Ubuncweti Ngobandlululo - Ukususwa Ngokuphoqelekile

UBeauty Skefile wase Khayelitsha ubhala ngokuxabana komphakathi wakhe namophoyisa nezinja zawo ngenxayokuthi uhulumeni we 1980 wayefuna ukuthi umphakathi wakhe ayishiye i-Crossroads, eKapa.

Imjondolo e-Crossroads

©Eric Miller

Ngemuva kweminyaka ethize, umndeni wami wahamba wayohlala e-Crossroads, lapho wafika wakha khona umjondolo. I-Crossroads manje sekuyindawo enemijondolo eminingi, noma kunjalo, umndeni wami, ngomunye wemindeni yokuqala ukwakha lana. Ngenkathi sifika, kwakunezihlahla nje kuphela.

Leso kwakuyisikhathi esinzima kakhulu kuthi – sahlala kwama-canvas isikhathi esingangeminyaka eyisithupha, imjondolo yethu yayi banjwe yizinti, ngoba njao kwakumele masivuka siyichithe bese siyayifihla noma sihambe siye kwezinye izindawo, ngoba amaphoyisa ayehlezi esilandela, esixhosha ethi, i-Kapa yindawo yabelungu kuphela, kepha akumele sakhe imijondolo yethu khona.

Lezozikhathi, kwakuyizikhathi ezinzima kakhulu. Sahlala emijondolo iminyaka engange shagalombili. Njalo makusa, kwakumele sivuke sichithe imjondolo bese konke esinako sikufihle emuveni kwamatye ngaphambi kokuthi amaphoyisa afike. Kwakuphoqelekile ukuthi senze kanje ngoba amaphoyisa eyengazithatha izimpahla zethu ezilahle. Masehambile, kwakumele siphinde simise imijondolo yethu.

Lokhu kwakusiphoqa ukuthi sihlezi sishintsha izindawo zokuhlala ngoba amaphoyisa makefika aye fika ehamba nezinja, futhi ayefika noma yinini mayethanda, futhi ayefika emaningi.

Ukuhlaselwa Ngamaphoyisa Ebusuku

©Eric Miller

Amaphoyisa mangabe ukuthi ayefika ebusuku, ngezinye inkathi ayesithola singagqokile, ngoba sasijahwa izinja zawo. Kwa kumele ukuthi sivuke sibaleke ngoma ukuhlala kwakusho ukuhthi sisodliwa izinja. Kune langa lapho ngawo khona, yangidla emlenzeni. Lokhu kwa ngenza ukuthi ngithukuthele kakhulu, futhi ngakhala.

Lezozinja ngidla kabili. Angazi ukuthi yini le engaka esayenza le eyenza ukuthi abenlungu bangafuni uku sihlale la, baze basijahe nge zinja. Sasiweza amaphoyisa mangabe eza, ama- siren eyesho kuqala: “whee, whee, whee!” Umuntu owezwe kuqala kuye kubenguye omele asitshele ngoku memeza athi: “kubomvu”. Lokhu kwakuyisexwayiso esasisisebenzi ngaleyonkathi.

Ukuhlaselwa Amaphoyisa

©Eric Miller

Ngelinye ilanga amaphoyisa ayisithupha ayevame ukufika, futhi nje ngezinye inkathi aye afike noma engama shumi amabili nangaphezulu. Ayesizungeza. Iphoyisa ekwakuyilona eliphethe lalilide, linezinwele ezimnyama nobuso obude, babe mbiza uMnu. Basson. Sasimazi kahle uMnu Basson ngoba uye owayehlezi ekhona masizohlaselwa. Waye vame ukusithethasa.

Ngelinye ilanga ngangisalele ngezwa kunomsindo phandle, ngathi mangiphuma ngibheka, kwakunabantu abaningi abathukuthele bemzungezile bemxosha, wahamba. Lapho ewaye buyakhona wabuya eseze namaphoyisa amaningi futhi sebeza ne loli yoku bhidliza inzinto. Futhi manje kwase kukhona izinja eziningi nezibhamu. Thina sasiba kakhulu izinja kune zibhamu.

Kune langa pho basithatha basifaka kwamaloli ahulumeni. Sasibaningi futhi singaneli kulama loli, kodwa ayesifaka kuwo ngenkani. Lapho kwakungena sikhathi sokuthi sithathe izimpahla zethu.

Le loli, yahamba ibheka ngase Stellenbosch, lapho umshayeli wafika wama egaraji wagelela uphethiloli. L apho sasiculela phezulu. Iloli yathi mayima, sa shaya is’cabha simemeza “Nifunani?” Wabuza umshayeli. “Sifuna ukuchama,” sasho. Bese wasivulela, sabaleka sonke saphinda e-Crossroads, lapho safika izinto zethu zisasekhona.

Ama-Black Sash Ladies

©Eric Miller

Thina sasi sizwa ama- Black Sash ne Red Cross. Njalo mengabe amaphoyisa ebhidliza imijondolo yethu noma ayishise, i-Red Cross yayivame ukufika isiphathele isobho nokudla. Am-Black Sash Ladies ayevame ukufika ne-loudhailer athi akubenomhlangano, lapho sasifike sibatshele konke okwakusenzeka kithi.

Leliqembu laliye lihambe liye kosombusazwe libuze ukuthi kungani besi diliza imjondolo yethu, ngoba akukho lapho esizophinde siye khona. Ngemuva kwalokho amaphoyisa asidedela kancane. Laba besifazane babesilwela ngempela.

Noma kwakunzima, koda kwakusijabulisa ukwazi ukuthi kuna bantu abasilwelayo, ngakho ke sasazi ukuthi noba kukubi, akukubi khakhulu. Futhi lokhu kwasibonisa ukuthi abelungu abafani, abanye balungile, abanye abalungile neze, abafuni ngisho ukumbona umuntu omnyama.

Translated by Nwabisa Ngumbela