UMHLOLI wamazwe onesibindi akakukholwa lokhu akubonayo. Laphaya, kukhona ikhothamo lokunqoba laseRoma, ingxenye yalo igqitshwe isihlabathi sogwadule lwase-Algeria! Ngesikhathi uJames Bruce odabuka eScotland ethola leli khothamo ngo-1765, wayengazi ukuthi empeleni umi phezu kwamanxiwa omuzi wamaRoma omkhulu kunayo yonke kweyake yakhiwa eNyakatho Afrika—umuzi wasendulo iThamugadi, manje obizwa ngokuthi iTimgad.

Ngemva kwekhulu leminyaka, ngo-1881, abavubukuli baseFrance baqala ukuvubukula izinsalela zeTimgad ezazilondolozeke kahle. Baphetha ngokuthi naphezu kokuba laliyizwe eligangadekile, ababehlala khona babephila ukuphila okuntofontofo nokusezingeni eliphezulu. Kodwa yini eyashukumisa amaRoma ukuba akhe ikoloni echumayo endaweni enjalo? Yiziphi izifundo esingazifunda kulo muzi wasendulo nakubantu ababehlala kuwo?

Lapho amaRoma enwebela ukubusa kwawo eNyakatho Afrika ekhulwini lokuqala B.C.E., abhekana nokuphikiswa okukhulu okuvela kwezinye izizwe ezazifuduka njalo. AmaRoma ayezokwenzenjani ukuze abe nokukuthula nalaba bantu bendawo? Ekuqaleni, amasosha amaRoma avela eButhweni Lesithathu Lika-Augustus akha amakamu amaningi aqinile nezindawo zokuqapha endaweni enezintaba manje eyaziwa ngokuthi inyakatho Algeria. Kamuva, akha umuzi waseTimgad, kodwa ngenjongo ehluke ngokuphelele.

AmaRoma athi akha iTimgad ukuze kuhlale amasosha asethathe umhlalaphansi, kodwa empeleni akha lo muzi ukuze azithene amandla izizwe zendawo ezaziphikisana nawo. Leli cebo laphumelela. Impilo enethezekile yaseTimgad ngokushesha yaqala ukubakhanga abantu bendawo ababefika bezodayisa khona. Ngethemba lokwamukeleka eTimgad, indawo okwakuhlala kuyo izakhamuzi ezingamaRoma kuphela, abantu abaningi bendawo bangena ngokuzithandela kuleli Butho LamaRoma, okwakumelwe bakhonze kulo iminyaka engu-25 ukuze bazitholele bona namadodana abo ubuzwe baseRoma.

Benganelisekile ngokuba nobuzwe baseRoma nje kuphela, abanye abantu base-Afrika bagcina sebethole izikhundla eziphezulu eTimgad nakwamanye amadolobha ayengaphansi kweRoma. Leli qhinga lamaRoma lobuqili lokuzihlanganisa nabantu bendawo laphumelela kangangokuba ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-50 nje iTimgad ikhona, iningi lezakhamuzi zayo kwase kungabantu baseNyakatho Afrika.

AmaRoma aphumelela kanjani ekuthonyeni abantu bomdabu ngokushesha okungaka? Phakathi kokunye, ayekhuthaza ukulingana phakathi kwezakhamuzi —isimiso esafundiswa uCicero, isikhulu sikahulumeni esingumRoma. Indawo yayihlukaniswa ngokulinganayo phakathi kwamasosha angamaRoma ayesethathe umhlalaphansi nezakhamuzi zomdabu zase-Afrika. Leli dolobha lalihlelwe kahle, linezindlu ezingamamitha-skwele angu-20 ubukhulu zihlukaniswe imigwaqo emincane. Ngokungangabazeki, lokho kuhleleka okuhle nokuthola izinto ezilinganayo kwakubakhanga abantu.

Njengakweminye imizi yamaRoma, izakhamuzi zazingahlangana emakethe ngezinsuku ezimatasa ziyozwa izindaba zamuva noma ukuze ziyodlala imidlalo. Kuyacaca ukuthi abantu bomdabu ababehlala eduze ezindaweni ezisezintabeni babefisa nabo ukuhamba ngaphansi kwezakhiwo ezinomthunzi ezihleleke kahle uma kushisa ilanga noma ukuphumula kwenye yezindawo zokugeza zomphakathi zilalele umsindo wamanzi. Kungenzeka futhi zazifisa ukuzibona zihleli zizungeze ompompi bamanzi aqabulayo, zixoxa nabangane. Konke lokhu cishe kwakubonakala kuyiphupho kuzo.

Imidlalo yeshashalazi nayo yayifeza indima ebalulekile ekuheheni abantu. Kwakunendawo yeshashalazi engamumatha abantu abangaphezu kuka-3 500, eyayigcwala izixuku ezixokozelayo ezivela eTimgad nasemadolobheni angomakhelwane. Lapho sebesesiteji, abadlali babebonisa izibukeli indlela iRoma elinokuzijabulisa okuvusa inkanuko ngayo ngemidlalo eyayivame ukuhilela ukuziphatha okubi noma ubudlova.

