Izigqila Esezalitshalwa ZaseNingizimu Pacific

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EFIJI

ISIXUKU sivukwa amadlingozi njengoba kungena imikhumbi emibili echwebeni lesiqhingi sasePacific esisemajukujukwini. Eminyakeni eminingi ngaphambili, umuntu owayesindile wanikeza umkhaya ngamunye amakhasi ambalwa ayewadabule eBhayibhelini lakhe. Laba bantu abathobekile bawafunda ngelikhulu isasasa lawo makhasi futhi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi bebelokhu belindele ukufika kukathisha ongumKristu.

Manje la matilosi avakashile abathembisa ukubayisa endaweni lapho bengafunda khona okwengeziwe ngoNkulunkulu. Amadoda nabesifazane abangaba ngu-250 abangasoli lutho bagibela imikhumbi, abaningi bephethe amakhasi eBhayibheli abawabheka njengayigugu.

Nokho, babeyizisulu zobuqili obukhulu. Lapho sebegibelile, baboshwa, bafakwa egumbini lomkhumbi elingaphansi, base bethatha uhambo olude oluya echwebeni laseCallao eNingizimu Melika. Ukuntuleka kwenhlanzeko kwabangela ukufa kwabaningi endleleni. Ukunukubezwa ngokobulili kwakuyinsakavukela. Labo abasinda kulolu hambo bathengiswa njengezigqila ukuze bayosebenza emasimini nasezimayini noma njengezisebenzi zasendlini, ezazingasoze zaphindela esiqhingini sakubo.

Ukuqala Kokuhweba Ngezigqila

Izakhamuzi zaseziqhingini zaseNingizimu Pacific zaqala ukuthunjwa njengezigqila ekhulwini le-19 nelama-20. Ekuqaleni kwawo-1860, izakhamuzi eziningi zagcina seziseNingizimu Melika ngenxa yalokhu. Phakathi neshumi leminyaka elalandela, kwagxilwa emazweni asentshonalanga njengoba lezi zakhamuzi zathunyelwa e-Australia. Ngo-1867, uRoss Lewin, ngaphambili owayengoweButho Lasebukhosini, wadayisela abatshali bakamoba nokotini “abomdabu abahle nabakhuthele kakhulu ababevela eziqhingini [ngopondo] abangu-7 umuntu emunye.”

Imizamo yeHhovisi Lamakoloni AseBrithani lokuzama ukuqeda ubugqila ayizange iphumelele. Okokuqala, kwakunzima ukwenza abantu bakwamanye amazwe bathobele umthetho waseBrithani. Okwesibili, umthetho wamaNgisi wawungabuchazi ngokugcwele ubugqila ukuthi buyini. Ngakho, enkantolo, abadayisi bezigqila baphumelela ekuboniseni ukuthi lezi zakhamuzi—nakuba zazikhohlisiwe futhi zathathwa ngenkani—zazingezona ngempela izigqila kodwa zaziyizisebenzi zesivumelwano ezazizokhokhelwa futhi ekugcineni, zibuyiselwe ekhaya. Abanye baze babonisa nokuthi babesiza la maqaba ngokuwaletha ngaphansi kombuso waseBrithani nokuwafundisa umsebenzi! Ngakho, ukuhweba ngezigqila kwanda, okungenani isikhathi esithile.

Isimo Siyashintsha

Njengoba izakhamuzi ezinengqondo zaziqala ukumelana nokuhweba ngezigqila, isimo saqala ukushintsha. Nakuba ezinye izakhamuzi zaseziqhingini zazibuthwe ngokuzithandela, kwakungasabekezelelwa ukuthumba umuntu ngenkani. Kwakungasabekezelelwa ngisho nokuxhashazwa, njengokubhaxabulwa nokubekwa uphawu ngensimbi eshisayo, noma izimo ezishaqisayo ezinye izisebenzi ezaziphila futhi zisebenza ngaphansi kwazo.

