“UnguDokotela Livingstone, Akunjalo?”

Umlobeli we-Phaphama! eTanzania

“Ngomhla ka-10 November 1871, uHenry M. Stanley wahlangana noDavid Livingstone ngaphansi komuthi kamango owawulapha ngaleso sikhathi.”—Amazwi aqoshwe oqwembeni eLivingstone Memorial Monument e-Ujiji eLake Tanganyika, eTanzania.

SEKUDLULE iminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu kusukela uStanley asho la mazwi adumile: “UnguDokotela Livingstone, akunjalo?” Emazweni angaphandle kweTanzania, cishe bambalwa abantu abangakuqonda ukubaluleka kwalokhu kuhlangana kwala madoda.

Khona-ke, siyofunda lukhulu ngokuya eLivingstone Memorial Museum eTanzania. Umuntu ozosibonisa le ndawo, uMnu. Mbingo, usamukela ngezandla ezimhlophe. “Kule ndawo ókwakhiwa kuyo itshe lesikhumbuzo,” echaza, “kwakukhona umuthi omkhulukazi kamango, abahlangana ngaphansi kwawo oStanley noLivingstone.” Manje sekukhona izizemazema ezimbili zemithi kamango kuleyo ndawo. Eqhubeka uthi: “Eminyakeni yawo-1920, kwacaca ukuthi umuthi wokuqala kamango uyafa. Yonke imizamo yokuwuvusa yabhuntsha. Ngakho-ke kwabe sekutshalwa izithombo ezimbili zalo muthi eduze kwaleli tshe lesikhumbuzo.”

Wayengubani ULivingstone?

Njengoba sihlezi emthunzini wesinye salezi zihlahla zikamango, uMnu. Mbingo wachaza ukuthi uDavid Livingstone wazalwa ngo-1813 edolobhaneni laseScotland okuthiwa yiBlantyre. “Nakuba akhula empofu, wakwazi ukusebenza ngesikhathi esafunda futhi wafundela ubudokotela kanye nokuba yisithunywa sevangeli.” Kuthiwa i-London Missionary Society yathumela uLivingstone e-Afrika, lapho achitha khona iminyaka engu-30 yokuphila kwakhe, ezakhela udumo lokuba umhloli wamazwe nesithunywa sevangeli.

“UDkt. uLivingstone weza kathathu e-Afrika,” kusho lo muntu osibonisa indawo. “Wafika okokuqala eNingizimu Afrika ngo-1841. Ngo-1845, washada nowesifazane ogama lakhe linguMary Moffat, indodakazi yesithunywa sevangeli ayekanye naso uRobert Moffat.” Bába nezingane ezine noMary. Nakuba uMary ayehamba naye ezikhathini eziningi, uthando lukaLivingstone lokuhlola amazwe lwalumshiya nesikhathi esincane kakhulu sokuba nomkhaya wakhe. UMary Livingstone wabulawa umalaleveva ngo-1862 ekanye naye kolunye lohambo lwakhe lokuhlola amazwe.

I-New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “ULivingstone wayesekulungele ukusabalalisa ubuKristu, ezentengiselwano nempucuko—izici ezintathu ezihlobene eduze ayekholelwa ukuthi ziyocaba indlela yokuxhumanisa i-Afrika namanye amazwe—ezindaweni ezingasenyakatho ngalé kwemingcele yeNingizimu Afrika ukuya enkabeni yaleli zwekazi. Enkulumweni yakhe edumile ngo-1853 wawenza wacaca umgomo wakhe: ‘Ngiyocaba indlela ngize ngiyofika ezindaweni ezimaphakathi impela, noma ngishabalale.’” Ngakho-ke uhambo lukaLivingstone lwalungelona olokusakaza ivangeli nje kuphela. Wakulwela ngamandla ukuba kuqedwe ukuhwebelana ngezigqila. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, uthando lwakhe lokuhlola amazwe lwaya lujula futhi wazibekela umgomo wokuthola isiphethu seNayile.

Nokho, uLivingstone waqaphela ukuthi lo msebenzi wawumkhulu kakhulu ukuba angawufeza eyedwa nje vo. Ngo-1857 wakhuluma nelinye iqembu lezinsizwa eCambridge University wathi: “Ngazi kahle ukuthi eminyakeni embalwa nje ngiyofela kuleliya lizwe, manje esivulekile indlela yokuxhumana nalo; ningalokothi niyivumele ukuba ivaleke futhi! Ngiyabuyela e-Afrika ngiyozama ukwenza ukuba indlela yezentengiselwano neyobuKristu ihlale ivulekile; ingabe [niyoqhubeka] nalo msebenzi esengiwuqalile? Ngikushiyela kini loko.”

