Ukuwa kweMapungubwe

Konakalaphi?

©Roger de la Harpe
Iminyaka eama-75, abantu beMapungubwe gade baphila ipilo ephambili. Gade babusa urhulumende wabo ogade unobukhulu ubuyi-30 000 square kilometers barhweba esifundeni soke, netjhabantjhaba egade bahlala nazo ekubalwa hlangana abantu be-Sofala kanye nebe Chinuebe. Kwathi kungakalindelwa koke konakala. Ngonyaka ka-1290 AD, ihloko dorobha le yatjhiywa injalo abantu beMapungubwe bazala nenarha yoke.
Kubudisi ukuthatha isiquntu nawuqala emva ema-setjhurini ekungakatlolwa ngawo la. Hleze ikosi yakade yalapha yabhubha ingakabeki ozokusala adosa phambili. Hleze umdosi phambili ambekako gade asbaga wabhalelwa kuphatha iMapungubwe kuhle; hleze kwabanokungazwisisani hlangana nomdeni webukhosini, hleze bahlaselwa yiintjhaba ezinye (nanyana amathuba amancani); mhlambe elinye idorobha lafika lalawula iindlela zokurhweba egade ziya ngaphakathi, nanyana gade kubujamo bezulu obungasibuhle obenza bona iMapungubwe igcine sele iphelile.

Kwathoma iSikhathi - Little Ice Age

©David Fleminger
Amarekhodi wezebhoduluko atjengisa bona, ngeminyaka yabo1300 AD, kwathoma isikhathi se-’Little Ice Age’, esincani. Sasanele ukobana sitjhugulule ipilo yomlando wangaphambili womphakathi wezokulima. Izulu elihle egade lina kusukela nakuthoma ikreste leK2 laphela, lenza bona kube nesomiso esibudisi khulu kesekhe sabakhona eminyakeni emakhulu, umlambo iLimpopo River waba neenkhukhula ngesikhathi esimbi wabulala iintjalo. Umraro wokudla lo kunganzeka bona waba mumbi khulu lokha nakuqubuka ubulwelwe obubangwa makhondlo wekhaya (rattus-rattus).
Ngokutlhogeka kokudla, isenta le yabhalelwa kubambelela ihlokodorobha yayo yawa. Njeke iMapungubwe khange isakhgona ukuragela phambili ngokurhweba begodu isistimu ebudisi karhulumende ophezulu gade ingakakulindeli lokhu, khange ikghone ukujamelana nomraro lo Kwabakuphela kwakarhulumende weMapungubwe. Ngombana ikosi ayisililitho ngaphandle kwabantu bayo.

Akunaragelo Phambili

©Roger de la Harpe
Njeke abantu beMapungubwe batjhiya amaliba wabo werhawuda, bafuduka bayokuhlala eenadweni ezitja ezisepumalanga nezisetjhingalanga.
Njengalokho obekwenziwa zindawo zetututhuko yabantu kade, ukukhamba kwabo kwaba ngokuvumbukako, kange kusaba neragelo phambili ngemiphakathi eyaza ngemva kwalokho.
Isiko labo khange libambelele begodu iimpoto zebumba ezenziwe eMapungubwe aziveli ndawo eendaweni ezilandelako.
Iminyaka eyi-700 eyalandela lapho indunduma eqwengileko le yabamba ifihlo yayo.
Khange itholwe ziintjhaba ezeza zahlala endaweni lezo kamva, ukwaziwa kwendawo yeMapungubwe kwaphelela ngokuba mlando. Kukunje sisazi okuncani khulu ngabo abantwaba.
Izinto zesiko ezifana nelimi egade balikhuluma, umbhino kanye nenkolelo zabo zekerege azitjhiyi ngemva into ephathekako.
Njeke singaqagela kwaphela bona izinto ezathola emalibeni zitjho ukuthini. Abe aszi bona gade bazibiza bona babobani ngombana ibizo elithi Mapungubwe libizo lesikhathi sanje.

I-Great Zimbabwe

Kuqatjangwa bona lokha ihlokodorobha le nayiwako, abanye abahlali bakhona bafudukela edorobheni egade lisathomako le-Great Zimbabwe. Leli kwakulidorobha evele likhona, egade lisemamitheni ayi-150 kms nawuya epumalanga, egade linesiko layo kanye nendlela yayo yokwenza iimpoto zebumba. Lokha nakuwa iMapungubwe, idorobha le-Great Zimbabwe lathoma lathatha isenta yokurhweba nabantu betlhagwini.
Lokha nayiragela phambili nokukhula, i-Great Zimbabwe yathatha amasiko amanengi kanye nezinto ezinengi ezifana nezemaMapungubwe, yazikhulisa yenza idorobha elihle lelitje, elinamaboda amade anamasango amakhulu. Nayo i-Great Zimbabwe yindawo yamagugu, begodu inomlando wayo.

Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana