Utyelelo Lwentilongo yase Robben Island

Ababonisi Bentilongo

©Tracey Derrick
Emva kokubuka isiqithi ngebhasi, abatyeleli behliswa kumnyango we Ntilongo Ekwinqanaba eliphezulu lokugadwa ukuze batyelele isisele esichukumisa umphefumlo. Le ngxenye yotyeleo lwakho is khokelwa ngowayesakubalibanjwa lezepolitiki, kwaye amabali wabo kunye nendlela ababona ngayo lendawo ayinakulibaleka kwaye ihambisa ngomzimba. Ababonisi ngalentilongo abaqeqeshwanga kwaye abanikwanga mazwi amabawathethe. Noxa kunjalo, ndiyaxelelwe ukuba uninzi lwalamabanjwa aphetheke ngendlela efanayo kwaye indlela ababuchaza ngayo ubomi bentilongo kwaye bunamandla ngendlela elinganayo. Ndabuza kulowo wayesikhokele, uDerrick Basson, ukuba kwakunjani ukuphindela ejele njengomntu okhokela abakhenkethi ebabonisa esi siqithi, Impendulo yakhe yayithe ngqo.
uDerrick wandixelela ukuba uninzi lwabo babengamabanjwa baze babuya sele bezokusebenza kwesi siqithi, bakwenza oko kua babengasebenzi babe bedinga imisebenzi. uDerrick waze wandikhumbuza ukuba uninzi lwalamabanjwa bakhulula bengakhange bafumane kwa nyango ngokwasemphefumlweni okanye amathuba emisebenzi. Kwaye oku ndiyaqonda ukuba yayiliyeza elikrakra.
Aba basebenzi balentilongo basebenza nzima. Kungoku nje kukho ababesakuba ngamabanjwa ezepolitiki abangama 15 abasebenza kwesi siqithi. Ngethuba elixakekileyo, bangasebenza ukufikelela kumaqela amathandathu azokutyelela, ngemini. Oku kuyadinisa kwaye kuluphindwa phindo lwento enye. Kodwa kubukufana nomsebenzi wase ofisini, kodwa uDerrick uyandiqinisekisa ukuba usoloko efumana into enembuyekezo kwiqela ngalinye alikhokelayo elize kutyelela (kwaye akathethi ngamaqithi-qithi emali awanikwa ngabatyeleli). Kuvumelekile kananjalo ukudlulisa amaqithi-qithi mbulelo, kwaye abakhenkethi abaninzi uthi afumbathise lowo ubabonisa le ndawo xa beshiya intilongo.

Isikhumbuzo Sesiqithi

©David Fleminger
Xa ungaphandle lentilongo igadwe ngamaqondo aphezulu, sisakhiwo esifutshane esinesithinzi nesenziwe ngezitena ezimnyama. Sixhagwe zizakhiwo ezide zokugada ezime njengonogada kwikona nganye yalendawo. Ibala lemidlalo elinothuli, nelihrangqwe licingo eliphindiweyo laze laa ne bhobhoyi wecingo elinameva likwelinye icala lalentilongo. Apha kulapho amabanjwa ayeqhele ukudlala imidlalo yawo kunye namanye amabanjwa. Iikomiti zezemidlalo e Robben Island zazihlelwa kakuhle kakhulu, nezazibhala phantsi imizuzu yeentlanganiso, zikhupha namaphekepheke eziqinisekiso kubo bone abadlali abathe bathatha inkxaxheba.
Ngapha kwentilongo kukho ismall kramat (Isikhumbuzo) sika Sayed Adurohman Moturu, iSheik yase Madura. Waye yinkosana yase Indonesia nowathi wazokulahlelwa eRobben Island kuba wayekhokela ugonyamelo lwezopolitiko esilwa iDutch East India Company, kwaye waswelekela kwesi siqithi ngomnyaka ka 1754. Umzimba wakhe ungcwatywe eJakarta, kodwa iCape Muslims zityelele isikhumbuzo sakhe ukusuka kwiminyaka engama 250 edlulileyo, nkqu nangethuba esi siqithi sasisetyenziswa njengentilongo ngexesha localu-calulo. Esi sakhiwo simiyo ngoku sakhiwa ngomnyaka ka 1969, kwaye isidlo esikhulu esibizwa ngokuba yi Khalifa sibanjelwa apha kulendawo mihla le.

Izisele Zentilongo Ekwabelwana Ngazo

©Tracey Derrick
Njengokuba uhamba kumda wamacingo anerusi arhangqe esisakhiwo sentilongo, kuye kuvakale umoya olusizi uphuma emhlabeni. Ze, ngesiquphe uzifumane sele usejele. Indawo yokuqala oma kuyo isenokuba zizisele ekwabelwana ngazo zika Block A. Apha, nabo bonke abakhenkethi behleli kwizitulo zeplanga ezoyanyiswe edongeni, umntu onibonisa indawo uzakunibalisela ngemeko zokuhlala zase jele, kwaye uzakucacisa iindlela zokohlwaya ezazisetyenziswa kumabanjwa. Namhlanje, izisele zikhala ibhungane kwaye zibanda nkca.
Yibanombono wegumbi elixinene ngabantu kunye neengxolo ababeynza neyayikulendawo. Imizobo engatshongo khona esemadongeni wezisele iyazama ukukhanyisa elohlotyana, kodwa yayenziwa kuphela emva komnyaka ka 1991, ngethuba onke amabanjwa ezopolitiko sele ehambile. Ukusuka kwezi zisele kwabelwanwa ngazo, usiwa kwibala elibhudla umoya, ugqithe uthotho lwe bloko ze admin, ukuya kwesona sakhiwo salentilongo. Kulapho ke isibhedlele, iofisi yokulawula nokugadwa kwezinto kunye nezisele ezenzelwe umntu omnye-Nezazihlala iinkokheli zezopolitiko.

Iyadi Yodumo Yokuzilolonga

©Tracey Derrick
Emva kokuhamba ipaseji ehlokomayo, ukhokelelwa ngaphandle komnyango ungeniswe kwiyadi yekonkrethi encinane, nejikelezwe ludonga oluphakamileyo. Le yiyadi yodumo apho uMandela kunye namanye amabanjwa ‘anobungozi’ ayechitha iiyure ezimbalwa elangeni, ngaphambi kokuphindela kwizisele zabo ezilingana neebhokisi zezihlangu kumnyango olandelayo. Eli bala ngoku sele lidweliswe imifanekiso emikhulu yosaziwayo nasele besuka kuvalelwa apha, kodwa ihlala iyindawo yosizi. Akufani uMandela kunye nabanye balima isitiya esincinane kwelinye icala lale yadi, ukuzama ukwenza ngconwana izinto.
Emva kwentetho emfitshane kule yadi, nalapho umbonisi wenu wendawo achaza indlela ezinkokheli zibekwe bucala, zazithetha ngayo kunye namanye amabanjwa kunye nehlabathi elingaphandle, ngokuthubelezisa imiyalezo ngeendlela ngeendlela, eli qela lisingisa kwicala elibizwa nge Section B. Eli cala liqulathe imiqolo yezisele ezilungiselelwe umntu omnye kwisisele ngasinye, zidweliswe ngazibini kwipaseji ende emxinwa nekhanyiswe ngezibane ezikhanyayo zemibala. Ngoku ke lixesha leyona ndawo inomtsalane: Isisele 5, Bloko B. Esi sisiselana esasihlala omnye wezona nkokheli ziphezulu ze sentyuri yamashumi amabini, uNelson Mandela.

Translated by Zizipho Silwana