abaThwa base Richtersveld

Ubomi Bobuzingeli-Nokuba Ngumqokeleli Mfuyo

©Shem Compion
Kunzima ukutsho kokuba abaThwa (okanye ama San) baqala iqela lesintu elikhethekileyo – abanye bathi kwaku kude ukubuyela umva kwiminyaka engama 40 000 okanye 30 000, apho imbalela yexesha elide yahlukanisa abantu kumazantsi-ntshona wesiqingatha selizwe se Afrika ukusuka kwintlanga zama Negroid eMantla.
Kodwa ke abaThwa basebenzisa bagudisa ezobuchwephesha ngelitye, okwakuquka izikhali (blades) iincula nemikhonto, uninzi lwazo lwaludityaniswa nomphini womthi kwenza iincula nemela.
abaThwa benza iqela lasekuhlaleni elalinge zithethe izinto ezifana nobomi babaqokeleli bemfuyo. Njengomthetho, yayingama doda azingelayo, logama abafazi beqokelela indawo zokugcina,amaqunube nezinye izityalo. Ulwazi lwabo ngendalo lwenza ezintsapho zincinci zihamba hambe umhlaba ngoxolo nemfuyo, nexesha lonyaka.

Amatye Enziweyo Asemandulo (Petroglyphs)

Xa kuthethwa nge nkolo, abaThwa babesonwabela indlela yokuphila yenkolo edibanisa ilizwe lokudaliweyo no moya. Oko Kwakukubonakaliswa ngendlela ezininzi ezahlukileyo zoku dyibheka amatye awayebonakalisa imidaniso yesishama (shamanistic trance dances). eRichtersveld, akukho mqolomba udyibhekiweyo waziwayo.
Endaweni yoko kufumaneka amatye enziweyo – imizobo eyenziwe yokusika umphezulu welitye nge peki okanye ihamile. Lamatye mahle angaqhelekanga abonisa okuninzi, ukususela kwizifundo zamatye, ukuya kukubonisa izilwanyane ezifana ne qhwarha (Zebra) ne mpofu (Eland). Izifundo ngalamatye zisencinci, kwaye ngeliswa indawo ezininzi zivaliwe/akuvumelekanga ukungena ukunqanda umonakalo ongakumbi.
Inani labaThwa abahlala eNamaqualand nase Richtersveld, ngenxa yeemeko lincinci kakhulu. oko ke ekugqibeleni yayi yindawo nje ephangaleleyo, evelisa amanzi amancinci. Ulwandle lwalungcono kakhulu, kodwa ke zininzi iindawo zakudala zenzululwazi ezibonakalisa unxulumano phakathi kwabaThwa nezase Lwandle ezifana nenja zolwandle (seals) nono kwece (shellfish).
Olu hlanga luhlala ngase lwandle lubizwa ngoku zi ‘Strandlopers’ (abahambi bolwandle) isiqinisekiso sobuhlali babo sifumaneka kwindawo ezohlukileyo kumantla eNamaqualand nangenene kuninzi lase Mazantsi we Afrika.

Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie