Kusukela Ngo-1945 Kuya Ku-1990 ‘Ukuletha Abaningi Ekulungeni​—Dan.12:3. (Ingxenye 3)

Ukumelana Ne-Poro

Ukuhlasela kokuqala kwenzeka endaweni eseduze kwaseKoindu lapho amadoda athile ayefundelwa khona iBhayibheli futhi eya njalo nasezifundweni. Njengamadoda amaningi angamaKisi, la madoda ayesenhlanganweni eyaziwa ngokuthi i-Poro, inhlangano eyimfihlo eyayicwile ekusebenzelaneni nemimoya. UJames Mensah, isithunywa sevangeli esaqeqeshwa eGileyadi esakhonza naseSierra Leone, uyachaza: “Lapho laba abafundelwayo benqaba ukwenza amasiko obudemoni, umphathi we-Poro wathukuthela wangqangqa. Yena nabalandeli bakhe bawashaya la madoda, bawantshontshela izimpahla zawo, bashisa imizi yawo, bawabopha ngamaketanga base bewashiya ehlathini ukuze abulawe indlala. Inkosi yayiwagqugquzela amalungu e-Poro. Naphezu kwalokhu kuhlukunyezwa, abafundi beBhayibheli baqhubeka beqinile.”

Lapho abazalwane baseKoindu bebika lolu daba kwabakwasidlodlo, umphathi we-Poro, abangane bakhe nenkosi baboshwa. Baquliswa icala base bejeziswa, inkosi yona yasuswa esikhundleni unyaka wonke. Lokhu kunqoba kwezwakala kude naseduze futhi kwabanika isibindi ababesanda kuhlanganyela ukuba baqale ukuya emihlanganweni. Kamuva, inhliziyo yenkosi yashintsha, yaba nesithakazelo eqinisweni. Lapho kunomhlangano wesifunda endaweni yayo, yamukela izihambeli zomhlangano yaze yanikela nangenkomo.

Abanye abaholi be-Poro bazama indlela ehlukile yokuhlasela​—ngobuqili ‘babiyela inkathazo ngesinqumo somthetho.’ (IHu. 94:20) Abezombusazwe benhlangano ye-Poro bethula ePhalamende isiphakamiso sokuba kuvalwe umsebenzi woFakazi BakaJehova. “Kodwa inkosi yasikhulumela, yatshela umkhandlu ukuthi yayike yafunda nathi iminyaka emibili,” kusho uCharles Chappell. “Yathi inhlangano yethu ayithathi hlangothi nhlobo kwezombusazwe futhi ifundisa abantu, ibasize babe nesimilo. Wayesethi wethemba ukuthi naye uzoba uFakazi ngelinye ilanga. Lapho elinye ilungu lePhalamende nalo elalike lafundelwa lisekela leli, lesi siphakamiso sachithwa.”

Abantu ababeshiya lezi zinhlangano eziyimfihlo babephikiswa kabuhlungu yimindeni yabo. UJonathan Sellu, umfana waseKoindu, wayenokhokho ababengabapristi be-juju. Naye wayecijelwa ukwenza umsebenzi ofanayo. Lapho eqala ukufundelwa, wawayeka amasiko emimoya nokwenza imisebenzi. Abakubo kwakuthi abamudle bamfele, bamkhipha esikoleni, bamncisha nokudla lapho evela emihlanganweni yobuKristu. Babemthethisa: “UNkulunkulu akakunike yena ukudla!” Noma kunjalo, uJonathan waqhubeka eqinile. Akazange alambe. Wafunda ukufunda nokubhala, kamuva waba iphayona elivamile. Wajabulela ukubona unina amukela iqiniso.

Ukwanda Kwezinye Izindawo Zezwe

Ngo-1960 amabandla namaqembu azimele ayemiswe eBo, eFreetown, eKissy, eKoindu, eLunsar, eMagburaka, eMakeni, eMoyamba, ePort Loko, eWaterloo, kuze kuyoba enyakatho le eKabala. Inani labamemezeli ngalowo nyaka lenyuka lisuka ku-182 laya ku-282. Kwafika amaphayona akhethekile amaningi avela eGhana naseNigeria ezoqinisa lawa mabandla andayo.

