Uhlanga lwama Zhizo lwase Mapungubwe, Limpopo

Intlalo Yabantu Bohlanga Lwama Zhizo eSchroda (900 AD ukuya 1000 AD)

©David Fleminger
Umnyaka i900 AD yabakukuqala kwe Late Iron Age kumazantsi eAfrika. Kusekho uphikiswano malunga nokuba yayikhe yabakhona na iminyaka ekuthiwa yi Middle Iron Age, kodwa ndizakube ndiyiyekela izifundiswa leyo. Singatsho sithi, kwathi kufika umnyaka ka 900 AD kwabe sele kukho iqela elitsha elihlala embindini we Limpopo-Shashe: Abantu bohlanga lwama Zhizi. Aba bantu babesuka kwindawo eyaziwa njengo mzantsi-ntshona welizwe lase Zimbabwe kunye nasempuma yelizwe lase Botswana. Ethubeni inani lwaba bantu lwafudukela kumazantsi eLimpopo aze aseka ikomkhulu kwindawo ebizwa nge Schroda.
Izizathu zokufuduka kwabo azicacanga ncam. Iingcali ngezentlalo yabantu ezithile zithi imvula yaye yaphucuka kulo mmandla kwaze oku kwavumela amafama ukuba abuyele. Ezinye zithi kwaye kusiba manzi malunye neminyaka elikhulu elandelayo. uThomas Huffman, kwelinye icala, ukholelwa ekubeni yabaziindlovu kunye namaphondo azo atsalela abantu bohlanga lwama Zhizo ukuba bafudukele ngapha komlambo.

Ushishino Lwamaphondo

Ushishino lwamaphondo lwalucacile phakathi kwelizwe lase Zimbabwe kunye noNxweme laswe Mpuma ukusukela kwiminyaka yoo 800 AD, ngoko ke ixabiso lwalamaphondo lwalusele lisekiwe. Kwakusoloko kukho (kwaye kusekho) inani elininzi lweendlovu elijikeleze kwiindawo ezihrangqe iLimpopo. Oku ke yaba sisiqinisekiso somthombo ongatshiyo wegolide emhlophe. Izindlu zabantu bohlanga lwama Zhizo zazakhelwe kude le nomlambi, nalapho iindlovu ezinxaniweyo zazinokudovuza zibulale izityalo zabo. Ngaphezulu, iSchroda iqulathe ubungqina bokuqala boshishino lwamaphondo olukulendawo. Nto leyo ibonisa ukuba abantu bohlanga lwama Zhizo babesenza izinto zamaphondo ukuze bazithengise. Kwaye kwafunyanwa neegilasi zamanye amazwe kulendawo, nto leyo intama ukuba abantu bohlanga lwama Zhizo babeno qhagamshelwano kunye nezikhululo zoshishino eziku Nxweme lwase Mpuma (Olumi ngakwi Bazaruto Archipelago yase Mozambique).
Kukho inani lwezindlu zabantu bohlanga lwama Zhizo ezijikeleze umbindi wase Shashe-Limpopo, kodwa iSchroda yeyona inezona zindlu zininzi. Ngoko ke, kuqikelelwa ukuba yayilikhaya leyona nkosi ityebileyo kwakunye nekomkhulu. Umlinganiselo weli ‘komkhulu’ uqikelelwe ukuba phakathi kwabantu abangama 300 kunye nama 500, kwakunye nabanye abantu abangama 1400 abahlala kwizindlu ezikufuphi nelikomkhulu.

Uluntu Oluphucukileyo

©David Fleminger
Intlalo yabantu bohlanga lwama Zhizo kuyacaca ukuba yayiphucukile. Babefuye iinkomo nenye impahla yasekhaya, babevuna begcina iingqolowa. Iingcali zentlalo yabantu zafumana nenani lemifunziselo yezilwanyana kunye nabantu eyenziwe ngodongwe kwakunye nezinye izilwanyana ezingasacaci kakuhle ukuba yayiyimifunziselo yantoni. Kucingelwa ukuba lemifunziselo yayiyinxalenye yolwaluka lwamantombazane, kwaye yayisetyenziswa ukubonisa izifundo ngobomi, uthando kwakunye nemisebenzi. Eli lisiko elalisenziswa kuMazantsi Afrika ephela.
Namhlanje, akukho zimpawu zibambekayo zokuhlala kwabantu eSchroda, kwaye abatyeleli abavumelekanga ukuba baye kwesi siza (singaphawulwanga) ngaphandle kombonisi ngendawo kunye nemvume ekhethekileyo. Kuyathenjwa ukuba esi siza sizakuvulelwa uwonke-wonke xa sele le ndawo i-ethe-ethe sele ilungisiwe yaze yakhuselwa. iSchroda imi kwimida ye Mapungubwe National Park, kumgama nje omfutshane ukusuka empuma kwe Nduli yase Mapungubwe uqobo.

Translated by Zizipho Silwana