Izigidi Ziba Ngamakhoboka

NGEXESHA lokuzalwa kukaOlaudah Equiano, iinqanawa ezivela eYurophu zazineenkulungwane ezimbini ezinesiqingatha zithutha amakhoboka aseAfrika ziwaweza uLwandlekazi lweAtlantiki. Kodwa bona ubukhoboka babunethuba elide lee kunoko. Ukukhotyokiswa kwabantu, ngokuqhelekileyo okuba ngumphumo wemfazwe, bekuqheliselwa ngokubanzi kulo lonke ihlabathi ukususela kumaxesha amandulo.

KwanaseAfrika, ubukhoboka babakho kudala ngaphambi kokufika kweenqanawa zaseYurophu. IThe New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Amakhoboka ayekho kuma-Afrika antsundu ukutyhubela imbali ebhaliweyo. . . . Ubukhoboka babuxhaphakile kuyo yonk’ indawo kwanangaphambi kokuvela kwamaSilamsi, yaye amakhoboka antsundu awayevela eAfrika kwakurhwetywa ngawo kulo lonke ilizwe lamaSilamsi.”

Okwenza ukuba ukurhweba ngamakhoboka awayethunyelwa ngaphesheya kweAtlantiki kwahluke kwakungenxa yomgama wako nobude bexesha okwalithabathayo. Ngokolona qikelelo luchanileyo, inani lamakhoboka awawezwa uLwandlekazi lweAtlantiki ukususela ngenkulungwane ye-16 ukusa kweye-19 laliphakathi kwe-10 lezigidi ne-12 lezigidi.

Uhambo Olunxantathu

Kungekudala emva kohambo ngenqanawa lukaChristopher Columbus ngowe-1492, abeLungu abangabemi bamathanga bavelisa imigodi namasimi ommoba eMerika. Ukongezelela ekukhobokiseni kwabo abantu basekuhlaleni, abeLungu baqalisa ukuthumela amakhoboka aseAfrika kwamanye amazwe.a Ukuthunyelwa kwamakhoboka ngenqanawa ngaphaya kweAtlantiki kwaqalisa kancinane phakathi kwiminyaka ye-1500, kodwa ngomhla kaEquiano, phakathi kwiminyaka ye-1700, kwakuxhaphakile—kuthunyelwa malunga nama-60 000 abathinjwa nyaka ngamnye.

Ngokuqhelekileyo iinqanawa ezivela eYurophu zazilandela uhambo olunxantathu. Okokuqala zazisiya emazantsi ukusuka eYurophu zisingise eAfrika. Zandule ke zakhe unxantathu (ngokujik’ imibombo) zijolise ngaseMerika. Ekugqibeleni zazibuyela emva eYurophu.

Kwincam nganye yalo nxantathu, abaphathi beenqanawa baberhweba. Ekundulukeni kwazo kumazibuko aseYurophu ezi nqanawa zazisindwa yimithwalo—impahla elukiweyo, isinyithi, imipu notywala. Bakufika kunxweme olungasentshona Afrika, abaphathi beenqanawa babenanisa ngezi zinto ukuze bafumane amakhoboka kubarhwebi baseAfrika. Amakhoboka lawo ayehlohlwa ezinqanaweni, ezazithi ke zenjenjeya ukuya eMerika. Apho kwelaseMerika, abaphathi beenqanawa babewathengisa la makhoboka baze balayishe izinto ezaziyimveliso yomsebenzi wobukhoboka—iswekile, isiselo esinxilisayo esenziwa ngommoba, inyhobhanyhobha evela eswekileni, icuba, irayisi, kwanomqhaphu owafumaneka ukususela kwiminyaka yee-1780. Zazisithi ke ezo nqanawa zilugqibezele uhambo lwazo ngokubuyela emva eYurophu.

Kubarhwebi baseYurophu nabaseAfrika, kwanakubemi bamathanga kwelaseMerika, ukurhweba ngoko ababekubiza ngokuba ngumthwalo ophilayo kwakulushishino, indlela yokwenza imali. Kwabo babekhotyokiswa—amadoda nabafazi, ootata noomama, oonyana neentombi—olo rhwebo lwaluthetha ukudlakazeliswa nokundlandlathekiswa.

