Ubukumkani Obunamandla
iMapungubwe sisiza sakudala-dala sase Afrika, nesasinempucuko. Le ndawo imi ngakumlambo iLimpopo River, kwaye yayihlala abantu ukusukela ngomnyaka ka 900 AD ukuya 1300 AD. Bobona bukumkani budala kumaZantsi Afrika, kwaye ifuthe lobubukumkani lwaye lwanwenwela kwindawo eziyinxalenye yoMzantsi Afrika namhlanje, eBotswane kunye nase Zimbabwe.
Ngaphezulu, ekusekweni kwayo, iMapungubwe yayibubukumkani obunamandla. Kwaye babusebenzisana nabananisi bohlanga lwama China, amaArab kunye namaNdiya, ezintlang zazi shishin ngaku Nxweme lwase Mpuma Afrika, ukusukela kwiminyaka engama 4000 eyadlulayo.
Ngethuba isizwe sase Maphungube sisiwa ngesiquphe ngomnyaka ka 1290 AD, abemi balo bafudukela kumadlelo aluhlaza, afana nedolophi yamatye eyindumasi ekwilizwe lase Zimbawe. Isininzi sele sikwamkele ukuba abantu bohlanga lwase Maphungubwe baphakathi kohlanga lwama Shona kunye namaVenda, alemihla. Mhlawumbi abanye babo badibana nohlanga lwabe Sotho-Tswana. Ngoko ke, iMapungubwe idlala indima enkulu kwisiqendu esibalulekileyo nesele salibaleka sembali yethu.
Idolophu Eyadukayo
Nangona lendawo inembali etyebileyo, iMapungubwe kunye nabantu bayo kubonakala ngathi balibaleka ezingqondweni zabantu abaninzi. Iintlanga zaseMzantsi Afrika azazi kangako ngembali yale ndawo, nditsho nkqu nabemi base Europe abasandula kufika kweli lizwe.
Ngangethuba lendawo yayiphindwa ‘ifunyanwa’ ekuqaleni kweminyaka yoo 1930, ibali lase Mapungubwe lalibalisw njee njengentsomi okanye njengesiqendu esingaziwa ncam sembali yaseAfrika. Kodwa konke oko sele kutshintsha ngoku. Ngomnyaka ka 1994, kutshintsho oluza ne demokrasi entsha, kwabakho umdla omtsha kwimbali yase Afrika eyayikade ingahoyekanga (Ingakumbi imbali engaphambi kokufika kuka van Riebeeck).
Kwaye kukho nomnqweno wokufunyanwa ubungqina bobukrekrele babantu bamandulo, nanokuthi amaAfrika azingce ngabo. iMaphungubwe yabayingxenye yelinge lokufezekisa lomnqweno.
Ubukumkani Bokuqala Base Mazantsi Afrika
Ukubaluleka kwale ndawo budlulela ngaphaya kwemida yase Mzantsi Afrika. Emva kokubhaliso oluyimpumelelo, umhlaba weSintu wase Mapungubwe wabayenye ye World Heritage Site yama 1099 ngenyaka ka Januwari 2002.
Njengoko ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites) ichazile kwingxelo yayo ye UNESCO, “iMapungubwe ilixabiso jikelele, ngendlela ebonise ngayo ukuqaleka nokuwa kobukumkani bokuqala baseMazantsi Afrika. Kwesi siza kusekho amakomkhulu amathathu ashiyekayo, amadonga awayesakuba ziindaw zokuhlala kwakunye nomhlaba ojikeleze imilambo iLimpopo kunye ne Shashe.
Abantu ababehlala kobu bukumkani babephila ngala manzi.” “Ukusekwa kweMapungubwe kwimizila enqumla emzantsi/ntshona kunye ne mpuma/ntshona yase Mazantsi Afrika kwenza kubelula ukuba ilawule lonke ushishino olukwii ndlela ezinqumla eMpuma Afrika zisingise eIndiya eChina kunye nasembindini woMzantsi Afrika. Abantu base Mapungubwe babesomba igolide befumana namaphondo eendlovu nemikhombe-ubutyebi obabunqabile kwezinye iindawo.
Le ndawo yayityebile, kubonakala nangezinto zase China ezifana nee komityi neezitya zase China kunye neentshimbi zegilasi zakwilizwe lase Persia.” “Ukutshabalala kweMapungubwe ngesiquphe, nokwabangwa zimo zezulu ezimbi, kwakunye nokushiywa kwelikomkhulu, kuthetha ukuba iintsalela zobu bukumkani sele zongiwe ukuze zingabisatshabalala.
Isikhundla se Mapungubwe njengeyona ndawo ilawulayo emazantsi Afrika satshintshela kwiliwe lase Zimbabwe kunye nase Khami. Kuqikelelwa ukuba lamakomkhulu mabini alandela kanye emva kokuwa kweMapungubwe.”
Umhlaba weSintu
Ngoko ke iMapungubwe ilifanele ukubizwa njenge Nkcubeko yeSizwe-National Heritage kunye ne Nkcubeko yeHlabathi. Kengoku ingenaphi intetho ethu ‘Umhlaba weSintu’? Ukusukela ngomnyaka ka 1992 ukudibana ndawonye okuthile kwabantu kunye nendalo, kwaye kwabonwa njenge mihlaba yesintu, kwaye iMapungubwe ingena tswatsa koku.
Ingcali yembali yokusingqongileyo, uJane Currethers uthi: "iMapungubwe ayidalwanga, kodwa yindawo eyakhelwe ukubonisa intlalo yoluntu oluthile olwaluhlala kuyo. Owayesakuba ngumphathi walendawo wayesebenzisa izimbiwa nezinto zendalo ezikulendawo ukuze anyuse ixabiso lokuhlala, lweze politiki kunye nelezoshishino.
" Lo ka Carruthers uyaqhubeka ngoku caphula kwintetho yomnye yabaphawuli ogama lingu P. Fowler, nophawula ngelithi: "Uninzi lomhlaba kwihlabathi lonke liphela, abantu babanegalelo kuyo okanye luyimihlaba ngendlela ethile yatshintshwa ngabantu, (kwaye) enye yezona zinto zibalulekileyo neziluncedo kukufaka ne mihlaba yesintu phantsi kwe World Heritage Convention.
Oku kunceda ekupapasheni nokunika uluntu ulwazi ngeengxaki ezimayelana nomhlaba jikelele." Nathi sonke singqindelana naye!
Translated by Zizipho Silwana