ISABATHA, 2 MANDULO, 2017 Ilizwe laseFiji lakhiwe yixuku leziqhingi ezinezintaba ezivutha umlilo ngaseningizimu yePacific, isilinganiso esingu 4,450km yeningizimu engasentshanalanga yeHonolulu kanye ne 1,770 km yenyakatho yeNew Zealand. Kwiziqhingi ezingu 332 ezakha indlazana yeziqhingi, kukhona abakhileyo kulo abangu-106. IFiji lithokozela isimo sezululu esishisayo, nogu lolwandle olugcwele isihlabathi, izilimo eziluhlaza, izithelo eziningi, imifino, kanye nezilimo zezimpande. Abantu baseFiji balinganiselwa ku 903,207, lakhiwa abokuzalwa lapho (ITaukei)-amaMelanesia anamandla kanye namaPolinasia behlangene bangu 56.8%, amaIndo-Fijans 45%, ezinye izizwe 7%. Ulimi olusemthethweni iSingisi. Ulwimi lwesiFiji nesiHindi lukhulunywa ngabaningi. Ezikhathini ezedlule, iFiji beyaziwa njengelizwe lamazimu, busetshenziswa kakhulu ngamakhosi njengophawu lokuba namandla. Ukukhanya kwesikhathi samaKrestu eFiji kwaphawulwa ukufika kwabashumayeli bamaWesleyan abafika ngonyaka ka1835. Ngokushesha ivangeli lasakazwa ngokuphelele lasiphula ububi obenziwayo ngamazimu kanye nobuthakathi. Namuhla, abakhileyo kulo abaningi ngamaKrestu, 45% amaProtestanti, 27.9% ngamaHindu, 10% ngamanye amaKrestu, 9.1% amaRoma Akatolike, 6.3% Islam, 0.3% Sikh, 0.8% abangakholwa nguNkulunkulu. Isigijimi seMvuselelo safika kwiziqhingi zabo ngonyaka 1974 lapho abashumayeli bahambela lelizwe babhapathiza nemiphefumulo. Ngonyaka ka1997 umsebenzi wavuselelwa futhi, eminye imiphefumulo engu30 yabhajadiswa. Lakhula ibandla. Noma limpofu ezintweni zomhlaba, abakholwayo lapha banenselele yokuhambisa ivangeli futhi bafinyelela kwintakazelelo entsha kwizinkangala, amadolobha, kanye neziqhingi ezisemajukujukwini. Sithole umhlaba wesilinganiniso senxenye ngo 2015 sakha iholo elincane lapho izinkonzo okwamanje zenziwa khona. Ngokubona ukukhula kwamalunga ethu, isidingo sethu esikhulu namuhla yindlu yokukhonzela, indawo yamahovisi endlunkulu yethu, nalapho kusakazelwa khona izincwadi zethu. Siyakhuleka ngokuqinisela ukuthi uNkulunkulu athinte inhliziyo yakho usabele isidingo saseFiji. Isibusiso sizoza ngempela njengoba upha ngesihle, ukuze indlunkulu ingema njengesikhumbuzo sokudumisa uNkulunkulu. “Yiphani, khona niyakuphiwa; bayakunipha esifubeni senu isilinganiso esihle, esigxushiweyo, esigxishiweyo, esichichimayo, ngokuba ngesilinganiso enilinganisa ngaso nani niyakulinganiselwa ngaso” (Luka 6:38). Siyanibonga nonke ngaphambili ngesipho senu esinomusa. Abazalwane benu nodade abavela kwinsimu yaseFiji