I-Sorovako, esesiqhingini sase-Indonesia i-Sulawesi, ingenye yezimayini ezinkulu ze-nickel emhlabeni. I-Nickel iyingxenye engabonakali yezinto eziningi zansuku zonke: iyanyamalala ensimbi engagqwali, izakhi zokushisa ezintweni zasendlini kanye nama-electrode kumabhethri. Yakhiwa eminyakeni engaphezu kwezigidi ezimbili edlule lapho amagquma azungeze iSorovako eqala ukuvela kanye namaphutha asebenzayo. Ama-Laterite - inhlabathi ecebile nge-iron oxide ne-nickel - yakheka ngenxa yokuguguleka okungapheli kwezimvula zasezindaweni ezishisayo. Lapho ngishayela isikuta ngikhuphukela egqumeni, inhlabathi yashintsha ngokushesha yaba bomvu enemigqa ewolintshi. Ngasibona isitshalo se-nickel ngokwaso, ushimula owubhuqu onsundu olingana nedolobha. Amasondo amaloli amancane alingana nemoto anqwabelene. Imigwaqo enqamula emagqumeni abomvu aphakeme futhi amanetha amakhulu avimbela ukudilika kwenhlabathi. Amabhasi enkampani yezimayini iMercedes-Benz athwala abasebenzi. Ifulegi lale nkampani liphephezeliswa ngamaloli ale nkampani nama-ambulensi angekho emgwaqeni. Umhlaba unamagquma futhi unemigodi, futhi umhlaba obomvu oyisicaba ugoqwe ube yi-trapezoid emazombezombe. Le ndawo igadwe ngocingo oluhlabayo, amasango, amarobhothi kanye namaphoyisa ezinkampani aqaphe indawo yemvume ecishe ilingane neLondon.
Imayini isetshenziswa ngabakwa-PT Vale, okuyingxenye yohulumeni base-Indonesia nowaseBrazil, enamasheya aphethwe yizinkampani zaseCanada, zaseJapane nezinye zamazwe ngamazwe. I-Indonesia ingumkhiqizi we-nickel omkhulu kunayo yonke emhlabeni, futhi i-Vale ingowesibili ngobukhulu emayini ye-nickel ngemva kwe-Norilsk Nickel, inkampani yaseRussia ethuthukisa idiphozithi yaseSiberia. NgoMashi, kulandela ukuhlasela kweRussia e-Ukraine, amanani e-nickel aphindeka kabili ngosuku futhi ukuhweba eLondon Metal Exchange kwamiswa isonto lonke. Imicimbi efana nalena yenza abantu abafana no-Elon Musk bazibuze ukuthi i-nickel yabo ivelaphi. NgoMeyi, wahlangana noMongameli wase-Indonesia uJoko Widodo ukuze baxoxe “ngobambiswano” olungase lube khona. Unentshisekelo ngoba izimoto zikagesi zebanga elide zidinga i-nickel. Ibhethri le-Tesla liqukethe cishe amakhilogremu angama-40. Ngokungamangalisi, uhulumeni wase-Indonesia unesithakazelo esikhulu sokuthuthela ezimotweni zikagesi futhi uhlela ukwandisa imvume yezimayini. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, u-Vale uhlose ukwakha izincibilikisi ezimbili ezintsha eSorovaco futhi athuthukise enye yazo.
Imayini ye-nickel e-Indonesia iyintuthuko entsha uma kuqhathaniswa. Ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20, uhulumeni wamakoloni we-Dutch East Indies waqala ukuba nesithakazelo “ezintweni ezizungezile”, iziqhingi ngaphandle kweJava neMadura, ezakha ingxenye enkulu yaleli qoqo leziqhingi. Ngo-1915, unjiniyela wezimayini waseDutch u-Eduard Abendanon wabika ukuthi uthole idiphozi ye-nickel eSorovako. Eminyakeni engamashumi amabili kamuva, u-HR “Flat” Elves, isazi sokuma komhlaba nenkampani yaseCanada i-Inco, wafika futhi wemba umgodi wokuhlola. E-Ontario, i-Inco isebenzisa i-nickel ukwenza izinhlamvu zemali nezingxenye zezikhali, amabhomu, imikhumbi nezimboni. Imizamo ka-Elves yokunwebela eSulawesi yavinjwa ukuthatha amaJapani e-Indonesia ngo-1942. Kuze kube sekubuyeni kwe-Inco ngeminyaka yawo-1960, i-nickel yayingathintekile.
