“UnguGqirha Livingstone, Akunjalo?”
Ngumbhali kaVukani! eTanzania
“Phantsi komthi wemengo owawulapha, uHenry M. Stanley wadibana noDavid Livingstone, ngomhla we-10 kuNovemba 1871.”—Umbhalo Okwilitye Lesikhumbuzo LikaLivingstone EliseUjiji ELake Tanganyika, ETanzania.
NGAPHEZU kwenkulungwane eyadlulayo okaStanley wabulisa ngale ndlela: “UnguGqirha Livingstone, akunjalo?” Abantu abangengobaseTanzania basenokungakuqondi ukubaluleka kokudibana kwala madoda.
Into enokusinceda kukutyelela kwiLivingstone Memorial Museum eseTanzania. UMnu. Mbingo, ongumkhenkethisi wethu usamkela ngezandla ezishushu. Uthi: “Kule ndawo ineli litye lesikhumbuzo kwakukho umthi omkhulu wemengo, kulapho okaStanley wadibana khona nokaLivingstone.” Ngoku kukho imithi emikhulu emibini yemengo kuloo ndawo. Uhlabela mgama esithi: “Kaloku uyabona, ebudeni beminyaka yee-1920, kwaye kwacaca ukuba umthi wemengo owawulapha uyafa. Imizamo yokuwuhlangula lo mthi yatsho phantsi. Ngoko kwatyalwa imithi emibini kufuphi neli litye lesikhumbuzo.”
Ngubani ULivingstone?
Njengoko sihleli emthunzini womnye wemithi yemengo, uMnu. Mbingo usixelela ukuba uDavid Livingstone wazalwa ngowe-1813 kwidolophana yaseScotland ebizwa ngokuba yiBlantyre. “Nangona wakhuliswa ngamahlwempu wakwazi ukuzifundisa yaye waqeqeshelwa ukuba abe ngugqirha nomvangeli.” Sifumanisa ukuba iLondon Missionary Society yathumela lo kaLivingstone eAfrika, apho wachitha iminyaka engama-30 yobomi bakhe ezenzela igama njengomhloli wamazwe nomvangeli.
Umkhenkethisi wethu uthi: “UGqr. Livingstone weza izihlandlo ezithathu eAfrika. Okokuqala weza eMzantsi Afrika ngowe-1841. Ngowe-1845 uLivingstone wazimanya ngeqhina lomtshato noMary Moffat, intombi yomnye umvangeli ogama linguRobert Moffat.” ULivingstone noMary bazala abantwana abane. Nakuba amaxesh’ amaninzi inkosikazi yakhe yayimpheleka, ihlombe lokuhlola amazwe awayenalo uLivingstone lalimbangela ukuba angabi nathuba laneleyo lokuba kunye nentsapho yakhe. UMary Livingstone wabulawa yimalariya ngowe-1862 ngoxa wayepheleke umyeni wakhe kuhambo lwakhe lokuhlola amazwe.
IThe New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “ULivingstone wayezimisele ukusasaza ubuKristu, ezorhwebo nempucuko—nto ezo wayekholelwa ukuba zaziza kubangela ukuba iAfrika ibe nonxibelelwano namanye amazwe—ukusa emantla ngaphaya kwemida yoMzantsi Afrika ukuya kutsho kumbindi weli lizwekazi. Kumazwi awaziwayo awawathetha ngowe-1853 wayibeka yacaca injongo yakhe: ‘Ndiya kuvula indlela de ndiye kufika embindini, nokuba sekumnyam’ entla.’” Ngoko uLivingstone wayengahambisi ivangeli kuphela. Wayeyimele ngeenyawo nento yokupheliswa kokushishina ngamakhoboka. Enye into awaba nomdla kuyo kukuhlola amazwe yaye wazimisela ukuya kukhangela apho uqala khona umNayile.
Noko ke, uLivingstone waqonda ukuba lo msebenzi wakhe ungaphezu kwamandla akhe ngoko wayengenakuwuphumeza yedwa. Ngowe-1857, ethetha neqela labafana baseCambridge University wathi: “Ndiyazi ukuba kwiminyaka nje embalwa andiyi kuphinda ndibonakale kwela lizwe, lizwe elo sele lifikeleleka ngoku; ningayivumeli into yokuba lo mzila uphinde uvaleke! Ndiphindela eAfrika ukuze ndizame ukuvula indlela yezorhwebo nobuKristu; [ngaba] niya kuqhubeka nalo msebenzi ndiwuqalisileyo? Le mbopheleleko ndiyishiya nani.”