Isimo sashuba nakakhulu lapho umbhishobhi waseSheshi uJ. C. Patteson—oweyemelene ngokuphelele nobugqila—ebulawa yizo kanye izakhamuzi zaseziqhingini ayezama ukuzivikela. Besebenzisa ubuqili obase busetshenziswe kaningi, abahwebi bezigqila bafika esiqhingini ngaphambi kukaPatteson ngomkhumbi owawenziwe wafana nowakhe ngamabomu. Kwabe sekubizwa abantu ukuba bazobona umbhishobhi emkhunjini. Abaphindanga babonwa. Lapho uPatteson wangempela efika, wazithela esixukwini esasithukuthele kufanele, futhi wabulawa ngephutha abantu ababeziphindiselela. Ngenxa yalesi senzakalo—kanye nokukhononda komphakathi okwakwanda—kwathunyelwa imikhumbi yaseBrithani neyaseFrance ePacific ukuba iyoqeda ukuxhashazwa kwabantu.

Ohulumeni baseNew South Wales naseQueensland e-Australia bazibandakanya neHhovisi Lamakoloni ngokushaya imithetho ehlukahlukene enqanda ukuxhashazwa kwabantu nelawula izisebenzi zezivumelwano. Kwakhethwa abahloli, futhi kwafakwa abameleli bakahulumeni emikhunjini elanda izisebenzi. Le mizamo eqotho yasiza, ngoba abantu babeboshwa ngenxa yokuthumba nokubulala, hhayi ngenxa yemithetho elwa nobugqila eyayingaphumeleli. Eshumini lokugcina lekhulu le-19 isimo saqala ukushintsha eNingizimu Pacific. Umkhuba wokuthumba izigqila wawuvalwe cishe ngokuphelele, futhi ukubuthwa “kwezisebenzi” ezintsha kwancipha kakhulu ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20.

Ngo-1901, iphalamende elisha likazwelonke, iCommonwealth of Australia, laqala ukulawula ukufuduka kwabantu kulo lonke izwe. Lalisebenza ngezimiso ezithandwa umphakathi, ngaleso sikhathi owawungazifuni izisebenzi zangaphandle, ngoba abaningi babenovalo lokuthi kwakuzolulaza izisebenzi zendawo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umuntu wayeyisisebenzi sesivumelwano noma cha, abantu baseNingizimu Pacific babengasamukeleki. Izinkulungwane zabuyiselwa emakhaya ngenkani, okwaholela enhlekeleleni eyengeziwe, ngoba abanye abathathwa ezindaweni ababehlala kuzo bahlukaniswa nabathandekayo babo.

Izigqila Ezalitshalwa Ziyakhunjulwa

Ngo-September 2000, uhulumeni wesifundazwe saseQueensland wakhipha isimemezelo esenziwa umbukiso ohlala njalo. Sibabaza indima eyafezwa abantu baseNingizimu Pacific ekuthuthukeni kwezomnotho, ezamasiko nezendawo eQueensland. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, siveza ukuzisola ngenxa yokuphathwa ngonya laba bantu ababhekana nakho.

Kuwo wonke umlando, abantu abaningi baye basizakala ngamathuba ukuze bazicebise ngokubulala nokucindezela abanye. IBhayibheli lithembisa ukuthi ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu, ngeke zibe khona izenzo ezingenabulungisa. Empeleni, labo abayobe beyizikhonzi zasemhlabeni zalowo hulumeni wasezulwini “bayohlala, kube yilowo nalowo phansi komvini wakhe naphansi komkhiwane wakhe, ngeke kube khona obenza bathuthumele.”—Mika 4:4.

[Umdwebo/Ibalazwe ekhasini 25]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Imizila yokuthuthwa kwezigqila yayilibangisa e-Australia naseNingizimu Melika

ULWANDLE IPACIFIC

IMICRONESIA

IMARSHALL ISLANDS

INew Guinea

ISOLOMON ISLANDS

ITUVALU

I-AUSTRALIA IKIRIBATI

IQUEENSLAND IVANUATU

INEW SOUTH WALES INEW CALEDONIA ININGIZIMU MELIKA

ISydney ← IFIJI → ICallao

ISAMOA

ITONGA

ICOOK ISLANDS

IFRENCH POLYNESIA

I-Easter Island

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]

National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an11279871