Kuva mu mwaka wa 1948 kugeza mu ntangiriro z’umwaka wa 1990, muri Afurika y’Epfo hari politike y’ivangura ry’amoko yiswe apartheid. a Muri icyo gihe, abantu benshi barenganyaga abo badahuje ibara ry’uruhu. Mu gihe cy’iryo vangura, Kallie wari ufite uruhu ruvanze bitewe n’uko yakomokaga ku babyeyi badahuje ibara ry’uruhu, yaravuze ati: “Abantu batari abazungu nabo ubwabo bari bafite ivangura hagati yabo.”

 Abahamya ba Yehova bo muri Afurika y’Epfo bakomoka mu moko atandukanye. None se babyifashemo bate mu gihe cy’ivangura rya apartheid? Kandi se uko bitwaye muri icyo gihe bitwigisha iki?

 Abantu batari bashyigikiye ivanguramoko muri Afurika y’Epfo, bateguraga imyigaragambyo yo kurirwanya. Abenshi mu bigaragambyaga barwanya iyo gahunda ya leta, barafungwaga abandi bakicwa. Ibyo byatumye abarwanyaga gahunda ya leta barushaho kugira urugomo. Ku rundi ruhande ariko, Abahamya ba Yehova barumviye, ntibivanga mu myigaragambyo cyangwa ngo bagerageze kurwanya ubutegetsi. Ibyo bigaragaza ko biganye Abakristo bo mu kinyejana cya mbere bakomeje ‘kugandukira abategetsi bakuru.’—Abaroma 13:1, 2.

 Inshuro nyinshi, Abahamya ba Yehova bagiye bahatirwa kwivanga muri politike cyangwa kugira uruhande babogamiraho. Icyakora kugira uruhande babogamiraho byashoboraga gutuma bivanga mu makimbirane ya politike cyangwa se bakarwanya Abakristo bagenzi babo. Urugero, mushiki wacu Thembsie yaravuze ati: “Mu gihe cy’ubushyamirane bwabaye mu mwaka 1976, abenshi mu banyeshuri bigaga mu mashuri yisumbuye bahatiwe kujya mu myigaragambyo y’amashyaka ya politike. Abanyeshuri bigaragambyaga, bagendaga bajya kuri buri rugo bashaka abandi banyeshuri ngo baze bifatanye na bo mu myigaragambyo. Iyo wabyangaga, bashoboraga gutwika urugo rwanyu cyangwa se bakagukubita kugeza upfuye.” Umuyobozi w’ishyaka ryarwanyaga leta, yabwiye Umuhamya wa Yehova witwaga Theophilus ati: “Nituramuka dutsinze abazungu, tuzakwica kuko wanze kurwanirira igihugu cyawe.”

 Nubwo hari ibibazo byari byaratewe n’ivangura, Abahamya ba Yehova bo muri Afurika y’Epfo, bo bakomeje kujya materaniro (Abaheburayo 10:24, 25). Hari amatorero atarashoboraga kubaka Inzu y’Ubwami, kubera ko ivangura rya apartheid ryatumye abantu benshi bakena cyane. b Umuvandimwe Enver yaravuze ati: “Twamaze imyaka myinshi dukodesha inzu yo guteraniramo kandi yari mbi. Ni yo mpamvu papa yatanze inzu yacu kugira ngo ijye iberamo amateraniro. Inzu yacu twayiteraniragamo kabiri mu cyumweru. Rimwe na rimwe mu rugo hazaga abantu barenga 100. Iyo amateraniro yarangiraga, inshuro nyinshi bose twarabakiraga.”

 Abavandimwe babonye uburyo bwiza bwo kwirinda inzitizi zose zaterwaga n’ivanguraruhu rya apartheid. Urugero, mu ntara ya Limpopo, hari umuvandimwe w’umuzungu wagombaga kujya gutanga disikuru mu ikoraniro ry’akarere mu gace k’abirabura ariko asabye uruhushya rwo kwinjiramo baramwangira. Ubwo rero yashatse umuhinzi w’umuzungu wari ufite umurima wegeranye n’ako gace k’abirabura maze bombi bagirana amasezerano. Ikoraniro ry’akarere ryabaye abateranye bicaye mu gice cyari inyuma y’uruzitiro rw’uwo murima maze utanga disikuru ayitangira ku rundi ruhande.

 Mu gihe cy’ivangura rya apartheid, amatsinda y’abantu bahuje ibara ry’uruhu yaritandukanyaga maze buri tsinda rigatura mu gace karyo. Ibyo byatumaga amatorero yo muri utwo duce aba agizwe n’abantu bahuje ibara ry’uruhu. Ivangura rya Apartheid ryatumye Abahamya ba Yehova bagira ibyo bahindura ku buryo bakoreshaga babwiriza muri utwo duce. Urugero, iyo babwirizaga mu mafasi atarabwirizwamo hari ingorane bahuraga na zo. Umuvandimwe Krishn wari Umuhinde, yaravuze ati: “Inshuro nyinshi abatari abazungu baburaga aho kurara. Ubwo rero byasabaga ko turara mu modoka cyangwa munsi y’ibiti. Mu gitondo twogeraga mu bwiherero bwo kuri sitasiyo ya lisansi kandi icyo gihe bwabaga bwanditseho ko ari ubw’‘abazungu gusa.’ Nubwo twahuraga n’ibyo bibazo byose, ababwiriza bagiraga ishyaka mu murimo wo kubwiriza kandi bakishimira kubwiriza abantu benshi babaga bashimishijwe bari batuye mu mafasi yo mu cyaro.”

 Ibyo bibazo byose, ntibyabujije abagaragu ba Yehova kwiyongera. Igihe ivangura rya apartheid ryatangiraga mu mwaka wa 1948, muri Afurika y’Epfo hari ababwiriza 4.831. Igihe ryarangiraga mu mwaka wa 1994, umubare w’ababwiriza wari ugeze ku 58.729. Kandi uwo mubare wakomeje kwiyongera. Mu mwaka wa 2021, muri Afurika y’Epfo hari ababwiriza bagera ku 100.112.

 Mu gihe cy’ivangura rya apartheid, Abahamya ba Yehova bo muri Afurika y’Epfo babaga mu gihugu cyahatiraga abantu kugira ivangura rishingiye ku ruhu. Ubwo rero byabasabaga gushyiraho imbaraga kugira ngo bakomeze gukundana kandi babane neza n’abantu b’amoko yose. Kwiga Bibiliya no gushyira mu bikorwa amahame ayikubiyemo byarabafashije (Ibyakozwe 10:34, 35). Nubwo bari bakikijwe n’urwango, urukundo rwatumye bakomeza kunga ubumwe.—Yohana 13:34, 35.

 Mu mwaka wa 1993, muri Afurika y’Epfo habereye ikoraniro ry’iminsi itatu ry’Abahamya ba Yehova, ryajemo abantu bo mu moko atandukanye. Iyo abashyitsi baturutse mu bihugu bitandukanye bageraga ku kibuga cy’indege, Abahamya ba Yehova bo muri Afurika y’Epfo babasuhuzaga n’akanyamuneza kandi bakabahobera. Hari umuyobozi wari uzwi cyane wabibonye, maze aravuga ati: “Iyo tuza kuba twunze ubumwe nkamwe, tuba twarakemuye ibibazo byacu kera cyane.”