Noko ke, uLivingstone walityhutyha lonke elombindi Afrika. Phakathi kwezinye izinto awazifumanisayo, ziingxangxasi ezinkulu ezikuMlambo iZambezi, awazibiza ngokuba ziiVictoria Falls, ezithiya ngoKumkanikazi uVictoria. Kamva wazichaza ezi ngxangxasi ‘njengowona mbono mhle wakha wawubona eAfrika.’
Iphulo
Umkhenkethisi wethu usixelela ukuba “uhambo lokugqibela lukaLivingstone lwaqalisa ngowe-1866. Noko ke, kwavela ingxaki phakathi kwabasebenzi bakhe. Bambi kubalandeli bakhe bamshiya enyanyeni baza babuyela eZanzibar, apho bafika basasaza iindaba zokuba uLivingstone ufile. Kodwa uLivingstone waqhubeka nephulo lakhe. EUjiji, kunxweme olukwimpuma yeLake Tanganyika, wazenzela iziko lokunyamekela imisebenzi yakhe.
“Noko ke, abantu baseYurophu abazange beve nto ngoLivingstone isithuba esingangeminyaka emithathu. Babecinga ukuba ufile. Umpapashi weNew York Herald wathumela umcholacholi weendaba ogama linguHenry Morton Stanley ukuba aye kukhangela uLivingstone—enoba ufile okanye usaphila. Kakade ke, uLivingstone wayengalahlekanga. Kodwa wayesele eyimpula kaLujaca yaye egula kakhulu. NgoNovemba 1871, esinye sezicaka zikaLivingstone sangena endlwini sikhwaza sisithi: ‘Mzungu anakuja! Mzungu anakuja!’” Leyo yintetho yesiSwahili ethetha ukuthi “Kukho umlungu ozayo!”
UStanley wayechithe malunga neenyanga ezisibhozo ekhangela uLivingstone. Okokuqala, wadlula eIndiya esiya eAfrika waya kuthi xhaxhe ngeZanzibar ngoJanuwari 6, 1871. NgoMatshi 21, 1871, wenjenjeya ukusinga ngakwisixeko saseBagamoyo esikunxweme olungasempuma ethwele iitoni ezintandathu zezinto zokuzimas’ ubomi namadoda angama-200 awayewaqeshile. Uhambo lwakhe lomgama oli-1 500 eekhilomitha, engenayo nemaphu lwajika lwaba yingozi! Izantyalantyala zemvula zabangela ukuba imilambo izale iphuphume. UStanley namadoda awayewaqeshile baphathwa yimalariya, bagula nazezinye izifo yaye babephelile kukudinwa. Kuyo yonke imilambo kwakuzele iingwenya; efile kukoyika uStanley wabukela njengoko enye yezo ngwenya yayiqwenga idonki yakhe yokugqibela yayibulala kwathi nya. Ngesinye isihlandlo, noStanley lowo wasinda cebetshu ekuqwengweni yingwenya! Sekunjalo, uStanley wayezimisele ukuba uza kuphumelela nokuba sekumnyam’ entla. Wakhuthazwa kukumana esiva ukuba ukho umlungu owaluphele kakhulu ohlala kummandla waseUjiji.
Xa esondela eUjiji, uStanley wazilungisa. Incwadi ethi Stanley, ebhalwe nguRichard Hall ithi: “UStanley wayephelile yindlala yaye edinwe eyimfe kodwa wavakalelwa kukuba umele aziqinise kunabanye [abahloli bamazwe bangaphambili] njengoko wayejonge kuloo dolophu. Ngapha koko, eso yayiza kukuba sesona sihlandlo sibalulekileyo embalini—yaye wayengazimiselanga ukubona nje le ndoda kodwa wayeza kukubhala phantsi oko. Onke loo madoda ayekwelo phulo akhupha ezona mpahla zawo zintle kwezazisasele, azinxiba. UStanley wafaka isithandelo esitsha emnqwazini wakhe, wanxiba impahla ecocekileyo emhlophe yefleni wapolisha neebhutsi zakhe kakuhle.”
Phulaphula ke xa uStanley ebalisa okwenzekayo emva koko: “Ekugqibeleni, eli qela lamadoda asephulweni liyema . . . Kukho iqela lama-Arabhu ahloniphekileyo; yaye njengoko ndisondela ndifumanisa ukuba kukho nomlungu owalupheleyo phakathi kwawo. . . . Sothula iminqwazi emva koko ndithi, ‘UnguGqirha Livingstone, akunjalo?’ uphendula athi, ‘Ewe.’”
