Umbutho we Industrial & Commercial Workers’ Union (I.C.U.)

Umbutho we Industrial & Commercial Workers’ Union (I.C.U.)

Umbhali ngu: C.L.R. James (1936)
Umtoliki ngu: Bulelwa Mafu (2010)

uMzantsi Afrika uphawulwe ngodidi olutsha lwezopolitiko, aliphawulwanga ngodushe phakathi kwentlanga kwoda ngo qhanaqalazo lwabasebenzi. Ngaphezu kwe Sierra Leone ne Gambia, I South Africa ikwazile ukudibanisa intlanga ezahlukeneyo kwimizi yemveliso, emigodini nendlela abaqeshwe ngayo ibonakalisa ukuba ibasa kumbutho wabaphangeli. Kwaye kukho nefuthe lwe Russian Revolution. I African Communinsit Party yasekwa ngomnyaka ka 1924, kodwa yayisuka komnye umbutho owawusewusekiwe ngomnyaka ka1920. Yayisebenza ngokuxokisa uluntu olumnyama. Kodwa e Sierra leone nase Gambia abantu abafundileyo abamnyama bathetha kakhulu bengenzi nto ebonakalayo, kodwa uMzantsi Afrika wona uqhubela nezo zikhona zimbalwa kumlo. Iimfazwe ezidlulileyo nemeko zemali nopolitiko zango 1919 zaqalisa umbuthe we Industrial and Commercial Worker’s waseMzantsi Afrika.

Yasekwa ngomnyaka ka 1919 ngumhlali wase Nyasaland, u Clements Kadalie, lombutho waqala ngamalungu angamashumi amabini anesine. Ngaphandle koncedo lwemali, ulwazi olunphangaleleyo okanye inkuthazo, kwaye bejongene nocinezelo nokubanjwa, zonke ezizinto zakhe umbutho oye wakhula ngoqhanqalazo, imingcelele, nemilo namapolisa, ngexa uMzantsi Afrika ubukele ukukhula kwawo ngokumangalisayo. Ukadalie njengomhlali waseNyasaland, ngewaye gxothwe lula , kodwa ngendlela engaziwayo wakwazi ukusinda, aqhubekeke ukuqhubela umbutho wakhe phambili.

Umqondiso wokuqala wamandla we I.C.U.’s yayiluqhanqalazo lwase Bhayi ngomnyaka ka 1920. Abasebenzi baseBhayi bafuna, bafumana unyuselo lwe peni ezintandathu ngosuku. Lonto yabangela ukunyuselwa kwakhona ngepeni ezintandathu ngosuku ngenxa yoqhanqalazo, abasebenzi bayifumana. Kodwa oku zange kubanelise, ngokucetyiswa ngu Kadalie, umongameli we I.C.U, baqhubeka phambili bafuna iishilling ezilishumi ngemini zabasebenzi bamadoda, ne shiling ezisixhenxe nepensi ezintandathu zabafazi. Intlanganiso zazibanjwe macala onke kwi-ofisi ze I.C.U, apho abasebenzi babesegrogrisa ngokuqhanqalaza. Ifuthe lika Kadalie laliselikhula ngokumandla. Kwenye yentlanganiso apho ifuthe labasebenzi laliselinyuke ngokumnadla lwabangela ukuba abasebenzi bamphuthaphutha ngezandla uGqirha Rubusana, omnye wabamnyama owayechasene no Kadalie. uGrirha Rubusana wahlangulwa nguKadalie, owayesebona ubungozi, wahawuleza wangenelela.

Amapolisa ngeloxesha ayejonge ithuba lokuvalela uKadalie. Oluhlaselo luka Gqirha Rubusana lwasetyenziswa njenge pretext. uGqirha Rubusana wenza ingxelo esemthethweni malunga nokuhlaselwa kwakhe, uKadalie wabanjwa wavalelwa nomhla we 23 ka Okuthobha 1920 ngaphandle kwencwandi engunyazisa ukuvalelwa kwakhe. Zathi zakuvakala indaba zokuvalelwa kwakhe, bahlangana badibana abasebenzi . intlanganiso yahlala kwathunyelwa igqiza emapoliseni elifuna ukuba akhululwe ngemali. Umphathi wamapolisa zange avume. Lathi lakubuya nezondaba igqiza elalithunyelwe kwagqitywa ekubeni kuthunyelwe umyalezo othi kumapolisa ukuba abamkhuphi uKadalie ngentsimbi yesihlanu, bazazomkhulula ngokwabo. Abahalali babengasafuni undikho kubaqashi abamhlophe kuphela seMzantsi babefuna undikho naseburhulumenteni.

