Ukubuka iRobben Island Ngeenyawo

Indalo Yokwenene Kwesi Siqithi

©Roger de la Harpe
Eyona ndlela ingundoqo yokubuka indalo yokwenene yesi siqithi kukuhamba ngenyawo. Ndabanethamsanqa lokunikwa ithuba lokuzenzela ngokwam, kwaye eneneni ndingatsho ukuba ukuzula kwimida yesiqithi yabayenye yokona kuhamba ngenyawo kunembuyekezo ebomini bam. Okulandelayo ke, yinkcazelo emfutshane lolohambo. Ukujikeleza isiqithi sonke kwandithatha malunga neyure ezi 4. Ndabe ndihamba ndithe chuu. Imida yesicithi inabile, kwaye ngaphandle kwelanga elishushu, kukuhamba okuthe chuu okumyoli.
Izitalato ezithe cwaka kunye nezindlu, zimbi ezingahlalwa bantu, zibhakwa lilanga logama abahlali behla besenyuka. Zimbalwa iimoto esiqithini, kunye nee moto ezithutha abasebenzi, zibajikelezisa isiqithi. Bangama 150 abantu abahlala kwesi siqithi, kwaye benza ukuhlala okunika umdla okusebenza ngokupheleleyo. Ukhona umbutho wasekuhlaleni omele abahlali - (RIVA - Robben Island Village Association), kwaye kude kubakho nendaba-ncwadi (newsletter) ephuma kabini enyangeni, ebizwa nge The Lighthouse.

Abantwana Abahlala Kwesi Siqithi

©David Fleminger
Kuyothusa ukubona inani labantwana abahlala kwesi siqithi. uAllice, nendandihlala emzini wakhe, unabantwana ababini abaselula. Uthi le yindawo elungileyo ukukhulisa abantwana. Ikhuselekile. Isithekile kukungcola kwedolophu kwempilo yesi manje-manje. Kwaye iinenkonzo ezaneleyo ezifana nezemidlalo, ikhrishi kunye nendawo yokutyela (Abahlali basayibiza nge The Mess). Iyadi yesikolo yindawo enengxolo, egcwele lulonwabo, kunye nepuli yokudada yabahlali (enayo kunye nomgadi) ihlala ixakekile.
Inoba kusisithukuthezi, kwaye kuthe nkcwe-Njengayo nayiphi na ingingqi encinci ifanele ukuba njalo. Naxa kunjalo, ebusuku, xa umoya uqala ukubhudla, isiqithi siyatshintsha sijike sibenesithinzi. Omnye wabantwana balengingqi wazama ukundoyikisa ngamabali ezithunzela ezijikeleza izitalato ezimnyama. Ndamkholelwa. Ukuba ikhona indawo emhlabeni egubungelwe zizithunzela zakudala, kufanele ibeyi Robben Island. Ngolo rhatya, ndindedwa kumzi wendwendwe, ndacinga ukuba ndiva imigushuzo yomntu ome ngaphandle kwifestile yam.

Ngapha Kwelali

©David Fleminger
Ngapha kwale lali, into yokuqala oyibonayo bubuhle bendawo. Phaya ngapha kwamanzi, kume iTable Mountain kunye nazo zonke ezinye iintaba eziyingqongileyo, kunye nobuhle bazo obunesithozela esimangazayo. Zibonakala zikufutshane nangona zikude. Indlela elibonakala likufutshane ngayo iKapa kufanele ukuba laliwangcungcuthekisa amabanjwa. Le ndawo isemazantsi yesi siqithi, kuyiwa kuyo ngebhasi, kodwa awunokuyonwabela ncam ngaphandle kokuhamba kancinci usezele yonke indawo. Ndasebenzisa elithuba ndabuka I Alpha One outpost, iFong Chung shipwreck, iindawo ehlala amajoni emoshakeleyo, amabhodlo eWWII, kunye nomgodi omdala ka Van Riebeeck’s (nosele uzele ngamanzi aluhlaza ngoku kunye neentaka zamanzi).
Njengokua uqhubeka nendawo apho ibhasi ishiya unxweme inyuka isingise kwi lighthouse, ushiya ngemva indawo enabantu nezakhiwo yesi siqithi ungene kwihlathi lonxwebe lomntla-ntshona. Apha indalo iyekiwe yazenzela, kunye nophawu olunye longenelelo lwabantu kwindlela emxinwa ye grabile ekhokelela kunxweme oluhrabaxa. Isandi solwandle sivakala ndawo yonke, njengokuba iintaka zolwandle ziqokelelanaa ngamanani ahlala esonyuka kumatye agruzu-gruzu. Iinyamakazi zizityela ingca ende, zithe cwaka kwaye ubewedwa ngokupheleleyo. Kodwa oluhambo aludiki. Xa umi kulendawo iphezulu, ungajonga ngqo ezantsi enxwemeni lomhlaba: Ukusuka eCity Bowl ukuya eSea Point, uhambele uye eCamps Bay, ukuya e Twelve Apostles ukuya eHout Bay kunye nase Chapman’s Peak – Umbono omhle ongenakuze uwufumane kuyo nayiphi na indawo emhlabeni.

Umcu Osezantsi

©David Fleminger
Kumgama omfutshane ngaphambili kukho indlu encinci yesikhitshane kunye neebhafu zamanzi ezashiywayo ze Bethesda, lepuli inamaza nalapho abanesifo seqhenqa babehlamba khona kulamanzi abandayo naphilisayo wolwandle. Lo mcu ungezantsi wolunxweme usithele emva kwemithi ye imithi yomgamtriya edwelileyo ngasekunene, njengokuba ulwandle luhlala lusemlindweni ngasekhohlo. Phambi kwakho kukho ulwandle oluvulekileyo qha. Kuthe nkcwee. Kufutshane nasenkcochoyini yesi siqithi, ufika kwi ndawo endala enamatye enkwali slate, nalapho uninzi lwamabanjwa esiqithi lwalusenziswa umsebenzi owophula umqolo kunye nomoya. Intaba yamatye aqhekeziweyo, apakishwe ngezidulana, ime ecaleni kwe nkwali, ubungqina obucacileyo bokwenziswa into engenamsebenzi kwama banjwa akuqala.
Kumntla mpuma wesiqithi ipenguin zithatha indawo. Ngama waka waka oonombombiya-little beggars. Kuba abantu bengafane babonakale kulendawo yonxweme,oonombombiya bayadakasa. Zitabhata kunxweme lwamanzi, zime ngomgca umatye zixhumela namaza. Nakweli icala lesiqithi kukho iindawo ezininzi ezazisetyenziswa njengendawo zokugada ngethuba le WW2, zisemlindweni ongenabantu zijongise kumanzi ase Blouberg. Njengoba iinqanawa ezinkulu zona ziphazamisa amanzi asingise kwi harbour yase Kapa.
Imilitary observation tower endala ibonakala ngokucacileyo phezu kwemithi. Eli cala lesiqithi yayikwayindawo ye leper villages, kodwa akukho bunggqina bokuba kwakukhe kwahlala abantu apha. Ukusuka apha, ngu chu ngcembe ukuphindela e harbour kunye ne jele eyintilongo ekwinqanaba eliphezulu lokhuseleko. Ukubuka esi siqithi kuthatha iiyure ezimbalwa, kodwa idibanisa iminyaka engapha kwama 500 yembali kunye nendalo entle ephilisa umphefumlo. Ingummangaliso okushiya ungenamazwi.

Translated by Zizipho Silwana