Ukuthengiselwa Ebugqilini
Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! e-Afrika
U-OLAUDAH EQUIANO wazalwa ngo-1745 endaweni eseyaziwa ngokuthi impumalanga Nigeria. Ukuphila emzaneni ayehlala kuwo kwakufanelana naleyonkathi. Imikhaya yayisebenza ndawonye ukuze itshale ummbila, ukotini, ubhatata, nobhontshisi. Amadoda ayelusa izinkomo nezimbuzi. Abesifazane babephotha futhi beluka ukotini.
Uyise ka-Equiano wayeyinduna evelele futhi engumahluleli emphakathini. Kwakuyisikhundla u-Equiano ayezosizuza njengefa ngolunye usuku. Lokho akwenzekanga. Lapho esengumfana, u-Equiano wathunjwa futhi wathengiselwa ebugqilini.
Njengoba ayethengiswa kubahwebi abahlukahlukene, akazange ababone abaMhlophe kwaze kwaba yilapho efika ogwini. Eminyakeni eminingi kamuva, waveza uvo lwakhe: “Into yokuqala engayibona lapho ngifika ogwini kwakuwulwandle, nomkhumbi wezigqila owawuboshelwe ehangeni ulindele umthwalo wawo. Lokhu kwangimangalisa, kwangishayisa novalo ngokushesha lapho ngigitsheliswa emkhunjini. Ngokushesha ezinye izisebenzi zasemkhunjini zangiphuthaza futhi zangiphonsa phezulu ukuze ziqiniseke ukuthi ngiphile sáka, futhi ngatshelwa ukuthi ngase ngifike endaweni yemimoya emibi nokuthi yayizongibulala.”
Lapho eqalaza eduze kwakhe, u-Equiano wabona “isixuku sabantu abansundu abanhlobonhlobo beboshwe ndawonye ngamaketanga, ngamunye kubo edangele futhi edabukile.” Njengoba ayeshaqekile, waquleka. Abantu abaNsundu ayekanye nabo bamvusa futhi bazama ukumduduza. U-Equiano uthi: “Ngababuza ukuthi babengezukusidla yini labobantu abamhlophe.”
U-Equiano wathunyelwa eBarbados, kamuva eVirginia, futhi ekugcineni eNgilandi. Njengoba athengwa ukaputeni womkhumbi othile, waya ezindaweni eziningi. Wafunda ukuzifundela nokubhala, ekugcineni wakhokha ukuze akhululwe, futhi waba nendima eyinhloko emzabalazweni wokuqeda ubugqila eBrithani. Ngo-1789 wanyathelisa indaba yokuphila kwakhe, engokunye kokulandisa okumbalwa (futhi ngokunokwenzeka okudla ubhedu) okwabhalwa ngokuhweba ngezigqila kubhalwa umuntu oNsundu oyisisulu sakho.
Izigidi zabanye abantu abaNsundu azizange zibe nenhlanhla enjalo. Njengoba zazisuswa ngendlovu yangena emakhaya zihlukaniswa nemikhaya yazo, zanqamula i-Atlantic ngomkhumbi ezimweni ezimbi kakhulu. Zikanye nezingane zazo, zathengwa futhi zathengiswa njengezinkomo futhi zaphoqelelwa ukuba zisebenze kanzima ngaphandle kwenkokhelo ukuze zandise umnotho wabafokazi. Eziningi zazingenamalungelo futhi zazingathola isijeziso, zixhashazwe, noma zibulawe ngisho nokubulawa uma abaninizo bethanda. Kwabaningi ababecindezelwe, ukufa kwakuwukuphela kwendlela yokukhululwa ebugqilini.