Isixeko SaseAfrika Apho IMpuma Idibana NeNtshona
NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EMZANTSI AFRIKA
ENJANI ukuba mihle imibala oyibonayo xa uhamba esitratweni saseThekwini! Uya kuphawula ukuba uninzi sele lunxiba ngendlela yaseNtshona, ingakumbi ulutsha. Kodwa kwakhona, phawula amabhinqa amaZulu anxibe ngendlela yawo enesidima nesithozela, iilokhwe ezinde neentloko ezihonjiswe ngeeqhiya ezimibala-bala. Kukwakho namabhinqa amaIndiya anxibe iisari okanye isinxibo sasePunjabi. Njengoko usondela elunxwemeni, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uya kubona amadoda athile amaZulu anxibe isinxibo esinomtsalane etsala iinqwelana zomthwalo (ricksha). Ngokwenene, iThekwini sisixeko saseAfrika esinomahluko, apho iMpuma idibana neNtshona. Sinayiphi imbali esi sixeko sibangel’ umdla?
Esi sixeko saseMzantsi Afrika, iThekwini, bekuhlalwa kuso ngaphantsi kweenkulungwane ezimbini. Malunga nabemi baseYurophu abangama-40 bakha kuso ngowe-1824. Ngelo xesha ubukumkani obunamandla bakwaZulu obabuphantsi kukaShaka, ukumkani olijoni, babumiswe kwintshona yaseThekwini. Emva kweminyaka engama-20 kamva, iThekwini nemimandla eyingqongileyo esembindini zathinjwa yiBritani. Ebudeni benkulungwane ye-19 kwaliwa iimfazwe eziliqela ngaba bemi batsha namaZulu.
Ebudeni belo thuba, abemi abangamaNgesi bafumanisa ukuba ummoba ukhula kakuhle kwimimandla egudle unxweme. Balungiselela ukuba kuze abasebenzi abavela eIndiya, eyayisakuba lelinye lamazwe alawulwa yiBritani ukuba baze kusebenza kumasimi abo eswekile. Phakathi kowe-1860 nowe-1911, angaphezu kwama-150 000 amaIndiya aza eThekwini. Ngenxa yoko, namhlanje isixeko esikhulu saseThekwini sinabemi abangaphezulu kwezigidi ezintathu, abaquka abantu abavela kwiindawo zomhlaba ezintathu ezahlukahlukeneyo—amaZulu aziinzalelwane zalapho, ama-Asia avela eIndiya kunye nabantu bomnombo waseBritani nentshona yeYurophu.
Esi sixeko sinazo nezinye izinto ezibangel’ umdla. Njengoko kunokubonwa kumfanekiso ohambisana neli nqaku, sinezibuko elikhuselwe kuLwandlekazi lwaseIndiya ngumhlaba omde wokwemvelo obizwa ngokuba yiBluff. Lo mhlaba mhle nophakame ngaphezu kweemitha ezingama-90 ugubungelwe butyani. Yonk’ imihla iinqanawa ezinkulu zidlula kweli zibuko linophahla lwemvelo. Incwadi ethi Discovery Guide to Southern Africa iyacacisa ukuba iThekwini “inelona zibuko likhulu nelixakekileyo eAfrika, yaye lelesithoba ngobukhulu ehlabathini.” Abahambi batsaleleka kumanxweme amahle aseThekwini yaye bayawanandipha amanzi awo afudumeleyo. Kukho iindawo ezintle zokudlala kumaza olwandle (surfing) yaye abo badadayo banokuziva bekhuselekile kookrebe njengoko kukho iminatha ebavaleleyo esoloko ihlolwa.
