NguZwarte Maria Evert
Ngenkulungwane yeshumi elinesixhenxe
Umzobo wenkulungwane yeshumi elinesixhenxe womfazi ongum-Afrika onxibe impahla yamaDatshi. Umfanekiso: yiRijksmuseum
“Ungumntu wasetyhini omde, umnyama kakhulu… kodwa ke uyengathethekiyo yona imvuzemvuze, yaye usipha kangangoko,” lo ngumphambukeli uSamuel Briercliffe ekuhlanganeni noMaria Evert.
Ngaphambi kokuba iCamps Bay ibe yile ndawo yezinhanha ithandwa ngabakhenkethi, yayiyeyomnye umfazi owayengendanga. Umfamakazi owayesisinhanha owayesaziwa njengoZwarte Maria Evert. IDutch East India Company (iVOC) yanikezela ngomhlaba ophakathi kweNtaba yeTafile kunye neLions Head kuMaria. Egameni lakhe kutyikitywe isiqinisekiso sobunini sokuqala sale ngingqi
Ezalwa nguEvert waseGuinea noAnna (okanye uHoena) waseGuinea, uMaria nosapho lwakhe babuqala ubomi eKapa njengabasebenzi ababengamakhoboka, ze ekugqibeleni bayifumana inkululeko yabo. Uyise u-Evert wanikwa isiza somhlaba, awathi wafama kuso ze wasandisa ngokuthi athenge umhlaba owawuthe na nalo. Waba ngomnye Wawona mafama okuqala amnyama athi akhululwa ebukhobokeni – engumnini wefama iWelgelegen eStellenbosch – eKapa ngelixa uMaria emthengisela izivuno.
Intombi ka-Evert yafunda ukuqhuba ishishini kunye nemigaqo yoshishino kuye ze yaba ngusomashishini ophume izandla. Yasebenza nzima ze yaba ngumnini wothotho lweefama eKapa kwanakuNxweme olukwiNtshona. UMaria wayehlwayela ingqolowa nombona, wayelima imithi yeziqhamo kunye neemidiliya – apho wayevelisa khona iwayini – yaye wayefama ngezimvu neenkomo. Noxa wathiwa nka ngesigwebo seenyanga ezintandathu esebenza nzima ngenxa yokugcina umsebenzi owayelikhoboka elaqhweshayo nje, umhlaba kaMaria wawusetyenzwa yintaphane yabasebenzi ababengamakhoboka angamadoda namanina. Wayekwaqeshe umsebenzi omhlophe (owayebizwa ngo“Knecht”) nowayemncedisa ekulawuleni ifama leyo.
UMaria Evert wendela kuJackie Joij (uGracias) wase-Angola. Umtshato wabo wawungowokuqala kwiNkonzo eseKapa Phakathi kwama-Afrika aseNtshona amabini. Wohlukana noJackie emva kokuba etyholwe ngokumdlisa. Waba nobudlelwane obungazange bube xesha lide noWillem ten Damme noKraak, ngaphambi kokuba azinze neqabane lakhe lobomi, ummi waseHolandi owayesaziwa njengoBastiaan Jansz Colijn. Balizwa ngabantwana abane ze unyana wabo uJohannes Colijn waba ngophume izandla yena umdidiyeli wewayini, evelisa iiwayini ezazigcinwa ziiKumkani neeKumkanikazi zaseYurophu kumagumbi okugcina iiwayini.
UMaria wasweleka elibhinqa elalizakhele igama nelalizimele ngokunokwalo. Usapho lwakhe lwalulolokuqala kwiintsapho phakathi kothotho lweentsapho zoMzantsi Afrika ezisekhoyo kunanamhla.
