Inkimbinkimbi yeMapungubwe

Idolobha Lokuqala eNingizimu Afrika

©David Fleminger
Ngo-1250 AD, iMapungubwe yayinamandla kakhulu. Abantu abangaba izinkulungwane ezinhlanu bahlala bezungeza leli gquma, futhi lokhu kuyafanelekela njengedolobhana lokuqala laseNingizimu Afrika.
Eminye imizi eminingi yayisungulwe kude nendawo enkulu (iMamagwa ebaluleke kunazo zonke eBotswana), futhi lokhu kuphakamisa ukuthi iMapungubwe nayo njengezwe lokuqala eNingizimu yeAfrika. Imbiza zobumba beMapungubwe zitholakala endaweni engamakhilomitha angu30 000 ububanzi, cishe ubukhulu bombuso wakudala wamaZulu nesizwe samanje seLesotho.
Ngalo wonke umthwalo wemfanelo owengeziwe kanye nokuphathwa okunye okumele ikwenze, inkosi yabonakala iphinde ibuyele ekuzihlukaniseni kwakhe.
Cishe ngo-1250, kwakhiwa uchungechunge lwezindonga zamatshe kanye nezembozo esiqongweni ukuze kuthuthukiswe ubumfihlo benkosi.
Ngokuzikhipha kubantu, inkosi nayo yazisusa ekuphileni kwansuku zonke komphakathi.
Kwamanye amasiko, ukunquma ngokomthetho bekuyisibopho senkosi, kodwa eMapungubwe, izinkantolo zazingaphansi komfula.
Inkosi yayingeke ibanjwe ihamba phakathi kokungcola okukhulu, ngakho-ke umfowabo wenkosi mhlawumbe ubengamela inkosi lezi zinkantolo.

INkosi yeNtaba

©Jacques Marais
Ukugubha okuphezulu kwegquma bekulokhu kuqhubeka kusukela ngo-1930, futhi njengamanje kucatshangwa ukuthi kunezigaba ezimbili ekuthuthukiseni indawo yokwemboza amakhosi. 'INkosi yokuqala' yayihlala ekugcineni enyakatho ntshonalanga yegquma, lapho kutholakale uchungechunge lwezindlu phansi. Lezi zimbozwe ngezimbobo ezizungezile ezithathwe edwaleni ukuze zisekele insika zamanxiwa. Kunenkotho eziningana eziyindilinga enqabeni yezintaba ezenziwe ngodonga.
UHuffman uchaza ukuhlelwa kwalokhu okuyinkimbinkimbi ngalendlela elandelayo: "Isakhiwo esisodwa esingavamile sinevulandi enkulu enezingxenye ezimbili zomlilo (okuthiwa 'i-curbs') ngaphesheya kwesihlalo. Uvulandi uzungeze igumbi elincane elingaphansi komhlabathi ngobumba obunzima futhi kwenziwa kahle ukuthi abavuli bokuqala babiza ngokuthi 'usimende.'
Enye indlu enezinsalela zokushiswa komnyango wamapulangwe eqoshiwe yayibhekene neziqhumane zomlilo. Uma lezi zakhiwo zilandela isibonelo seZimbabwe, khona-ke indlu enomnyango yayiyikamelo lokulala kwenkosi, kanti umdayisi oyingqayizivele wenkosi wayesebenzisa indlu encane enezindawo zomlilo zangaphandle.
Endaweni ethile eseduzane yayiyobe ikamelo lokulalela lapho inkosi ithola khona izivakashi endaweni ehlelekile. Ekugcineni, isithunywa seNkosi esiyinhloko sasiyogcina ihhovisi ngasekuqaleni lapho singathola khona izivakashi kuqala."

Umbhoshongo weNKosi oweZinyo leNdlovu

©Roger de la Harpe
Kodwa-ke, cishe ngo-1250, leli lungiselelo elincane lalingasebhekwa njengento efanele 'iNkosi Yesibili', futhi idolobha lasebukhosini lathuthela phakathi kwegquma. Izindonga zamatshe, ezifana ne-Great Zimbabwe, zakhiwa ukwenza le ndlu ibe namandla kakhulu, nokuthuthukisa ukuhlukaniswa kwenkosi.
U-Huffman, elandela iphethini e-Great Zimbabwe, uveza ukuthi inkosi yayingasondelene nabalimi; isithunywa esiphakeme sizohlangana nezivakashi futhi sizithuthele kumbhuli wenkosi ukuze sibone ukuthi banezinhloso ezimbi yini. Uma kukhishwe ukuvikeleka, izethameli zizobe zinikwe inkosi, okungenzeka wayehlezi ngakolunye uhlangothi lwendlu egcekeni lobukhosi, embozwe ngodonga.
Abaningi babalindi ('iso' lenkosi), kungenzeka nokuthi babehlala egqumeni - njengoba kuboniswa yizinsalela zamabhodi emidlalo kaMancala, aqoshwe emadwaleni. Ukucwaninga kubonise ukuthi owesifazane oyedwa noma ababili abathandekayo mhlawumbe babehlala esigabeni sesigodlo, kanti abanye abafazi babehlala endaweni yokuhlala, phansi kwegquma. Indawo engokwesiko yezinto ezingcwele ibonakala sengathi igcwalise umbhoshongo wenkosi wendlovu.

Ukukhiqiza Nokuhweba

Kodwa-ke, ngaphandle kwesakhiwo esisha esikhulu, akukho okunye okushintshile kusukela ezinsukwini ze-K2. Abantu babesenomxube wokulima (mhlawumbe besekelwa ngamadolobha aseduze nomfula) kanye nokufuya (kukhona ubufakazi bemfuyo, izimvu, izimbuzi nezinja ezifuywayo). Izindawo zokuhlala ezigciniwe zokugcina zibonisa ukuthi zigcinwe ngamathambo, amabele kanye nokotini. Kodwa kwakuyisikhungo sokukhiqiza nokuhweba iMapungubwe evelele.

Translated by Nsika Khoza