Curacao Iindaba: ECuraçao, INetherlands Ayikaze Ihambe—Ifunde Kwaphela Ukunqala Amashodi

Nasezindlini ezinemibala ephaphathekileko yeWillemstad zikhanya emanzini eSt. Anna Bay, uthola uhlobo oluthile lwesiphindisekeli samehlo — kungathi kukhona odosele iAmsterdam enkabeni yeentaba ngentambo, wakhohlwa ukuphindisela umuva imizi yamakanali aneengange, wabase uyashiya ukuthi ibhakiswe ngaphasi kwelanga leCaribbean iminyaka engamakhulu amane. Nanku-ke ukuthi ibukeka njani kwanje.

Izakhiwo zilandela iinkalo zamaDashi kanye neengange zokuhlobisa ngokucophelela, kodwana imibala — ophuzi welamula, obomvana wekhorali, oluhlaza weminti, oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka wecobalt — yoke ingekho eNyakatfo yeYurobhu. Umkhambeli wendawo wangqiyama ngentjenga yebholoho lepontoni leQueen Emma, ekhuluma isiPapiamentu emtjalekweni wakhe. Wangibona ngigolozele izakhiwo, wamisa umtjalekwabo, wathi ngesiNgisi esinomsindo wesiDashi: ‘Uyazi ukuthi kungenani imibala ikhanya kangaka? Insungulo ithi umbusi omdala wathola iinkhanya ezimhlophe zibuhlungu emehlweni wathi isakhiwo ngasinye masipendwe ngombala. Kodwana abantu bendawo bakhetha enye indaba — besifuna kwaphela ukukhumbuza amaDashi ukuthi lena akusiyo iYurobhu.’

ICuraçao lilizwe elakhe i-Kingdom of the Netherlands, lifihlwe eningizimu yeCaribbean amakhilomitha angalinganiselwa ku-65 ukusuka onqenqemeni lweVenezuela. Abantu: abalinganiselwa ku-160,000. Iindawo zalo zanquma isiphetho salo: umthetho weYurobhu ongenelela eLwandle lweCaribbean, lapho iintaba zemitjhini yamafutha kanye neenqaba zesikhathi samakholoni zabelana ngesibhakabhaka esisodwa.

Ngihamba esigodini sase-Otrobanda, ngezwa ingxoxo ekungekho thulubhe ongayizwisisa — abomma ababili abadala bephezu kwevulanda bekhuluma isiPapiamentu, woke umutjho unjengesakhiwo sesiSpeyini esipakwe esikhumbeni sesiDashi, sinikwa amandla sisigqi sesi-Afrika. IsiPapiamentu siyisibuko seCuraçao: ilwazi lamagama lesiDashi limlando wamakholoni, isisekelo sesiSpeyini siyindawo, umvumelwano osukela e-Afrika sisiyingemuva lokuthengiswa kwezigqila. Umbhali wendawo wake wakubeka kanje: ‘Nasekhuluma isiPapiamentu, siqinisekisa ubunjalo bethu ngaso soke isikhathi — abantu beCaribbean, umthetho wamaDashi, iimpande zobu-Afrika.’

Ukudla kwembula umqondo ofanako wobujamo. Ukudla okubizwa ngeKeshi Yena — isikhumba seshizi ye-Edam esivotulweko, kufakwe inkhukhu, ophiliphili, iinhliza zama-oliva, namagilebhu, kube kuphekwe kuze kunyibilike ishizi — kufundeka njenge-ankayifu edliweko yomlando wamakholoni. Umnikazi wendawo yokudlela wathi kimi: ‘Abatilobhi bamaDashi baletha ishizi esiqhingini. Abapheki bom-Afrika bayigwalisa ngendlela yabo. Eminyakeni engamakhulu amane edlulileko bekukudla kwesisebenzi — abanikazi badla isikhungathi seshizi, izisebenzi zagwalisa irhinde engenalutho ngokusalako. Kwanje? Kuphakelwa njengesidlo sokuthoma emadilini.’

Ijezi leqembu lesitjhaba leCuraçao limbhince oluhlaza okujulileko anemigca e-orange — oluhlaza okujulileko kolwandle lweCaribbean, i-orange yesithabakho samakhosi amaDashi. Efasiteleni lesitolo sezokusubatha eWillemstad, leli jezi belilenga endaweni ehloniphekileko, eduze kwefulegi encani yeCuraçao nesithombe esidala: ilanga iCuraçao yawina i-Caribbean Cup ka-2017, ngesikhathi imigwaqo yeWillemstad yagcwala abantu. Umthengisi, indoda eseminyakeni yawo amashumi amahlanu, yathi: ‘Ibhora leenyawo kiyindlela yodwa iCuraçao engabangela ngayo iNetherlands isi naka. Asikhiqizi amafutha. Asinasikhungo seemali. Kodwana sinabadlali — uLeandro Bacuna wadlala ePremier League, uCuco Martina wayese-Everton. Nasebabona amaDashi, athi: o, yiCuraçao leyo.’ Wathula, wase ungezelela: ‘Ngaphambi kwalokho, amanengi amaDashi bekangazi nokuthi iCuraçao lilizwe hhayi indawo yokuphumula yasolwandle.’

IKlein Curaçao — 'iCuraçao Encinane' — siqhingi esincani esingenamhlali esingenalutho ngaphandle kwendlu yesibane eshiywe nesirhwarhwa esimhlophe kangangokuthi asibukeki kungathi singesomhlaba. Ukaputeni wesikepe wanikela isondo endlwaneni yakhe eneminyaka elitjhumi nambili, walungisa umsakazo esiteshini samaDashi amadala, wase uwutjhugululela kureggae. ‘ECuraçao,’ kusho yena, ‘umsakazo awukaze udlale ulimi lulodwa kwaphela. Isivinini otjhugulula ngaso iifrikhwensi — siso isivinini lesi siqhingi esitjhugulula ngaso ubunjalo baso.’

Ngelanga lokutjhinga ngabuyela emuva eBholohweni leQueen Emma. Izibane zazikhanyisiwe. Iinkhanya zezindlu ezinemibala ephaphathekileko zaziqhekezwa emanzini ngesikhathi ipholi edlulako iwabhodloza. Ebholohweni: umuntu wendawo onqamula esiya ekhaya, ithulubhe elima ukuthatha isithombe sesibhakabhaka, utweentsha ngebhayisigiri lidlula ngesivinini ephezulu linqale ihembe lomzebenzi eli-orange leqembu lesitjhaba leCuraçao. Ithunzi ezintathu zahlangana kafitjhane emanzini aqhekezileko. Ngemva kwalokho ibholoho lepontoni laphinde livalwa kancane kancane. Loke ilanga eCuraçao linjengeli bholoho: lihlala liphazanyiswa ziimikhumbi, kodwana alikaze liphuke ngikho — lilindela kwaphela isikepe sidlule, bese siyaphinda sihlanganise.