UkuQothulwa Kwesizwe—Yebo, Kwenzeka Ngempela!

NGOKUMANGALISAYO, kuneqembu elincane labantu elithi ukuQothulwa Kwesizwe akuzange kwenzeke njengoba kuchazwa emlandweni wanamuhla. Encwadini yakhe ethi Did Six Million Really Die? The Truth at Last, uRichard Harwood uthi: “Inkulumo yokuthi izigidi eziyi-6 zamaJuda zafa phakathi neMpi Yezwe Yesibili, njengomphumela oqondile wesimiso saseJalimane esingokomthetho sokuqeda nyá, ayinabufakazi ngokuphelele.”

Ngakho kuphakanyiswa imibuzo: Ingabe amaNazi ayala ukuba kubulawe amaJuda phakathi neMpi Yezwe II? Ingabe izigidi ezine kuya kweziyisithupha zamaJuda zafa ngempela emakamu okuhlushwa? Ingabe zazikhona izinto ezinjengamakamelo okuhila ngegesi? Noma ingabe lokhu kuwukusontwa komlando waseJalimane?

Abahlaziyi abathile bomlando baye bathi lezozinto azizange zenzeke. Baphikisa ngokuthi, kwafa amaJuda ayizinkulungwane ezimbalwa kuphela nangokuthi amaningi axoshwa ayiswa kwamanye amazwe.

Icala lenkantolo lamuva nje eCanada laqokomisa lempikiswano. OwaseJalimane owathuthela eCanada wabekwa icala “lokukhipha ngamabomu ukwaziswa okungeyikho okwakungalimaza ukubekezelelana ngokwenhlalo noma kobuhlanga” ngokuphika ukuthi ukuQothulwa Kwesizwe kwake kwenzeka, kubika iThe Globe and Mail yaseToronto, eCanada. Umphumela waba isigwebo sezinyanga eziyi-15 ejele nokwenqatshelwa kwencwadi yemibono yakhe yokuhlaziya lokho kuQothulwa Kwesizwe.

Ngo-1985, eNtshonalanga Jalimane kwachibiyelwa umthetho omelene nokuhlambalaza ukuze kuvunyelwe ngisho nabantu abangemaJuda ukuba bakhononde “nganoma ubani ohlambalazayo, onyundelayo, ogconayo noma ojivaza abantu ‘abalahlekelwa ukuphila kwabo njengezisulu zobuNazi noma ezinye izinhlobo zokubusa kobudlova noma kobushiqela.’” Umphumela walomthetho ukuthi “wenza ukuphikwa kokubulawa kwamaJuda emakamu okuhlushwa phakathi nobushiqela bobuNazi kube ukona okunesijeziso,” kusho iHamburger Abendblatt.

Ukuphikwa kokuQothulwa Kwesizwe kubizwa ngokuvamile ngokuthi “amanga aseAuschwitz.” IAuschwitz (manje okuyiOświȩcim) kwakuyigama lekamu lokuhlushwa elibi ePoland lapho amaNazi ayebulala khona abantu abaningi. Ngokomthombo wezindaba waseNtshonalanga Jalimane, abashisekeli bezombangazwe babezame ukufihla noma ukuphika lezenzakalo futhi ngaleyondlela kwaba khona amazwi athi “amanga aseAuschwitz.”

Ingabe Ukuthutha Noma Ukuqothulwa?

Namuhla ukuba khona kwezigidi zamaJuda ezidabuka eYurophu kufakazela ukuthi amaNazi awazange aphumelele ekubhubhiseni amaJuda aseYurophu. Ukuthi amaJuda amaningi asinda ekubhujisweni okwakuzanywa emakamu okuhlushwa kuqinisekiswa isazimlando uWilliam L. Shirer, owabhala encwadini yakhe ethi 20th Century Journey—The Nightmare Years 1930-1940: “Akuwona wonke amaJuda aseAustria afa emakamu nasemajele amaNazi. AmaJuda amaningi avunyelwa ukuba abalekele ukuthunjwa aye kwamanye amazwe ngokufumbathisa. Ngokuvamile, kwawadla imali enkulu kakhulu. . . . Mhlawumbe cishe ingxenye yamaJuda aseVienna ayizi-180 000 akwazi ukufumbathisa ukuze akhululeke ngaphambi kokuba kuqale ukuQothulwa Kwesizwe.” Lesimiso sasebenza ikakhulukazi ngawo-1930.

Nokho, uShirer uchaza ukuthi nakuba kwakumiswe iHhovisi Lokuthutha KwamaJuda, ngaphansi kukaReinhard Heydrich, “kamuva lalingeke libe inxusa lezokuthutha kodwa lokubulala, nokuhlelwa kokubulawa kwamaJuda angaphezu kwezigidi ezine ngesu elithile.” ‘Lelikhambi lokugcina’ laliqondiswa uKarl Adolf Eichmann, owabulawa ekugcineni kwaIsrayeli ngenxa yobugebengu bakhe basempini.