Ayefunyanwa njani la makhoboka? Wambi ayethathwa ngetshova, njengo-Olaudah Equiano, kodwa inkoliso yawo yayithinjwa ezimfazweni ezaziliwa yimibutho yaseAfrika. Abo babenikezela ngawo babengama-Afrika. Umbhali-mbali uPhilip Curtin, ingcali ekurhwebeni ngamakhoboka, ubhala oku: “AbeLungu bakhawuleza baqonda ukuba iAfrika yayiyingozi kakhulu kwimpilo yabo ukuba bangaqhubeka bewalanda ngokwabo amakhoboka apho. Ngoko inkqubo yobukhoboka yaba yinto yama-Afrika kuphela . . . Kuqala ubukhulu becala abantu ababesiba zizisulu zorhwebo lwamakhoboka yayingabathinjwa.”

Ebudeni Bohambo

Uhambo oluya eMerika lwalungumbono olumezayo. Engumkrozo ukuya elunxwemeni kwaye ekhonkxiwe ngokwamaqela, la ma-Afrika ayephelelwa ngamandla, maxa wambi kwakuqengqeleka iinyanga evalelwe kwiinqaba ezakhiwe ngamatye okanye kwiinkomponi ezincinane ezakhiwe ngamaplanga. Yayisithi ifika loo nqanawa yamakhoboka isingise kwelaseMerika, ibe inkenenkene mpela impilo yabo bathinjwa ngenxa yoko kuxhatshazwa kwabo. Kodwa kwakuseza kulandela okona kumanyumnyezi.

Emva kokuqweqwediswa ekhweliswa enqanaweni, akhululwe ahambe ze, aze ahlolwe ngugqirha wotyando okanye umphathi wenqanawa, amadoda ayebotshwa ngamakhamandela aze asiwe kumgangatho osezantsi enqanaweni. Apho ookapteni benqanawa babehlohla amakhoboka amaninzi kangangoko babenako ukuze bazuze eyona ngeniso inkulu. Abafazi nabantwana babenikwa inkululeko enkudlwana yokuhambahamba, nakubeni oku kwakubabeka esichengeni sokuxhatshazwa ngokwesini ngabasebenzi basenqanaweni.

Ivumba lalibophile, kunuka phuqu kuloo mgangatho usezantsi wenqanawa. UEquiano uluchaza ngale ndlela uluvo lwakhe: “Ukuxinana kwaloo ndawo nobushushu bemozulu, ukongezelela kwinani labantu ababesenqanaweni, ababexinanisene ngokokude bangakwazi nokuguquka, phantse kwakusifuthanisela. Oku kwakusenza sibile xhopho, ude nomoya ungaphefumleki ngenxa yevumba lawo elisisankqange, nto leyo eyaba ngunobangela wezifo kumakhoboka, awathi amaninzi kuwo afa . . . Ukugxwala kwabafazi nokugcuma kwabo babesifa kwakusenza ukuba konke oku kube ngumbono olumeza ngendlela engathethekiyo.” Abathinjwa kwakufuneka banyamezele ezo meko ebudeni balo lonke olo hambo, olwaluthabatha malunga neenyanga ezimbini, maxa wambi nangakumbi.

Kuloo meko imaxongo yezempilo, izifo zazizenzela. Ubhubhani wesifo sesisu segazi nengqakaqha wawuxhaphakile. Ukufa kwakuyinto yomhla nezolo. Iingxelo zibonisa ukuba de kwangeminyaka yee-1750, kwakusifa umAfrika omnye kwabahlanu enqanaweni. Abo bafileyo babephoselwa ngaphandle kwenqanawa.

Ukufika KwelaseMerika

Xa iinqanawa zamakhoboka zazisondela kwelaseMerika, abasebenzi basenqanaweni babelungiselela ukuthengisa ama-Afrika. Babewakhulula amakhamandela kubathinjwa, babatyebise, baze babathambise ngeoli yesundu ukubenza bakhangeleke besempilweni nokuze bafihle izilonda namanxeba.

