ICuraçao Amabali: E-Curaçao, I-Netherlands Ayizange Imke—Yafunda Nje Ukunxiba Iibhulukhwe Ezimfutshane

Xa izindlu ezinemibala ephaphathekileyo zase-Willemstad zibonakala emanzini e-St. Anna Bay, ufumana uhlobo oluthile lwenkohliso yokubona — ngokungathi kukho umntu orhuqe i-Amsterdam wayisa e-ikhweyitha ngentambo, walibala ukuyithatha imizi enophahla olunamanqwanqwa ochanileyo, wayishiya ukuba iyojiswa lilanga lase-Caribbean iminyaka engamakhulu amane. Le yindlela ezikhangeleka ngayo ngoku.

Izakhiwo zilandela imilinganiselo yase-Dutch kunye namanqwanqwa okuhombisa ngokuchanekileyo, kodwa imibala — umthubi welemon, ipinki yekorale, uluhlaza weminti, umzuba we-cobalt — ingeyoyaseMntla Yurophu kwaphela. Umkhaphi wasekuhlaleni wachopha kwireyili ye-Queen Emma pontoon bridge, ethetha nge-Papiamentu emnxebeni. Wandibona ndijonge izakhiwo, wavala umnxeba, wathi ngesiNgesi esine-aksenti yase-Dutch: 'Uyasazi isizathu sokuba imibala iqaqambe kangaka? Intsomi ithi irhuluneli endala yafumana izibonakaliso ezimhlophe zirhabaxa kakhulu emehlweni yaza yayalela ukuba sonke isakhiwo sipeyintwe ngombala. Kodwa abantu basekuhlaleni bakhetha ibali elahlukileyo — besifuna nje ukukhumbuza ama-Dutch ukuba le ayiyo-Yurophu.'

I-Curaçao lilizwe eliyinxalenye yoBukumkani be-Netherlands, lihleli emazantsi e-Caribbean kumgama ongaphantsi kweekhilomitha ezingama-65 kunxweme lwase-Venezuela. Inani labemi: malunga ne-160,000. Indawo yalo yemo yelizwe yagqiba ikamva lalo: ulawulo lomthetho lwaseYurophu ludada kuLwandle lwe-Caribbean, apho imibhobho yesixhobo sokusula i-oyile kunye neenqaba zexesha lobukoloniyali zabelana ngesibhakabhaka esifanayo.

Ndithe ndisacanda isithili sase-Otrobanda, ndeva incoko engenakufunyanwa ngumkhenkethi — amaxhegokazi amabini apha evarandeni ethetha i-Papiamentu, isivakalisi ngasinye sivakala ngathi sisimo se-Spanish esifakwe kulusu lwe-Dutch, siqhutywa yisingqi sase-Afrika. I-Papiamentu sisipili se-Curaçao: isigama se-Dutch yimbali yobukoloniyali, isiseko se-Spanish yimeko yendawo, isingqi esinemvelaphi yase-Afrika sisiva sokurhweba ngamakhoboka. Umbhali wasekuhlaleni wakha wathi: 'Xa sithetha i-Papiamentu, siphinda siqinisekisa ubuni bethu ngalo lonke ixesha — abantu base-Caribbean, ulawulo lwe-Dutch, iingcambu zase-Afrika.'

Ukutya kutyhila laa ngqiqo inamaleko afanayo. Isidlo esibizwa ngokuba yi-Keshi Yena — iqokobhe letshizi ye-Edam ekhutshiweyo, izaliswe ngenkukhu, iipepile, iminquma, kunye neerasintyisi, emva koko yojiswe de itshizi inyibilike — ifundeka njengokugcina kwimbali etyiwayo yobukoloniyali. Umninimzi wendawo yokutyela wandixelela: 'Oomatiloshe base-Dutch bazisa itshizi esiqithini. Abapheki base-Afrika bayizalisa ngendlela yabo. Kumakhulu amane eminyaka eyadlulayo esi sasikukutya kwezicaka — iinkosi zazisitya umbindi wetshizi, izicaka zazizalisa iqokobhe elinomngxuma ngeentsalela. Ngoku? Inikwa njengesidlo sokuqala emitshatweni.'

Ijezi yeqela lesizwe lase-Curaçao iluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nzulu inemigca e-orenji — luhlaza nzulu ngenxa yoLwandle lwe-Caribbean, i-orenji ngenxa yendlu yasebukhosini yase-Dutch. Kwifestile yevenkile yezixhobo zezemidlalo e-Willemstad, le jezi yayijingiswe kwindawo yembeko, ecaleni kweflegi encinci yase-Curaçao kunye nefoto endala: umhla i-Curaçao yaphumelela i-2017 Caribbean Cup, xa izitrato zase-Willemstad zazizalisa ngabantu. Umnini-venkile, indoda ekwiminyaka yamashumi amahlanu, wathi: 'Ibhola ekhatywayo kuphela kwendlela i-Curaçao ekwazi ngayo ukwenza i-Netherlands iqaphele thina. Asivelisi i-oyile. Asinaziko lezemali. Kodwa sinabadlali — u-Leandro Bacuna wadlala kwi-Premier League, u-Cuco Martina wayese-Everton. Xa abantu base-Dutch bebabona, bathi: oo, yi-Curaçao leyo.' Wathula kancinci, wongeza: 'Phambi koko, uninzi lwabantu base-Dutch babengazi nokwazi ukuba i-Curaçao lilizwe kunokuba ibe yindawo yokuphumla elunxwemeni.'

I-Klein Curaçao — 'i-Curaçao eNcinci' — sisiqwengana sesiqithi esingahlali mntu esingenanto ngaphandle kwendlu yesibane eshiyiweyo kunye nonxweme olumhlophe kangangokuba alukhangeleki ngathi lolwaseMhlabeni. Ukapteni wesikhitshane wanika unyana wakhe oneminyaka elishumi elinesibini ivili lokulawula, walungisa unomathotholo kwisitishi esidala sase-Dutch, emva koko watshintshela kwi-reggae. 'E-Curaçao,' watsho, 'unomathotholo akaze adlale ulwimi olunye kuphela. Isantya otshintsha ngaso izitishi — seso santya esi siqithi sitshintsha ngaso ubuni baso.'

Ekutshoneni kwelanga ndabuyela kwi-Queen Emma Bridge. Izibane zazikhanyisiwe. Izibonakaliso zemiqolo emibini yezindlu ezinemibala ephaphathekileyo zaqhekeka emanzini xa isikhitshane esidlulayo sasicanda phakathi kwazo. Ebhulorhwini: umntu wasekuhlaleni owela ukuya ekhaya ebuya emsebenzini, umkhenkethi ophumle ukuthatha ifoto yesibhakabhaka, umntwana okwishumi elivisayo ngebhayisikile edlula ngesantya enxibe ihempe yoqeqesho e-orenji yeqela lesizwe lase-Curaçao. Ezi thunzi zithathu zaphambana kancinane emanzini aqhekezileyo. Emva koko ibhulorho yaphinda yavalwa kancinci. Yonke imihla e-Curaçao ifana nale bhulorho: isoloko iphazanyiswa zizikhitshane, kodwa ayize yaphuke ngokwenene — ilinda nje isikhitshane sidlule, emva koko iphinde idibanise.