Amakamu okuhlushwa ayengeyona ukuphela kwendlela yokuqeda lokho amaNazi ayekubheka njengabantu abaphansi nezinhlanga ezingelutho. KwakunamaEinsatzgruppen (Amaqembu Omsebenzi Okhethekile) ayesatshwa, amaqembu abulalayo ayelandela ibutho elihlaselayo “futhi anhloso yawo yayiwukubulala amaJuda ngobuningi. . . . Elandela ezithendeni zamasosha aqeqeshwe kahle ukuze kube abambalwa kuphela abaphunyulayo, amaEinsatzgruppen adubula ngonya, agwaza, ashisa, ahlupha, abulala ngezinduku noma ayingcwaba iphila cishe ingxenye yesigidi yamaJuda ezinyangeni eziyisithupha zokuqala zalomkhankaso.”—Hitler’s Samurai—The Waffen-SS in ActionC, kaBruce Quarrie.

Ingabe lelonani kunzima ukulikholelwa? Lifinyelela esilinganisweni sokubulawa komuntu ongaphansi koyedwa usuku ngalunye ngelungu ngalinye leqembu lamalungu ayizi-3 000. Lapho lamaqembu omsebenzi okhethekile efinyelela ezifundeni zaseSoviet, amanani angaphelele abafa anikeza isibalo “sabangaphezu kwezi-900 000, okuyisilinganiso sezingxenye ezicishe zibe zimbili kuphela kwezintathu zenani lilonke lezisulu ezingamaJuda kulemikhankaso yokuhamba kubulawa.”—The Destruction of the European Jews, kaRaul Hilberg.

Umphathi Uyavuma

Kunabuphi ubufakazi obuvela kubo kanye abahlanganyela ekubulaleni emakamu okuhlushwa? URudolf Höss, owayengumphathi ekamu laseAuschwitz wakhononda: ‘Ngikholwe, kwakungajabulisi ngaso sonke isikhathi ukubona lezozintaba zezidumbu nokunuka kokusha okuqhubekayo.’ Futhi wazwakalisa “ukungavumelani ngokumangala nokuthi amaQembu Akhethekile angamaJuda (amaSonderkommandos) ayezimisele, ukuze aphile isikhashana esengeziwe, ukusiza ekuhileni ngegesi amalungu ohlanga lwawo siqu.” (The Face of the Third Reich, kaJoachim C. Fest, ikhasi 285) Lomlobi waseJalimane uFest uyanezela: “Okunye kokuqhosha okunxanye kwalochwepheshe kuyavela emazwini kaHöss athi: ‘Ngentando yeReichsführer yamaSS [uHeinrich Himmler], iAuschwitz yaba isikhungo sokubulala abantu esikhulu kunazo zonke ezake zaba khona,’ noma lapho ekhomba ngokwaneliseka komhleli ophumelelayo ukuthi amakamelo okuhila ngegesi ekamu lakhe siqu ayenamandla aphindwe kashumi kunalawo aseTreblinka.”

Elandisa ngaye siqu uHöss wabhala: “Ngokungazi, ngangiyingxenye ebalulekile eketangeni lomshini omkhulu wokubulala woMbuso waseJalimane.” “AmaSS eReichsführer [kaHimmler] athumela abaholi abahlukahlukene abaphambili beQembu neziphathimandla zamaSS eAuschwitz ukuze bazibonele ngawabo inqubo yokubulawa kwamaJuda. Bonke bahlatshwa umxhwele ngokujulile yilokho abakubona.”a

Nokho, ngokusobala bathintwa umehluko phakathi kwamazwi athi “ikhambi lokugcina lenkinga yamaJuda” nokuba kwayo ngokoqobo okwesabisayo emakamelweni okuhila ngegesi. Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi wakwazi kanjani ukubhekana nakho, uHöss waphendula: “Impendulo yami engaguquki yayiwukuthi ukuzimisela kwangempela okumelwe senze ngakho ngokuvumelana neziyalo zikaHitler kwakungazuzwa kuphela ngokucindezela yonke imizwelo yobuntu.”

Ngakho, uHöss, isidlova esithanda ukuzwisa ubuhlungu, wavuma ngokukhululeka ukuthi ukuQothulwa Kwesizwe kwakungokoqobo nokuthi wayengomunye wabakwenza njengomphathi wekamu laseAuschwitz.

