I-Senegal: Ibholo Elilodwa Lithunga Kanjani Izwe Ndawonye

Umsindo wokuqala wokuhambela i-Senegal, akukhona amagagasi, futhi akukhona isimemezelo sesikhumulo sezindiza, kodwa umsindo webholo elishaya udonga. Imoto isuka esikhumulweni sezindiza i-Blaise Diagne iya e-Dakar, ezinhlangothini zomgwaqo kunezihlahla ze-baobab namabhodi ezikhangisi aphephulwe ngumoya; lapho singena edolobheni, umoya wasolwandle ngokungazelelwe uba nosawoti, kanti nokuhamba ngemoto akusenamkhawulo. Amatekisi, izinqola zamahhashi, izithuthuthu, abathengisi nabahamba ngezinyawo kufana nomdlalo ongenaye unompempe, ngamunye uyazithathela indawo, kodwa kuyaqabukela beshayisana. Ntambama e-Yoff Beach, izingane zibeka ama-flip-flop amabili njengamapali, zikhahlela esihlabathini esimanzi kuze kuhlwe. Akukho tshani, akukho majezi eqembu, kunebholo elidala neqembu labafana elikhala liphihlize iphimbo. Ngalowo mzuzu ngaqonda ukuthi, okubizwa ngebholo + uhambo, e-Senegal akukhona 'ukubuka umdlalo ngenkathi uhamba,' kodwa ukungena ezweni ngebholo.

Ibholo lomgwaqo lase-Dakar liyashesha, kufana nokuphefumula kwaleli dolobha. Ibholo ligingqika lidlula inqola yokuthengisa ikhofi, lidlula ngaphansi kwezinyawo zomuntu omdala olungisa amanetha okudoba, lapho ligingqika phakathi komgwaqo, umshayeli ukhala i-hooter ngokufishane, ingane iyalikhahlela ibholo, umdlalo uyaqhubeka. Abanye bagqoke ijezi lika-Mané lenombolo yeshumi, abanye bagqoke ijezi eliluhlaza leqembu lesizwe lika-Koulibaly, abanye bembele izinyawo. Uma ubabuza ukuthi ngubani abamthandayo, impendulo icishe ingadingi ukuqagela: u-Mané. Leli gama e-Dakar akulona i-gossip yenkanyezi, kodwa kufana nephasiwedi eyabelwanwa ngayo. Omunye wabathengisi bamajezi wangitshela ukuthi, u-Mané uvela e-Bambali eningizimu, kamuva waya e-Génération Foot e-Dakar, waphinde waya e-France, e-Austria, e-Southampton, e-Liverpool, 'kodwa akazange akhohlwe ikhaya.' Lapho esho la mazwi, wasikha kahle ijezi, kufana nokukhombisa ifulegi lesizwe.

Ngosuku olulandelayo ngaya e-Gorée Island, umsindo webholo ngokungazelelwe wathathwa. Ukusuka ethekwini lase-Dakar ngesikebhe kuthatha imizuzu engamashumi amabili kuphela, umsindo wedolobho ufana nokunqanyulwa ngamanzi olwandle. Izindlu zesiqhingini zinombala ophinki-olintshi, ophuzi-mhlophe, i-bougainvillea ilenga phansi kwezindonga, ubuhle bucishe bungenze unganethezeki. Ube usungena e-Maison des Esclaves, ungena emakamelweni aphansi, aswakeme, amancane ngamatshe, lapho uqonda khona ukuthi lokhu kungethembeki kuvelaphi. Igama elithi 'Umnyango Ongabuyeli' libheke e-Atlantic, ngaphandle komnyango kunolwandle olukhanyayo. Akukho ngunyaka wezobukholoni osindayo ngoba upendwe ngemibala emihle. Lapho umi lapho, ngokungazelelwe ngakhumbula izinyathelo zezingane ezijahayo ibholo e-Dakar Beach: izwe kufanele lenze njani ukuphinda lizwakalise 'ukuthi singobani' lisuka emlandweni wokuthathwa, ukuqanjwa, nokuphucwa?

Impendulo ye-Senegal, imvamisa akuyona inkulumo, kodwa ukudla, inkomishi yetiye, umdlalo. Ngemva kokubuyela e-Dakar, esitolo esincane sokudla ngadla i-Thiéboudienne, inhlanzi, utamatisi, izaqathi, i-cassava nelayisi kufakwe esitsheni esikhulu esiyindilinga. Indoda etafuleni eliseduze yabona ngiphethe isipunu kakuhle, yangimoyizela yangikhombisa ukuthi ngisebenzise isandla, ngibumbe ilayisi nenhlanzi zibe yizicucu ezincane. Umabonakude wawubonisa i-Africa Cup of Nations eyadlulayo, ukuhlasela kwafika ngaphambili kwebhokisi, wonke umuntu esitolo waphakamisa ikhanda ngesikhathi esisodwa. Ngalowo mzuzu, abantu engingabazi, izilimi, izindlela zokudlela konke kwakungabalulekile. Ibholo lasifaka okwesikhashana ekamelweni elifanayo, kufana nokuthi uma nje ibholo lisagingqika, singahlala sithola indlela efanayo.

