Ukukrola Izinto Zomthi—Ubugcisa Bamandulo BaseAfrika

Ngumbhaleli KaVukani! Enigeria

SEKULITHUBA abakroli bezinto zomthi bebila besoma kwiSixeko saseBenin, esikwindawo ngoku ebizwa ngokuba ngumzantsi Nigeria. Kwiminyaka engama-400 eyadlulayo, iSixeko saseBenin sasilikomkhulu lobukumkani obunamandla nobulungelelaniswe ngeyona ndlela obabukummandla ophakathi kwehlathi. Iindwendwe ezisuka eYurophu zazichukunyiswa zizitrato ezibanzi nezithe tyaba zesi sixeko, izindlu zaso ezilandelelana kakuhle, nabantu baso abandilisekileyo nabathobela umthetho. Kangangeenkulungwane iSixeko saseBenin besinkqenkqeza phambili njengelinye lawona maziko abalulekileyo ezorhwebo nenkcubeko entshona Afrika.

Ubukumkani baseBenin babulawulwa lungcelele lookumkani ababebizwa ngokuba ziioba. Iioba zazibukhuthaza gqitha ubugcisa. Amabhotwe azo akwiSixeko saseBenin ayehonjiswe ngeentloko ezenziwe ngemithi, amacwecwe okuhombisa udonga awenziwe ngobhedu athi ndijonge, neminye imizobo yobugcisa eyenziwe ngophondo lwendlovu olukrolwe ngobunono. Nangona izinto ezikroliweyo zomthi zamandulo zathi zonakala ngenxa yokuhamba kwexesha nokutyiwa ziintubi, licacile elokuba abakroli bezinto zomthi babekhutshukhutshuza kobo bukumkani. UMartins Akanbiemu, owayesakuba ngumgcini weNational Museum eLagos, ubhala athi: “Imibutho kamasakhane yabakroli bezinto zomthi . . . ibonakala iyeyona sele inethuba elide isebenzela i-Oba.”

Ngowe-1897, imikhosi yaseBritani yaphanga iSixeko saseBenin yaza yathabatha izinto zaso zobugcisa ezixabisekileyo yazithumela eYurophu—izinto ezingaphezu kwama-2000. Namhlanje, ezona zinto zininzi zobugcisa zaseBenin azikho kwiindawo zemiboniso zaseNigeria kodwa zikwiimyuziyam zaseLondon naseBerlin.

Ukukrolwa Kwezinto Zomthi Namhlanje

Namhlanje iSixeko saseBenin siyidolophu exakekileyo kanye njengezinye zaseNigeria. Sekunjalo, kusabonakala ukuba sakha sanobukhazikhazi. Ibhotwe lalapho liye laphinda lakhiwa, ibe neoba elawulayo ngoku ihlala apho. Kuyabonakala ukuba kwakha kwakho umjelo wamanzi owawujikeleze esi sixeko mandulo; yaye ukuba unokuphulaphula ngenyameko, uya kuva ngonkqe nkqe nkqe otsholo phantsi kutshwezwa umthi ngetshizili.

Indoda ekuthiwa nguJohnson ibikrola imifanekiso yomthi kwiSixeko saseBenin kangangeminyaka engama-20. Kwiinkulungwane ezadlulayo, iintloko ezenziwe ngomthi nangenkcenkce zazisisikhumbuzo sabo bafayo; kwakuhonjiswa ngazo kwizibingelelo zonqulo lweminyanya. Kodwa iintloko ezikrolwa nguJohnson azifani nezo zazikhe zasetyenziselwa iinjongo zonqulo. Ezakhe uzenzela nje ukuhombisa.

UJohnson usebenzisa umsimbithi ongumthi oqinileyo oneendawo ezinkumenkume olungele ukukrolwa. Eyona nto ayisebenzisayo ngumphakathi walo mthi. Umphakathi womsimbithi waseNigeria usoloko umnyama khuthsu, nangona eminye imithi isoloko iba nomphakathi onemigca okanye ongwevu bumnyama. Udibanisa nendawo ethambileyo emthini, okanye engaphandle esiqwini somthi, xa ekrola; oku kubangela umbala omhle obomvu, ogqumelela lo umnyama. Umsimbithi omnyama nobomvu ukhazimla ngeyona ndlela xa umenyezelisiwe.

Umsimbithi udlal’ abantwana eNigeria. Xa umsimbithi ugawulwe, udla ngokushiywa ehlathini kangangeenyanga ezimbalwa ukuze wome. Kwanasemva kokuba isigodo somsimbithi sifikile kwindawo asebenzela kuyo, uJohnson uyasiyeka sithabathe ezinye iinyanga ukuze aqiniseke ukuba somile ngaphambi kokuba asisebenzise. Oku kubalulekile, ekubeni umthi ongomanga unokugoba uze ube neentanda.

Xa sele elungele ukukrola, uJohnson usarha umthi ongangeesentimitha ezingama-38 ubude. Emva kokuba elinde enye iveki ukuze aqiniseke ukuba lo mthi awubi nazintanda, uJohnson uphawula indawo afuna ukuyikrola ngetshokwe, aze emva koko aqalise ukukrola kuwo.

