Haiti Izindaba: Ngaphambi Kokuthi Ngiye E-Haiti, Wonke Umuntu Wayengibuza Umbuzo Ofanayo

UFrantzdy Pierrot washo okuthile emuva kokuqeqeshwa. Kwakungakhona ngebhola — nakuba engumgadli weqembu lesizwe laseHaiti, edlalela ikilabhu eFrance, futhi engomunye wabantu abambalwa abamele iHaiti esiteji somhlaba wonke. Wathi: 'Njalo uma ngibuyela eHaiti, izikhulu zasemnyango ePort-au-Prince ziyamazi umama. Hhayi ngenxa yebhola — ngoba wayethengisa isinkwa sikabhanana emgwaqweni ngaphandle kwetheminali.'

Ngawakhe lonke uhambo kusuka kulawo mazwi. Hhayi ngoba kumayelana nebhola, kodwa ngoba ngaso leso sikhathi avula omunye umnyango ongenela eHaiti: izwe elingachazwa ngezexwayiso zokuhamba kodwa ngezinkumbulo zokubuyela ekhaya nokuqina kwansuku zonke.

IHaiti isolwandle lweCaribbean, ihlanganyela isiqhingi saseHispaniola neDominican Republic. Ingelinye lamazwe ampofu kakhulu eNtshonalanga Nenkabazwe futhi ibe nezinkinga eziningi ezigcwele izinxushunxushu zezombusazwe, udlame lwamaqembu, nezinhlekelele zemvelo eminyakeni yamuva. Izeluleko zokuhamba zamazwe amaningi ngo-2025 ngeHaiti ziholela emshweni ofanayo: Ungayi. Kodwa iHaiti futhi iyiriphabhulikhi yokuqala ezimele emhlabeni eyasungulwa ukuvukelwa kwezigqila. Leli zwe lamemezela ubukhona bayo ngemuva kwezindonga zamatshe eCitadelle Laferrière ngo-1804 — futhi eminyakeni engamakhulu amabili kamuva, inqaba isamile.

Ukufika ePort-au-Prince kwakungesikhona ubuhle. Umculo weKompa waqhuma kusistimu yemisindo egugile ehholo lokufika — leso sigqi esihlanganisa izigubhu zaseAfrika nemiculo yaseCaribbean, senza amahlombe akho anyakaze ungathandi. Izingane ezimbili zaziphushana esixukwini endaweni yokuthatha imithwalo ukungisiza ngesikhwama sami — hhayi ngomusa, kodwa ngethemba lethiphu. Umswakama wawuklinya udlula ithayi langaphandle. Iqiniso elingagwegwesi: umbono wokuqala weHaiti awukona othandekayo. Kodwa nganquma ukuthi ngeke ngawuhayiza noma ngiwuhlane — ngizoqopha kuphela.

Sibheke enyakatho ngomgwaqo osogwini, sidlula emahlathini asagwadule nasezimakethe ezisemgwaqeni, iCap-Haïtien yavela emkhathizwe. ICitadelle Laferrière — inqaba enkulu kunawo wonke eNtshonalanga Nenkabazwe — ihlezi emamithini angamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye ngaphezu kogu lolwandle njengesilo samatshe. Umzila osezintabeni oholela kuyo umqansa kakhulu kangangokuba ukuphefumula kwamahhashi kunomsindo ukudlula izinsimbi zawo. Esicongweni, ngancika odongeni lwamatshe oluneminyaka engamakhulu amabili, ngiphefumulela phezulu, futhi umhlahlandlela wendawo owayeseceleni kwami wathi: 'Uyazi, le nqaba ayikaze ihlaselwe. Inkulu kakhulu kangangokuba akekho owake waba nesibindi.' Phansi kwentaba, izingane zazidlala ibhola endaweni engenalutho. Imigqa yenkundla yayipendwe ngombala obomvu noluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kwefulegi laseHaiti — kuhlanganisa isikhumbuzo sesizwe nomdlalo webhola wansuku zonke ohlakeni olulodwa. Lesi yisona sigqi esiyiqiniso sendaba yaseHaiti.

