Ukuphathwa Komhlaba we-Richtersveld

Isimo Esikhombisa Ukubuyela Emuva

©Nigel J Dennis

Ngaphandle kweRichtersveld, isiteshi seKuboes sasiholwa nguReverend Hein omuhle weSonto LaseRhenish. Isabelo sakhiwa yiNama Khoikhoi, ezinye iziChwe kanye nemindeni embalwa yaseBaster (amaBhasitela). Ukuhlala kwakulawulwa yiGroot Raad (umkhandlu omkhulu), owawunabameli abakhethiwe emphakathini futhi uholwa yizikhulu zezithunywa zevangeli.
Umbiko wesikhathi esithile uthi 'izakhamuzi zaseRichtersfeld zazinemindeni engu47 kuphela, okusho ukuthi abantu abayi-380, cishe bonke abangama-Hottentot, noPaul Links, indodana kaKaputeni Paul Links, njengomphathi wabo; indawo yabo yokuphila iphethe amahhashi angaba amashumi amahlanu, izinkomo eziyi-560, nezimvu nezimbuzi ezingu-3 200. Abaningi babo bahlupheka kakhulu, futhi ngesaba ukuthi basesimweni sokubuyela emuva. '

I-Groot Raad

I-Groot Raad ibengamele izindaba zansuku zonke zomphakathi. Lezi zihlanganisa 'ukugcinwa kokuthula, ukuxazululwa kwemibango nokunikezwa kokuhlala namalungelo ezondlo'. Kodwa-ke, le nqubo yayinabaphikisi futhi Iziteshi zemishini noMthetho Wokugcinwa Kwemikhakha yamaKhomishane kwaphoqeleka ukuhlukaniswa kweziphathimandla zomphakathi nezenkolo, esikhundleni sezithunywa zevangeli yiBhodi lokuCebisa eliLawulayo (elenziwe ngabangaphandle abamhlophe).
Imingcele eqondile yalesi siteshi sezemishini (futhi, ngempela, iziteshi eziningi eNingizimu Afrika) ibingacacile. Kodwa-ke, ngawo-1890, abantu baseRichtersveld bacela ukucaca ngale ndaba ngoba izwe labo lalisetshenziswe ngamandla ahlukahlukene ekoloni. Kamuva baveza indawo engaba ngu-700 000 morgen (600 000 hectares) njengendawo yabo yesondlo sezifuyo yendabuko futhi bacela ithikithi esemthethweni yomsebenzi ukuqinisekisa amalungelo abo. Kodwa uMnu. S. Melvill, uMsizi Wesibili Somsizi-Jikelele, wayeneminye imibono.
Embikweni wakhe ePhalamende 'maqondana namazwe ahlala emadolobheni kwezinye izinhlangano zezithunywa zevangeli nakwezinye izindawo eNamaqualand', uMevill wathi isimangalo somhlaba sasinkulu kakhulu.Wacela ukunciphisa umhlaba ku-450 000 morgen (amahektha angu-385 600) ngokudlula umhlaba wonke ovundile ogwini lwase-Orange kanye nebhande elingasogwini, okungasetshenziselwa ukulima noma ukudoba. Kulo mcimbi, akukho lutho olwenziwe mayelana nalezi zincomo, futhi akukho tikiti yomsebenzi okhiphekile njengoba abantu babhekwa bengenamqondo othuthukile njalo bengkwazi uzinakekela.
Naphandle kokumiswa komthetho, amapulazi amahlanu ogwini aqashiselwa abalimi abamhlophe ngo-1904. Ngo-1919, umlimi, u-Cloete wazama ngisho nokubiza wonke u-Richtersveld njengowakhe, okwenza uMfundisi Hein ethi 'i-Richtersveld ingokomphakathi, akekho umuntu ongaba umnikazi.' Kwathi-ke lapho amadayimane etholakala ngawo-1920, umhlabathi owawuzungeza umlomo we-Orange River wawuqashiselwa kubahloli, nakuba lokhu nakho kwakuyingxenye yaseRichtersveld endulo.

Translated by Nsika Khoza