iTrekboers/Amafama Akhenkethayo zase Richtersveld

Yayingobani iiTrekboers?

©Shem Compion

Yayingobani iiTrekboers? Ekuqaleni onke amafama ase Yurophu ayenyanzelekile aphile kumgama omfutshane ukususela kwindawo eyinqaba eKapa, ukuze lendawo isenqabeni ibagade. Ekuqaleni kuka 1700, lendawo yayisele ikhulile kakhulu abavelisi bayo nemihlaba eyongezelelekileyo kwakufuneka bakwazi ukunikeza ukutya nenyama. Amafama amhlophe ayevumelekile ukuphuma abange imihlaba emitsha phezulu ezintabeni.
Oku yayikukufika kwe trekboers (ngokuthe phaqa, amafama akhenkethayo) lama Yurophu omeleleyo aqhubeka ukuthatha indawo kulo lonke ikapa.
Exesheni, okokuthathwa komhlaba kwenziwa indlela ethile yemboleko yefama, eyayivumela amafama abange imihlaba emikhulu, wona akuphe irenti encinci kakhulu ngonyaka kule nkampani. Amalungelo omhlaba esintu awazange akhathalelwe. Nkqu uhlanga lwe Bastaards elalihloniphekile kancinci lwanyanzelwa ukunikeza ngemihlaba yabo xababe jongene nesibango somfama omhlophe.

Ukwanda Kwaba Mhlophe

Itrekboers zaqalisa ukwanda, ukuqala kumhlaba ochumile wangaphezulu (Overberg) ngase Mpuma kwalandela umhlaba we Waveren emntla-mpuma. Nangona iNamaqualand, yomile injalo ngokwesimo sezulu, yayinga chaphazelekanga ekuqaleni kokukwanda kwabamlophe, amaqela amaKhoikhoi amaninzi kunye nee Bastaards bakhutshelwa ngaphandle emihlabeni yabo zi trekboers zebaya emantla. Oku kwenza uxinzelelo kwezomhlaba nokuthembeka kwezo politiko eNamaqua.
Kungekudala, itrekboers nezi phathamandla zama Datshi eKapa bazibandakanya ekuchongeni nasekubekeni iinkosi zama Khoikhoi, nkqu ukubanikeza abasebenzi aba ‘copper headed’ endaweni yentsebenziwano yabo nekxaso kwezo rhwebo. Oku kwajongisela phantsi ama Khoikhoi ngakumbi isintu sawo. Ngo 1750, itrekboers zokuqala zaqalisa ukungena eNamaqualand apho bazibangela khona iifama ezininzi.

Ukhuphiswano Lomhlaba

©Shem Compion

Esenzweni, amafama amaYurophu ayengohlukanga kumafama aqhelekileyo akudala awayekhe asebenza emhlabeni. Kwimi mandla eyomileyo yase Namaqualand, umzekelo inkoliso yabo bathabatha isiko le matjieshuise njenge ndlela izindlu zabo ezizakuma ngayo. Babe fuduka nezilwanyana zabo, behamba ngokwexesha lonyaka befuna owona mhlaba ulungele ukutyisa izilwanyana. Ngokuphandle, oku kwabenza babeku khuphiswano ngqo nabelusi base Namaqua ngokunqaba kwizixhobo.
Kodwa ke amafama ase Yurophu ayenoThixo norhulumente kwicala lawo, kwaye nobuntshona babo boku banga umhlaba okulandelwayo,bathatha umhlaba osemaphandleni ngokungena mathandabuzo. Kwiminyaka engama 100 eyalandelayo. itrekboers zacalula uluntu lase Namaqua kwidlelo okanye umhlaba wabo wokhokho. iNamaqua, abaThwa, iimbacu zama Khoikhoi kunye nee Bastaards emveni koko zatyhalelwa kumantla ngakumbi, apho bazifumana bekhuphisana bodwa bezezintlanga.
Uhambo olwalu balulekile ezimpilweni zabo lwaluvalela iimpilo zabo nezithethe zokufuduka, zaphela tu. Abanye banikezela babazizicaka ze trekboers, okanye bathabatha imisebenzi njengaba sebenzi ezifama.

Iindawo Zokugcina Iintlanga

Abanye babuyela ekukhuselekeni kwe zitishi zemishini okanye indawo ezisemaphandleni zokuzifihla ezazisaziwa ngokuba zi ‘ndawo zokuhlala iintlanga’ nokucacileyo kwingingqi ye mishini ye Leliefontein eKamiesberg nase Richtersveld (de, kwaba ngo 1847, kwabangapha kwe bhodi zolawulo ze Koloni ye Kapa). Namhlanje ezindawo zokuhlala i25% ye Namaqualand kwaye ine 40% yoluntu.
Amanye amaqela, ade avukele aqalise ukugqogqa izibaya nabamelwane elalini. Inene, indawo yonke ye Orange River yabayinto ‘yasendle entshona’ ngelixesha, nenqwaba yamasela yentlanga ngentlanga ezisula kummandla, besenza ingxaki.
Esona siganeko sibi esingalibalekiyo kwingcinga ye Namaqualand yathabatha indawo phakathi ko 1800, mhla imbalela enamandla yafika kulengingqi. Ngenxa yoko, abantu kwisi tishi sase mishini yase Steinkopf wasusa iintsapho nemihlambi kumfula okumgama ongama 15 km ubude. Ngenye imini yange cawa, ngexesha abantu abadala babese caweni, iqela laba Thwa ababenxola, bagcwalisa inkampi, bebulala abantwana abangamashumi amathathu anambini abantwana bama Nama. Lendawo iqapheleka ngamangcwaba kwaye yaziwa lula ngokuba yi Kinderle (apho kuleli abantwana).

Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie