I-Sorovako, etholakala esiqhingini sase-Indonesia i-Sulawesi, ingenye yezimayini ezinkulu ze-nickel emhlabeni. I-nickel iyingxenye engabonakali yezinto eziningi zansuku zonke: iyanyamalala ensimbi engagqwali, izinto ezifudumezayo ezintweni zasekhaya kanye nama-electrode kumabhethri. Yakhiwa eminyakeni engaphezu kwezigidi ezimbili edlule lapho amagquma azungeze i-Sorovako eqala ukuvela emaphutheni asebenzayo. Ama-Laterites - inhlabathi ecebile nge-iron oxide kanye ne-nickel - akhiwa ngenxa yokuguguleka okungapheli kwemvula yasezindaweni ezishisayo. Lapho ngishayela i-scooter ngikhuphuka igquma, umhlabathi washintsha umbala waba bomvu ngokushesha ngemigqa efana ne-orange. Ngangibona isitshalo se-nickel ngokwaso, ishimula elinsundu elinothuli elingangedolobha. Amathayi eloli amancane angangemoto anqwabelene. Imigwaqo enqamula emagqumeni abomvu aqinile futhi amanetha amakhulu avimbela ukudilika komhlaba. Amabhasi enkampani yezimayini i-Mercedes-Benz athwala abasebenzi. Ifulegi lenkampani liphephezelwa amaloli enkampani kanye nama-ambulensi angaphandle komgwaqo. Umhlaba unamagquma futhi unezimbobo, kanti umhlaba obomvu oyisicaba ugoqwe waba yi-trapezoid e-zigzag. Indawo ivikelwe ngocingo oluhlabayo, amasango, izibani zomgwaqo kanye namaphoyisa ezinkampani aqapha indawo ecishe ilingane neLondon ngobukhulu.
Le mayini iqhutshwa yi-PT Vale, ephethwe ngokwengxenye ohulumeni base-Indonesia naseBrazil, kanti izabelo ziphethwe yizinkampani zaseCanada, zaseJapan nezinye izinkampani zamazwe ngamazwe. I-Indonesia ingumkhiqizi omkhulu we-nickel emhlabeni, kanti i-Vale ingumkhiqizi wesibili ngobukhulu we-nickel ngemuva kwe-Norilsk Nickel, inkampani yaseRussia ethuthukisa amadiphozithi aseSiberia. NgoMashi, ngemuva kokuhlasela kweRussia e-Ukraine, amanani e-nickel aphindwe kabili ngosuku futhi ukuhweba kwi-London Metal Exchange kwamiswa isonto lonke. Imicimbi efana nale yenza abantu abanjengo-Elon Musk bazibuze ukuthi i-nickel yabo ivelaphi. NgoMeyi, wahlangana noMongameli wase-Indonesia uJoko Widodo ukuxoxa "ngobambiswano" olungenzeka. Unentshisekelo ngoba izimoto zikagesi ezihamba ibanga elide zidinga i-nickel. Ibhethri le-Tesla liqukethe cishe amakhilogremu angu-40. Akumangazi ukuthi uhulumeni wase-Indonesia unentshisekelo enkulu yokuthuthela ezimotweni zikagesi futhi uhlela ukwandisa izivumelwano zokumba. Okwamanje, i-Vale ihlose ukwakha izincibilikisi ezimbili ezintsha eSorovaco futhi ithuthukise enye yazo.
Ukumbiwa kwe-nickel e-Indonesia kuyintuthuko entsha. Ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20, uhulumeni wamakoloni waseDutch East Indies waqala ukuba nesithakazelo “ezindaweni zawo ezingaphandle”, iziqhingi ngaphandle kweJava neMadura, ezakha ingxenye enkulu yeziqhingi. Ngo-1915, unjiniyela wezimayini waseDutch u-Eduard Abendanon wabika ukuthi wayethole idiphozithi ye-nickel eSorovako. Eminyakeni engamashumi amabili kamuva, i-HR “Flat” Elves, isazi se-geology enkampanini yaseCanada i-Inco, wafika wagubha umgodi wokuhlola. E-Ontario, i-Inco isebenzisa i-nickel ukwenza izinhlamvu zemali nezingxenye zezikhali, amabhomu, imikhumbi kanye nezimboni. Imizamo yama-Elves yokwandisa iSulawesi yavinjelwa ukuthathwa kwe-Indonesia ngamaJapane ngo-1942. Kuze kube yilapho i-Inco ibuya ngawo-1960, i-nickel ayizange ithinteke kakhulu.