Umkhosi wamapolisa wonke wawuxhobile. Amapolisa ololiwe ayebiziwe. Ukwageza amavolontiya amaEurope ayexhobile ebekwe phambi kwezitishi zamapolisa apho uKadalie wayevalelwe khona. Ngezithuba zentsimbi yesihlanu kwakusekubonakala abantu abangawaka amathathu. Amapolisa ayeqabele amahashe anikwa umyalelo ukuba alwe kodwa bothulwa kulomahashe. Kwenziwa inzame zokuba abantu basuswe ngokutshizwa ngamanzi, kodwa abantu baphindisa ngamatye nezinye izinto. Ngelothuba kwavakala izithong ezimbini zompu abantu baqhusakala. Kunkwangelixesha apho ke abantu babebaleka, apho amapolisa avulela imbimbulu kubo. Ummeli we Commission of Inquiry wathi:

……. Kuyabonakala ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo ukuba msinya emva kokuba kudutyulwe izithonga zokuqala, abantu babalekela macala onke, kodwa zona izithonga zaqhubekeka ebantwini ebabebaleka, ezizithonga zazisuka esitishini samapolisa kangangemizuzu elingamashumi amathandathu, njengoko besitsho ababebonile, okanye imizuzu emibini njengoko besitsho abanye. Omnye wamaploisa wavuma ukuba wadubula izihlandlo ezilishumi elinesihlanu; omnye ezilishumi elinesithathu ezabangela ukufa komEurope omnye ne natives ezingamashumi amabini anesithathu okanye abebala abangamadoda babulawa okanye babulawa zizivubeko. iNatives nabebala abangamadoda, abangamashumi amane anesihlanu; abafazi, abafazi abane bamaEurope, ingxwelerheka ezingamasumi asixhenxe annesithandathu zizonke, babini kuphela kwaba ababafunyenwe phambi kwezitepisi, abanye bawela kumacala ahlukeneyo ezitratweni ezikude nesitishi samapolisa, uyokuma ngasestratweni saseCastle, esikude kangangeyadi ezolikhulu.

Ngokucacileyo amapolisa athatha elithuba lokuba bawuchithe uphele umbutho wabasebenzi. Imiphumela, ababeyifuna njengokuba kusoloko kunjalo, kwakukukhulisa amandla wabo.

Yakhula ngamandla I I.C.U phakathi kwabantu abamnayama nabebala kangangokuba uHertzog u Prime Minister waseMzantsi Afrika, wacinga ukuba kungabanenzuzo ukufumana inkxaso ye I.C.U. ubunokumfumana umeli weI.C.U nakwindawo ezisemaphandle eMzantsi Afrika. Nababangengomalungu babekhawuleza ukubalekela kuyo ngaxesha likaxakeka.

Kunganzima ungaphawuli okwenziwa nguKadalie nomlingane wakhe uChampion, abakuphumelelayobphakathi konyaka ka 1919 no1926. uKadalie wayeyi Orator, ethe ncothu esukile egadeni, enelizwi elivakalayo, kwintlanganiso wayedla ngkulinyusa ifuthe labantu. Xa egqiba ukothula intetho abantu babeye bathule umzuzwana phambi kokuba baqhwabe izandla. uChampion wayehlukile kuKadalie nganto yonke. Ikangeleko yakhe yangaphandle yayikhangeleka isemva kuneka Kadalie, owayenolwazi oluphangaleleyo ngokwentshukumo zabasebenzi, wayebona ngapha komhlaba wakwaZulu okanye eNatala, wayengumququzeleli ngaphezu kobasisithethi.

Umzekelo ofana nalo luqhanqalazo lwase San Domingo. Kwakukho iFrench Revolution ngomnyaka ka 1794 okhupha umthetho omdala waseFransi, udinga abaqhanqalazi abamnyama, kwaye nokhuthazo, abaququzeleli kunye nezixhobo, zange ibekho into enjalo eBritani. Xa ubona lembali, umbutho ka kadalie wawubonwa ubaluleke kakhulu. Emva ko nyaka ka 1926 wabonakala usoyisakala, wawungenakwazi ukuzigcina ixesha elide ngaphandle kwempumelelo ezicacileyo. uKadalie wayengenamfundo iphangaleleyo engakwazi ukuwumisa eyona nto inzima kwindoda enalemvelaphi yakhe. Kwakukho urhwaphilizo lwemali. Wabona ukuba makaqhangamshelane nabaphesheya nangona engenakuqhangamshelana ne Third International. Abasebenzi abamhlophe babengafuni indibano. uKadalie waya e Europe , wadibanisa I I.C.U ne International Federation of Trade Unions wafuna uncedo kubaxhasi basekunxele babasebenzi. Wathatha umfana omhlophe u Ballinger, amncendise. Umbutho I I.C.U. wachithakala. Namhlanje lamaqela mabini asisithunzi se I.C.U uKadalie usathathe ikhefu eBhayi, apho abaqhanqalazi badutyulwa besilelwa ukukhululwa kwakhe.