Curaçao Izindaba: ECuraçao, INetherlands Ayizange Imuke—Yavele Yafunda Ukugqoka Amashothi

Lapho izindlu ezinemibala ephaphathekile zaseWillemstad zibonakala emanzini eSt. Anna Bay, uzwa uhlobo lokukhohliseka kwamehlo — sengathi umuntu udonse iAmsterdam wayisa enkabazwe ngentambo, wakhohlwa ukuthatha izindlu zamashaneli ezinezihlenga, wabe esezishiya zibhaka ngaphansi kwelanga laseCaribbean iminyaka engamakhulu amane. Zibukeka kanje manje.

Izindlu zilandela ubukhulu nokuhlobisa kwamaDashi okunembe kakhulu, kodwa imibala — ophuzi welamula, opinki wekorali, oluhlaza okweminti, oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka — ayihlangene neze nenyakatho yeYurophu. Umhlahlandlela wendawo wancika odongeni lwebhuloho laseQueen Emma elihamba ngomkhumbi, ekhuluma isiPapiamentu ocingweni. Wangibona ngigqolozele izakhiwo, wavala ucingo, wathi ngesiNgisi esinokugqama kwesiDashi: 'Uyazi ukuthi kungani imibala igqame kangaka? Kuthiwa umbusi omdala wathola ukuthi ukugqama okumhlophe kwakubuhlungu emehlweni futhi wayala ukuthi yonke indlu ipendwe ngombala. Kodwa abantu bendawo bakhetha indaba ehlukile — sasimane sifuna ukukhumbuza amaDashi ukuthi akusiyona iYurophu lapha.'

ICuraçao iyizwe eliyingxenye yoMbuso weNetherlands, eliseseningizimu yeCaribbean emgama ongamakhilomitha angu-65 nje ogwini lwaseVenezuela. Inani labantu: elilinganiselwa ku-160,000. Umumo wendawo yayo wanquma ikusasa layo: indawo yezomthetho yaseYurophu entanta oLwandle lweCaribbean, lapho imibhobho yokuhluza uwoyela nezinqaba zesikhathi samakholoni zabelana khona isibhakabhaka esisodwa.

Ngenkathi ngihamba esifundeni saseOtrobanda, ngezwa ingxoxo engekho isivakashi esingayiqonda — izalukazi ezimbili ezazihleli endlini bakhuluma isiPapiamentu, wonke umusho uzwakala njengezakhiwo zesiSpanishi ezifakwe esikhumbeni sesiDashi, ziqhutshwa isigqi saseAfrika. IsiPapiamentu siyisibuko seCuraçao: amagama esiDashi awumlando wamakholoni, isisekelo sesiSpanishi yindawo, isigqi esivela eAfrika siyisilonda sohwebo lwezigqila. Umbhali wendawo wake wakubeka kanje: 'Uma sikhuluma isiPapiamentu, siqinisekisa ubunjalo bethu njalo — abantu baseCaribbean, umthetho wamaDashi, izimpande zaseAfrika.'

Ukudla kwembula umqondo ofanayo wezingqimba. Isidlo esibizwa ngeKeshi Yena — igobolondo likashizi i-Edam elikhishwe ingaphakathi, ligcwaliswe ngenkukhu, upelepele, iminqumo, namagilebhisi omisiwe, bese kubhakwa kuze kuncibilike ushizi — sifundeka njengomlando wamakholoni ogcinwe ekudleni. Umnikazi wendawo yokudla wangitshela: 'Amatilosi amaDashi aletha ushizi esiqhingini. Abapheki baseAfrika bawugcwalisa ngendlela yabo. Eminyakeni engamakhulu amane edlule lesi kwakuyisidlo sezisebenzi — amakhosi ayedla ingaphakathi likashizi, izisebenzi zazigcwalisa uqweqwe olungenalutho ngezinsalela. Manje? Sekunikezwa njengesidlo sokuqala emishadweni.'

Ijezi leqembu lesizwe laseCuraçao liluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka olujulile ngemigqa ewolintshi — oluhlaza okujulile ngoLwandle lweCaribbean, owolintshi ngomndeni wasebukhosini bamaDashi. Efasiteleni lesitolo sezimpahla zemidlalo eWillemstad, leli jezi lalilengiswe endaweni yenhlonipho, eduze kwefulegi elincane laseCuraçao nesithombe esidala: usuku iCuraçao eyawina ngalo iCaribbean Cup ngo-2017, lapho imigwaqo yaseWillemstad yagcwala abantu. Umthengisi wesitolo, indoda eseminyakeni yamashumi amahlanu, wathi: 'Ibhola liyindlela okuwukuphela kwayo iCuraçao engenza ngayo iNetherlands isinake. Asikhiqizi uwoyela. Asinaso isikhungo sezezimali. Kodwa sinabadlali — uLeandro Bacuna wadlala ePremier League, uCuco Martina wayeseEverton. Uma abantu baseNetherlands bebabona, bathi: o, yiCuraçao leyo.' Wathula isikhashana, wabe esenezela: 'Ngaphambi kwalokho, abantu abaningi baseNetherlands babengazi nokuthi iCuraçao iyizwe hhayi indawo yokungcebeleka yasolwandle.'

IKlein Curaçao — 'iCuraçao Encane' — iyisiqhingi esincane esingenamuntu esinendawo yokukhanyisa endala engasasebenzi notshani obumhlophe kangangokuba abukeki njengokungokwalo mhlaba. Ukaputeni wesikebhe wanika indodana yakhe eneminyaka eyishumi nambili isiteringi, walungisa umsakazo esiteshini somculo wakudala wesiDashi, wabe esewuguqulela kureggae. 'ECuraçao,' usho kanjalo, 'umsakazo awukaze udlale ulimi olulodwa kuphela. Isivinini oguqula ngaso amafrikhwensi — yiso isivinini lesi siqhingi esiguqula ngaso ubunjalo baso.'

Ekushoneni kwelanga ngabuyela ebhulohweni iQueen Emma. Kwakukhanyisiwe. Ukubonakala kwemigqa emibili yezindlu ezinemibala ephaphathekile kwahlukana phakathi emanzini lapho isikebhe esidlulayo siwacoboza. Ebhulohweni: umuntu wendawo owela ebuyela ekhaya emsebenzini, isivakashi esime ukuthatha isithombe sesibhakabhaka, intsha egijima ngebhayisikili igqoke ijezi eliwolintshi lokuqeqesha laseCuraçao. Izithunzi ezintathu zahlangana kafishane emanzini ahlukene phakathi. Ibhuloho elihamba ngomkhumbi labe selivala kancane futhi. Zonke izinsuku eCuraçao zinjengaleli bhuloho: lihlala liphazanyiswa izikebhe, kodwa alikaze lephuke ngempela — limane lilinda isikebhe ukuba sidlule, bese lixhumana futhi.