetfo wepolitiki kulokubekela ngelibala. Bakhetsa kutsi ngubani lophumelele kutfola ‘buve’ kulokubekela ngaloko ngubani lotfola indlu, indzawo yemadlelo, emalungelo ekuvotela khansela nalokunye. Tintfo letinye letimcoka nato tanikwa labanako (labalimi labancane noma labahlalako nje – labasebenta njengebelusi, tigcili) nema vreemdelinge (bangaphandle noma labangatiwa – labafaka emamishini, batsengisi, bothishela kanye nebalimi labamhlophe). Lawa emacembu omabili bekumele atfole imvumo kukhansela kwentela kutfola tindlu tesikhashana kanye/noma indzawo yemadleo kwentela kushintjisa ngetipho, sikhumbuto noma kusebenta emmangweni.
Kuze kubengunyalo, lamacembu lamaningi lehlukahlukene lebekaphila eNamaqualand acocisene phindze bafundzisa ngendlela letsite. Noma nje lokukwasho kutsi bekukhona kuthula lebekukhona emkhatsini walaba bebakadze balwa, lendlela yeNama noma kutfolwa kwema Khoikhoi kwabukelwa phansi. Lenandlela ye ‘sive’ yavele yendluliswa ngulolubandlululo – lwe bantfu lolwabhaliswa lokwetfula sonkhe lesikhehle sabo njenge ‘bantfu belibala’.

Indlela Yekwenta Ngemacembu

©Jaques Marais

Ngendlela, lamavezandlebe efika atobekisa ngendlela leningi letsembisako ngekwemphilo yepolitiki yema Namaqualand yelibala lelibekiwe. Bebakadze, ngebukhulu, bebancono kancane kantsi futsi basetulu kunelinani lema Khoikhoi, kantsi futsi phindze bebanekutfola imfundvo lencono etandleni temamishini. eRichtersveld, lenandlela yavele yasuswa kufika kwema Vezandlebe ase Bosluis nga 1949.
Leli licembu lelisha lema ‘vezandlebe’ laphocelelwa kutsi lisuke emakhaya alo esigodzini se Pofadder endzaweni yemadvodza esiganga ngekusho Kwesento Semacembu Endzawo, lokwabese kuyengciswa ngekwemtsetfo nga 1950. Kwaba yintfo yangekhatsi lekwakhuphukela kuwo onkhe emacembu lekwamela kutsi asuswe kulamanye ngalinye ngalinye. Lena ndlela (kukhuphuka Kwendzawo lendzala ya 1913) kwaba sisusa sentfo lephocelelwe kususa letintfo letatfusa lelive ngesikhatsi sa 1950 (kufaka iSophiatown, District 6, South End naletinye.).

Bantfu Labangahlonishwa

Ngakoke, ngesikhatsi hulumende welubandlululo wa D.F Malan uveta insilane, Licembu lema Bosluis (lelanikela cishe ngemindeni lemashumi lasitfupha nesiphohlongo) belikadze lingenayo lenye indlela kepha kutsi litsatse tintfo talo batifaka kutinkalishi tetinkhomo base bangenela 300 km bengca etindzaweni letomile bafuna emakhaya lamasha. Indzawo yabo kwakukunwebeka kwe Richtersveld, lebeyitsatfwa njengendzawo yekulahlela kuyo tintfo longatifuni noma bantfu labangahlonishwa.
Kwakufute kube luhambo lolumatima, kepha basitwa buholi bebafundisi babo, Umfundisi Eksteen, lobekadze analommango kusukela nga 1945. Ekugcineni, indzawo yatfolwa ngasemnceleni lobowubitwa nge Eksteenfontein, ngekuhlonishwa kwebaholi bemoya.
Ngekuphetsa, ngivumele ngikhombe kutsi Lesento Semacembu Etindzawo alizange lijuba tindzawo totimbili. Nga 1950, cishe imindeni leyimfica yebalimi labamhlophe (lebesebakadze bahlala endzaweni lebekelwe bantfu belibala) basuswa eRichtersveld. Loku kwafaka: Umndeni we Avenant lobowulima eDe Hoop elangeni lase Richtersveld ePhakhi Yesive ( emathuna ebantfwana bema Avenant asengabonwa uma ufunakubuka); le Van Rensburg lobekanelikhaya eGrasdrif; umndeni we Graaff lose Gelykwerf; labobhuti be Vries lebebalima etulu kwentsaba yase Vandersterrberg kanye nase Koeskop; kanye nemndeni we Bosaman lowawuhlala eStinkfontein (nyalo lekuyi Eksteenfontein).

Translated by Phindile Malotana