Incwadi yoMbhali wase-UKZN Osemnkantshubomvu Ishicilelwe Kwelase-United Kingdom

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Incwadi kaSolwazi osewathatha umhlalaphansi, uSolwazi Donal McCracken ekhuluma ngomlando wengadi enohlobo oluhlukahlukene lwezimbali nezitshalo eseNtshonalanga nezwekazi i-Afrika neyaziwa ngele-Island of St Helena ifumane ukuba ishicilelwe abashicileli base The Royal Botanic Gardens eseDolobheni lase-Kew ezweni lase-Britain.

Incwadi ebizwa ngokuthi - Napoleon’s Garden Island: Lost and Old Gardens of St Helena, South Atlantic Ocean - iwucwaningo oluqhutshwayo neliwumsebenzi owaqalwa ngeminyaka yezi-2006 efaka phakathi uhambo oluhlukene kabili oluyakhona kulesisiqhingi, nalapho afika wafundisa e-St Helena Museum. Ngaphezu kwalokho, wachitha isikhathi esiningi kumtapo wolwazi waseBritain ogcine ulwazi lwase Afrika kanye ne-Asia kanye nolwazi lwaseNgadini yase Kew olujulile.

U-McCracken uthi le ncwadi imayelana nezitshalo ezahanjiswa e-St Helena ukusukela nge-17^th century ngesikhathi sokufuduka kwe-British India Company ohambweni lwabo olaluya e-Afrika nase-Asia, ‘ukukhuliswa nokuphila kwezitshalo kwakukuhle ngalesiya sikhathi, izitshalo zazikhuliswa e-St Helena bese eziningi zithathwa ziyiswe e-Britain, e-Europe kanye nase-West Indies.

‘UKapteni owaziwayo u-William Bligh weqeqebana lamasotsha omkhumbi i-Royal Navy Vessel HMS Bountry-fame njengoba ayephethe isithelo esibizwa nge-breadfruit esuka e-South Pacific ngonyaka we-1989,’ kusho u-McCracken. I-St Helena yabe isiyenziwa i-Botanical hub - iBotanical Dubai - futhi khona phakathi kunezitshalo zokuzimilele ezihlukunyezwa yilezi zokufika kule island, kwazise yisixuku nje sezihlahla, shrubs kanye nezimbali ezibuya ezweni lase-China, eNdiya, e-Indonesia kanye nase South Afrika ikakhulukazi. Imbali yase Ningizimu Afrika neyaziwa nge-Arum lily yaba yi-Emblem yaleya Island isikhathi esijana nokho.

Encwadini, u-McCracken ubalula kabanzi uhlu lwezitshalo zaseKapa oluya e-St Helena njengesipho kulowo owayeyi-Emperor of France, eNapoleon, nowayenogqozu olukhulu lokunakekela izingadi ngesikhathi egciniwe kule-Island ngomnyaka wezi-1815 kwaze kwaba uyadlula emhlabeni ngeminyaka yezi-1821.

Incwadi lena isixoxela kabanzi ngesigameko sokufika kwezitshalo zokufika nezingazona ezokuzimilela kuleyo ndawo endaweni engangama-122 wamamitha yase St Helena bese waphinda waphenya ngokuthi yeziphi izitshalo ezakhula kulengadi ngokuhlukahlukana kwazo kule-island. Abanakekeli bezingadi ngokujwayelekile kwakuba izigqila ezibuya e-Afrika okanye amaShayina alethelwe ukusebenza umsebenzi ongaholeli into etheni, ngakho-ke u-McCracken uyifakela iso elijulile impilo yalaba bantu abalahlwe kangaka, 

‘Namuhla iningi labantu base St Helena ababalelwa ema-4000 abantu abangabokudabuka noma beyinzalo yase-Afrika bafika bezoba yizigqila kanye namashayina ayefike ngokuzokwenza umsebenzi ongaholeli kakhulu nababelethwe kule-Island ngezikhathi zodlame ababefakwe emikhunjini njengezigqila kodwa kwahamba isikhathi bakhululwa kulemikhumbi yezigqila eyayihlongoza ukubathutha ibashiye ezindaweni ezigudle ulwandle i-Atlantic,’ kusho u-McCracken.

Usebenzise kakhulu ama-manuscript eminyaka ye-18 kanye ne-19 century njengalapho ethatha khona ulwazi, u-McCracken ubhale uhlu lwezindawo lapho khona lezi zitshalo zokuzimelela noma ezokufika zitholakala khona. Uqhube wathi uyathemba ukuthi njengoba esenze ngale ndlela lokho kuyobe sekusho ukuthi usebe negalelo ekugcineni izimbali zomnsinsi wokuzimilela laphana kuleya-Island futhi ube esecela ukuba kuqalwe enye ingadi e-Botanical kodwa enezitshalo zasekhaya zodwa yenziwe khona lapha kuleya island ifane namaningi akhona lapha eNingiZimu Afrika.

Isandulela sasencwadini sibhalwe womunye oyu-Botanist ohamba phambili e-St Helena, uDkt Clubbe wase Kew gardenes. Lo msebenzi inda yawo ixoxwa nangezithombe ezinhle zezingadi zakule Isalnd ezinye zalezi zingadi zindala futhi akubange kusamila zihlahla kuzo eminyakeni edlule.

Lona ngumsebenzi wemibhalo yezifundiswa obhalwe u-McCracken eshicilelwe kamuva nje. ‘Ngesikhathi sobhubhane lwe-COVID-19, ngakhetha ukuthi ngiphume nento khona esphithiphithini, ngabe sengibhekisa ikhand a lami phansi ngabhala ngibhalile!’

I-Napoleon’s Garden Island: Lost and Old Gardens of St Helena, South Atlantic Ocean iyatholakala ngo £35 ikhona nakwi-Kew Garden’s online bookshop ku:https://shop.kew.org/napoleon-s-garden-island

•    U-McCracken unguSolwazi osewathatha umhlalaphansi e-UKZN’s Centre for Communication, Media and Society kanye nase- School of Applied Human Sciences kwiKolishi lezeSintu. Usebe yingcweti yesifundiswa kule Nyuvesi iminyaka eyevile kwengama-40.

Amagama: NdabaOnline

Isithombe: Sithunyelwe