Uqala asebenzise itshizili esicaba, alandelise ngegobileyo, emva koko usebenzisa ethambileyo. Emva koko uwugudisa ngefili. Usebenzisa imela yokukrola ukuze awukrole ngobunono lo mthi. Njengoko esebenza, uJohnson unikel’ ingqalelo ngokupheleleyo kulo mthi. Ukuba unokungakhathali angatsho ngentloko enoncumo olugoso okanye eneliso elijong’ eLatakisa.

Emva kokuba umsebenzi wokukrola uqatyelisiwe, abo bafundiswa nguJohnson bakhuhla le ntloko ngephepha lokugudisa umthi elithambe ngokwahlukahlukeneyo. Ekugqibeleni, bayipolisha ngepolishi yefanitshala okanye eyezihlangu besebenzisa ibrashi yezihlangu ukuze imenyezele. Kuthabatha iintsuku ezimbini ukukrola intloko yomthi enjengale isemfanekisweni. Kuthabatha ezinye iintsuku ezintathu ukuyikhuhla nokuyipolisha.

Xa egqiba ukuyikrola, uJohnson uyibeka bucala kangangeenyanga eziliqela ukuze aqiniseke ukuba ayinazintanda. Ukuba lo mthi ubuwome kakuhle ngaphambi kokuba uqalise ukukrolwa, awunakuba nazintanda. Ngokuqhelekileyo ke awubi nazo. Ukuba kuye kwakho ithanda, lo mthi ukroliweyo ubuyela kwindawo asebenzela kuyo ukuze kungcitywe elo thanda, ukhuhlwe, uze upolishwe kwakhona.

Ukufunda Ubuchule Bokukrola

UJohnson unabantu abathandathu abafundisa ukwenza lo msebenzi, abakubudala obususela kwiminyaka eli-10 ukuya kweli-18. Isifundo sabo kubuchule bokukrola siqala kwinqanaba lokugqibela, beqala ngokufunda umsebenzi wokugqibela baye kowokuqala. Ngale ndlela into yokuqala efundwa ngumfundi kukupolisha. Emva koko ufunda ukukhuhla. Kamva, uboniswa indlela yokusebenzisa ifili. Ekugqibeleni, kude kufike ithuba lokuba naye athabathe itshizili esicaba aqale ukusika isigodo somthi esingekaphathwa.

UJohnson uthi: “Asinguye nabani na onokuba ngumkroli. Okokuqala kufuneka ube nobuchule uze ukwazi ukunikela ingqalelo. Kwakhona kufuneka wazi ukuba akunakuyazi yonke into ngokukhawuleza ibe kufuneka ukulungele ukulungisa xa uphazama. Kukwafuneka unyamezele, ekubeni ubuncinane kuthabatha iminyaka emithathu ukuze ube yincutshe yokukrola. Kodwa akuphelelanga apho—umntu ufunda de afe. Njengoko usebenza, usoloko unento omele uyiphucule.”

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Imbovane Nomkroli Wezinto Zomthi

Bambi bathi obu bugcisa baseAfrika bunetyala kwimbovane emhlophe, okanye intubi. Umkroli wezinto zomthi wenza intloko ngomthi, ize imbovane emhlophe (incediswa nayimozulu yakweleenjiko) iyitshabalalise, maxa wambi ngeentsukwana nje! Ukutyhubela iinkulungwane imbovane ibisoloko imgcine esisinxada-nxada umkroli wezinto zomthi. Lo ibingumjikelo ongapheliyo kodwa oluncedo: Le mbovane iyatshabalalisa, aze umkroli aqale phantsi, enethuba elihle lokuphucula ubuchule bakhe aze acinge ngezinye iindlela ezintsha anokuwenza ngazo lo msebenzi.

Incwadi ethi African Kingdoms ithi: “Ukungunda nembovane emhlophe ezimiseleyo kuwacime tu amathuba okuba abakroli balinganise iindlela zakudala zokukrola. Kuyabonakala ukuba, njengokuba kakade kwakufuneka kukrolwe ngokutsha, kwabakho nethuba elingakumbi lokukrola izinto ezahlukahlukeneyo; kungenziwa izinto ezifanayo, ibe kwakuza kufuneka umntu asebenzise ubuchule bakhe aze enze into ecingwe nguye.”

Bambi bathi oku kuhlobana phakathi kwembovane nomkroli wezinto zomthi kubonisa ubuchule obuye bazisa udumo kwizinto zobugcisa zaseAfrika. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Nigerian Images, umphengululi uWilliam Fagg uthi: “Masiyothulel’ umnqwazi . . . imbovane emhlophe, ethe nangona uninzi lwezenzo zayo lungathandeki ebantwini, yona yathi gqolo kangangeenkulungwane namawaka eminyaka inegalelo elivakalayo kumsebenzi womkroli wezinto zomthi wakweleenjiko.”

[Inkcazelo]

Courtesy of Dr. Richard Bagine

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 15]

Ukukrola:

1. ukukhetha owona mthi ulungileyo,

2. ukuzoba intloko eza kukrolwa,

3. ukusebenzisa itshizili, 4. ukukhuhla, 5. ukupolisha