Kwethi Values and Violence in Auschwitz, okuyincwadi eyakhishwa kuqala ngesiPolish, umhumushi, uCatherine Leach, uthi amaJuda asePoland ayizi-3 200 000 alahlekelwa ukuphila kwawo ngenxa yokubulawa okukhulu, ukuhlushwa, nokusetshenziswa njengezigqila emakamu okuhlushwa. Uthi: “Ukuqothulwa kwesizwe samaJuda aseYurophu kwenzeka esifundeni sasePoland.”

Ukufa Ngokugwiliza

Ukufa kwakungafika ngezindlela eziningi emakamu—ukulamba, izifo, ukudutshulwa entanyeni, amakamelo okuhila ngegesi, ukushaywa, ukulengiswa, ukunqunywa ikhanda, nangokugwiliza. Ukugwiliza kwakuwukubulala okukhethekile.

Umlobi uTerrence Des Pres uyachaza: “Iqiniso liwukuthi iziboshwa zazifakwa ngaphansi kokungcola ngesu elithile. Zaziyizisulu zangamabomu zokubulawa ngendle. . . . Iziboshwa emakamu amaNazi cishe zazigwiliza endleni yazo, futhi eqinisweni ukufa ngendle kwakuvamile. Ngokwesibonelo, eBuchenwald, izindlu zangasese zaziyimigodi evulekile engamamitha ayi-8 ubude, amamitha ama-4 ukujula namamitha ama-4 ububanzi. . . . Yona lemigodi efanayo, ngokuvamile eyayihlale ichichima, yayithululwa iziboshwa ebusuku zisebenza ngamabhakede nje amancane.” Omunye ufakazi wokuzibonela uyalandisa: “Leyondawo yayishelela futhi ingakhanyisiwe. Emadodeni angamashumi amathathu ayabelwe lomsebenzi, isilinganiso sayishumi sasiwela emgodini phakathi nobusuku ngabunye bomsebenzi. Abanye babengavunyelwe ukuba bakhiphe izisulu. Lapho umsebenzi sewenziwe nomgodi ungasenalutho, kwakungalesosikhathi kuphela ababevunyelwa ukuba bakhiphe izidumbu.”

Kungacashunwa ubufakazi obuningi kakhulu bokubonisa ukuthi ukubulala kwaba ingxenye yesimiso sobuNazi njengoba amazwe amaningi ngokwengeziwe aseYurophu ayevinjezelwa. Umlando walendaba awupheli, nobufakazi bofakazi bokuzibonela, kanye nobufakazi bezithombe, buyesabisa. Kodwa ingabe ukuQothulwa Kwesizwe kwenziwa kumaJuda kuphela? Lapho amaNazi ehlasela iPoland, ingabe ayefuna ukuqeda amaJuda kuphela?

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]

“Iziboshwa [ezathuthelwa emakamu okufukuziswa] zaziyobe zisindiswe osizini olukhulu ukuba zaziyiswa ngokuqondile emakamelweni okuhila ngegesi eAuschwitz.”—URudolf Höss, umphathi waseAuschwitz

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

‘Ngikholwe kwakungajabulisi ngaso sonke isikhathi ukubona lezozintaba zezidumbu nokunuka kokusha okuqhubekayo.’—Rudolf Höss

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 7]

“Kwakulokhu kufika abengeziwe, abengeziwe ngaso sonke isikhathi, esasingenazo izindawo zokubabulalela kuzo. . . . Amakamelo okuhila ngegesi ayengakwazi ukubathatha bonke.”—Franz Suchomel, isiphathimandla samaSS

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 6]

Inkokhelo Ngobufakazi

“Kunomvuzo wamaRandi ayizi-115 000 ‘ngobufakazi’ bokuthi amaNazi ahila ngegesi izisulu ezingamaJuda emakamu okuhlushwa okumelwe ukhokhelwe owasinda eAuschwitz ngokwamazwi esivumelwano senkantolo, kusho ummeli namuhla wesisulu esasinda.

“UMahluleli uRobert Wenke waseNkantolo Ephakeme [yaseLos Angeles] wasamukela isivumelwano esibizela ukuthi iNhlangano Yokubukeza Umlando ikhokhele uMel Mermelstein, owasinda eAuschwitz. . . .

“Lenhlangano, ethi ukuQothulwa Kwesizwe akuzange kwenzeke, kumelwe futhi ikhokhele uMnu. Mermelstein amaRandi ayizi-230 000 ngobuhlungu nokuhlupheka okwabangelwa isipho esiwumvuzo, kusho ummeli. . . . .