Ngokuqhelekileyo abaphathi benqanawa babebathengisa abathinjwa babo ngefandesi, kodwa maxa wambi babesebenzisa inkqubo “yorhwaphilizo,” eyayifunisa ukuba abathengi bahlawule ixabiso eliqingqiweyo kwangaphambili. UEquiano ubhala oku: “Kwakuba kunikelwe umqondiso, (njengokubethwa kwegubu) abathengi bagxalathelana ngoko nangoko ukuya apho amakhoboka avalelwe khona, aze arhwaphilize elona qela alithanda kakhulu. Imikhwazo nengxokozelo ephelekwa kukutyhuthuzela kwabathengi kwakuwenza ankwantye ngakumbi luloyiko loo ma-Afrika.”

UEquiano uhlabela mgama esithi: “Ngale ndlela, ngokungenalusini, izalamane nabahlobo zazisahlukaniswa, inkoliso yazo ingaze iphinde ibonane kwakhona.” Kwezo ntsapho kuye kwenzeka ukuba ngandlel’ ithile zihlale zikunye ebudeni bamava ahlasimlis’ umzimba eenyanga ezidluleyo, ngokukhethekileyo oku kwakusiba sisihelegu esigqithiseleyo.

Umsebenzi Nesabhokhwe

Amakhoboka aseAfrika ayesebenza emasimini okuvelisa ikofu, irayisi, icuba, umqhaphu yaye ngokukodwa iswekile. Amanye ayesebenza emigodini. Wambi ayengabachweli, esebenza ngesinyithi, ekhanda iiwotshi, esenza imipu yaye engoomatiloshe. Ukanti amanye ayesenza imisebenzi yekhaya—njengezicaka, abongikazi, abathungi bempahla nabapheki. Amakhoboka ayekhucula amahlathi, esakha iindlela nezakhiwo, esemba nemijelo.

Ukanti, phezu kwawo nje umsebenzi awayewenza, loo makhoboka ayegqalwa njengempahla, yaye ngokomthetho umnini-mpahla wayenamalungelo apheleleyo kwimpahla yakhe. Noko ke, ubukhoboka abuzange bulondolozwe kuphela nje ngokuvinjwa kwawo amalungelo nenkululeko. Balondolozwa ngesabhokhwe. Igunya labanini nelabaphathi bawo lalixhomekeke kubuchule babo bokungcungcuthekisa. Ibe ke babengathumani manzi koko.

Ngelokuthintela imvukelo nokuze bahlale bewathe nqo ngempumlo amakhoboka abo, abanini bawo babewohlwaya ngeyona ndlela iqatha kwanangeziphoso nje ezingenamsebenzi. UEquiano ubhala oku: “Kwakuqheleke kakhulu [kwiiWest Indies] ukuba amakhoboka abhalwe ngentsimbi eshushu oonobumba bokuqala begama lomnini wawo, aze agaxwe ubuxhakaxhaka bamakhonkco entsimbi ezintanyeni zawo. Lawo ayenempatho encomekayo ayexhakazeliswa ngemixokelelwane, kuze ngokufuthi kongezelelwe izixhobo zokuwangcungcuthekisa. Maxa wambi ayefakwa isivala-mlomo sentsimbi, isikrufu sokuthuthumbisa ubhontsi, njl. . . . ngenxa yeziphoso nje ezincinane kakhulu. Ndabona umntu ontsundu ebethwa de amanye amathambo akhe ophuka ngenxa nje yokuyeka imbiza ibile iphuphume.”

Maxa wambi amakhoboka ayekhetha ukuvukela. Noko ke, iimvukelo ezininzi zazingaphumeleli aze ke ohlwaywe ngenkohlakalo engenatarhu.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 5]

Abo bafileyo babephoselwa ngaphandle kwenqanawa

[Inkcazelo]

Culver Pictures

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 5]

Amakhoboka amaninzi kangangoko kunokwenzeka ayehlohlwa kumgangatho osezantsi enqanaweni

[Inkcazelo]

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture / The New York Public Library / Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations