UNESCO kanye ne Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape

Ubukhosi Obunamandla

©Roger de la Harpe

iMapungubwe yindawo yetuthuko yabantu bendulo be-Afrika egade baphumelele magega nomlambo we-Limpopo River kusukela ngo-900 AD kuya ku-1300 AD. Kubukhosi bokuthoma obaziwako be-sub-Saharan Africa nwaba namandla wokurherha abantu bezinye iinarha, ekubalwa namanye amalunga weendawo zenarha esele ibizwa Sewula Afrika, i-Botswana kanye ne-Zimbabwe.

Ukuragela phambili, eenteyijini zayo zamaswaphela gade isigodlo esinamandla egade sikghona ukuthintana namabantu be-China, Arab kanye nabathengisi beNdiya egade barhweba etlhagwini ye-Afrika kusukela kade ngeminyaka ema-4000 eyadlulako.

Lokha iMapungubwe sele ithoma ukuwa kungakalindelwa ngeminyaka yabo-1290 AD, abahlali bayo bafuduka bayokufuna amahlelo ahlaza, eendaweni ezifana nedorobheni elibizwa bona yi-Great Zimbabwe. Kwanjesi sele kwamukeleka bona abantubeMapungubwe bahlangana nebantu esele bazibiza amaShona kanye namaVenda banje. (Hleze nesitjhabeni sabeSotho - Tswana) njeke iMapungubwe ihlala indawo esesenta eqakathekileko yesiqephu esele silitjelwe somlando wakade.

Idorobha Elilahlekileko

©David Fleminger

Nanyana umlando wayo ujame njani, iMapungubwe nabantu bayo inga balibalekile, kokubili entjhabeni zalapha egade sihlala endaweni leya kanye nebantwini be-European abafikako.

Ngitjho nangemva kokobana yatholwa godu ngeminyaka yabo-1930, indaba yeMapungubwe gade ithatha njengesiqephu esimraro somlando we-Afrika wakade onzima, begodu gade ubekelwa emva. Kodwana koke kwatjhuguluka.

Ngonyaka ka-1994 lokha nakungena urhulumende omutjha bathoma babanekareko elitja endabeni egade ingatjhejwa yomlando we-Afrika (isibonelo nanyana yini eyenzeka ngaphambikokobana kufike u-Van Riebeeck). Kwabanekareko godu lokuthola amatjhwayo womlando we-Afrika ozikhakhazisako ongadlala indima ekubuyisaneni. iMapungubwe yabalithikithi.

Ubukhosi Bokuthoma Babantu Abanzima

©Jacques Marais

Ukuthadwa kwendawo le kudlula ngetjho nemigceleni yethu. Ngomba ngemva kokobana bafake iimbawo, baphumelela i-Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape yamemezelwa yaba yi-World Heritage yenamba-1099 ngoTjhirhweni ka-2002. Njengombana i-ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites) yathi erepotini yabo ye-UNESCO, bona iMapungubwe ngeyegugu lephasi ngendlela itjengisa ngayo ukuwa nokuvuka kobukhosi bokuthoma babantu abanzima beSewula Afrika.

Ngaphathi kwayo kuneensalela zeenhloko dorobha ezintathu, kanye nehlao yazo kanye nephasi elizombeleze i-confluence yemilambo i-Limpopo kanye neShashe. Ukufunda kwayo egade kupha isitjhaba esikhulu salapha ukudla. Kobana iMapungubwe gade isendaweni esepambaneni yeendlela eziya etjhingalanga nepumalanga kwayirhelebha bona, ikhone ukulawula ukurhweba eendleli zePumalanga, eziya e-China kanye neNdiya, neSewula Afrika.

Gade ikghona ukuvuna irhawuda kanye ne-ivory nekuzizinto egade zitlhogeka kwezinye iinarha ekwayilethelwa ubugwili ebubonwa ngezinto egd zingeniswa enarheni yayo ezifana nama-porcelain kanye nemincamo yerhalasi ye-Persian. Ukuwa kwe “Mapungubwe kungakalindelwa, okwenziwa bujamo bezulu obumbi, kutjho bona iinsalela zesigodlwesi zibulungwe.

Ubujamo beMapungubwe njengendawo yamandla eSewula Afrika bafudukela e-Great Zimbabwe kanye ne Khami. iMapungubwe kufanele kobana gade imdosi phambili weengodlo ezimbilezi ezeza ngemva.

Isiko Lokukuthuthukisa ijamo Lenarha

©Roger de la Harpe

Njeke iMapungubwe sele ithole ubujamo ebuyifaneleko bamagugu wenarha le, newephasini loke, National Heritage kanye World Heritage. Kodwana lingenaphi ibizo lokukuthuthukisa ijamo lenarha? Kusukela ngonyaka ka-1992, ukuqoqisana hlangana kwabantu kanye nebhoduluko yemvelo kwabonwa njengokukuthuthukisa ijamo lenarha begodu iMapungubwe ifanelwa ngilokho.

iMapungubwe akusiyimvelo kodwana ibhoduluko layo libonwe njengayo. U-Jane Curruthers, oyi-environmental historian ehlonitjhwa khulu ubeke wathi iMapungubwe akusiyimvelo kodwana ibhoduluko elakhelwe ukutjengisa umphakathi ekhe yawusebenzisa. Umtjhayeli wesitjhabeso kusetjenziswa kwensetjenziswa zemvelo ukuqinisekisa okuphathelene nokuhlaliswa kwabantu, ipolotiki kanye namagugu wezomnotho.

Uragele phambili ngokudzubhula okwatjhiwo ngu: P. Fowler, bona okunengi okuhlobene nephasi ngokukhambela nesiko lokukuthuthukisa ijamo lenarha begodu umthelela wesikhathi eside walokho oqakathekileko kufakwa ngokukhambela nesiko lokukuthuthukisa ijamo lenarha ngaphasi kwe-World Heritage Convention ngombana kutjengisa bona kukghelebha ngokuthuthukisa zoke iindaba zokuthuthukisa ijamo lenarha. Nathi sitjho njalo.

Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana