Rendzo ra milenge e Robben Island

Ntumbuluko wa ntiyiso exihlaleni

©Roger de la Harpe
Ndlela yakahle yaku tiphina hi ntumbulukowa mampela wa xihlala lexi i ku famba hi milenge eka xona. Ndzi ve na nkateko swinene kukuma nkarhi wa kuva ndzi swiendla hi ndzexe naswona ndzi nga vula hivutshembeki leswaku ku famba famba endzeni ka makhumbi ya xihlala lexi akuri leswi vuyerisaka swinene eka vutomi bya mina. Leswi landzelaka kova nhlamuselo yokoma ya rendzo rero. Ku famba famba exihlaleni kuringana mpfhuka wa 12kms naswona wuteke kwalomu ka 4 wa ti awara kuwufamba hi mafambelo yo olola milenge unga jahelangi helo. Rivala ra xihlala lexi arina tintshava naswona e handle ka dyambu leri hisaka swinene, kufamba kona swivuyerisa moya wa wena.
Switarata swo hola na tiyindlu, leti hafu yatona yi tshamaku vanhu, kufumetiwa hi dyambu loko vaaki vakarhi vatifambela kuya hala na hala. Akuna mimovha yotala ya vanhu exihlaleni naswona swifambo swa vatirhi hiswona swifamba fambisaka vanhu exihlaleni. Kuna kwalomu ka 150 wa vanhu lava hanyaka exihlaleni naswona va endla ndzhawu ya vaaki leyi hanyaka. Kuna nhlangano lowu yimelaka vaaki lowutivekaka tani hi (RIVA – Robben Island Village Association), naswona kuna phephahungu lerikumekaka kambirhi hi nhweti e xihlaleni leri vange i, The Lighthouse.

Vana lava hanyaka exihlaleni

©David Fleminger
Swihlamarisa ngopfu kuvona nhlayo ya vana lava hanyaka exihlaleni. Allice, kunga loyi andzi amukerile loko ndziri exihlaleni, una vana vambirhi vantsongo naswona u hlamusela leswaku leyi i ndzhawu yakahle swinene yaku kurisela eka yona vana. Ku hlayisekile. Ndzhawu leyi yile kule na doroba xikanwe na moya wa rona wobola. Xihlala lexi xina tindzhawu totlangela eka tona mitlangu, xikolo xa tindzumulo, ndzhawu yo xavisela swakudya leyi vaaki vayi vulaka (The Mess). Jarata ra xikolo rina huwa, ndzhawu ya ntsako, xikanwe na ndzhawu yo hlambela eka yona leyi tshamaka yitele hi vanhu na varindzi kuva vaponisa vutomi bya vanhu.
Kungava kuri na xivundza, kumbe kuka kunga tiviwi swotala, tani hi ndzhawu ya vaaki leyintsongo swifanerile kuva hindlela yoleyo. Hambi swiritano, navusiku, loko moya wusungula ku hunga, xihlala xicinca xivumbeko laha xichavisaka swinene. Nwana unwana uringete kundzi chavisa loko andzi byela hita xipuku lexi famba fambaka eswitarateni navusiku. Andzi tshembile leswi aswivula. Loko kuri na ndzhawu yinwana laha misaveni leyi karhatiwaka hi swipuku swa khale ka matiko, kufanele kuri Robben Island. Madyambu yalawa loko ndzi etlele emubedweni, ndziri ndzexe e kamareni ra vayeni, andzi two onge ndzi twa kufamba famba ko pfumala ntshamiseko wa munhu loyi anga yima eka fasitere ra mina.