Inkolo yamaRoma nayo yayifeza indima ethile. Phansi kanye nasezindongeni zezindlu zokugeza kwakunemihlobiso emibalabala eyayibonisa izinkolelo-ze zobuqaba. Njengoba ukugeza kwakuyingxenye ebalulekile ekuphileni kwansuku zonke, kancane kancane, izakhamuzi zajwayelana nonkulunkulu bamaRoma nenkolo yawo. Imizamo yokufaka abantu base-Afrika esikweni lamaRoma yaphumelela kakhulu kangangokuba ngokuvamile amatshe amathuna ayehlotshiswa ngonkulunkulu bamaRoma nababantu bendawo.

Ngemva kokuba uMbusi uTrajan akhe lo muzi ngo-100 C.E., amaRoma akhuthaza ukuba kukhiqizwe okusanhlamvu, amafutha omnqumo newayini kulo lonke elaseNyakatho Afrika. Ngokushesha le ndawo yaba inqolobane yeRoma, inikeza lo mbuso le mikhiqizo ebalulekile. Njengeminye imizi eyayingaphansi kweRoma, iTimgad yachuma ngaphansi kokubusa kweRoma. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi inani labantu ababehlala eTimgad lakhula futhi lo muzi wanda waze waphumela ngaphandle kwezindonga zawo eziqinile.

Abantu ababehlala kulo muzi nabanikazi bendawo bachuma ngokuhwebelana neRoma, kodwa incane inzuzo eyayitholwa abalimi bendawo. Ekhulwini lesithathu C.E., ukungabi nabulungisa emphakathini nentela emba eqolo kwenza ukuba abalimi abasafufusa bavukele. Abanye abase bephendukele ebuKatolikeni, bazihlanganisa neqembu lamaDonatist—iqembu elivuma obala ukuthi lingamaKristu elamelana nenkohlakalo eseSontweni LamaKatolika.—Bheka ibhokisi elithi “ AmaDonatist—Awalona ‘Isonto Leqiniso.’”

Ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka kunezingxabano zenkolo, izimpi zombango nokuhlasela kwamaqaba,  intuthuko yamaRoma ayibange isaba nethonya eNyakatho Afrika. Ngekhulu lesithupha C.E., iTimgad yashiswa izizwe zendawo ezingama-Arabhu futhi ekugcineni abantu bayikhohlwa ngokuphelele iminyaka engaphezu kuka-1 000.

Abavubukuli abathola izinsalela zeTimgad bahlekiswa umbhalo wesiLatini abawuthola enkundleni yomphakathi. Uthi: “Ukuzingela, ukugeza, ukudlala, ukuhleka—ukuphila-ke lokho!” Esinye isazi-mlando esingumFulentshi sathi lo mbhalo “uveza ifilosofi okungenzeka ibonisa ukungazimiseli, kodwa abanye bangaqiniseka ukuthi iyimfihlo yokuhlakanipha.”

Empeleni, amaRoma ayelokhu ephishekela lokhu kuphila isikhathi eside. UPawulu, umphostoli ongumKristu wangekhulu lokuqala, wakhuluma ngabantu ababenale filosofi ngokuphila: “Masidle siphuze, ngoba kusasa sizokufa.” Nakuba ayengabantu benkolo, amaRoma ayephilela injabulo yesikhashana, engacabangi ngenjongo yangempela yokuphila. UPawulu waxwayisa amaKristu ayekanye nawo ukuba aqaphe abantu abanjalo lapho ethi: “Ningadukiswa. Ukuzihlanganisa nababi konakalisa imikhuba emihle.”—1 Korinte 15:32, 33.

Nakuba abantu baseTimgad baphila eminyakeni engaba ngu-1 500 edlule, indlela abantu ababheka ngayo ukuphila ayikashintshi kangako. Abaningi namuhla abanandaba nekusasa. Kubo, indlela amaRoma ayebheka ngayo ukuphila inengqondo kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyini imiphumela. Nokho, iBhayibheli linikeza incazelo ecacile neyiqiniso kule ndaba lapho lithi: “Isimo saleli zwe siyashintsha.” Ngakho lisinxusa ukuba ‘singalisebenzisi ngokugcwele izwe.’—1 Korinte 7:31.

Amanxiwa eTimgad afakazela iqiniso lokuthi ukuphila okujabulisayo nokunenjongo akutholakali ngokulalela amazwi akulowaya mbhalo owawusunesikhathi eside ugqibeke esihlabathini saseNyakatho Afrika. Kunalokho, kutholakala ngokulalela la mazwi eBhayibheli: “Izwe liyadlula, kanjalo nesifiso salo, kodwa lowo owenza intando kaNkulunkulu uhlala kuze kube phakade.”—1 Johane 2:17.