Siyabulela Mqikela
“Kulo nyaka-mali siza kuqhuba neli phulo lokubuyiswa kwala majoni kwaye oku kuquka noDavid Stuurman,” utsho -uAndile Nduna wesebe lemidlalo, inkcubeko nemicimbi yemveli.
Isebe lemidlalo nenkcubeko eMpuma Koloni liqinisekise ukuba liza kubuyisa ngokomoya inkokheli yesizwe samaKhoi eyabubhela kwilizwe lase-Australia ngonyaka ka-1860, uDavid Stuurman. Othethe egameni lela sebe u-Andile Nduna uqinisekise ukuba likho igama likaStuurman kuluhlu lwabantu abaza kubuyiselwa kweli abathi babhubhela kwiindawo ezahlukileyo zehlabathi ngamaxesha ocalucalulo.
“Ewe ndingatsho ukuba uDavid Stuurman uza kubuyiselwa kweli ngokomoya, nanjengoko wabhubhela kumazwe angaphandle.” Oku kusemva kokuba isebe lemidlalo nenkcubeko lidize ukuba libeke imali eqikelelwa kumakhulu alithoba amawaka eerandi ngenjongo zokuqinisekisa ukuba abuyiselwa kweli phondo amathambo oonyana beli abathi babhubhela kwiindawo ezingaphandle kwephondo okanye ilizwe loMzantsi Afrika.
Ngubani ke uDavid Stuurman?
UDavid Stuurman wazalwa ngowe-1773 kufutshane nomlambo iGamtoos kweli phondo leMpuma Koloni ezalwa likhaya lohlanga lwamaKhoi, wakhula esebenza kwiifama ezikufutshane nekhaya lakhe waza wasebenzela umfama omhlophe owayesaziwa ngegama elinguJohaness Vermaak.
Ngeminyaka yoo-1700 abantu bohlanga lwamaKhoi kwakunye namaSan bathathelwa umhlaba wabo ngamakoloniyali afika kamva phezu komlambo iGamtoos. Emva kokukhula kokungaboni ngasonye phakathi kuka Stuurman kwakunye nomphathi wakhe kwabangela ukuba atshutshiswe lo kaStuurman. Lo kaStuurman washiya loo fama emva kokubhubha kukaVermaak.
Ngonyaka ka-1799 abantu bohlanga lamaKhoi baqhuba uqhankqalazo beqhankqalazela impathombi ababeyifumana kubanikazi beefama ababesebenza kuzo ngokukodwa kwiingingqi ezazingqonge umlambo iGamtoos. Uninzi lwabo lwabaleka, logama abathile kubo kwanyanzeliswa ukuba basebenze ngenkani kwezo fama, abanye baqala ukusungula ubuhlobo kwakunye nesizwe samaXhosa.
Oku kwabangela ukuba amaXhosa ekunye nesizwe samaKhoi badibanise imikhosi besilwa nabacinezeli babo ababengamafama amhlophe. Abantu besizwe samaKhoi yayingabo ababenobuchule obubodwa bokulwa kwanokuhlasela ngendlela ezithile. Ngenxa yoku bakwazi ukududula amafama amaninzi amhlophe bewakhuphela ngaphandle kwezo fama.
Emva kokucaca kwentsebenziswano phakathi kwesizwe samaKhoi kwakunye namaXhosa amaqela amakoloniyali azama amacebo okubuyisela amaKhoi ngakwicala lawo. Iinkokheli ezininzi kwakunye namajoni amaKhoi abhubha kanye ngeli xesha loku kutsalatsalana kusiliwa.