I-Lake Retba (Rose Lake) elangeni ayifani ncamashi nasezithombeni. Abantu bendawo bathi, umbala wechibi uyashintsha ngenkathi yonyaka, usawoti nezinga lamanzi, kwesinye isikhathi upinki ugqamile, kwesinye isikhathi uba nokumpunga okuthambile okupinki. Kodwa okwenza umuntu awukhumbule ngempela akukhona umbala, kodwa usawoti. Abasebenzi bosawoti bema emanzini afinyelela okhalweni, bafaka amakristalu emkhunjini, izikhumba zabo zigcotshwe nge-shea butter ukuvikela usawoti. Ogwini izinqwaba zikasawoti zimhlophe njengeqhwa, lapho uphephulwa ngumoya, nezindebe ziba nosawoti. Kude kunezivakashi ezintanta emanzini, ukuhleka kuphansi; abasebenzi bosawoti bayaqhubeka nokugoba, ukunyakaza kuzinzile njengewashi. Lokhu kukukhumbuza ukuthi, izithombe zokuhamba zithatha isekhondi elilodwa, kodwa impilo kufanele iphindwe iminyaka eminingi. Ubuhle be-Senegal, buhlala buhlanganiswe nomsebenzi, ukulinda, nokubekezela.

Futhi yingakho indaba ka-Mané iba nesisindo esikhethekile lapha. Akayena umdlali oqeqeshwe ngobuciko ovela ezikhungweni ezicebile, kodwa ungumntwana ovela e-Tambacounda kuya e-Casamance, okuyingxenye ye-Senegal yasemakhaya ethule kakhulu. Lapho kukude nezibani, kodwa kusondelene nebholo. Inhlabathi ebomvu yase-Bambali, ukuphikiswa ngumndeni, ukujaha amaphupho e-Dakar eneminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu, i-trial e-Génération Foot, ubusuku be-Champions League e-Liverpool, lo mgwaqo uma ubhalwa nje njengendaba ekhuthazayo ulula kakhulu. Okubaluleke ngempela ukuthi ngemva kokuduma waletha imali emuva edolobhaneni lakhe: isikolo, isibhedlela, i-internet, izikhungo zomphakathi. Engxoxweni yakhe ne-Guardian, wachaza ukuthi kungani kwakufanele akhe isibhedlela, ngoba esemncane ubaba wakhe wagula, edolobhaneni kwakungekho sibhedlela, kwadingeka amukiswe kwenye indawo, ekugcineni akaphindanga wabuya. Ngakho ibholo kuye aliseyona nje indlela yomuntu siqu yokuphakama, kodwa amandla okubuyela ekhaya.

Angizange ngiye e-Bambali, kodwa emgwaqweni wase-Dakar ngayibona isithunzi salo. Umfana othile esihlabathini waphatha ibholo, umzimba uncike phambili, ukunyakaza kufana no-Mané engena ngakwesokudla; eduze kwakhe izingane ezincane zimzungezile, amehlo akhanya kufana nokubuka ikusasa. Abathengisi, abashayeli, abanikazi bezitolo zokudla lapho bexoxa ngeqembu lesizwe, iphimbo alikhona 'bona,' kodwa 'thina.' Igama lesidlaliso elithi 'Ama-Lions of Teranga' linembile: i-Teranga kuwukwamukela izivakashi, futhi kuwumphakathi; ibhubesi kuwukuziqhenya, futhi kuyindlela yokuvikela izwe. Ibholo e-Senegal akuyona into yokuzilibazisa ngempelasonto, kuyisihlanganisi somphakathi, kuwubunikazi, kuyindlela amadolobha namadolobhana aqinisekisa ngayo omunye komunye.

Ubusuku bangaphambi kokushiya i-Dakar, ngaphinde ngaya olwandle. Isibhakabhaka sasimnyama, eceleni kwenkundla kwakungekho zibani, izingane zazisangafuni ukuyeka. Ibholo laligingqika emthunzini, kwesinye isikhathi liphephulwa ngumoya wasolwandle, kwesinye isikhathi likhahlelwa langena emgqeni wamagagasi. Kude i-Atlantic yayimnyama kakhulu, kufana nolwandle olufanayo olungaphandle koMnyango we-Gorée Island; ngemumva idolobha lalikhanya kakhulu, kufana nokukhanya okuvela ezinqwabeni zikasawoti e-Lake Retba. Into ekhumbuleka kakhulu ngokuhambela i-Senegal, akukhona ukuthi indawo ethile yinhle kangakanani, kodwa ukuthi kancane kancane uye wazi: leli zwe linikeza ukuhlukumezeka, umsebenzi, ukwamukela izivakashi nobughawe ebholeni elilodwa ukuba lihumushe. Ucabanga ukuthi ulandela u-Mané, kamuva uyathola ukuthi, u-Mané umane nje wakumemezela kakhulu lokho i-Senegal eyayisikwazi kudala: ibholo elikhahlelwe ngumuntu, ekugcineni kumele libuyele ezinyaweni zawo wonke umuntu.