Abathandi beBhayibhile banesizathu esingakumbi sokuba nomdla kwesi sixeko. ABafundi beBhayibhile, njengoko amaNgqina kaYehova ayesaziwa ngoko, bavula iofisi yesebe apho ngowe-1910. Kwandula ke ngoAprili 1914, kwaqhutywa indibano yokuqala yaBafundi beBhayibhile eAfrika apho eThekwini. Kwakukho malunga nabantu abangama-50 kuloo ndibano, kuquka neendwendwe ezazivela kwimimandla ekude yoMzantsi Afrika. Kuloo ndibano ibalulekileyo embalini, kwabhaptizwa abanquli abatsha abali-16. Iqela labo babekho yayingamaKristu angabathanjiswa athembeka kwade kwasekufeni, aquka uWilliam W. Johnston, owayengowokuqala ukongamela kwenye yeeofisi zesebe apha eAfrika.
AmaNgqina kaYehova aye alungiselela ezinye iindibano ezininzi eThekwini ukususela ngowe-1914. NgoDisemba 2000, bamalunga nama-14 848 abantu ababakho kwiindibano ezimbini ‘Zabenzi BeLizwi LikaThixo’ ezazibanjelwe kweso sixeko, yaye kwabhaptizwa abantu abatsha abangama-278. Cinga ngenye yeentsapho zamaIndiya ezininzi ezazikho kuloo ndibano. Kwiminyaka elishumi eyadlulayo ubawo, uAlan, waziswa inyaniso yeBhayibhile yintombi yakhe, uSomashini. UAlan wayesandul’ ukwahlukana nokukhotyokiswa butywala yaye wayefuna injongo ebomini. USomashini, owayeneminyaka emithathu kuphela ubudala ngoko, waphathela uyise incwadi awayifumana endlwini yommelwane. Ngokukhawuleza umxholo wayo othi, Uxolo Nonqabiseko Lokwenyaniso—Unokulufumana Njani?, waba nomtsalane kuAlan. Wakunandipha oko wayekufunda waza waqalisa ukunxulumana namaNgqina kaYehova. Ngenxa yoko wayekufunda eBhayibhileni, uAlan watshata ngokusemthethweni. Kungekudala umfazi wakhe, uRani waba nomdla waza naye waqalisa ukuya kwiintlanganiso zamaNgqina kaYehova. Ngelo xesha esi sibini sasihlala nabazali bakaRani, ababekwenye yeenkonzo zeNgqobhoko. Abazali baluchasa unqulo olutsha lwesi sibini baza bathi masenze ukhetho: “Khethani phakathi kokushiya amaNgqina okanye niphume niphele endlwini yethu!”
UAlan noRani bagqiba kwelokuba bahambe, nangona kwakunzima ukufumana iindawo zokuhlala. Abahlobo abangamaNgqina kaYehova babanceda bafumana indawo efanelekileyo yokuhlala. Ngowe-1992, uAlan noRani babhaptizwa njengamaNgqina kaYehova. Baqhubeka besenza inkqubela, yaye namhlanje uAlan ukhonza njengomdala kwibandla lamaKristu.
Kukho amabandla amaNgqina kaYehova angaphezu kwama-50 kwisixeko esikhulu saseThekwini. Inkoliso yawo ibunjwe ngamaZulu. Noko ke, wambi amabandla, ingakumbi akufuphi nombindi wedolophu, abunjwe ngamaZulu, amaIndiya kunye nabantu bomnombo waseYurophu. Ukuba utyelela enye yezi ntlanganiso, uya kubona okungaphezulu kuneMpuma idibana neNtshona. Mhlawumbi iNgqina eliNtsundu elinxibe ngokundilisekileyo okanye iNgqina elingumIndiya okanye iNgqina lomnombo waseYurophu liya kube lingusihlalo. Kodwa inye into esiqiniseke ngayo: Kubaphulaphuli uya kububona ubungqina obubambekayo bokuba iBhayibhile inamandla okumanyanisa abantu bazo zonke iintlanga kubuhlobo obusenyongweni nobungapheliyo.
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Iintlanganiso zebandla zenza abantu bazo zonke iintlanga bamanyane
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UAlan, uRani, nabantwana babo
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Iholo yesixeko saseThekwini
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Photos: Courtesy Gonsul Pillay