Catharina Ras
Ngenkulungwane yeshumi elinesixhenxe
Umfanekiso kaCatharina Ras. Umfanekiso: yiSteenberg Farm
“UCatharina wayezimele engagungqi,” nguBaron van R(h)eede waseThsoreni, iRhuluneni yeKoloni yaseKapa ukususela ngo-1772.
Lo mhlolokazi wayeliJamani nowayenonwele olubomvu unguCatharina Uftings wayesemtsha ebudala bungama-22 eminyaka kuphela ukufika kwakhe eKapa emva kokuhamba yedwa ezenza indoda kuloo nyanga yeKhala yayipholile ka-1662. Kwisithutyana esingaphantsi kweenyanga ezimbini emva koko, uCatharina watshata nejoni elalikhululekile ekusebenzeleni iVOC.
UHans Ras. URas wayeqeshe umhlaba, efama kuwo malunga noMlambo iLiesbeeck River. Wayenoxanduva lokugcina ibhulorho yeenqwelo zamahashe eyayibizwa “ibhulorho kavan Hans Ras”. UCatharina wazinza kumzi owawusesizikithini sale fama ze yena nomyeni wakhe balizwa ngabantwana abane.
Ngo-1672, uCatharina, okanye ke uTryn njengoko wayesaziwa, wayesele ephulukene nomyani wakhe wesibini emva kokuhlaselwa yingonyama. Elona bali elalisayanyaniswa noTryn lalisithi waqabela ihashe lakhe ze waleqa ngalo la ngonyama yosela umyeni wakhe wayidubula akukwazi. Ayemaninzi amabali ayebaliswa ngesakhono sakhe sokukhwela ihashe kunye nomxhelo wakhe, amanye engakholeleki okanye ebuntsomirha. Noxa kunjalo nje, la mabali aveza ubukroti bakhe njengomntu obhinqileyo ngeentsuku zokuqala zeKoloni yaseKapa.
Ubomi bomhlolokazi onabantwana abane abaselula babungelula mpela. UCatharina waye wafumana umyeni wakhe wesithathu, uFrancois Champelaer van Ghent. Bebobabini, bafumana ifama yomnyeni wakhe ongaphambili kunye nendlu eyakwithambeka iTable Valley eyayikufuphi neFort of Good Hope. Kwisithuba sonyaka emva koko uFrancois wemka negqiza lokuloba akaze aphinde abuye. Wabulalwa ngamaKhoekhoen esizwe senkosi uGonnema’s tribe.
Kwisithuba seenyanga ezintathu emva koko uTryn waphinda wenda: esendela kwisicaka esasisaziwa njengoLourens Cornelissen. Balizwa ngeentombi ezimbini. UCornellissen wabulawa ngokumasikizi yindlovu.
Emva koko uTryn Ras wafudukela kwifama eyayingezantsi nje kwiNtaba yaseSteenberg, ngingqi leyo wathi wayithanda kakhulu. Emva kokuqeshisa ngalo mhlaba, wacela isiqinisekiso sobunini esipheleleyo kuSimon van der Stel, ndawonye nobunini baloo mhlaba. Wazinikwa, ze uCatharina wayithiya le fama yakhe ukuba yi“Swaaneweide,” gama lithetha ukuba iyindawo yokondla amadada. Wathi emva koko watshata nomyeni wakhe wesihlanu, uMatthys Michelse, owayemxhasa nowayemncedisa ekufameni loo mhlaba.
UCatharina Ras waba ngumfazi wokuqala owaba ngumnini womhlaba eKapa, nowaba nefama yokuqala ebhaliswe ngaye. Wayesasebenzisa ifani yomyeni wakhe wokuqala ke noxa wayekhe watshata kaliqela emva koko nje. Eli yaba linyathelo elinobukroti kwihlabathi apho amanina aayesaziwa ngamagama amadoda awo.