I-Jacmel yidolobha elenziwe ngepapier-mâché nangombala — izifihla-buso zalo zomkhosi wecarnival ziyimisebenzi yobuciko eyinkimbinkimbi kunawo wonke kulo lonke elaseCaribbean, futhi izingcweti ezikwenzayo ngokuvamile zihlala ezindlini ezingenawo ugesi othembekile. Umenzi wezifihla-buso wayegobe emnyango wakhe. Isifihla-buso esesandleni sakhe sasiwuhhafu wokumomotheka nohhafu wokubhonga — umhlwenga webhubesi uphenduka amazinyo omuntu, izimpaphe zenyoni zincibilika zibe amaphethini aseAfrika. 'Ngesikhathi secarnival, wonke umuntu wesula isifihla-buso,' washo. 'Kodwa ngaphansi kwesifihla-buso yiHaiti yangempela. Kunokwesaba lapho, nentukuthelo, nesigqi esenza udanse kuze kuphume ilanga. Abantu baseHaiti abakaze bagqoke isifihla-buso esisodwa kuphela.' Ngacabanga ngoWilde-Donald Guerrier — umdlali wasemuva weqembu lesizwe laseHaiti owahamba esuka ogwini oluseningizimu yasePort-à-Piment waya ezinkundleni zebhola zaseYurophu. Indlela yempilo yakhe injengesifihla-buso saseJacmel: uhhafu ubunzima, uhhafu ubuhlakani obuphoqa umhlaba ukuba ubuke.

IGriot — izingcezu zengulube ezithosiwe ezinikezwa ngepikliz, iklabishi eligoqiwe elibabayo — yamemezela ikhona emabhulokini amathathu ukusuka. Owesifazane owayephethe isitendi wayeseminyakeni engamashumi ayisithupha, ekhaxa iphinifa eligugile okhalweni, futhi lapho engibona ngithatha izithombe wamomotheka wanezela izingcezu ezimbili zenyama eplate yami: 'Dla okuningi. Uyakudinga.' Ukushisa kwepikliz kuncintisana nanoma iyiphi isoso ye-Asia — abantu baseHaiti basebenzisa isinongo ukubhekana nokushisa, ubumpofu, nakho konke okungenakuxazululwa ngokukhononda. Emafutheni ashusayo egriot, eKompanyu evuzayo emakhoneni emigwaqo, esivinini sezandla zabesifazane basemakethe abexhobola ubhontshisi, ngabona into engingayichaza kuphela ngegama elithi ukuqina.

Ngezolo lami eHaiti, ngama endlini yokuhlala ePort-au-Prince ngibuka izibani ezisakazekile emagqumeni — hhayi izibani zomgwaqo, kodwa amakhandlela namalambu ephalafini, izinkomba zansuku zonke zezindawo ezingenawo ugesi. Ngacabanga ngolimi olubandayo lwezexwayiso zokuhamba — 'izinga eliphezulu lobugebengu,' 'izingqalaziseko ezingenele,' 'ungayi.' Lezi zitatimende azikho iphutha ngokoqobo. Kodwa uma ufunda lezo zitatimende kuphela, ubungeke wazi ukuthi abantu baseHaiti benza kanjani iklabishi elibabayo kunawo wonke eCaribbean. Ubungeke wazi ukuthi kungani amatshe eCitadelle asemile eminyakeni engamakhulu amabili. Ubungeke wazi ukuthi kungani umama kaPierrot ayethengisa isinkwa sikabhanana ngaphandle kwetheminali yesikhumulo sezindiza, futhi kungani eminyakeni engamashumi amabili kamuva indodana yakhe izokhahlela igama leHaiti endaweni yokubonwa umhlaba yenkundla yamazwe ngamazwe.

Ngibuyela kulokho uPierrot akusho ekugcineni kwengxoxo: 'Ifulegi leHaiti lithi L'Union Fait La Force — ubunye benza amandla. Ngisemncane ngangingaqondi. Manje, njalo lapho ngigqoka ijezi leqembu lesizwe, ngicabanga ngomama ethengisa isinkwa emgwaqweni. Akukona ukuyekela. Yindlela yaseHaiti — lapho ibhasi lingafiki, uyakha esakho isitendi.'