Ngokuwina imvume ye-Sorovaco ngo-1968, i-Inco yayinethemba lokuzuza ngobuningi bezisebenzi ezishibhile nezinkontileka zokuthumela ngaphandle ezinenzuzo enkulu. Isu laliwukwakha umshini wokuncibilikisa, idamu lokuwuphakela, nenkwali, kanye nokuletha izisebenzi zaseCanada ezizokuphatha konke. I-Inco yayifunela abaphathi bayo indawo ephephile, indawo engaphansi kweNyakatho Melika egadwe kahle ehlathini lase-Indonesia. Ukuyakha, baqasha amalungu enhlangano yezomoya yase-Indonesia iSubud. Umholi nomsunguli wayo ngu-Muhammad Subuh, owayesebenza njenge-accountant e-Java ngeminyaka yawo-1920. Uthi ngobunye ubusuku, lapho ehamba, kwawela ekhanda lakhe ibhola elimnyama lokukhanya. Lokhu kwenzeka kuye njalo ebusuku iminyaka eminingana, futhi, ngokusho kwakhe, kwavula “ukuxhumana phakathi kwamandla kaNkulunkulu agcwele indawo yonke nomphefumulo womuntu.” Ngawo-1950s, wayeseqashelwe u-John Bennett, umhloli wezinsalela waseBrithani kanye nomlandeli we-mystic George Gurdjieff. U-Bennett wamemela u-Subuh eNgilandi ngo-1957 futhi wabuyela eJakarta neqembu elisha labafundi base-Europe nase-Australia.
Ngo-1966, inhlangano yakha ifemu yobunjiniyela engasebenzi kahle ebizwa ngokuthi yi-International Design Consultants, eyakha izikole nezakhiwo zamahhovisi e-Jakarta (yaphinde yaklama uhlelo oluyinhloko lwe-Darling Harbour e-Sydney). Uphakamisa i-utopia ye-extractivist e-Sorovako, i-enclave ehlukene nabantu base-Indonesia, kude nezinxushunxushu zezimayini, kodwa ezihlinzekwa ngokugcwele yibo. Ngo-1975, kwakhiwa umphakathi ovulekile onesitolo esikhulu, izinkantolo zethenisi kanye neklabhu yegalofu yabasebenzi bangaphandle, amakhilomitha ambalwa ukusuka eSorovako. Amaphoyisa azimele agada umngcele kanye nendawo yokungena esitolo esikhulu. I-Inco ihlinzeka ngogesi, amanzi, ama-air conditioner, izingcingo nokudla okuvela kwamanye amazwe. NgokukaKatherine May Robinson, isazi sesayensi yesintu esasiqhuba umsebenzi lapho phakathi kuka-1977 no-1981, “abesifazane baseBermuda izikhindi namabhanzi babeshayela baye esitolo beyothenga i-pizza eqandisiwe bese bema ukuze badle ukudla okulula futhi baphuze ikhofi ngaphandle. Igumbi elinesiphephetha-moya elisendleleni ebuyela ekhaya “liyinkohliso yesimanje” evela endlini yomngane.
I-enclave isagadiwe futhi igadiwe. Manje abaholi base-Indonesia abaphakeme bahlala lapho, endlini enengadi egcinwe kahle. Kodwa izindawo zomphakathi zigcwele ukhula, usimende oqhekekile, nezindawo zokudlala ezigqwalile. Amanye ama-bungalows alahliwe futhi amahlathi athathe indawo yawo. Ngatshelwa ukuthi lesi sikhala siwumphumela wokuthola kuka-Vale i-Inco ngo-2006 kanye nokusuka emsebenzini wesikhathi esigcwele ukuya emsebenzini wenkontileka kanye nabasebenzi abahambahambayo. Umehluko phakathi kwamadolobha neSorovako manje ususekelwe ekilasini kuphela: abaphathi bahlala ezindaweni ezingaphansi kwedolobha, abasebenzi bahlala edolobheni.
Imvumelwano ngokwayo ayifinyeleleki, cishe amakhilomitha-skwele angu-12,000 ezintaba ezinezinkuni ezizungezwe uthango. Amasango amaningana aphethwe abantu futhi imigwaqo iyagadwa. Indawo enezimayini ezisebenzayo - cishe amakhilomitha-skwele angama-75 - ibiyelwe ngocingo oluhlabayo. Ngobunye ubusuku ngangigibele isithuthuthu sami ngikhuphuka futhi ngama. Angizange ngiyibone inqwaba ye-slag ecashe ngemva kommango, kodwa ngabona izinsalela zencindisi, ezaziseseduze nezinga lokushisa lodaka lwentaba-mlilo, zehla entabeni. Kwakhanya ukukhanya okusawolintshi, kwase kuqhamuka ifu ebumnyameni, lasakazeka laze lapheshulwa ngumoya. Njalo emizuzwini embalwa, ukuqhuma okusha okwenziwe umuntu kukhanyisa isibhakabhaka.
Ukuphela kwendlela abantu abangebona abasebenzi abanganyonyoba ngayo emayini ukudlula eLake Matano, ngakho ngagibela isikebhe. Khona-ke u-Amose, owayehlala ngasogwini, wangihola emasimini kapelepele saze safika phansi endaweni eyayiyintaba futhi manje eyigobolondo elingenalutho, ukungabikho. Ngezinye izikhathi ungenza uhambo lokuya endaweni ovela kuyo, futhi mhlawumbe yilapho ingxenye ye-nickel ivela khona ezintweni ezifake isandla ekuhambeni kwami: izimoto, izindiza, ama-scooters, ama-laptops, amafoni.
Editor London Review of Books, 28 Little Russell Street London, WC1A 2HNletters@lrb.co.uk Please provide name, address and telephone number.
The Editor London Review of Books 28 Little Russell Street London, WC1A 2HN Letters@lrb.co.uk Please provide name, address and phone number
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