Lokumnandzi Ngeluhambo lase Robben Island

iFerry Ride

©David Fleminger
Lokumnandzi ngaleluhambo, nguloku gibela umkhumbi kundlula kuba kule Island. Lomkhumbi utsatsa imizuzu lengu 30. Sitfombe sendzawo yaseKapa kanye ne ‘Table Mountain’ sihle kakhulu.
Wonkhe umuntfu kuloluhambo usuke azama kutsatsa sitfombe lesihle salendzawo. Batfwebuli titfombe basuke bacwele batsatsa titfombe, bentele kubonisa umhlaba wonkhe.
Kepha caphela kutsi lwandle lingaba nemandla ngesinye sikhatsi, kwente kuhamba ngemkhumbi kube matima, loku kungadalela kutsi luhambo lumiswe.
Lemikhumbi lemibili lesebentiswako ilayisha bantfu labangu 160 umunye, wonkhe ihlala igcwele. Loku kubese kubanga kutsi bantfu baphushane. Kulomkhumbi kunendzawo yekutsengisa.
Kutfolakala kwekunatsa nalokunye kepha kudla akuphekwa emkhumbini. Tshwala abudayiswa nakusayiwa kule Island kepha buyadayiswa nasekubuyelwa emuva.
Emuva kweluhambo lelimnandzi lelisuka eKapa, umkhumbi uyema endzaweni yemikhumbi eMurray nakuyiwa eRobben Island. Tivakashi tiyehla bahambe bayomela ibhasi.

Luhambo lwebhasi

©David Fleminger
Emuva kwekuba nenhlanhla yekuhamba kule Island ngingedva. Lebhasi ayimi sikhatsi lesidze, futsi awuvumelekile kwehla uyobona tindzawo. Kunesikhatsi lesincane kantsi futsi kunebantfu labanyenti lokufanele bahambiswe.
Kwendlula kuloko, kunemphakatsi webantfu labangu 150 labahlala kuleIsland, kuhlala kuyaluka bantfu labangabati emphakatsini wabo akukho kahle.
Esikhatsini lesitako, iRobben Island itimisele ngekwenta luhambo letinyawo kanye neluhambo lekugibela intsaba. Nasekwentiwe loku, ngingakhutsata bantfu kutsi bakungenele.
Kufanele unyatsele umhlabatsi wase Robben Island kute ubone emandla alena ndzawo. Kuchaza kwami kahle lendzawo kutfolakala ngentasi.

Indlu yaRobert Sobukwe

©David Fleminger
Nawusuka endzaweni yemikhumbi ubone litje lelibhalwe kutsi “a lilly” kanye nemagama lekuphilwa ngawo kulelijele latsi “sisebenta ngekutikhandla”. Nemagama lacaphatako labhelwe kutsi “siyakwemukela” ebhaliwe ngentansi ekungeneni.
Sibhamu semasotja saku WWII siyabonakala kancane ngekwencele. Ibhasi iyachubeka ihambe ngesencele kepha ivike emaphengwini, madvutane ifike ime ematfuneni lamadzala, dvutane nemabondza alelijele.

Siteshi lesilandzelako kusendlini yaRobert Sobukwe, ichele kancane kulomphakatsi. Lendlu lencane lenemakamelo lamabili, ibukeka iyincane kutsi beyingahlala umuntfu lomkhulu njenga Sobukwe, kepha kulana lahlala khona iminyaka lemfica angahlangani nebantfu.
Tinja tafakwa ngeminyaka wa1976 emuva kwesiteleka sase Soweto, lapho khona tinja taletfwa kulwisana nesiteleka.

Ibhasi iyacubeka iye esontfweni lase “good shepherd”. Lena ndzawo yakhiwa ngumnumzane Herbert Baker njengendzawo yekudvumisa kwebantfu labamhlophe labanesifo seLeprosy. Yakhiwe ngendlela yekutsi lesifo singangeni kulabanye bantfu labahlala kulena ndzawo. Lakhiwa ngemnyaka wa 1895.

Kushayela kulona mphakatsi

Kubese ushayela wendlule emphakatsini lowatiwa ngekutsi yi ‘Irish Town’. Kunetindlu letakhiwe ngekuhlukana. Letinye betakhiwe ngesikhatsi sabo Victorian, lapho khona le Island beyisibhedlela, letinye takhiwe ngesikhatsi semasotja semphi yeWWII.
Letinye tindlu tisatsandvwa kakhiwa, takhelwe bebagadza tigebengu ngesikhatsi lendzawo ilijele lebantfu labamnyama. Letindlu letakhelwe bantfu labagadza tiboshwa labangakashadi timbi kepha tincono kunelijele.
Ngekuzama kugcina umlandvo walena ndzawo, tindlu letinyenti atilungiswa tihlala tinjalo. Pende bayawuyekela utiphumele, akuvumelekile kulungisa lendzawo.
Kulungisa lokwentiwako kutsi kugcine letindlu tingawi. Loku kwenta tintfo tibe matima kancane kubantfu labasebenta khona, ngoba basebenta etindlini letindzala. Nakulomphakatsi, akukavumeleki kutsi kubenetfutfuku lenyenti.

Translated by Thandokuhle Motha