Iningi labasanda kuhlanganyela lalivela ezizweni ezimbili: AmaKrio, ayehlala eFreetown noma eduze kwakhona, namaKisi ayehlala eSifundazweni SaseMpumalanga. Kepha njengoba izindaba ezinhle zaziqhubeka zisakazeka, nezinye izizwe zalamukela iqiniso. KwakungamaKuranko, amaLimba namaTemne enyakatho; amaMende eningizimu; nezinye izizwe.

Ngo-1961, iBandla LaseFreetown East lanikezela iHholo LoMbuso lalo lokuqala. Ngemva kwalokho, iBandla LaseKoindu lanikezela iHholo LoMbuso elithatha abantu abangu-300 elakhiwe ngezitini zodaka, eliphinde libe iHholo Lomhlangano. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho abadala abangu-40 baya eSikoleni Senkonzo SoMbuso​—esokuqala eSierra Leone. Babe sebevala umgidi-ke ngokuhlanganyela emkhankasweni owaba impumelelo wokuhambisela umphakathi INguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo Engcwele.

Kwaba sobala ukuthi uJehova uyababusisa abantu bakhe. Ngo-July 28, 1962, uhulumeni waseSierra Leone wayibhalisa ngokomthetho i-International Bible Students Association, inhlangano engokomthetho esetshenziswa oFakazi BakaJehova emazweni amaningi.

Umsebenzi Uyavuleka EGuinea

Manje ake sizwe ngezwe elingumakhelwane laseGuinea (elalaziwa ngokuthi iFrench Guinea). Ngaphambi kuka-1958, abazalwane abambalwa babeshumayeze abathile ngesikhathi bedlula kuleli zwe, kodwa iziphathimandla ezingamaFulentshi zazingawufuni umsebenzi wethu. Nokho, ngo-1958, kwavuleka ithuba​—iGuinea ayibange isabuswa iFrance, yaba i-republic ezimele.

Kamuva ngalowo nyaka, uManuel Diogo, umzalwane waseDahomey (manje iBenin) owayekhuluma isiFulentshi futhi esanda kuhlanganisa iminyaka engu-30, wathola umsebenzi emayini ye-bauxite eFria, idolobha elisendaweni engamakhilomitha angu-80 enyakatho yenhloko-dolobha iConakry. Ezimisele ukushumayela kule ndawo eyayingakathintwa, uManuel wabhalela igatsha laseFrance ecela izincwadi nosizo lwamaphayona akhethekile. Incwadi yakhe yaphetha kanje: “Ngithandazela ukuba uJehova awubusise umsebenzi ngoba baningi abathakazelayo lapha.”

Igatsha laseFrance labhalela uManuel incwadi ekhuthazayo futhi lamnxusa ukuba ahlale eGuinea isikhathi eside ngangokunokwenzeka. Lahlela nokuba iphayona elikhethekile limvakashele ukuze limqeqeshe enkonzweni. Yamkhuthaza le ncwadi uManuel futhi washumayela ngentshiseko eFria kwaze kwaba yilapho eshona ngo-1968.

Ngesikhathi umbonisi wegatsha uWilfred Gooch evakashela eConakry ngo-1960, wathola abanye abazalwane ababili abansundu beshumayela lapha. UMfoweth’ uGooch wasikisela ukuba iGuinea inakekelwe igatsha laseSierra Leone kunokuba kube yihhovisi legatsha laseFrance. Lokhu kwenzeka ngo-March 1, 1961. Ngemva kwenyanga, ibandla lokuqala eGuinea lamiswa eConakry.