Okwenzekayo Emva Koko
Ekuqaleni uStanley wayecebe ukuba uza kuhlala nje ithutyana ukuze akwazi ukwenza udliwano-ndlebe nale ndoda emva koko abhale ibali ngayo. Noko ke, uLivingstone noStanley baba ngamaphuth’ ahlathinye. Umkhenkethisi wethu uyabalisa: “UStanley wahlala noLivingstone iiveki eziliqela emva koko bahamba bobabini baya kuhlola iLake Tanganyika. UStanley wazama ukweyisela uLivingstone ukuba aphindele eYurophu kodwa uLivingstone wayezimisele ukuhlala de afumane apho uqala khona umNayile. Kwaba buhlungu kakhulu kuStanley noLivingstone ukwahlukana kwabo ngoMatshi 14, 1872. UStanley wabuyela elunxwemeni, apho wathenga khona iintwanantwana waza wazithumela kuLivingstone. Emva koko, uStanley wenjenjeya ukusinga eYurophu.”
Kuthekani ngoLivingstone? Umkhenkethisi wethu uthi: “NgoAgasti 1872, uLivingstone waqhubeka nephulo lakhe lokukhangela apho uqala khona umNayile. Wasinga ngasemazantsi eZambia. Noko ke, wayephelile kukudinwa nempilo inkenenkene. NgoMeyi 1, 1873, wafunyanwa sele ebanda. Izicaka zakhe . . . zasiqhola isidumbu sakhe zaza zangcwaba intliziyo namathumbu akhe kwelo laseAfrika. Isidumbu sikaLivingstone sasiwa eBagamoyo ekumgama omalunga nama-2 000 eekhilomitha yaye apho safikela kubavangeli. Kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba sithunyelwe ngenqanawa eZanzibar ukusuka apho sithunyelwe eBritani. Eso sidumbu safika eLondon ngoAprili 15, 1874, saza sangcwatyelwa eWestminster Abbey emva kweentsuku ezintathu. Kwadlula isithuba esingangonyaka ngaphambi kokuba isidumbu sikaLivingstone sifike apho sasiza kungcwatyelwa khona.”
UStanley wabuyela eAfrika waza waqala apho wayeyeke khona uLivingstone. UStanley wahlahl’ indlela ekuhloleni imimandla ekufuphi neLake Victoria neLake Tanganyika noMlambo omkhulu waseCongo.
ULivingstone noStanley ngamadoda okothulelw’ umnqwazi ngenxa yenkalipho nokuzimisela kwabo. Ithetha ngalo kaLivingstone iBritannica ithi: “Izinto awazibhaqayo—ukuma komhlaba, ubugcisa, amayeza nezentlalo—zaba ngumthombo wolwazi olusahlalutywayo nanamhla oku.” Yaye ngoxa namhlanje sisazi ukuba uLivingstone noStanley babengabahloli bamazwe kungekhona umshumayeli nomcholacholi weendaba, umsebenzi wabo waba negalelo ekuhlahlen’ indlela yokusasazwa kolwazi lweBhayibhile ngokubanzi kumashumi eminyaka eyalandelayo.
Abavangeli basemazweni abangamaNgqina kaYehova baye bakwazi ukunceda amakhulu amawaka abemi baseAfrika ukuba bamkele inyaniso yeBhayibhile. Eneneni, eUjiji, apho uStanley waqala khona ukudibana noLivingstone, umsebenzi owenziwa ngamaNgqina wokusasaza inyaniso yeBhayibhile waziwa ngokubanzi kangangokuba xa enkqonkqoza, abanye babemi balapho badla ngokubuza, “NingamaNgqina kaYehova, akunjalo?”
[Imaphu ekwiphepha 15]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
Lake Victoria
Iindawo awatyhutyha kuzo uLivingstone
Cape Town
Port Elizabeth
Kuruman
Lake Ngami
Linyanti
Luanda
Victoria Falls
Quelimane
Mozambique
Mikindani
Zanzibar
Chitambo
Lake Tanganyika
Nyangwe
Ujiji, apho adibana khona la madoda mabini
Iphulo likaStanley lokufuna uLivingstone ngowe-1871
Zanzibar
Bagamoyo
Ujiji, apho adibana khona la madoda mabini
[Inkcazelo]
Map: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 14, 15]
UDavid Livingstone
[Inkcazelo]
Livingstone: From the book Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa, 1858
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 14, 15]
UHenry M. Stanley
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]
Victoria Falls
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]
Elinye lamaNgqina kaYehova lisasaza inyaniso yeBhayibhile eUjiji