Isithombe sokuqala: Abantu bezizwe ezihlukene besenkundleni i-Rand Stadium, e-Goli, eNingizimu Africa ngonyaka ka-1974.
Isithombe sesibili: Abasesithombeni u-Alfred Phatswana no Keith Wiggill
Emazweni amaningi ukuhlangana kwezizwe ezahlukene ngezinhlanga kuyinto ebalulekile kodwa kuwumgomo ongafinyeleleki. Njengoba kuMasingana (January) o-Fakazi Baka-Jehova ezweni lase-Ningizimu Afrika babheka lesi skhathi njengesiyinqopha-mlando ngoba bakwazi ukuhlanganisa abantu bezinhlanga noma amabala ahlukene.
OFakazi Baka-Jehova baziwa ngemihlangano yabo emikhulu ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene emihlabeni wonke kanye nakwezinye izingxenye ezihlukene eNingizimu Afrika. Lemihlangano emikhulu ihlanganisa oFakazi bezizinda ezihlukene kanye nomphakathi ohlukahlukene. Lomhlangano wango-1974 owabanjelwa enkundleni yezemidlalo i-Rand Stadium kwakuwumhlangano wokuqala ngemva kokuba oFakazi bakaJehova bethole imvumo yokuba izizwe nezinhlanga ezihlukene zihlangane ndawonye endaweni eyodwa. Kwabakhona abantu abangaphezu kwezinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu nantathu namakhulu amane (33 400).
Lomhlangano wabanjwa kusukela zimbili kuMasingana ziya mhla ziyisithupha (2-6 January) ngonyaka ka-1974; okwenza lonyaka kubungazwe ngawo iminyaka engamashumi amahlanu walomcimbi. Isihloko sasithi “Ukunqoba Kwaphezulu” futhi ubunye obabukhona kwababekhona babutshengisa ukunqoba.
“Lesi senzakalo sasingajwayelekile, sasibalulekile koFakazi BakaJehova nezwe lase-Ningizimu Afrika. Kwakumbuthano omkhulu lapho abantu bafunda ngoMdali” kusho uMzamo Goloda ongumkhulumeli woFakazi BakaJehova eSouth Africa.
Ezinsukwini ezine nesigamu zokuqala, abantu bahlangana ngamaqembu amancane behlukaniswe ngokwezihlanga nezilimu. Noma kunjalo kwatholakala imvumo yokuthi kumenywe abantu abebekhona bazo-zonke izinhlanga ukuba bahlangane ndawonye engxenyeni yokugcina yomhlangano ngeSonto ntambama.
U-Alfred Phatswana oseneminyaka engaphezu kuka-60, owayekhona emhlanganweni uthi: “Kwakuyinto engajwayelekile ukuba abantu bezinhlanga ezihlukahlukene bahlangane ndawonye ngaphansi kwalesikhathi sokuhlukaniswa ngokwezinhlanga. Yonke into eNingizimu Afrika yayihlukaniswa njengezinto zokugibela zomphakathi “abamhlophe kuphela” noma “abansundu kuphela”. Kwaba kuhle ukubona ukuhlangana kwabantu bezizwe ezihlukene.
U-Keith Wiggill, oseneminyaka engaphezu kuka-70 uthi: “Kuyinto engakholakali ukubona abantu bezizwe ezihlukahlukene behlanganiswa ukholo. Sijabulela ukuthi sithole imvume yokuba sikwazi ukuhlangana ndawonye njengomndeni ongokomoya”.
Njengoba iminyaka iya iqhubeka, iNingizimu Afrika ibambe imihlangano eminingi okuye kwahlangana kuyo ngisho nabantu bakwamanye amazwe ngonyaka ka-2019 lapho kwakukhona abantu abangaphezu kuka-60 000.
OFakazi BakaJehova baqikelela ukuthi abantu bazo zonke izinhlanga nezilimu bathola ulwazi lweBhayibheli. Baye bavula ingosi ehunyushwe ethi, jw.org, etholakala ngezilimu ezingaphezu kuka-1080.