Ukukhanya Okungokomoya Kungena Emahlathini

Izindaba ezinhle zazisakazekela nasezindaweni eziseningizimu yeGuinea. UFalla Gbondo, umKisi owayehlala eLiberia, waphindela endaweni yakubo eFodédou, esendaweni eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-13 entshonalanga yeGuékédou. Wayephethe incwadi ethi Ukusuka EPharadesi Elilahlekile Ukuya EPharadesi Elizuziwe. UFalla wayengakwazi ukufunda, kepha ekwazi ukuchazela abakhaya bakhe izithombe ezisencwadini. Uyakhumbula: “Ziningi izingxoxo ezaqalwa ngale ncwadi. Abantu babeyibiza ngokuthi incwadi ka-Adamu no-Eva.”

UFalla wabuyela eLiberia. Wabhapathizwa futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi waba iphayona elikhethekile. Wayebuyela eFodédou kabili ngenyanga eyofundela iqembu labantu abangu-30. Masinyane nje kwafika uBorbor Seysey, naye owayeyiphayona elikhethekile elingumKisi evela eLiberia. Baqala elinye iqembu eGuékédou. Womabili lawa maqembu aba amabandla.

Njengoba ayanda amaKisi ayeba oFakazi, izinduna zakuphawula ukuziphatha kwawo okuhle. Ayesebenza kanzima, ethembekile futhi ekhuthaza ukuthula endaweni. Ngenxa yalokho, lapho abafowethu becela imvume yokwakha iHholo LoMbuso eFodédou, izinduna zabanika umhlaba ongamahektare amathathu ngaphandle kokunanaza. Lelo Hholo LoMbuso​—elalingelokuqala eGuinea​—laphothulwa ekuqaleni kuka-1964.

Izinxushunxushu EConakry

Kwenzeka konke lokhu nje, eConakry kwakufufusa uthuthuva. Izinxushunxushu zezombusazwe zenza izikhulu zikahulumeni zangabethemba abantu bokufika. Izithunywa zevangeli ezine zaseGileyadi zenqatshelwa ukuthola ama-visa futhi zaxoshwa. Abafowethu ababili baseGhana baqanjelwa amanga baboshwa, bavalelwa ejele izinyanga ezimbili.

Ngemva kokudedelwa kwabo, omunye wabo, u-Emmanuel Awusu-Ansah, waphinde waboshwa ngokukhulu ukushesha, wavalelwa endaweni enyantisayo. Esesitokisini esasingcole sinuka phu, wabhala: “Ngiyaphila ngokomoya, kodwa ngihlushwa umkhuhlane ongapheli. Nokho, ngisakwazi ukushumayela. Ngenyanga edlule ngichithe amahora angu-67 ensimini, futhi abantu ababili abafundelwayo baqalile ukushumayela nami.” Omunye wabo walamukela iqiniso. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezinhlanu, uMfoweth’ u-Awusu-Ansah wadedelwa, wadingiselwa eSierra Leone. Kwasala ummemezeli oyedwa vo eConakry.

Ngo-1969, lapho isimo sesithe damu, kwafika amaphayona akhethekile eConakry. Iziphathimandla zabavumela ukuba babe neHholo LoMbuso elinophawu olubhalwe ukuthi iHholo LoMbuso. Ngokushesha nje abantu abathakazelayo abangaba ngu-30 base beza njalo emihlanganweni.

Ngenxa yokuthi babengase baboshwe, abafowethu baqale bashumayela ngokuqapha. Kepha njengoba beya bethola isibindi, bafaka umfutho emsebenzini wabo. Ngo-1973, lelo bandla elincane lase lisakaze amapheshana angu-6 000. Kamuva, baqala ukuhambisa omagazini emahhovisi nasezindaweni zamabhizinisi. Kancane kancane izikhulu zikahulumeni nomphakathi baqala ukuwuqonda nokuwuhlonipha umsebenzi wethu. Ngo-December 15, 1993, leyo mizamo ebonisa isineke nokuphikelela yaphumela ekubhalisweni ngokomthetho kwe-Christian Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses yaseGuinea.