uMahluko Phakathi kwaba-Thwa nama Khoikhoi

Ukungqubana Ngokwe Nkcubeko

©Shem Compion

Nangona ama Khoikhoi nabaThwa behlobene, ngoko fuzo kunye nange ntetha okanye ulwimi, kubonakala okokuba kwabakhona ukungqubana ngokwe nkcubeko ukuqala ukudibana kwalama qela mabini. Ama Khoikhoi, endaweni yawo, ayehloniphe kakhulu imihlambi yawo, beyibona njenge mbonakalo yokubaluleka nobutyebi.
Izilwanyana zazibangwa, lilonke iintsapho ezazine zilwanyane ezininzi zazibonwa njenge ntsapho ‘ezinobutyebi’, logama abo banemfuyo encinci kwakufuneka bathathe indawo njengezicaka kwiziduko ezinobu ngangamsha. Oku ke kwakubalulekile ukusuka kwindlela eqhelekileyo yamaqela abathwa, bona ke babenganelwa ntweni ngama Khoikhoi.
Nkqu igama elithi ‘Khoikhoi’ (elithetha indoda yama doda) limele ukuba hlukanisa kubathwa abajongelwe phantsi, ababebiza Sonqua’ okanye ‘San’ (okuthetha ukuthi ‘amadoda angenanto’). Ngesisizathu, abathwa abaninzi bale mihla abafuni ukubizwa ngegama le ‘San’ njengoko belibona njengesithuko.

Iindlela Zokuphila Ezahlukileyo

Ama Khoikhoi naba-Thwa babephila ubomi obuhlukileyo, ngokwahluka kwee meko zezimali. Kananjalo ukulwa ngamanzi, izixhobo zokusetyenziswa ekuhlaleni, nendawo yokuhlala kwakunga balekeki. Ama Khoikhoi ayengabazingeli kwaye ukukhuphisana ngokubamba izilwanyana zasendle ezityiwayo ngokuqinisekileyo kwakungamandla. Kodwa ke okubalulekileyo lamaqela Mabini ayefumana indlela yokuvana nokuphilisana njengamaqela ohlukileyo ngokwe nkcubeko iminyaka eqikelelwa kuma 1500 – de ama Yurophu afika agxobha amanzi ngodaka.
Zikhona neziganeko apho abaThwa bathabatha imisebenzi nentsapho zama Khoikhoi, bebajongela imfuyo, bebavelisela ubusi okanye bebanikeza iindlela zokwenza/kubiza imvula bona bafumane ukutya njenge mbuyekezo. Kwi Richtersveld, abaThwa baye baphela kusokufika ama Khoikhoi (ngaphandle kohlobo olwaluhamba luzingela lukhangela ukutya oluhlobo lwe Khoisans lwaqhubeka luhlala ngase Lwandle). Oku kungabasisizathu sokuhamba okanye ukudityaniswa ne Namaqua. Kodwa ke akusiyiyo indawo exhasa abantu abaninzi.

Abelusi naba Zingeli

uRichard Elphick, umbalisi mbali wale mihla, kwelinye icala, unenkolelo yokuba ukwahlula abelusi banazingeli kwakucacile, kuxhomekeka kwintlahla, nakwezorhwebo. Ku Elphick, abaThwa nama Nama yayingabantu abafanayo. Yiyo lonto uhlanga lwama Khoikhoi kwakulula ukuphulukana nemihlambi yemfuyo kwixesha lembalela, ukukubiwa okanye ngenxa yezifo, ibenza babuyele kwisimo sezorhwebo somzingeli-nomqokeleli wabaThwa.
Njengoko oku kwaziwa njenge ndlela engagqibelelanga yobomi, izizwe/ntlanga zama Khoikhoi azimiseleyo zazizama ukuphinda zivuselele imihlambi yazo ngo, tshintshiswano okanye ngokusebenza. Oku kwadala indlela yobu fundisi kunokuzingela.
Ngokobungqina benzulu lwazi ngezakudala, kodwa kubonakala okokuba kukho amaqela amabini bakathi kwe kwesizwe sama Khoi-san.
Kodwa indlela ka Elphick isasebenza xa isebenziswe ngendlela yabaphambukeli, ngexesha abase Yurophu babe beka uxinzelelo kwindlela yokuphila yabantu bamandulo base Kapa.

Ubomi Obuqhelekileyo

Indlela yobunzululwazi yamandulo, okuthe wafumaniseka kuchaza unxubelelwano Phakathi kwemihlambi eqeqeshiweyo kunye nomdongo. Kuba amafama adinga indlela yokugcina ukutya, logama abazingeli besitya yonke into ngexesha elinye. Ubukho bomdongo okanye ezenziwe ngomdongo ezinzima kuthetha okokuba ama Khoikhoi awazange ahamba hambe kakhulu nje ngaBathwa ababehamba behlala kwindawo ezahlukileyo.
Oku ke kuyavakala kuba imihlambi yabo yayibanikeza isiqinisekiso sokutya, kwaye kwakungekho sizathu sokuba bahamba hambe kwaye bonke babekwazi ukunceda abantu abaninzi. Kuko konke oko ama Khoikhoi ayeqhubeka ukuphila ubomi obuqhelekileyo, behamba ngokwe xesha lonyaka behamba befuna umhlaba olungileyo wokuvelisa ukutya.
Isiduko ngasinye, babelawula indawo echongiweyo namalungu wesiduko behamba-hamba emhlabeni rhoqo, behambisa Imfuyo ngokwexesha lonyaka. Oku kwenza okokuba kwenziwe indlu yama Nama ephathekayo, kwaye ikwazi ukumiswa ngamazinki ngakwi mingxuma engamadama okusela ekwakuhlalwa kuyo ngamaxesha athile onyaka.
Ngamanye amaxesha abantu bangaphandle babevunyelwa ukusebenzisa umhlaba wolohlanga endaweni yokuowngwa okanye ukubhatala inkosi. Akuzange khona kuvunyelwe umhlaba okokuba ubengo womntu omnye. Yindlela yakudala yokulima eqhelekileyo esalandelwayo kwindawo yase Richtersveld World Heritage.

Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie