Hayiti Iindaba: Ngaphambi Kokuthi Ngiye EHaiti, Woke Umuntu Wangibuza Umbuzo Ofanako

UFrantzdy Pierrot wakhuluma okuthileko ngemva kwesilungiselo. Bekungasi ngebhola leenyawo — nanyana kunjalo ungumdlali ophambili weqembu lesitjhaba leHaiti, udlalela iklabhu eFrance, kanti ungomunye wabantu abambalwa abamela iHaiti esiteji seentjhabatjhaba. Wathi: ‘Isikhathi ngasinye ngibuyela eHaiti, amakoseli wamapholisa wePort-au-Prince airport ayamazi umma. Akusikho ngombana webhola leenyawo — ngombana bekajayele ukuthengisa isinkwa sebanana emgwaqweni ngaphandle kwesakhiwo sesikhumulo.’

Ngakha lohambo loke ngokusuka kulo mutjho. Akusikho ngombana lumayelana nebhola leenyawo, kodwana ngombana kuvula isango lenye indlela yokungena eHaiti: ilizwe elingachazwa zingezinye izincazelo zokungahambi kodwana elichazwa ziinkumbulo zokubuya ekhaya kanye nokuqina kwelanga nelanga.

IHaiti ihlezi eLwandle lweCaribbean, yabelana ngesiqhingi iHispaniola neDominican Republic. Lelinye lamazwe ahlupheka khulu kuwo woke emazweni aseNtshonalanga wePhanethi kanti lithwele iinkubeko eziphindaphindekileko zokunganami kwezombangazwe, umdlhamvu wamaqembu ezigelekeqe, nokutshabalala kwemvelo eminyakeni yamuva. Iincazelo zokuhamba zamazwe amanengi ngo-2025 eziya eHaiti ziphelela emutjhweni ofanako: Ungahambi. Kodwana iHaiti ngiyo iriphambhliki yokuthoma ezimeleko emhlabeni eyasungulwa ngukuvukela kwezigqila. Ilizwe leli lamemezela ubukhona balo ngemva kweembonda zamatshe zeCitadelle Laferrière ngo-1804 — kanti ngemva kweminyaka engaphezu kwamakhulu amabili, inqaba isamile.

Ukufika ePort-au-Prince bekungakuhle. Umculo weKompa waqhuma esitimeni sesiphahli esigugileko ehholweni lezinto ezifikako — leso sigqi esihlanganisa iingoma zobu-Afrika neendlela zomculo weCaribbean, senza amahlombe wakho anyakaze ngokungazithandeli. Abantwana ababili bacindezela esiquntwini sethu lapho kubutjhiwa imithwalo ukungisiza ngomthwalo wami — akusikho ngomusa, kodwana befuna ithiphu. Umswani bewucindezela ukudlula itiyela elingaphandle. Iqiniso elithembekileko: umbono wokuthoma weHaiti awubukeki kamnandi. Kodwana ngathatha isiqunto sokuthi ngeke ngihlobise ngephumela namkha ngihlanekezele — ngizokubhala kwaphela.

Ngisuka enyakatfo ngomgwaqo oseduze nolwandle, ngeendawo ezinamahlahla namarike womgwaqo ngezinye iinkhathi, iCap-Haïtien yavela emkhatsini. ICitadelle Laferrière — inqaba enkhulu kunazo zoke enTshonalanga yePhanethi — igogobala ngamakhilomitha angamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye ngaphezulu kwezinga lelwandle njengesilwane samatshe. Indlela yentaba eya kiyo immangalisa kangangokuthi ukuphefumula kwababhu kuzwakala khulu ukudlula iinsimbi zabo. Esicongweni, ngangqinyama ngembonda yamatshe eneminyaka engamakhulu amabili, ngikhamisile, umkhambeli wendawo eduze kwami wathi: ‘Uyazi, inqaba le akhenge ihlaseleke. Ikhulu kangangokuthi akhuna muntu oke waba nesibindi.’ Ngaphasi kwentaba, abantwana babedlala ibholo leenyawo esiqhepheni somhlaba ongenalutho. Imigca yenqala beyipendwe ngokubomvu nokuluhlaza kwefulegi yeHaiti — lokhu kucindezelela isikhumbuzo sesitjhaba nomdlalo webholo wamalanga woke efulemeni yinye. Lesi sigqi esiqinisweni somlando weHaiti.