Ngokuwina isivumelwano seSorovaco ngo-1968, i-Inco yayinethemba lokuzuza ngenani elikhulu labasebenzi abashibhile kanye nezinkontileka zokuthumela kwamanye amazwe ezinenzuzo. Uhlelo kwakuwukwakha umshini wokuncibilikisa, idamu lokuwondla, kanye nendawo yokumba, kanye nokuletha abasebenzi baseCanada ukuze baphathe konke. I-Inco yayifuna indawo ephephile yabaphathi bayo, indawo engaphansi kweNyakatho Melika eqashwe kahle ehlathini lase-Indonesia. Ukuze bayakhe, baqasha amalungu enhlangano engokomoya yase-Indonesia iSubud. Umholi nomsunguli wayo nguMuhammad Subuh, owayesebenza njengomgcini-zincwadi eJava ngawo-1920. Uthi ngobusuku obunye, lapho ehamba, ibhola lokukhanya elikhanyayo lawela ekhanda lakhe. Lokhu kwenzeka kuye njalo ebusuku iminyaka eminingana, futhi, ngokusho kwakhe, kwavula "ukuxhumana phakathi kwamandla aphezulu agcwalisa yonke indawo nomphefumulo womuntu." Ngawo-1950, wayesethole ukunakwa nguJohn Bennett, umhloli wamafutha waseBrithani kanye nomlandeli kaGeorge Gurdjieff oyimfihlakalo. UBennett wamema uSubuh eNgilandi ngo-1957 wabe esebuyela eJakarta neqembu elisha labafundi baseYurophu nabase-Australia.
Ngo-1966, le nhlangano yakha inkampani yobunjiniyela engasebenzi ebizwa ngokuthi i-International Design Consultants, eyakha izikole nezakhiwo zamahhovisi eJakarta (yaklama nohlelo olukhulu lweDarling Harbor eSydney). Uphakamisa indawo yokunethezeka yokukhiqiza izinto eSorovako, indawo ehlukene nabantu base-Indonesia, kude nesiphithiphithi sezimayini, kodwa enakekelwa ngokugcwele yibo. Ngo-1975, umphakathi ovalwe ngesango onesitolo esikhulu, izinkundla zethenisi kanye neklabhu yegalofu yabasebenzi bakwamanye amazwe wakhiwa amakhilomitha ambalwa ukusuka eSorovako. Amaphoyisa azimele aqapha umngcele kanye nomnyango wesitolo esikhulu. I-Inco inikeza ugesi, amanzi, ama-air conditioner, izingcingo kanye nokudla okungenisiwe. Ngokusho kukaKatherine May Robinson, isazi se-anthropologist owayeqhuba umsebenzi wasensimini lapho phakathi kuka-1977 no-1981, "abesifazane abagqoke amabhulukwe amafushane nama-bun eBermuda babeshayela baye esitolo esikhulu ukuyothenga i-pizza eqandisiwe bese bema ukuze badle ukudla okulula futhi baphuze ikhofi ngaphandle. Igumbi elinomoya opholile endleleni eya ekhaya "liyinkohliso yesimanje" livela endlini yomngane.
Le ndawo isaqashwe futhi iqashwe. Manje abaholi abaphezulu base-Indonesia bahlala lapho, endlini enengadi enakekelwe kahle. Kodwa izindawo zomphakathi zigcwele ukhula, usimende oqhekekile, kanye nezindawo zokudlala ezigqwalile. Ezinye zezindlu ezincane zishiywe dengwane futhi amahlathi athathe indawo yazo. Ngatshelwa ukuthi lesi sikhala siwumphumela wokuthengwa kwe-Inco yiVale ngo-2006 kanye nokusuka emsebenzini wesikhathi esigcwele kuya emsebenzini wenkontileka kanye nabasebenzi abahambahambayo. Umehluko phakathi kwezindawo ezingaphansi komhlaba neSorovako manje usekelwe kuphela esigabeni: abaphathi bahlala ezindaweni ezingaphansi komhlaba, abasebenzi bahlala edolobheni.
Indawo yokwamukela intaba ngokwayo ayifinyeleleki, inezintaba ezicishe zibe ngamakhilomitha-skwele angu-12,000 ezizungezwe uthango. Amasango amaningana anabasebenzi futhi imigwaqo iyaqashelwa. Indawo enemigodi esebenzayo - cishe amakhilomitha-skwele angu-75 - ibiyelwe ngocingo oluhlabayo. Ngobunye ubusuku ngangigibele isithuthuthu sami ngikhuphuka intaba futhi ngama. Angikwazanga ukubona inqwaba yendle efihliwe ngemuva kogu, kodwa ngabuka izinsalela ze-smelt, eyayisasondelene nokushisa kwe-lava, yehla entabeni. Kwakhanya ukukhanya okuwolintshi, kwabe sekuphakama ifu ebumnyameni, lasakazeka laze lapheshulwa umoya. Njalo ngemizuzu embalwa, ukuqhuma okusha okwenziwe ngumuntu kukhanyisa isibhakabhaka.
Ukuphela kwendlela abantu abangebona abasebenzi abangangena ngayo emayini ngokunyenya iwukudlula eLake Matano, ngakho ngagibela isikebhe. U-Amos, owayehlala ogwini, wangihola emasimini kapelepele saze safika phansi kwalokho okwakuyintaba futhi manje sekuyigobolondo elingenalutho, ukungabikho. Ngezinye izikhathi ungenza uhambo oluya endaweni yokuzalelwa, futhi mhlawumbe yilapho ingxenye ye-nickel ivela khona ezintweni ezafaka isandla ohambweni lwami: izimoto, izindiza, ama-scooter, ama-laptop, 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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