Kutlula kaya

©David Fleminger
Ehandle ka ndzhawu leyi ya vaaki, xilo xosungula lexi kokaka rinoko ra wena hileswi xihlala xilangutekisaka xiswona. Hile mpfhukeni le kuvonaka Table Mountain na vuxaka bya yona, kunaveta ka yona na vukulu bya yona. Tintshava leti tivonaka tiri kusuhi kambe tile kule nyana. Kuva kusuhi ka tona leswingariki ntiyiso na doroba ra Cape Town swingava swixanise swinene vabohiwa e khotsweni. Makumu ya xihlala yale dzongeni yafikeleriwa hi rendzo ra bazi naswona unga tsandzeka ku tsakela naku amukela vusaseki bya kona ehandle kaloko wo hunguta rivilo ukuma swon’wa. Ndzi titlonyile loko ndzirikarhi ndzi hlanganisa ndzhawu leyi hinkwayo kusuka e Alpha One outpost, xikepe lexi fayekeke xa Fong Chung, vutshamo bya khale bya masocha lebyinga hlakala, tindzhawu ta nyimpi ya misava ya WWII, xikanwe na laha aku ceriwa maribye ka Van Riebeeck (laha sweswi kungana mati ya rihlaza naswona kutala tinyenyani tale matini).
Loko uya emahlweni u hundza laha bazi rijikaka kona kusuka emakumu ka lwandle kuya le henhla kungana lighthouse, usiya ndzhawu leyi hluvukeke leyi kunga xiphemu xa xihlala kutani unghena enhoveni u kongoma e nwalungu-vupela dyambuyou bya xihlala. Laha ntumbuluko wupfumeleriwile ku teka ndzhawu ya wona, xikombiso xin’we lexikombaka leswaku kuna vutomi i xindlelani lexinga kona eka ndzhawu leyi. Mpfumawulo wa lwandle watsakisa, tinyenyani ta lwandle tihlengeletanile hi nhlayo leyikulu swinene e henhla ka ribye lerikulu. Masekwa yari ekudyeni exikarhi ka byasi lebyikulu etlhelo ka patu. Kambe ku famba hindlela leyi aswi lolohisi. Kusuka laha ka xiphemu lexi, unga kota kuvona ku rhelela le hansi emisaveni: kusuka e City Bowl kuya e Sea Point, Camps Bay, kuhundza hile Twelve Apostles kuya e Hout Bay na Chapman’s Peak – xivono lexi ungata pfuka unga xivonangi kusukela helo emisaveni.

Rivala ra xihaha mpfhuka phatsa

©David Fleminger
Eka mpfhuka lowuntsongo kuna ndzhawu ya swikepe na laha kunga tshikiwa kutivekaka tani hi Baths of Bethesda, ko hlambela laha vavabyi va leprosy avahlambela kona eka mati lawa akutshembiwa leswaku ya horisa yotitimela ya lwandle. Rivala leri ku phatsamaka xihaha pfhuka phatsa yiva yiri endzhaku ka misinya leyi yo leha swinene yami biligomu kuya exineneni, kasi lwandle riya emahlweni hile ximatsini. Emahlweni ka wena lwandle rilo khege. Kumiyerile swinene eka ndzhawu leyi. Ekusuhi nale henhla ka xihlala, hilaha kungana ndzhawu leyi yocela maribye laha vabohiwa votala ava cerisiwa kona maribye loko vanyikiwe mintirho leyi yotshova na nhlana xikanwe naku tshova moya. Maribye lawa yanga fayeleleka ya endle swintshabyani leswinga yima ekusuhi na ndzhawu leyi, vumbhoni lebyinga erivaleni bya mintirho ya vabohiwa lava avari e khotsweni.
Hileka tlhelo ra nwalungu vuxa bya xihlala lexi, ti penguins tile kutiphineni. Naswona kuna magidigidi ya vakomberi lavantsongo swinene. Tani hileswi kungariki na vanhu etlhelweni leri ra lwandle, ti penguins tikumeka hixitalo. Tikumeka kwala tlhelo ka mati ya lwandle, tiyime kwala maribyeni titsakisiwa hiku cheriwa hi mati ya magadlati lawa ya baka laha maribyeni. Kutlhela kuva na vumbhoni bya nyimpi ya misava ya vumbirhi WW2 eka xiphemu lexi xa xihlala, kukongoma e Blouberg, kasi swikepe leswi rhwalaka nhundzu swihundza hikwala e tlhelo loko swiya e Cape Town harbour.
Laha akuri na xikombiso xa masocha ehenhla ka mirhi kaha vonaka swinene. Xiphemu lexi xa xihlala akuri kunwana laha akutshama vavabyi va leprosy, kambe akuna vumbhoni bya masalela ya vona. Kusuka laha i mpfhuka wuntsongo swinene kutlhelela harbour nale khotsweni. Ku famba laha xihlaleni switeka ti awara tingari tingani kambe leswi swikatsakanya matimu ya malembe lawa ya ringanaka 500 xikanwe na ndzhawu ya ntumbuluko leyi phamelaka moya. Leswi switaku siya u ahlamile.

Translated by Ike Ngobeni