IJacmel lidolobha elakhiwe ngepapier-mâché namapende — iimaski zalo zomkhosi ziyimisebenzi yobukghwari edidako kunayo yoke eseCaribbean, kanti abakhi bayo abanengi bahlala ezindlini ezingenawo umbane onokwethenjelwa. Umakhi weemaski wagobela emnyango wakhe. Imaski ebesesandleni sakhe beyinguhhafu yokuhleka, ihhafu yokudla — isihluthu sebhubesi sikhula sibe mazinyo womuntu, iinsiba zenyoni zinyibilika zibe mihlobo yobu-Afrika. ‘Ngesikhathi somkhosi, woke umuntu unqala imaski,’ kusho yena. ‘Kodwana ngaphasi kwemaski yiHaiti yeqiniso. Kunokwesaba lapho, nelaka, nesigqi esenza udanse kuze kuphume ilanga. AmaHaitian awakaze anqale imaski yinye kwaphela.’ Ngacabanga ngoWilde-Donald Guerrier — umdlali oseceleni weqembu lesitjhaba leHaiti owavela onqenqemeni oluseningizimu lwePort-à-Piment waya eenqaleni zebhola leenyawo zobuYurobhu. Umkhondo wepilo yakhe unjengemaski yeJacmel: ihhafu bulukhuni, ihhafu bukhazimulakazi obuphoqelela umhlaba ubuke.

IGriot — iinqhezu zengulube ezithosiweko eziphakelwa nepikliz, isaladi ephekwe ngeviniga etjhisako — yazitjela ize ifike emabhlokeni amathathu kudepha. Umma owayesebenzisa isitendi bekuneminyaka engaba ngamashumi amathandathu, i-ephroni enzefileko ayibophelele okhalweni, kanti naseangibona ngithatha izithombe wahleka wangezelela iinqhezu ezimbili zenyama epladeni yami: ‘Dla ngaphezulu. Uyakufuna.’ Ukutjhisa kwepikliz kuyaphikisana nanyana yimuphi umhluzi wetjhili yase-Asia — amaHaitian basebenzisa iinongo ukubhekana nokutjhisa, ubuhlwempu, koke okungakhange kulungiswe ngukukhonona. Emculweni oklinyazako wegriot, eKompeni ephumela emagumbini womgwaqo, esivinini sezandla zabomma bemarike abethungula amabhim, ngabona into ebengingakwazi ukuyichaza kwaphela ngelizwi elithi ukuqina.

Ngobusuku bami bokugcina eHaiti, ngema evulandeni yehhotela ePort-au-Prince ngibukele izibane eziphasalazekileko emagqumeni — akusizo izibane zomgwaqo, kodwana amakhandlela namalambu wepharafini, iimpawu zamalanga zomakhelwane abangenawo umbane. Ngacabanga ngelimi elipholileko lezincazelo zokuhamba — ‘izinga eliphezulu lobulelesi,’ ‘iinfrakatjha ezingeneleko,’ ‘ungahambi.’ Iinkulumo lezo azikho iphoso ngeqiniso. Kodwana nange ungafunda lezo nkulumo kwaphela, bewungeke wazi ukuthi amaHaitian benza njani isaladi ephekwe ngeviniga etjhisako kunazo zoke eCaribbean. Bewungeke wazi ukuthi kungani amatshe weCitadelle asamile ngemva kweminyaka engamakhulu amabili. Bewungeke wazi ukuthi kungani umma kaPierrot akathengisa isinkwa sebanana ngaphandle kwesakhiwo sesikhumulo, nokuthi kungani eminyakeni engamashumi amabili ngemva umtanakhe azakukhahlela ibizo leHaiti emhlabeni ukusuka enqaleni yeentjhabatjhaba.

Buyela kulokhu okwakukhulunywe nguPierrot ekupheleni kwengxoxo: 'Ifulegi yeHaiti ithi L'Union Fait La Force — ubunye benza amandla. Njengomntwana bengingazwisisi. Kwanje, isikhathi ngasinye nginqala ijezi leqembu lesitjhaba, ngicabanga ngomma athengisa isinkwa emgwaqweni. Akusikho ukuphela amandla. Kuyindlela yamaHaitian — nange ibhasi ingafiki, uzenzela esakho isitendi.'