“‘Ukunqoba kukaMnu. Mermelstein kulelicala,’ [kusho ummeli, uGloria Allred], ‘manje kuyothumela isigijimi esicacile kubo bonke labo emhlabeni wonke abazama ukuphendukezela umlando nokubangela usizi nokuhlupheka kumaJuda ukuthi abasinda ekuQothulweni Kwesizwe bayoziphindiselela ngesimiso esingokomthetho ukuba bazivikele futhi balwele iqiniso ngokuphila kwabo.’”—The New York Times, July 25, 1985.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 7]

ISachsenhausen—“Ikamu Eliyijele Elilondekile”?

Ingabe iSachsenhausen ngempela yayiyikamu lokubulala? Noma yayimane nje ‘iyikamu eliyijele elilondekile’?

Impendulo kaMax Liebster, isisulu esingumJuda esasinda ekuQothulweni Kwesizwe:

“Inkulumo yami isekelwe kokuhlangenwe nakho kwami siqu nengiye ngakubona kulelikamu. Angikudingi ukuhlela okuvela kumuntu wangaphandle ukuze ngithole ukuthi iSachsenhausen yayinjani. Yiqiniso, abezindaba nohulumeni wamaNazi bathi kwakuyiSchutzhaftlager, ‘ikamu eliyijele elilondekile.’ Okuhlangenwe nakho okulandelayo kuyazikhulumela:

“NgoJanuary 1940, njengoba ngangilethwe amaGestapo (amaphoyisa kahulumeni omshoshaphansi) ngisuka ePforzheim ngiya ejele laseKarlsruhe, amaGestapo angitshela ukuthi ngangisendleleni eya ekamu lokubulawa. AmaGestapo angithuka, ethi: ‘Du Stinkjude wirst dort verecken, kommst nicht mehr zurück!’ (MJuda ndini onukayo. Uzokufa njengesilwane. Awusoze wabuya!)

“Ukuphathwa kabi lapho sifika eSachsenhausen kungaphezu kokuqonda komuntu. AmaJuda ayethunyelwa ekamu elihlukile phakathi ekamu eliyinhloko. Ayephila ngaphansi kwezimo ezimbi kunabanye. Ngokwesibonelo, amaJuda ayengenawo amashalofu okulala, kunamasaka otshani kuphela phansi. Lelijele laligcwele kakhulu kangangokuthi kwakudingeka ukuba silale njengamasardine, izinyawo zenye indoda zingasekhanda lomunye. Ekuseni, amadoda ayefile ayetholakala edindilize eceleni kwabaphilayo. AmaJuda ayenganakekelwa ngokwezokwelapha.

“Ngezwa ukuthi ubaba wayesejele lesithathu. Ngamthola elele ngemva kwenqwaba yamasaka otshani, imilenze yakhe ivuvukele igcwele amanzi nezandla zakhe zineqhwa. Ngemva kokufa kwakhe, kwadingeka ngitshathe isidumbu sakhe emahlombe ngisiyise endaweni yokushisa izidumbu. Lapho ngabona kunqwabelene izidumbu eziningi kakhulu kunabangazishisa.

“Izigidi zafa eSachsenhausen ngenxa yokuphathwa kobulwane. Ezisulwini eziningi kwakukubi kakhulu ukufela eSachsenhausen kunasemakamelweni okuhila ngegesi aseAuschwitz.”

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 8]

“Akumelwe Kusale Namkhonjwana Wabo”

“Lapho kuvulwa ithuna lokugcina elikhulu, ngabona umkhaya wakithi wonke. Umama nodadewethu. Odadewethu abathathu nabantwana babo. Bonke babelapho phakathi. Babekade begqitshwe izinyanga ezine, futhi kwakusebusika.” “Umphathi wamaGestapo aseVilna wasitshela: ‘Kunabantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye abalele lapha, futhi akumelwe kusale namkhonjwana wabo.’” . . . Ubufakazi bamaJuda asinda, uMotke Zaïdl noItzhak Dugin.

“Njengoba sasiqhubeka sihamba, babevula iminyango yamakamelo okuhila ngegesi, futhi abantu babewa njengamazambane. . . . Usuku ngalunye kwakukhethwa amaJuda ayikhulu ukuba ahudulele izidumbu ethuneni elikhulu. Kusihlwa amaUkrainian ayethwala lamaJuda ngezimoto awayise emakamelweni okuhila ngegesi noma awadubule. Nsuku zonke! . . . Abantu abengeziwe babeqhubeka befika, abengeziwe njalo, esasingenazo izindawo zokubabulalela kuzo. . . . Amakamelo okuhila ngegesi ayengakwazi ukubathatha bonke.”—UFranz Suchomel, isikhulu samaSS (Unterscharführer), ebhala ngokwamthinta okokuqala ekamu lokubulala laseTreblinka.

(Lezingcaphuno zithathwe ezingxoxweni ebhayisikobho eyiqiniso iShoah.)