Waluthatha-ke uLivingstone uhambo lwakhe olukhulu eya kuwo wonke amazwe asenkabeni ye-Afrika. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, wathola izimpophoma ezinkulu kakhulu zoMfula iZambezi, azetha ngokuthi iVictoria Falls, ngeNdlovukazi uVictoria. Kamuva wachaza lezi zimpophoma ngokuthi yiyona nto ‘enhle kunazo zonke ake azibona e-Afrika.’

Ukufuna

“Uhambo lokugcina lukaLivingstone,” kuchaza osibonisa indawo, “lwaqala ngo-1866. Nokho, kwagqashuka inkinga phakathi kwezisebenzi zakhe. Abanye babalandeli bakhe bamhlamuka babuyela eZanzibar, lapho bafike basakaza khona amahemuhemu okuthi uLivingstone ushonile. Kodwa uLivingstone waphikelela. E-Ujiji, ogwini olungasempumalanga lweLake Tanganyika, wamisa isikhungo ayezohlelela kuso uhambo lwakhe.

“Nokho, kwase kuphele iminyaka emithathu iYurophu ingezwa lutho oluvela kuLivingstone. Abantu bakhona base becabanga ukuthi ufile. Ngakho umnyathelisi wephephandaba i-New York Herald wathumela intatheli egama layo linguHenry Morton Stanley ukuba iyofuna uLivingstone—efile noma ephila. Yiqiniso, uLivingstone wayengadukile neze. Kodwa kunezinto ayezidinga kakhulu futhi wayegula kakhulu. Ngo-November 1871, omunye wezisebenzi zikaLivingstone wangena ememeza emzini wakhe ethi: ‘Mzungu anakuja! Mzungu anakuja!’” okuyinkulumo yesiSwahili esho ukuthi “Kukhona umlungu ozayo!”

Empeleni uStanley wayesechithe izinyanga ezingaba ngu-8 ethungathana noLivingstone. Okokuqala waya e-Afrika ngendlela edlula eNdiya, futhi wafika esiqhingini saseZanzibar ngo-January 6, 1871. Ngo-March 21, 1871, wasuka edolobheni laseBagamoyo olusogwini olungasempumalanga ephethe ukudla nempahla engamathani ayisithupha, futhi wayehamba namadoda angu-200 ayewaqashile. Uhambo olungamakhilomitha angu-1 500 aluthatha ebuye ayengaphethe nabalazwe lwalugcwele izigigaba eziyingozi kakhulu! Izimvula ezinkulu zazibangela imifula ukuba idle izindwani. UStanley namadoda ayehamba nawo bahlaselwa umalaleveva, kanye nezinye izifo futhi babekhathele kakhulu. Yonke imifula yayigcwele izingwenya; uStanley wabuka eqhaqhazela uvalo njengoba ingwenya idonsela enye yezimbongolo zakhe zokugcina emanzini, kwaba ukufa kwayo. Ngesinye isikhathi, kwayena uStanley wasinda ngokulambisa ekuxhakathisweni imihlathi yengwenya! Nakuba kunjalo, uStanley wayezimisele ngokuphumelela, kumnyama kubomvu. Wakhuthazwa yimibiko yokuthi kukhona ikhehla lomlungu elalihlala endaweni yase-Ujiji.

Njengoba uStanley elibangise e-Ujiji, waqala ukuzilungiselela ukuhlangana naleli khehla. Incwadi ethi Stanley kaRichard Hall ithi: “UStanley wayezace ewuthi lokuvungula futhi ekhathele, kodwa waba nomuzwa wokuthi angakwazi ukuziqiniqinisa [kunabahloli bamazwe bangaphambili] njengoba ayehamba ngokuzimisela ephokophele edolobheni. Phela, lokhu kwakuzoba inkathi eyingqophamlando—kanti wayengeke nje agcine ngokuwuqopha kodwa futhi wayeyowubhala lowo mlando. Wonke umuntu owayekulelo qembu ayehamba nalo wakhipha izingubo zakhe zokugqoka ezingcono kulezo ezazisasele. UStanley yena wafaka ibhande elisha esigqokweni sakhe selanga, wayesegqoka izingubo ezimhlophe zefulanela ezihlanzekile, futhi wayaleza ukuba amabhuzu akhe apholishwe kahle.”

UStanley ngokwakhe uyalandisa ukuthi kwenzekani ngokulandelayo: “Ekugcineni lonke iqembu engihamba nalo liyama linganyakazi . . . Buqamama ngibona iqembu lama-Arabhu ahlonishwa kakhulu; futhi njengoba ngiya ngisondela, ngibona ubuso obumhlophe bekhehla phakathi kwalo. . . . Sithulelana izigqoko, bese ngithi, ‘UnguDokotela Livingstone, akunjalo?’ liphendule lithi, ‘Yebo.’”

