Siteshi Sekucala seMishini lese Namaqualand

iMishini yase Pella

©Jacques Marais

Ngekwehluka, lemphilo yase Pella, imishini yesiteshi sekucala lesise Namaqualand, sifihlekile. Labanye batsi sasuswa ngemaDvodza esiganga, labulala lesinye sikhoni nemndeni waso, lokwenta bahlali kutsi babaleke. Ngekusho sihambi George Thompson wabika, ngemnyaka wa 1824, kutsi lendzawo yahlanekelwa, kepha wakhona kutfola lesinye siteshi semishini emahora lambalwa lakhashane ne T’kams – lomfundisi lophetse wachaza kutsi bahamba indzawo ngesikhatsi setinyanga letomile kwentela kutfola emanti. Labanye batsi lesiteshi lesatfolwa (kumbe lesingaphansi Kwelisontfo le Rhenish) ngaphambi lilahlwe ngemnyaka wa 1872 ngoba lesomiso lebesisikhulu lesafiekla lesigodzi.
Noma ngusiphi simo, Emakhatholiga acala indlela yawo yekucala yemishini eNamaqualand lese Springbok ngemnyaka wa 1869. Ngalokubi ke, le bhumu ye copper lebeyikadze ibukene nalokucalwa kwelidolobha yaseihambe kakhulu manye nalendzawo yase iyincane kakhulu kuMakhatholiga lebesebangasakhoni kushumayela. Ngekungesabi, lo Mfundzi Gaudeul, losuka eFrance, wacolela kutsatsa lendzawo beyilahliwe yase Pella. Njengemlandvo wemaKhatholiga lowawubhaliwe wesiteshi semishini yase Pella ngekukhumbula kwetfu, ‘atsi emaLuthela nakatsatfwa ngulemidlalo, abhalela eKapa enta imigomo, kepha tincwadzi tefika ngesikhatsi yonkhe intfo seyisesimeni. Bekukhona kukhala nekugedletela kwematinyo, kepha lokufa kwalahlwa’.
Alea jacta est, impela. Ngemnyaka wa 1878, Pella wakhokha tindzawo letilikhulu, kwatsi letimashumi lasihlanu tato betitemakhatholiga. Ngemnyaka wa 1882, Umfundzi Jean Marie Simon wefika kulemishini leyemukelanako emkhatsini wendzawo nje. Yena netisebenti bachubekela ekwakheni icathedral lencane kanye nendlu kwentela bosisi basesontfweni kanye netindzaba tetenkholo kwentela kucondzisa bona etintfweni labafuna kutenta. Kwatsatsa iminyaka lesikhombisa. Babe wasesontfweni Simon bekatosala ePella kuze kufike sikhatsi sekufa kwakhe ngemnyaka wa 1932, iminyaka lemashumi lasihlanu muva. Wabese watiwa ngekutsi ‘nguMbhishophi wema Hottentots’ futsi waba ngumuntfu lohlonishwako kulendzawo. Kusuka ePelaa, Lelisontfo Lemakhatholiga lachubeka lasungula inombolo yema mishini ngesheya kwe Namaqualand, iBushmanland kanye ne Hantam Karoo.

Sibusiso kanye neSicalekiso

Letiteshi letiningi letehlukahlukene temamishini, tema Phrothestanti nemaKhatholiga tiyafana, tikhombise kuba sibusiso kanye nesicalekiso. Ngalenye indlela, titfwele emaklinikhi, tikolwa kanye nemasontfo, kantsi futsi takha indlela yekuhlanganela kwentela kwelekelelana ngalobulukhuni bema Khoikhoi kanye nemaVezandlebe lebekangephansi kwekubulawa kwema trekboers kanye nalabanye bangeneli betintfo nesimanje. Ngalenye indlela, nomakunjalo, letigodzi tendzawo letihleti letikhula ngakuletiteshi tigcugcutela inhlalo yemakhaya lamile, lokufakela ekwaliweni kwemphilo yebamabi besimanje. Eminyakeni yamuva, ngesikhatsi kufundzisa kwaba yintfo yawonkhe muntfu kubobonkhe bantfwana, lesiteshi semishini sacala kubayintfo leyiyincenye yema Khoikhoi laphilako ngaloko ahambisa lesipikili sekugcina kuya ebhokisini le transhumance wabo.
Letilwimi tema Khoikhoi amdalo ahlupheka lokwenta umphumela wemamishini’ emfundvweni. Ema Europe lambalwa akhona kutfola lulwimi lolumankimbonkimbo-lolutsintsa lulwimi lunye ngetindlela letehlukene futsi, noma letinye tintfo tamikiswa endleleni yesi Khoikhoi, incumbi yekukhuluma emkhatsini wema shephadi kanye nema flokhi bekwentiwa ngesi Dutch noma ngeSingisi. Sizatfu saloko, lulwimi lwema Nama kuphela (lelikhulunywa ngerimothi yeRichtersveld kanye nase ningizimu yase Namibia) lesolo lisaphila nalamuhla – lolokunguyena mancoba wetintfo tesintfu letake tavala lining leNingizimu Afrika.

Lithikithi le Msebenti

Nasesiphetsa nje, lamamishini kungashiwo kutsi abenentfo lecinile kantsi futsi lephazamisako ku Namqualand. Tanika incumbi yemisebenti lemicoka, ase anika basendzaweni livi lelincane lepolitiki. Etintfweni letiningi, lesiteshi semishini saphindze salwelwa ‘emathikithi emsebenti’ lokwenta siciniseko semphilo yonkhe kubantfu bendalo kulendzawo ngakhona kulesositeshi. Loku kwabamcoka ebusweni balabamhlophe balimi lebebangabahloniphi futsi, muva, letinkapani temayini. Kepha konkhe loku kwaba yintfo lebitako futsi hulumende bekavama kususa emandla etandleni tetikhulu tetigodzi banike labakhulu betiteshi temamishini esikhundleni. Letiteshi temamishini nato taphocelela belusi base transient kutsi bahlale endzaweni yinye, kantsi futsi bekubukela phansi indlela yesintfu semphilo yabo. Njengesisho, inkhosi iyapha inkhosi iphindze itsatse.

Translated by Phindile Malotana