Kufundza Kabanti nge Mfula we Orange

Kwatikabanti nge Mfula we Orange

©Jacques Marais

Ngemnyaka wa 1770, licembu lelisha lebantfu labatsandza kwati kabanti langena eNamaqualand. Bebabantfu besayensi, bafundzi betinyoni kanye nebengadze lebebakhangwe nguletitjalo takulesigodzi kanye nekungajwayeleki kwe tilwane letimacembu. Lelicembu lalifaka Frances Masson, umtsandzi ngadze wase Kew Gardens lobekatfunyelwe yi Nkhosi yase Ngilandi kutso ayotsatsa tinhlavu kanye netitjalo letiphilako kwentela indluleluhlata yesigodlo. Masson wacitsa iminyaka leminingi ahamba mhlabawonkhe, kufaka ekhatsi emahambo lamabili ase Ningizimu Afrika nga 1772 – 1774 kanye na 1786-1795. Wabutsa emaStapeliads esigodzini sase Kamieskroon nga 1774. Masson abevame kuhamba nalomunye umcokeleli, Carl Thunberg, lo ‘babe we Ngadze ye Kapa’. Kanyekanye, bavakashela ngasemnceleni weningizimu ye Knersvlakte, dvutane ne Vanrhynsdorp, nako nga 1774.
Labagcwalisi lababili kule canon yase mphumalanga yelwati lwe Namaqualand bekungu Robert Jacob Gordon kanye na William Paterson. Gordon, wase Holland, bekangumuntfu vele lohambako lowatsatsa emahambo lachutjiwe lawelela eNingizimu AFrika. Kwakukukadze kungulunye lwalamahambo, nga 1777, lapho ahlangana ne mfula ‘Lomkhulu’ dvute ne Bethulie wase uyibita iOrange, ngekuhlonipha Indlu yeSigodlo yase Orange, baholi base Holland. Gordon wacabanga kutsi lomfula uhamba yonkhe lendlela kuya elwandle, kepha akakhonanga kukukhomba loko ngisho namanje.

Kutfola Lomlomo

©Nigel J Dennis

Ngakoke, nga 1779, Gordon wahlanganyela nelicembu lelihambako lelalibitwa nga William Paterson entela kuzama futsi nekutfola lomlomo waloMfula iOrange. Paterson bakakadze ayingadzi lencane yase British lobekadze atfunyelwe eKapa ngumtsengisi wakhe, Make Strathmore. Wakujabulela kuhlanganyela kwakhe ngesikhatsi avakashile eNingizimu Afrika. Ngasinye sikhatsi, wasolelwa kutsi uyimpimpi yema British kwatsi, muva, kwatsiwa utfole ligolide eminceleni ye Mfula we Orange, kepha wagcina lemfisho kuye. Ngalenye indlela, Paterson besekavele ayile lemnceleni wale Orange nga 1778 lapho khona ahlola lemayini ye copper lendzala ngakhona ngalapho eSpringbok-ngaselangeni lelikhona, lakatfola ungatsi kuyetsembisa. Ngako, besekasijwayele lesigodzi ngesikhatsi yena na Gordon basuka baya enyakatfo.
Sigaba lesimfisha sase Dolobheni lase Kapa, babanenhlanhla lenkhulu ngekutitsela etikwa Hendrik Wikar, sisebenti semaphepha seNkampani yema Dutch East India, lobekadze andize eKapa nga 1775 ngenca yetikwenete tekungabhadali ekugembuleni. Wikar abesacitse iminyaka leminingi ayingayinga ngaseMfuleni we Orange akanye nalabanye bahlobo basendzaweni wase ubhala umbiko esigodzini, lakayitfumela kuMholi wase Dutch, Van Plettenberg. Lona mbhalo watfolwa umcoka kakhulu kangangobe lo Mholi wacolela Wikar, lobesekadze asendleleni lebuyela eKapa ngesikhatsi ahlangana na Paterson kanye na Gordon. Angingabati, Wikar wanika labafundzi labalili lwati ngeluhambo lwabo lolutako.
Nomskinjslo, loluhambo lwalumatima. Lesihlabatsi lesintofotelako sase Sandveld sasihlala sicinile kubahambi, kepha Gordon na Paterson bebatitjelile kugcina lesigaba esikhundleni sekushona emphumalanga lapho umhlaba ucine khona kakhulu. Ngakoke batitjela bachubeka kuphusha indlela yabo kusuka eMfuleni we Buffels (dvute kwe Kleinzee – lekhona) kuya e MacDouglas Bay (dvute ne Port Nolloth) kanye nekuchubekela eMfuleni we Holgat Gorge, baze befika eMlonyeni weMfula we Orange ngenyanga yeNgci nga 1779. Lena ndlela leluleke kamfisha lengaba ngu 120 km yabatsatsa emalanga layimfica.

Kwetsa lo Mfula we Orange

Batsi nabafika, batfukulula umkhumbi lomncane lebebawuletse nabo futsi, ngekuya kwa Paterson, ‘wavula (lomkhumbi) waveta emabala ase Ditcj. Colonel Gordon wacela sinatfo sekucala semphilo Yalesimo, kwase ke kuba nguloko kweMntfwanenkhosi yase Orange; kwatsi emvakwaloko wase unika lomfula ligama kutsi nguMfula we Orange ngekuhlonipha lomntfwanenkhosi. ‘umcimbi wesibili wekwetsa wentiwa ngoba Gordon abengenalo liciniso kutsi ngabe vele bekusolo kungulowa mfula wakucala lebekawubonile eBethulie.
Babese bamisa lomkhumbi ngasemnceleni losenyakatfo yalomfula, lapho bahlangana nebantfu lababekiwe, le Gordon wabadvweba. Emalanga lambalwa lalandzela bawacitsa babuka lokugoba lokukhulu eOrange, lekujikela ngase Phakhi Yesive yase Richtersveld. Labafundzi bendzawo babuya kuloMfula we Buffels, lapho bahlukana khona; Paterson washona eKapa kwatsi Gordon wabuyela eOrange futsi ngekulandzela lomfula ngenshonalanga acondze endzaweni yase Prieska, enela kutichaza kutsi lona kwakunguwo lomfula lakawetsa kwekucala nga 1777.

Translated by Phindile Malotana