Izinto Ezinomtsalane Kutyelelo Lwase Robben Island

Uhambo Ngesikhitshane

©David Fleminger
Into enomtsalane ngolutyelelo iqala kuhambo ngesikhephe ukuya esiqithini. Isikhephe sithatha malunga nemizuzu engama 30 ukuya, kwaye nemibono ye Kapa kunye ne Table Mountain ibalasele.
Kangangokuba wonke umkhweli ubonakala ngathi uyajinga kwisikhephe neekhamera kunye no selula bezama ukuthebula lombono mhle kangaka.
Iikhamera ezine vidiyo nazo zixhaphakile, kwaye rhoqo sithutha abantu esi sikhephe kubakho inqwaba yabantu abashicilela lendlela yonke nge vidiyo-beyenza ibelelona hambo ngesikhephe lushicilelwa kakhulu kwihlabathi lonke.
Qaphela ke, kananjalo, ukuba ulwandle lungadlokova kwaye ukuwela kungayekiswa ukuba imozulu ayilungelani.
Izikhephe ezibini ezihambayo kungoku, zithwala abantu abamalunga ne 160 ngexesha. Zihlala zigcwele. Iziphumo zoku kukuxinana nokutshovana, ingakumbi xa amaza emakhulu kwaye nabantu begxadazelela macala onke esikhephe ukuze babone kakuhle okubangqongileyo.
Izikhephe zinevenkilana ethengisa izimuncu-muncu kunye neziselo, kodwa ukutya akuphekwa esikhepheni.
Ibhiya ayithengiswa endleleni eya esiqithini, kodwa iyathengiswa endleleni ebuyayo. Emva kohambo olumyoli oluwela ukusuka eKapa, isikhephe simisa e Murray’s Harbour yase Robben Island.
Abatyeleli ke bathi behle badlule imifanekiso emnyama namhlophe yembali yesi siqithi, besingise kwibhasi esele zibalindile.

Utyelelo nge Bhasi

©David Fleminger
Emva kokonwabela ithamsanqa lokujikeleza isiqhi ndizihambela ndedwa. Ibhasi ayimisi ndawo ixesha elide, kwaye awuvumelekanga ukuhlika ebhasini ubuke. Lincinic ixesha elikhoyo kunye nenani labantu abaninzi.
Ngapha koko, kukho ilali enebantu abangama 150 abahlala kwesi siqithi, kwaye ubomi babo bungaphazamiseka ligquba labantu abangabaziyo abasoloko beyabula ilali yabo.
Nangona kunjalo, iibhasi zigqitha rhoqo kangangokuba abantwana basekuhlaleni ababuya esikolweni sele bede baziqhela iimbuso zabantu ababakrobe ngeefestile kwibhasi logama idlula.
Kwixa elizayo, iRobben Island Museum iceba ukuqulunkqa utyelelo oluhamba ngenyawo kwesi siqithi, mhlambi kubekho nendlela yokukhwela ibhayisekile entabeni. Xa sele zikhona ezi zinto, ndicebisa ukuba uthathe eli cham.
Kufuneka uhambe umhlaba we Robben Island ukuze uzivele ubungangamsha balendawo. Inkcazelo epheleleyo ngalengingqi kunye nokuzizulela kwam ngenyawo ndijikeleza esi siqithi kungafumaneka ngezantsi.

Indlu ka Robert Sobukwe

©David Fleminger
Xa ushiya iharbour, udlula kwiheke zekonkrethi ezinophawu lwesi siqithi (ilily) kunye ne motto yangethuba licinezelo, ‘Sinceda ngegugu’. "Ons dien met trots”. Kunye no ‘Wamkelekile’ obukuqhularha upeyintwe ecaleni kwendawo engenayo. Indawo yamajoni yangexesha le World War II ungazithi tshe ngasekhohlo, kunye maximum-security prison ibonakala ngaphambili phaya.
Ibhasi iyaqhubeka ihambe ngendlela yasekhohlo, iphepha indlela eya ngakwi oonombombiya, emzuzwini imise phambi kwamangcwaba amadala, kufitshane namadonga entilongo. Le indawo ekwakungcwatywa kuyo abantu ababulewe liqhenqa kunye namagqabi akrwabakayo ongeza isithinzi esikulendawo.
Indawo ekumiswa kuyo elandelayo yindlu ka Robert Sobukwe, nethe guu bucala kulelali. Lendlu incinci inamagunjana amabini, ibonakala incinci kakhulu ukuba ingahlala indoda enkulu efana no Sobukwe.
Wayehlala apha kangangeminyaka emi 9 phantse engadibani kwaphela nabanye abantu. Izindlu zezinja ecaleni kwalendlu zongezwa ngomyaka ka 1976, emva kwentshukumo zase Soweto, ngethuba izinja ezikhohlakeleyo zaziswa ukuzokuthomalalisa amabanjwa afikayo ayedlokova.
Ibhasi iyaqhubeka iye kwicawe ebizwa nge Church of the Good Shepherd. Esi sakhiwo simhlophe singekho mbeje mbeje saqulunkqwa ngu Sir Herbert Baker njengendawo yokunqula yabantu abanesifo seqhenqa nababehlala kwisibhedlele sika wonke wonke iGeneral Infirmary.
Yayingenazitulo kunye neefestile ezincinane kakhulu, ukuze esi sifo singosuleli abanye abahlali. Yokhiwa ngomnyaka ka 1895 kwaye sisakhiwo selizwe esisikhumbuzo.

Uhambo Ngebhasi Phakathi Elalini

Ungahamba ke ngoku ngebhasi phakathi elalini, nekwaziwa nge dolophu ye Irish. Nyingxube vange yezakhiwo. Zimbi zisuka kwiminyaka ye Victorian ngethuba esi siqithi yayisisibhedlele, ezinye zezemikhosi ngethuba lemfazwe yesibini yehlabathi iSecond World War.
Zikhona ke nezinye ezintsha izakhiwo ezakhelwe abagadi bezisele ababehlala apha neentsapho zapho ngethuba esi siqithi yayiyintilongo yoncinezelo. Ezi zakhiwo zamva zinokuba mthwebeshu kwaye azinikisi mdla nkqwa kanye nosomapolitiki Nationalist politicians welaxesha, kwaye nezindlu ezazakhelwe onogada abamhlophe nazo zimbi, nangona zisengcono kunesisele sejele.
Njengenxalenye yokuzinikela kwabo kulawulo lwemvelaphi kunye nokugcina, zonke izakhiwo ezise Robben Island zigcinwa zikwimo yazo yokuqala. Ipeyinti iyekiwe ukuba ixobuke kwaye ukulungiswa kwazo akuvumelekanga.
Ngaphandle kophuhliso olunyanzelekileyo ukugcina izakhiwo zimile. Oku kuyilungele imuziyamu, kodwa kwenza ubomi bungaqheleki kubantu abahlala nabasebenza kulendawo.
Isakhiwo se Admin umzekelo, sakhiwe kwiyadi ye konkrethi engapeyntwanga kwaye isesisikhumbuzo kweeofisi zakudala ezazikade zikulendawo. Nkqu nakulelali izinto azivumelekanga ukuba zitshintshwe. Kwaye nesakhiwo esidala esasihlala amageza abhinqileyo sisamile, singenabantu sishiywe apho, sikrasa usizi oluthe cwaka.

Translated by Zizipho Silwana