Okwenzeka Kamuva

Ekuqaleni uStanley wayehlele ukuba ahlale isikhathi nje esanele ukuze axoxe noLivingstone abese eloba indaba yakhe. Nokho, uLivingstone noStanley bashesha baba abangane. Osibonisa indawo uyalandisa: “UStanley wahlala noLivingstone amasonto ambalwa, futhi bahambisana behlola iLake Tanganyika. UStanley wazama ukukhuluma noLivingstone embonisa ngokuba abuyele eYurophu, kodwa uLivingstone wayezimisele ukuba ahlale aze athole isiphethu seNayile. Ngakho ngo-March 14, 1872, kwadingeka uStanley noLivingstone bahlukane, okwaba yisenzakalo esibuhlungu kakhulu. UStanley wabuyela olwandle, lapho afike athenga khona izinto uLivingstone ayezidinga wazithumela kuye. Ngemva kwalokho, uStanley wabhekisa amabombo eYurophu.”

Kwenzekani kuLivingstone? Osibonisa indawo uyachaza: “Ngo-August 1872, uLivingstone waqala umsebenzi wakhe wokufuna isiphethu seNayile. Wabhekisa amabombo eningizimu eZambia. Nokho, ukukhathala nokugula kwase kumqedile. Ngo-May 1, 1873, watholakala eshonile. Izisebenzi zakhe . . . zagquma isidumbu sakhe, zangcwaba inhliziyo namathumbu akhe e-Afrika. Isidumbu sakhe sabe sesihanjiswa amakhilomitha angaba ngu-2 000 siyiswa eBagamoyo, lapho izithunywa zevangeli zasamukela khona. Kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba sithunyelwe eZanzibar sabe sesidluliselwa eBrithani. Safika eLondon ngo-April 15, 1874, sabe sesingcwatshwa eWestminster Abbey ngemva kwezinsuku ezintathu. Kwakuthathe isikhathi cishe esingangonyaka ngaphambi kokuba isidumbu sikaLivingstone sifike endaweni yokugcina esasizongcwatshwa kuyo.”

UStanley wabuyela e-Afrika eyoqhubeka lapho uLivingstone ayegcine khona. UStanley wahola iqembu elalihlola izindawo ezizungeze iLake Victoria neLake Tanganyika futhi bazama nokuthola ubude boMfula omkhulukazi iCongo.

Ngokuqinisekile umuntu uvele azizwe eshukumiseleka ukuba awazise amadoda anjengoLivingstone noStanley ngenxa yesibindi nokuzimisela kwawo. Ikhuluma ngoLivingstone, i-Britannica ithi: “Izinto azithola—eziphathelene nezokuma kwezwe, ezobuchwepheshe, ezokwelapha nezenhlalo—zembula ulwazi oluningi oluyinkimbinkimbi olusahlaziywa namanje.” Futhi nakuba uLivingstone engasakhunjulwa njengomshumayeli noStanley engasakhunjulwa njengentatheli, kodwa bobabili namuhla bekhunjulwa njengabahloli bamazwe, umsebenzi wabo wasiza ekucabeleni ulwazi lweBhayibheli indlela, okwakuyothi emashumini eminyaka kamuva, lusakazwe kabanzi.

Ngenxa yalokho, izithunywa zevangeli zoFakazi BakaJehova ziye zakwazi ukusiza abantu abaningi base-Afrika ukuba bamukele amaqiniso eBhayibheli. Empeleni, e-Ujiji, lapho uStanley aqala ukubonana khona noLivingstone, umsebenzi woFakazi wokuxoxa nabantu ngamaqiniso eBhayibheli waziwa kakhulu kangangokuthi lapho abantu bendawo bebabona beza emizini yabo, kuvamile ukuba uzwe omunye wabo ebuza ukuthi, “NingoFakazi BakaJehova, akunjalo?”

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 15]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Lake Victoria

Uhambo luka-Livingstone lokuhlola amazwe

Cape Town

Port Elizabeth

Kuruman

Lake Ngami

Linyanti

Luanda

Victoria Falls

Quelimane

Mozambique

Mikindani

Zanzibar

Chitambo

Lake Tanganyika

Nyangwe

E-Ujiji, lapho la madoda amabili ahlangana khona

Uhambo luka-Stanley lokufuna uLivingstone ngo-1871

Zanzibar

Bagamoyo

E-Ujiji, lapho la madoda amabili ahlangana khona

[Umthombo]

Map: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

[Isithombe ekhasini 14, 15]

UDavid Livingstone

[Umthombo]

Livingstone: From the book Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa, 1858

[Isithombe ekhasini 14, 15]

UHenry M. Stanley

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Victoria Falls

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

OFakazi BakaJehova bexoxa nabantu ngeqiniso leBhayibheli e-Ujiji