Ukuthengiswa Ebukhobokeni
Ngumbhaleli kaVukani! eAfrika
UOLAUDAH EQUIANO wazalwa ngowe-1745 kwindawo eyaziwa ngoku njengempuma Nigeria. Ubomi kwilali yakowabo businika umfanekiso-ngqondweni waloo maxesha. Iintsapho zazisebenza kunye ekulimeni ihabile, umqhaphu, iibhatata neembotyi. Amadoda ayesalusa iinkomo neebhokhwe. Abafazi babesonta kwaye beluka umqhaphu.
Utata kaEquiano wayeligqala elaziwayo kwisizwe sakubo kwaye wayeyijaji yasekuhlaleni. Kwakumele ukuba uEquiano angene ezihlangwini zakhe. Kodwa akuzange kwenzeke oko. Eseyinkwenkwana, uEquiano, wathathwa ngetshova waza wathengiswa ebukhobokeni.
Nakuba wathengiswa kubarhwebi ngabarhwebi, akazange ababone abeLungu de wafika elunxwemeni. Emva kweminyaka, waluvakalisa ngale ndlela uluvo lwakhe: “Into yokuqala endathi ntla ngayo ndakufika elunxwemeni yaba lulwandle, nenqanawa yamakhoboka eyayimiswe ngeankile yaye ilinde umthwalo wayo. Ndathi ndisakhwankqiswe koku, suke ndathiwa merhe luvalo ndakuthathwa ndikhweliswa enqanaweni. Ngoko nangoko ndathiwa xhakamfu ngabasebenzi basenqanaweni baza bandiphosa phezulu ngelokuhlola ukuba ndandisempilweni kusini na, yaye bandinyanzelela ekukholelweni ukuba ndandifike kwilizwe lemimoya emibi yaye babeza kundibulala.”
Akuphosa amehlo kufuphi naye, uEquiano wabona “intlaninge yabantu abantsundu beendidi ngeendidi bedityaniswe ngamatyathanga, ngamnye kubo wayebonakala elusizi kwaye ethe khunubembe.” Efikelwe luloyiko, wafa isiqaqa. La ma-Afrika akubo amvusa aza azama ukumthuthuzela. UEquiano uthi: “Ndababuza enoba sasingazukudliwa kusini na ngabo bantu bamhlophe.”
UEquiano wasiwa eBarbados, waza wasiwa eVirginia, waza kamva wasiwa eNgilani. Wathengwa ngumphathi wenqanawa, waza ngaloo ndlela wahamba iindawo ezininzi. Wafunda ukulesa nokubhala, waza ekugqibeleni wahlawula imali ukuze afumane inkululeko, waza wanenxaxheba ephambili kwiphulo lokubhangisa ubukhoboka eBritani. Ngowe-1789 wapapasha ibali elingobomi bakhe, elilelinye lezona ngxelo zimbalwa (yaye mhlawumbi neyeyona isemagqabini) mayela nokurhweba ngamakhoboka kwezakha zabhalwa lixhoba lako elingumAfrika.
Izigidi zamanye ama-Afrika azizange zibe nelo thamsanqa. Esuswe ngetshova kumakhaya nakwiintsapho zawo, aya kuphoswa ngaphaya kweAtlantiki kwiimeko zenkohlakalo ehambis’ umzimba. Wona, kunye nabantwana awabazalayo, ayethengwa aze athengiswe okweenkomo aze anyanzelwe ukuba asebenze nzima ngaphandle kwentlawulo ukuze atyebise abantu basemzini. Inkoliso yawo yayingenamalungelo ibe yayinokohlwaywa, ixhatshazwe, okanye ide ibulawe ngokokuthanda kwabanini bawo. Kwinkoliso yabo babecinezelwe, ekuphela kwendlela yokukhululeka ebukhobokeni yayikukufa.