AmaTrekboers we-Richtersveld

Obani Abakwa-Trekboers?

©Shem Compion

Futhi babengobani abahamba ngezinyawo? Ekuqaleni, bonke abalimi baseYurophu baphoqelekile ukuba baphile endaweni emfushane ukusuka enqbeni i-Kapa, ukuze iNkampani eyaziwayo ibeke iso. Ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1700, kodwa, abahlali kulendawo bese bebaningi ngaphezu kwabathengisi kanye nomhlaba ongeziwe budengekile ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zabantu zokudla nenyama. Ngakho-ke abalimi abamhlophe bavunyelwe ukuba baphume futhi bathathe umhlaba omusha phezu kwezintaba.
Lokhu kwaba ukufika kwama Trekboers (okusho abalimi abahamba ngezwe)ngakho lababantu baseYurophu baqhubeka bezithathela umhlaba wonke oseKapa. Kamuva, lokhu kuthatha komhlaba kwenziwa njengohlelo lokuboleka, okwavumela abalimi ukuba bathathe ingxenye ezinkulu zendawo besebekhokha irenti ephansi yonyaka. Amalungelo omhlaba wendabuko ayenganakwa. Ngisho namaBhasitela ahloniphekile aphoqeleka ukuba alahle amazwe abo lapho ebhekene nesicelo somlimi omhlophe.

Ukwandisa Umbuso Wabamhlophe

Futhi, ama-trekboers aqala ukusabalalisa, kuqala e-Overberg ecebile empumalanga bese efika ezweni lase-Waveren enyakatho-mpumalanga. Nakuba iNamaqualand, ngesimo sezulu esibucayi, ingasetshenzisiwe ekuqaleni kwalokhu kwanda kwabamhlophe, amaqembu amaningi ama-Khoikhoi nama-Bhasitela asuswa emazweni abo futhi athuthela enyakatho. Lokhu kwabeka ingcindezi eyengeziwe ezweni kanye nobuqotho bezombangazwe eNamaqua.
Ngokushesha, ama-trekboers kanye nezikhulu zaseDutch e-Kapa nabo bahlanganyela ekukhethweni nasekuqokeni izinkosana zama-Khoikhoi, baze babanikeze nenduku yethusi ngenhloso yokubambisana nokusekela kwezohwebo. Lokhu kwaqhubeka kukhombisa ukudelela indabuko yamaKhoikhoi. Khona-ke, ngawo-1750, abahambi bamabhunu bokuqala baqala ukungena eNamaqualand lapho bathatha khona amapulazi amakhulu.

Ukuncintiselana Umhlaba

©Shem Compion

Ngokwenza, laba abalimi baseYurophu babengahlukile kakhulu nabalimi bomdabu ababesebenza ngaphambilini. Esifundeni esomile saseNamaqualand, isibonelo, iningi lazo lasebenzisa i-matjieshuise yendabuko njengedlela yokwakha imizi. Baphinde bahamba nezilwane zabo, behamba nezinkathi zonyaka ukuthola indawo engcono kakhulu yokudla. Ngokusobala, lokhu kubenza babe nokuncintisana ngokuqondile nabelusi baseNamaqua phezu kwezinsizakalo zemvelo ezintulekile. Kodwa-ke, abalimi baseYurophu babe noNkulunkulu nohulumeni eceleni kwabo, futhi ngomqondo wabo wasentshonalanga wobunikazi bomhlaba wangasese, baphumelele ukuthatha umhlaba emaphandleni bengavimbeki. Ngakho-ke, phakathi neminyaka eyikhulu eyalandela,ama-trekboer athatha wonke umhlaba owawungowama-Namaqua endulo.
Ama-Namaqua, iziChwe, abaKhoikhoi namaBhasitela baqhutshelwa phambili futhi baya phambili enyakatho, lapho bezithola bencintisana khona. Ukuhambahamba nezifuyo okuke kwachaza izimpilo zabo kwakuphoqelekile futhi amaphethini abo endabuko okufuduka abhidlika. Abanye babeka phansi izikhali futhi baba izinceku zama-trekboers, noma baqala ukusebenza njengabasebenzi emapulazini abo.

Izindawo Zokugcina

Abanye baphindela ekuphepheni kweziteshi zemishini noma ezindaweni ezikude zokuphephela ezabizwa ngokuthi 'izindawo zokugcina zasemakhaya', ikakhulukazi ezungeze imishini yaseLeliefontein eKamiesberg naseRichtersveld (okuyize kube u-1847, ingaphesheya kwemingcele esemthethweni yeCape Colony). Namuhla, lezi zindawo zomphakathi zisabalale amaphesenti angamashumi amabili nanhlanu eNamaqualand futhi aqukethe amaphesenti anagamashumi amane abantu bendawo.
Amanye amaqembu abuye aphendukela ebukhosini futhi aqala ukuhlasela izibaya kanye nemizana yabomakhelwane babo. Ngempela, wonke umfula wase-Orange River waba into 'yasendle entshonalanga' ngalesi sikhathi, ngezinqwaba zamaqembu ezigebengu ezinhlobonhlobo ezihamba endaweni, okwenza kube nenkinga.
Isigameko esisodwa esingathandeki esihlala emqondweni weNamaqualand senzeka maphakathi no-1800, lapho isomiso esinzima sahlasela indawo. Ngenxa yalokho, abantu emishini yeSteinkopf bathuthele imindeni yabo nezinkomo zabo entabeni encane ekude ngamakhilomitha ayishumi nanhlanu. Kwathi ngolunye usuku ngeSonto ngenkathi abantu abadala bebesesontweni, iqembu leziChwe lahlasela ikamu, labulala izingane zamaNama ezingamashumi amathathu nambili. Leli sayithi liphawulwe ingcwaba futhi liyaziwa, njengo-Kinderlê (lapho izingane zilele khona).

Translated by Nsika Khoza