IZanzibar—“IsiQhingi Sezinongo”
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EKENYA
AMAKHILOMITHA angu-35 ukusuka ogwini lwe-Afrika esempumalanga ephakathi kukhona isiqhingi iZanzibar. Njengoba izungezwé amanzi afudumele aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka e-Indian Ocean, emaphethelweni inezingu ezimhlophe bese ihlotshiswa amagquma ashona evumbuka nemithi yesundu eyendayendiswa umoya olibangise enkabazwe, iZanzibar iyisiqhingi esihle ngokumangalisayo ngempela. Nakuba incane ngokuqhathaniswa—inobude obungamakhilomitha angu-85 nobubanzi obungamakhilomitha angu-39—iye yaba nendima enkulu emlandweni we-Afrika.
Emakhulwini eminyaka abantu basePersia, ama-Arabhu, amaNdiya, amaPutukezi, abantu baseBrithani, base-Asia, baseNyakatho Melika, yebo, nabasengxenyeni ye-Afrika ephakathi baye bavakashela eZanzibar. Okwakukhanga ngokuyinhloko ngalesosikhathi kwakuwuhwebo lwezigqila olwalukhiqiza umcebo. Kwakuyilapho futhi abahwebi nabahloli bamazwe babethola khona izinto abazidingayo. Empeleni, abaningi babahloli bamazwe baseYurophu ababehlola i-Afrika ngekhulu le-19 leminyaka badabula kulesisiqhingana! Akumangalisi ukuthi saze sabizwa ngokuthi iSango Lokungena E-Afrika.
Ama-clove Nemisebenzi Yawo
Inkosi Yezwe LamaSulumane yase-Oman, uSayid Said, yashiya izwe lenkaba yayo ePersian Gulf yayohlala eZanzibar phakathi nengxenye yokuqala yawo-1800. Njengombusi walesisiqhingana, wayekisa abanini-masimu abangama-Arabhu ukutshala ukhukhunathi futhi esikhundleni sawo batshale isilimo esinenzuzo kakhulu: ama-clove. Lapho efa, izinzuzo zama-clove zase zidlulwa uhwebo lwezigqila namazinyo endlovu kuphela. Ngakho lapho uhwebo lwezigqila luqedwa, iZanzibar yaziwa ngokuthi isiQhingi Sezinongo. Namuhla iwumthombo oyinhloko wama-clove emhlabeni wonke.
Ama-clove empeleni angamahlumela ezimbali zezitshalo ezihlala ziluhlaza zasezindaweni ezishisayo. Igama lalesisihlahla elingokwesayensi i-Eugenia caryophyllata. EZanzibar, isihlahla esivamile cishe singamamitha angu-9 ubude. Amahlumela ezimbali ngokuvamile avunwa lapho esensundu ngokubomvu futhi engamasentimitha cishe angu-1,3 ubukhulu. Isihlahla esiphilé kahle singakhiqiza amahlumela angaba amakhilogremu angu-34. Ngemva kokuvunwa endlalwa phansi ukuze omiswe yilanga elikhipha inhlanz’ emanzini lasezindaweni ezishisayo.
Ngenxa yephunga lawo elimnandi nokunambitheka okukhakhayo, ama-clove asetshenziswa kakhulu ekuphekeni. Ukunambitheka kokudla okunenyama nemifino ngokuvamile kunongwa ngama-clove. Noma ungase ugayagaye amahlumela amane noma amahlanu, bese uwafaka emanzini abilayo, wenze itiye lezinongo! Futhi ngosuku lwasebusika olubandayo, iwayini elibomvu lingenziwa isiphuzo esiqabulayo ngokubilisa bese wenezela ama-clove ambalwa. Abanye basebenzisa ama-clove ukuze banukise kamnandi izindlu zabo zokugezela ngokufaka angaba ngu-20 ewolintshini bese belilengisa isikhathi esingangesonto. Odokotela bamazinyo baye basebenzisa amafutha ama-clove njengesibulala-zinzwa sakuleyondawo ukuze badambise ubuhlungu bezinyo. Ama-clove ayasetshenziswa futhi ekwenzeni imithi yokuhlanza umlomo namakha. Akumangalisi ukuthi lesisiqhingi esincanyana sidume ngesilimo saso esiyizinongo!
Abantu
“Izinongo” zangempela zaseZanzibar abantu bendawo. Lapho ufika nje kulesisiqhingi, ubingelelwa ngokufudumele abantu baseZanzibar. Babonakala bekhululekile impela futhi banesikhathi somunye nomunye. Lapho bexoxa, bangase belokhu bexhawulana ngokuphindaphindiwe, mhlawumbe kathathu noma kane esikhathini esingaba imizuzu eyishumi. Lena indlela abasabela ngayo ngokuzenzekelayo kunoma yini eshiwoyo ehlekisayo.
Uma uvakashela elinye lamakhaya abo, uzophathwa ngomoya wabo wokungenisa izihambi owaziwa kahle. Ngaso sonke isikhathi isivakashi kumelwe sinikezwe okungcono kakhulu. Uma sifika ngokungalindelekile phakathi nesikhathi sokudla, akubuzwa: Kumelwe sihlanganyele sidle size sidele. Umoya onjalo wokungenisa izihambi usikhumbuza ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli.—Qhathanisa noGenesise 18:1-8.
Futhi abantu baseZanzibar bavunula ngezinhlobonhlobo zengqephu futhi bathanda ukuhloba ngemisiko yakwamanye amazwe. Abesifazane bagqoka i-buibui—ingubo enjenge-cape ebamboza kusukela ekhanda kuya emaqakaleni—lapho bephakathi kwabantu. Ngokuthakazelisayo, lengubo ingase yemboze ingubo eyakhiwe ngendlela yaseNtshonalanga. Amadoda wona abonakala egqoke i-kanzu, ingubo ende emhlophe noma enemibala ephaphathekile. Agqoka i-kofia, isigqoko esilukiwe.
Lapho umuntu ehlola ingxenye engokomlando yedolobha laseZanzibar elibizwa ngokuthi i-Stone Town, uzwa sengathi uhlehliselwe emuva esikhathini sakudala. Imigwaqo nemigwaqwana ephicayo ayinalunqenqema. Izicabha zezitolo eziningi zivulekela kuwo kanye umgwaqo! Bese kuba nabadayisi basemgwaqweni abaningi, njengalaba abadayisa i-Kahawa, ikhofi lama-Arabhu elinoshukela, elinongwe ngojinja.
Nokho, kokubili amagama nezithombe akubuchazi ngokwanele ubuhle beZanzibar. Ifanelwe okungaphezu kokwaziwa nje kuphela ngokuthi “isiqhingi sezinongo.”
[Ibalazwe ekhasini 16]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
IZANZIBAR
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 17]
Africa and border map: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck