IHaiti Amabali: Phambi Kokuba Ndiye E-Haiti, Wonke Umntu Wayendibuza Umbuzo Ofanayo

U-Frantzdy Pierrot wathetha into ethile emva koqeqesho. Yayingengombandela webhola ekhatywayo — nangona engumdlali ophambili weqela lesizwe lase-Haiti, edlalela iklabhu e-France, kwaye engomnye wabantu abambalwa abamele i-Haiti kwinqanaba lamazwe ngamazwe. Wathi: 'Ngalo lonke ixesha ndibuyela e-Haiti, amagosa asemdeni kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya sase-Port-au-Prince amazi umama. Akungenxa yebhola ekhatywayo — kungenxa yokuba wayethengisa isonka sebhanana esitratweni ngaphandle kwesakhivo seenqwelo-moya.'

Ndakha uhambo lonke kweso sivakalisi. Akungenxa yokuba simalunga nebhola ekhatywayo, kodwa ngenxa yokuba ngoko nangoko sivula enye indlela yokungena e-Haiti: ilizwe elingachazwa zizilumkiso zokuhamba kodwa ziinkumbulo zokubuyela ekhaya nokomelela kwemihla ngemihla.

I-Haiti ihleli kuLwandle lwe-Caribbean, yabelana ngesiqithi sase-Hispaniola ne-Dominican Republic. Lelinye lawona mazwe ahlwempuzekileyo kwi-Western Hemisphere kwaye liye lanyamezela izoyikiso eziphindaphindeneyo zesiphithiphithi sezopolitiko, ubundlobongela bamaqela, kunye neentlekele zendalo kwiminyaka yakutshanje. Iingcebiso zokuhamba zamazwe amaninzi zika-2025 malunga ne-Haiti ziphelela kwisivakalisi esinye: Musa ukuhamba. Kodwa i-Haiti ikwayiriphabliki yokuqala ezimeleyo ehlabathini eyasekwa yimvukelo yamakhoboka. Eli lizwe labhengeza ubukho balo emva kweendonga zamatye ze-Citadelle Laferrière ngo-1804 — kwaye ngaphezu kweminyaka engamakhulu amabini kamva, inqaba isamile.

Ukufika e-Port-au-Prince kwakungemnandanga. Umculo we-Kompa wadubula kwi-PA system edlakazileyo kwiholo yokufika — eso singqi sijija amagubu ase-Afrika kunye neengoma ze-Caribbean kunye, senza amagxa akho ashukume ngokungathandi. Abantwana ababini batyhudisa phakathi kwesihlwele kwindawo yokuthatha imithwalo ukuze bandincede ngengxowa yam — hayi ngenxa yobubele, kodwa benethemba lokufumana incam. Ukufuma kwakufuthanisele ngakumbi kunetela ngaphandle. Inyaniso enyanisekileyo: umbono wokuqala we-Haiti awunamdla wothando. Kodwa ndagqiba ekubeni andizukuhombisa okanye ndigqwethe — ukurekhoda kuphela.

Ndisinge emantla ngeehola wendlela osecaleni konxweme, ndicanda kumhlaba obharhileyo kunye neemarike ezisecaleni kwendlela ngamaxesha athile, i-Cap-Haïtien yavela elundini. I-Citadelle Laferrière — eyona nqaba inkulu kwi-Western Hemisphere — ichochome kwiimitha ezingamakhulu alithoba ngaphezu komphakamo wolwandle njengesilo samatye. Indlela yentaba ekhokelela kuyo inyuka kakhulu kangangokuba ukuphefumla kwamahashe kungaphezulu kweentsimbi zawo. Encochoyini, ndachopha eludongeni lwamatye oluneminyaka engamakhulu amabini, ndikhefuzela, waza umkhaphi wasekuhlaleni owayesecaleni kwam wathi: 'Uyazi, le nqaba ayizange ihlaselwe. Inkulu kakhulu akukho mntu wakha waba nesibindi.' Ezantsi kwentaba, abantwana babedlala ibhola ekhatywayo kwisiqwenga somhlaba ongenangca. Imigca yebala yayipeyintwe ngobomvu nohlaza weflegi yase-Haiti — icinezela isikhumbuzo sesizwe kunye nomdlalo webhola ekhatywayo wemihla ngemihla kumfanekiso omnye. Esi sesona singqi siyinyaniso sebaligi lase-Haiti.

