ECuraçao, iNetherlands ayizange ihambe—ifunde nje ukunxiba iibhulukhwe ezimfutshane

Xa izindlu ezinemibala yaseWillemstad (Willemstad) zibonakala emanzini eSanta Anna Bay, uya kuba nombono—ukuba iAmsterdam yatsalwa ngentambo yaya kufutshane ne-ikhweyitha, yaza yalibala ukuthatha izakhiwo ezinophahla olumile okwentaba ecaleni kwemijelo, yaza yatshiswa lilanga laseCaribbean iminyaka engamakhulu amane, nantsi isiphumo.

Ezi zakhiwo zilandela ngokungqongqo umlinganiselo wamaDatshi kunye nokuhombisa okuphakamileyo, kodwa imibala—umthubi welamuni, ipinki yekorale, uhlaza lweminti, oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka—ayiyiyo yonke into yaseMntla Yurophu. Umkhokeli wengingqi owayengqiyame ngomngxuma webhulorho yaseQueen Emma, ethetha ngomnxeba ngesiPapiamento. Wabona ndijonge izindlu, wawuphelisa umnxeba, waza wathetha ngesiNgesi esinencasa yamaDatshi: 'Uyazi ukuba kutheni le mibala yezindlu iqaqambile? Kukho intsomi yokuba irhuluneli yayicinga ukuba ukukhanya okumhlophe kuyakhathaza, yaza yayalela ukuba zonke izakhiwo zipeyintwe ngemibala. Kodwa abantu basekuhlaleni bathanda ukuthi—sifuna nje ukukhumbuza amaDatshi ukuba apha ayikho iYurophu.'

ICuraçao lilizwe eliyinxalenye yoBukumkani baseNetherlands, elikumazantsi eCaribbean, kumgama oziikhilomitha ezingama-65 ukusuka kunxweme lwaseVenezuela. Inani labemi belizwe limalunga ne-160,000. Indawo yalo yomzimba imisela ikamva lalo: ummandla wezomthetho waseYurophu kuLwandle lweCaribbean, imibhobho yeziko lokucokisa ipetroli kunye neenqaba zexesha lobukoloniyali zihlala kunye kumgca omnye wesibhakabhaka.

Xa ndihamba kwisitalato saseOtrobanda (Otrobanda), ndeva incoko engaqondwa ngabakhenkethi—oomakhulu ababini behleli kwi-veranda bencokola ngesiPapiamento, isivakalisi ngasinye sasifana nokuba ithambo lesiSpanish ligcwalise isikhumba sesiDatshi, kunye nesingqisho saseAfrika. IsiPapiamento sisipili saseCuraçao: amagama esiDatshi kulwimi yimbali yobukoloniyali, isiseko sesiSpanish yindawo, kwaye isingqisho esivela eAfrika sisilonda sorhwebo lwamakhoboka. Umbhali wengingqi wakha wabhala: 'Xa sithetha isiPapiamento, siqinisekisa kwakhona ubume bethu—abantu baseCaribbean, ulawulo lwamaDatshi, iingcambu zaseAfrika.'

Ukutya kubonisa indlela efanayo yokugquma. Isidlo esibizwa ngokuba yiKeshi Yena—ukukhupha iqokobhe leshizi yaseNetherlands i-Edam, ukuyigcwalisa ngenyama yenkukhu, ipepile, iioliva, kunye neediliya, emva koko uyoyise de inyibilike ishizi—ifana nefayile yencasa yembali yobukoloniyali. Umnini-ndawo waresti wandixelela: 'Oomatiloshe baseNetherlands beza noshizi esiqithini, abapheki baseAfrika bawugcwalisa ngendlela yabo. Kumakhulu amane eminyaka edlulileyo, esi sasisisidlo sabasebenzi—inkosi yayitya umongo weshizi, umsebenzi wayefaka iintsalela zokutya kwiqokobhe elishiyiweyo. Kodwa ngoku, sisidlo sokuqala esiphakwa emitshatweni.'

Ihembe leqela lesizwe laseCuraçao libhlowu ngombala omnyama kunye nemigca e-orenji—umnyama lulwandle lweCaribbean, i-orenji yindlu yasebukhosini yaseNetherlands. Kwivenkile yezemidlalo eWillemstad, eli hembe lixhonywe kwindawo ebonakalayo, ecaleni kwayo kukho iflegi encinci yaseCuraçao kunye nefoto endala—usuku lokuphumelela iCaribbean Cup ngo-2017, xa izitalato zaseWillemstad zazigcwele abantu. Umenzi-venkile, indoda eneminyaka engamashumi amahlanu, wathi: 'Ibhola ekhatywayo yeyona ndlela ikhoyo yokuba iCuraçao ibonwe yiNetherlands. Asivelisi ipetroli, asinaziko zemali. Kodwa sinabadlali—uLeandro Bacuna wadlala kwiPremier League, uCuco Martina wayengumdlali wasemva we-Everton. Abantu baseNetherlands xa bebabona bathi: Oo, ngabantu baseCuraçao.' Wema kancinci, wongeza: 'Ngaphambi koku, abantu abaninzi baseNetherlands babengazi nokuba iCuraçao lilizwe, hayi nje indawo yokuphumla elwandle.'

IKlein Curaçao—'iCuraçao encinci'—siqithi esingahlali mntu, esinendlu yesibane esilahliweyo kunye nolwandle olumhlophe ngendlela engafaniyo nomhlaba. Umqhubi wenqanawa wanikezela ngephini lenqanawa kunyana wakhe oneminyaka elishumi elinesibini, waza watshintshela unomathotholo kwisitishi esasidlala iingoma ezindala zaseNetherlands, emva koko watshintshela kwi-reggae. 'ECuraçao,' watsho, 'unomathotholo awusoze udlale iingoma zolwimi olunye kuphela. Isantya sokutshintsha amaza, sisisantya esitshintsha ngaso esi siqithi ubume baso.'

Ekutshoneni kwelanga ndabuyela kwiBhulorho yaseQueen Emma. Izibane zebhulorho zakhanyiswa. Imifanekiso yezindlu ezimbini ezinemibala emanzini yaqhekeka ngumkhumbi odlulayo. Ebhulorhweni kwakukho umntu wasekuhlaleni egoduka, umkhenkethi emisa ukuthatha umfanekiso wesibhakabhaka, kunye nolutsha oluhamba ngebhayisekile ngokukhawuleza—wayenxibe ihembe loqeqesho eli-orenji leqela lesizwe laseCuraçao. Imithunzi yaba bantu bathathu yadibana kancinci kumaqhekeza emanzini. Emva koko ibhulorho yavala kancinci. Yonke imihla eCuraçao ifana nale bhulorho: ihlala iphazanyiswa zinqanawa, kodwa ayisoze yaphuka ngokwenene—ilinda nje ukuba inqanawa idlule, emva koko idibane kwakhona.