UStuurman uthabathe isikhundla sobukhosi besizwe samaKhoi emva kokubhubha komntakwabo uKlaas owayeyinkosi yamaKhoi, kodwa oku akuzange kuthathe xesha lide, kuba waye wathunyelwa eRobben Island eKapa ngonyaka ka-1808 ngenxa yokungathobeli ababephethe ngelo xesha. NgoDisemba wonyaka ka-1809 waqhawula eluvalelweni ekunye namanye amabanjwa ngokuthi basebenzise isikhephe abathi basohlutha kumajoni ayegade isiqithi saseRobben Island, kodwa amanye alo mabanjwa aphinda abanjwa, yena lokaStuurman waqhawula waza kufika kweli leMpuma Koloni kwakho.
Kwizihlandlo eziliqela uzanyiwe ukuba ajikwe achase amabutho amaXhosa axhase amakoloniyali, kodwa wakwala oko ememelela ukuba kubuyiswe inkosikazi yakhe nabantwana bakhe ababegcinwe eKapa. Abachasi bakhe babesoloko bembona njengomntu onobungozi ukogqitha abanye abantu abamnyama. Urhulumente welo xesha wathatha ixesha elingaphezu kweminyaka elishumi ezama ukubamba lo kaStuurman bengakwazi kufikelela kuye kwada kwangunyaka ka-1819 nalapho wathi wabanjwa wavalelwa esiqithini eRobben Island.
Ekuzeni kuphela konyaka ka-1820 indoda eyayiseluvalelweni nayo kwisiqithi iRobben Island uJohan Smit wahlasela woyisa amajoni ayegade esa siqithi saseRobben Island, baza bathathela kubo izixhobo kwakunye nezikhephe bawoyisa loo majoni. Amadoda akumashumi amathathu ayevalelwe eRobben Island abaleka ngokusebenzisa izikhephe ezithathu abazixutha kumajoni ayegade isiqithi.
UNxele kaMakana wayekwesinye sezo zikhephe nesathi sabetheka elityeni ekufikeni kwaso eBlouberg, kwaye oku kwabangela ukuba atshone elwandle amanye ala madoda equka uMakana.
Alishumi elinesibini kula madoda aphinda abanjwa kwakho, uDavid Stuurman wayengomnye walo madoda athi abuyiselwa eRobben Island.
Emva kokubuyela kwakhe eRobben Island isihlandlo sesithathu uStuurman waye wathunyelwa eNew South Wales, e-Australia. Kwinyanga ka-April ngonyaka ka-1823 uDavid Stuurman wagaleleka eSydney e-Australia ngesikhephe iBrampton ekunye namadoda alishumi elinanye ayeziinzalelwane zeli loMzantsi Afrika (Kazi ukuba ngobani baphi?).
Inkosikazi yakhe yabhala incwadi icenga ikumkanikazi yasemaNgesini uQueen Victoria ukuba abuyise indoda yakhe. Emva kokuvunyelwa ukuba aphangele ngenjongo zokuzenzela imali lo kaStuurman wawushiya lo mhlaba ngomhla wamashumi amabini anesibini kwinyanga kaFebuwari ngonyaka ka-1830 kwisibhedlele iGeneral Hospital eSydney.
Oyinkokheli yesizwe samaKhoi kweli leMpuma Koloni, nokwalilungu lepalamente eBhisho uChristian Martins uthi belusapho nesizwe samaKhoi ephondweni bayakuxhasa ukubuyiswa kukaStuurman ngokomoya kuba ayikho enye into enokwenziwa.
Urhulumente wephondo uzamile kakhulu ukuqinisekisa ukuba amathambo akhe abuyela ekhaya, kodwa kufumaniseka ukuba kwakhiwa isikhululo sikaloliwe kwindawo awangcwatywa kuyo, utshilo uMartins.
Ingxelo ithi lo kaMartins wathabatha isigqibo sokuba akanakuze azichebe iinwele zakhe ade abuyiswe uDavid Stuurman nokuba kungokomoya okanye ngolunye uhlobo. UMartins uthi iya kuba ngabantwana babantwana beli lizwe abayakwenza ezinye iinzame zokubuyiswa kwale ndedeba ukuba bayakwazi kwiminyaka ezayo.