Buka iRobben Island

Ilali

©David Fleminger
Namhlanje le lali ilikhaya kubahlali abangama 150. Elinani liquka abasebenzi be muziyamu, iiguides zentilongo, abasebenzi be National Ports Authority, abagcini be lighthouse, abasebenzi besebe lwe Works Department kunye nabanye abantu nje abambalwa beentsuku zamandulo. Yingingqi encinci ezimele ecaleni, kodwa inika inomtsalane. Abantwana babuthelana ngokukhululekileyo, iminyango ayitixwa, ixesha licotha ngeyona ndlela kangangokuba alisenamsebenzi. Bukufana nase Canada. Le lali inezindlu ezimalunga nama 100, ezidweliswe ngemicu macala omabini endlela enkulu. Ikhaya ngalinye line gadi enothuli kunye ne-emele yokukhongozela amanzi emvula. Zingama 40 kuphela izindlu ezihlala abantu, oku kwenza esi siqithi sibenesithinzi ebusuku. uCharlé, osebenza eposini, wandixelela ukuba usebenza ngee ncwadi ezingama 2000 ngenyanga, kwaye iPosi yesi siqithi ifumana amawonga ngokusebenza ngendlela.
I-Turreted Anglican Church, nebizwa ngoku nge Dutch Reformed ibaneenkonzo ezimbini ngenyanga. Embindini wesi siqithi kukho iLedewinkel okanye ivenkile yoluntu. Apha abahlali bathenga aakudingayo, kwaye abantwana bahlupha umgcini venkile ngokusoloko becelana nelekese zamahlaa. Isitupu esimbaxa sikwasebenza njengendawo yeentlanganiso, sinee tafile ezimbini ze plastiki ezenzelwe iincoko zase mva kwemini. Ecaleni kwale venkile, libala lokudlala kunye nebala le galufa elingaqhelekanga (nelibizwa ngabemi boMzantsi Afrika nge Putt-Putt). Lalakhelwe ukonwabisa abagadi jele, kwaye lisesemgangathweni oncomekayo.

Izakhiwo Ezikhethekileyo

©David Fleminger
Ipuli enkulu yokudada, emva kwedonga eliphakamileyo, kulapho abantwana baqhele ukuchitha imini zabo. Begcakamele ilanga kwi konkrethi efudumeleyo betshovelana emanzini. Le lali ikwanalo nebala lebhola yombhoxo kunye nele khilikithi, nelalakhiwe ngama British (Ingphinda ibengubani omnye). Esi siqithi sine krishi kunye nesikolo samabanga aphantsi, kunye nabantwana abangama 23 kunye noo titshala ababini. Asikho isikolo samabanga aphakamileyo, ngoko ke abantwana abadala basenokufudukela eKapa okanye bakhwele isikhitshane sabasebenzi yonke imihla ukuya eKapa.
Oku kungabanzima, kwaye kukho ibali lomfundi owayekwibanga leshumi owayengakwazi ukuyokubhala imviwo zokuphela konyaka kuba ulwandle lwaludlokova. Caba, Umkhosi wezomoya yathumela inqwelo moya ukuba iyomlanda! Emazantsi ale lali, apho ijonge ngakunxweme olubonakala mfiliba lwase Bloubergstrand, ngumzi we Governor kunye ne cawe. Ezi zakhiwo zikhethekileyo zakhiwa ngexesha le Victorian. Kwaye ngoku lendlu isetyenziswa njenge ndlu yenkomfa kunye nendlu yamandwendwe (nevumeleke kuphela kumandwendwe amenyiweyo).

Imibono Emihle Ngeyona Ndlela

©Roger de la Harpe
Xa sele ugqithile elalini, indlela ijika ngasekunenene ihambe ngamazantsi omda wesiqithi, kanye kanye ecaleni konkxweme. Lo mbono mhle ngeyona ndlela. Ngaphaya kwamanzi, iTable Mountain, Devil’s Peak kunye ne Lion’s Head rise ziphakama ngokunga kusephupheni, zigubungele isiqithi sonke. Njengokuba ihamba ibhasi, iguide izakuniboniksa iquarry endala ka Van Riebeeck, Ii WW2 rifle posts eziliqela, amagumbi amajoni adiliziweyo, iWW2 lookouts ze konkrethi kunye ne recent shipwreck yakutsha nje (IFong Chung No. 11, neyayihamba malunga nomnyaka ka 1975).
Ngelishwa, ibhasi kengoku ijika inyuke nge qhina le Minto Hill, isingise kwi lighthouse. Iinyamakazi zingabonwa zisitya ingca eshinyeneyo emazantsi eli qhina, nethi ihambe ibenemithi eshinyeneyo ye gramthiya. Enkcochoyini yeliqhuba kume I lighthouse. Yakhiwa ngomnyaka ka 1865, ibona kumgama ongama 24 sea miles kunye nesikhanyisi esingama 1.5 kW. Ukukhanya kwaso, kudanyaza kubekanye kangangemizuzwana emihlan emva kwemizuzwaa esixhenkxe. Senziwe ngokutsha emva kwezibane ze signal ama Dutch ayezisebenzisa ukukhanyisa kuyo kanye lendawo, kwiminyaka engama 300 eyadlulayo.
Isikhululo sokukhangela utshaba (radar station), iDe Wall gun battery kunye nobuxhakaxhka bokucoca amanzi anetyuwa, nobuzisa amanzi aselekayo kwesi siqithi. Konke oku kukufutshane ne lighthouse. Ibhasi iyaqhubeka phezu kweliqhina, igqithe indawo eyayihlelwe ukuba libala le galufa iphindele elalini. Entla kwe dolophu, kanye apha ngasendleleni, ngamangcwaba apho kungwatywe khona amagosa kunye noogqirha ababesebenzela isibhedlela esiyi General Infirmary. Xa sele uphindele elalini, ibhasi ijika ngase khohlo ijongise kwi ntilongo ekwiqondo eliphezulu lokhuseleko (maximum-security prison).

Translated by Zizipho Silwana