I-Jacmel sisixeko esenziwe nge-papier-mâché ne-pigment — iimaski zayo zekhanivali zezona zinemifanekiso entsonkothileyo kuyo yonke i-Caribbean, kwaye amagcisa azenzayo ubukhulu becala ahlala kwizindlu ezingenambane othembekileyo. Umenzi weemaski wayechochome emnyango wakhe. Imaski ezandleni zakhe yayisisiqingatha soncumo, isiqingatha sokugquma — umnwe wengonyama uguqukela kumazinyo omntu, iintsiba zentaka zinyibilika zibe yimifanekiso yase-Afrika. 'Ngexesha lekhanivali, wonke umntu unxiba imaski,' watsho. 'Kodwa phantsi kwemaski yi-Haiti yokwenene. Kukho uloyiko apho, nomsindo, kunye nesingqi esikwenza udanise kude kuphume ilanga. Abantu base-Haiti abaze banxibe imaski enye kuphela.' Ndacinga ngo-Wilde-Donald Guerrier — umdlali wasemacaleni weqela lesizwe lase-Haiti owahamba uhambo olusuka kunxweme olusemazantsi e-Port-à-Piment ukuya kumabala ebhola ekhatywayo aseYurophu. Umkhondo wobomi bakhe ufana nemaski yase-Jacmel: isiqingatha sobunzima, isiqingatha sobukrelekrele obunyanzela ihlabathi ukuba lijonge.

I-Griot — amaqhekeza enyama yehagu eqhotsiweyo enikwa kunye ne-pikliz, isaladi yemifuno enomlilo — yazazisa ukusuka kwiibhloko ezintathu kude. Umfazi owayeqhuba indawo yokuthengisa wayemalunga namashumi amathandathu, ifaskoti edlakazileyo ibotshwe esinqeni, kwaye xa wandibona ndithatha iifoto wancuma wongeza amaqhekeza amabini enyama epleyitini yam: 'Yitya ngaphezulu. Uyakudinga.' Ubushushu be-pikliz bukhuphisana nayo nayiphi na isosi ye-Asia enobumuncu — abantu base-Haiti basebenzisa iziqholo ukujongana nobushushu, ubuhlwempu, yonke into engenakusonjululwa ngokukhalaza. Kwi-oyile ekhwisayo ye-griot, kwi-Kompa evuzayo kwiikona zezitrato, kwisantya sezandla zabafazi basemarikeni bekhaba iimbotyi, ndabona into endinokuyichaza kuphela ngegama elithi ukomelela.

Ngobusuku bam bokugqibela e-Haiti, ndema kwivaranda yehotele e-Port-au-Prince ndijonge izibane ezithe saa ezindulini — hayi izibane zezitrato, kodwa amakhandlela nezibane zeparafini, iimpawu zemihla ngemihla zeendawo zokuhlala ezingenambane. Ndacinga ngolwimi olubandayo lwezilumkiso zokuhamba — 'izinga lolwaphulo-mthetho oluphezulu,' 'iziseko ezingonelanga,' 'musa ukuhamba.' Ezo nkcazo azibubuxoki ngokwenene. Kodwa ukuba ufunda ezo nkcazo kuphela, awungekhe wazi ukuba abantu base-Haiti bayenza njani esona saladi yemifuno itshisayo kwi-Caribbean. Awungekhe wazi ukuba kutheni amatye e-Citadelle esamile emva kweminyaka engamakhulu amabini. Awungekhe wazi ukuba kutheni umama ka-Pierrot wayethengisa isonka sebhanana ngaphandle kwesikhululo seenqwelo-moya, kwaye kutheni emva kweminyaka engamashumi amabini unyana wakhe wayeza kukhaba igama le-Haiti emgceni wokubonwa kwehlabathi ukusuka ebaleni lamazwe ngamazwe.

Ukubuyela koko wathethwa ngu-Pierrot ekupheleni kodliwano-ndlebe: 'Iflegi yase-Haiti ithi L'Union Fait La Force — umanyano lwenza amandla. Njengomntwana bendingayiqondi. Ngoku, ngalo lonke ixesha ndinxiba ijezi yeqela lesizwe, ndicinga ngomama ethengisa isonka esitratweni. Ayikokuyekela oko. Yindlela yase-Haiti leyo — xa ibhasi ingafiki, uzenzela eyakho indawo yokuthengisa.'