Ukuhamba ubuka iRobben Island

Ubunjalo Bempela be Robben Island

©Roger de la Harpe
Indlela eyiyo yomuzwa we-Robben Island wukuyihamba ngonyawo uqobo. Ngaba nenhlanhla ukunikwa lelothuba, futhi ngithanda ukusho ukuthi ukujikeleza iRobben Island yaba ngeyinhlabamxhwele kakhulu. Okulandelayo, uchazo oluncane lwaluhambo engaluthatha. Ukuyijikeleza uyiqede kungama-km awu 12 okwangithatha amahora amane, ngizihambela nje kahle. Lesiqhingi sindlalekile sabuthafa, ngale nje kwelanga lakhona elishisayo, kuyinto elula neyintakaso ukuyihamba.
Imigwaqo yaso nezindlu engenamsindo, ingxenye nje enabantu, kwelishisayo ilanga uthola abahlali bakhona bezithamelela ngokuhamba kulo. Zimbalwa izimoto zabantu esiqhingini, imvamisa kuba yizimoto zomsebenzi ezihambisa abantu.
Kunabantu ababalelwa ku 150 abahlala esiqhingini, abenza umphakathi impela nje ovuthiwe. Kunenhlangano yangaphakathi emele abahlali (i RIVA - Robben Island Village Association), kukhona nephepha eliphuma njalo emva kwenyanga elibizwa nge – The Lighthouse.

Izingane Ezihlala Esiqhingini

©David Fleminger
Kuyamangaza ukwazi zingaki izingane eziphila esiqhingini. U-Allice, engangikwakhe, unezingane ezimbili, wathi kuyindawo enhle ukukhulisa izingane. Kuphephile. Kuvikelekile emoyeni obolile wedolobha osewabakhona kulezinsuku. Futhi inayo yonke ingqalasizinda yezemidlalo, inkulisa, indawo yokucima ukoma (abakhona abayibiza nge Mess). Igceke lesikole ligcwele umsindo, Indawo yenjabulo, nezindawo zokubhukuda (enabaphephisi mawuminza) ihlale igcwele.
Ibukeka iyindawo ezithulele, nokho evalelekile-njengoba kulindelekile emphakathini omncane. Kanti ebusuku, uma uke waqala umoya ukuqubula, isiqhingi siguqula umbala sibe wuthuthu lwezipoki uqobo. Ezinye izingane zaze zangisabisa zathi kunezipoki ezehla zenyuka emigwaqeni yakhona eminyama. Ngazikholwa. Phela uma kuthiwa kunendawo emhlabeni ebhekene nosizi lwasendulo yiyo kanye iRobben Island. Kuleyontambama, nkashana ngizilahla embhedeni, ngingedwa endlini yezivakashi, ngangithi ngizozwa izigi zigqigqiza efasteleni lami ngaphandle.

Ngale Kwesiqhingi

©David Fleminger
Ngale kwendawo into ekuhlaba umxhwele ukuphonsa amehlo ubuke ubuhle. Ngaphesheya nansi i-Table Mountain ikubhekile nozakwabo, ikubuka ngobuhle bayo. Lezi ntaba othi uma uzibuka kube sengathi ziseduze kanti ziqhele impela. Ukubuka idolobha iKapa lila nje ngaphesheya cishe impela kwakuwumkhonto ezinhlizyweni zeziboshwa. Unqenqema lwaseNingizimu nesiqhingi luhaqwe umzila webhasi, nokho awukwazi ukuthakasela kahle bonke lobubuhle uma uhwathuzela. Ngazithakasisa ngaloluzoyizo lobuhle nxashana ngibuka i Alpha One Outpost, nendawo yokufa komkhumbi iFong Chung, indawo yezabombutho wokuvikela, nenkwali endala ka Van Riebeeck (esigcwele amanzi aluhlaza nezinyoni zamanzi).
Usaqhubeka udlula la kujika khona ibhasi ogwini ibheke kwi-lighthouse, usuke sewushiya ingxenye yesiqhingi ephucukile, usubheke ebuhlathini bogu olusenyakatho-ntshona. Kukulendawo lakhona imvelo ingaphazamisekile, uphawu lomuntu kulendawo ubona nje kuphela lomgwaqwanyana wothuli owagujwa ngabantu obheke ogwini. Amadlambi olwandle yiwo axoxa nawe, nkashana nezinyoni zolwandle zigxumagxuma ematsheni. Izinyamazane zizidlela emadlelwane kobude utshani lobu, eceleni komgwaqo, kuzothe kamnandi. Nokho ukuqhubeka ulula izinyawo akucikani. Uma usukulesikhala, ukwazi ukubuka phansi ogwini lwezwe: iCity Bowl kuze kuyothi ngqu eSea Point, kuze kube yise Camps Bay, ise Twelve Apostles kuya eHout Bay ne Chapman’s Peak - lesikhala awunakusithola ndawo emhlabeni ubuke lobubuhle.

Lakwehlela Khona Amabhanoyi

©David Fleminger
Ibangana nje indlwanyana yesikebha neChibi laseBethesda esilizihlalele nje, nechibanyana lakhona abanochoko ababegeza khona kwabandayo amanzi olwandle lawa. Umugqa lakhona afike athi cababa amabhonoyi usithwe wuhide lwezihlahla zika Bluegum kwesokudla, njengoba nolwandle lume endaweni yalo kwesokhohlo. Phambi kwakho besekuba wulwandle oluvulekile. Ukuzola okukhona kuthe cwaka. Eduze neqhuzu lesiqhingi, ufika kune nkwali esindala, lakhona kwakuyikwagobiqolo eziboshweni eziningi futhi inhloso yayo kuwukuchoboza umoya. Izintaba zamatshe ayizicucu, aqongwe ayintaba, abekwa eceleni kwenkwali, indaba ezixoxa yona ngokucacile ngohlukumezo lwababeboshwa kulesiqhingi.
Inyakatho-mpumalanga yesiqhingi, kunezinyoni zolwandle ezingandizi - ophengwini. Besekuba nezigidi zabo. Njengoba uluntu luthukela kulengxenye yesiqhingi yikho okwenza o phengwini bazizwe besekhaya. Babuthanela ongqengqemeni lwamanzi, bame mpo ematsheni bashaye amagagasi. Bese kuba neninganyana ingxenye ekubonisa ngentuba ye yempi yomhlaba yesibili, kuqashwe lentuba ngeso lokhozi kumzila i Blouberg, nkashana isangena imikhumbi ethwala impahla emikhulu idweba ibheke kwichweba laseKapa.
Umbhoshongo wezempi omdala uyabonakala phezulu ezihlahleni. Lengxenye yesiqhingi yayihlalwa ngabanochoko abaninganyana, nokho akusekho okuyizansalela okukhombisayo. Uma usuka lapha, sekuyibangana ukuba sechwebeni nasejele uqobo. Ukuhamba esiqhingini kuthatha nje amahora ambalwa, nokho kuqekethe umlandu weminyaka engaphezu kwengamakhulu amahlanu nemvelo yeqophelo ezolisa umphefumulo. Kuyoba usuku ongasoze walukhohlwa.

Translated by Sbonelo Ngema