INgqobhoko Norhwebo Lwamakhoboka
EBUDENI benkulungwane ye-19, abavangeli becawa abangamaKatolika nabangamaProtestanti babemanyene ekuchaseni kwabo urhwebo lwamakhoboka. Noko ke, kwakungasoloko kunjalo. Kwiinkulungwane ezingaphambili, balwamkela baza baba nenxaxheba kurhwebo lwamakhoboka phezu kwako nje ukubandezeleka okoyikisayo oku okwakukubangela.
Abavangeli becawa baqala ukuya kunxweme olukwimpuma nolukwintshona Afrika xa uhambo lwezorhwebo ngolwandle olujikela ngakwiCape of Good Hope lwafunyaniswa ngenkulungwane ye-15. Noko ke, emva kweenkulungwane ezintathu umsebenzi wabavangeli becawa eAfrika waphantse wafikelela esiphelweni. Ayembalwa amakholwa abaNtsundu awayekho. Esinye isizathu soku kusilela sasikukubandakanyeka kweNgqobhoko kurhwebo lwamakhoboka. UC. P. Groves kwiThe Planting of Christianity in Africa uyachaza:
“Usukelo olunamandla lorhwebo lwamakhoboka lwaluphelekwa bubuvangeli bobuKristu yaye babungajongwa njengento engalunganga. Eneneni, kwale ndawo yayihlala abavangeli becawa yayinamakhoboka ayo; umzi woonongendi wamaJesuit eLoanda [ngoku eyiLuanda, ikomkhulu laseAngola] wajizekwa ngamakhoboka angama-12 000. Xa kwaqaliswa urhwebo lwamakhoboka phakathi kweAngola neBrazil, ubhishophu waseLoanda, ehleli kwisihlalo selitye ngasechwebeni, wayethulula iintsikelelo zakhe zobubhishophu kwiinqanawa zokuthutha impahla, ebathembisa ngolonwabo olukhulu oluzayo xa iimvavanyo ezigquthayo zobomi sezidlulile.”
Abavangeli becawa abangamaJesuit abazange “babuchase ubukhoboka bamaNegro,” wavuma ngelitshoyo uC. R. Boxer njengokuba kucatshulwe kwincwadi ethi Africa From Early Times to 1800. OkaBoxer walek’ umsundulo ngelithi, eLuanda, ngaphambi kokuba amakhoboka akhwele enqanaweni esiya kumazwe angamathanga aseSpeyin nasePortugal, “ayesiwa kwicawa ekufutshane . . . aze apho abhaptizwe ngumbingeleli wecawa ngokwamaqela angamakhulu ngexesha.” Kwandula ke, emva kokuba etshizwe “ngamanzi angcwele,” la makhoboka ayexelelwa oku: “Niyabona sele ningabantwana bakaThixo; niya kwilizwe labantu baseSpeyin apho niya kufika nifunde izinto zonqulo lwamaKatolika. Ningaphinde nicinge ngendawo enivela kuyo . . . Hambani ninomoya owonwabileyo.”
Kakade ke, abavangeli beNgqobhoko babengebodwa ekwamkeleni urhwebo lwamakhoboka. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Missionaries uGeoffrey Moorhouse uthi, “De kwasisiqingatha sesibini senkulungwane yeshumi elinesibhozo lwalusisimo sengqondo senkoliso yabantu.” Lo kaMoorhouse ucaphula umzekelo womvangeli wecawa owayengumProtestanti owayephila ngenkulungwane ye-18, uThomas Thompson, owabhala iphecana elinomxholo othi The African Trade for Negro Slaves Shown to Be Consistent With the Principles of Humanity and With the Laws of Revealed Religion.
Sekunjalo, ngokuba nenxaxheba kwayo iNgqobhoko ibekek’ ityala ngokubandezeleka okubuhlungu okwenzakalisa izigidi zamakhoboka abaNtsundu. IThe Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Ngaphandle kwamakhoboka awafa ngaphambi kokuba ahambe eAfrika amakhoboka ali-121/2 ekhulwini alahleka ebudeni bokuya kwawo kwiiWest Indies; eJamaica ama-41/2 ekhulwini afa ngoxa ayesekumazibuko okanye ngaphambi kokuba athengiswe njengamakhoboka yaye elinye kwamathathu lafa ‘ngenxa yendlela awayephathwa ngayo amakhoboka afikayo ukuze enziwe akulungele ukuba ngamakhoboka.’”
Kungekudala uYehova uThixo uza kuyiphendulisa iNgqobhoko nezinye iintlobo zonqulo lobuxoki ngazo zonke izenzo ezimbi zokuba netyala legazi eziye zazivumela ukuba zenzeke zada zazisikelela nokuzisikelela.—ISityhilelo 18:8, 24.
[Umzobo okwiphepha 8]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
Umfanekiso wendlela awayefunjwa ngayo amakhoboka kwinqanawa yamakhoboka
[Inkcazelo]
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture / The New York Public Library / Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations