Sicumbi Semabhilidi eMapungubwe

Lidolobha Lekucala eSA

©David Fleminger
Nga 1250 AD, iMapungubwe beyisematseni ngemandla ayo. Bantfu labangaba tinkhulungwane letisihlanu lebebahlala kulentsaba, futsi lokuyenta indzawo lephumelele kutsi ibelidolobha lekucala le Ningizimu Afrika.
Letinye letiningi tindlu takhiwe nato sigajanyana n ngakulelidolobha (lokumcoka kakhulu kuba yiMmamagwa eBotswana), ngakoke loku kwenta kutsi iMapungubwe ibelive nahulumende we Ningizimu Afrika.
Tindziwo letasala kulamasiko aseMapungubwe atfolwa ngetulu kwendzawo lengemakhilomitha latinkhulungwane letimashumi lamatsatfu ngetikwele, kuba linani lelilinganako njengalelo lesigodlo semaZulu kanye nelilanga lelingilo lase Lesotho.
Ngayoyonkhe lemisebenti lengetiwe kanye nemsebenti longetulu lokumele unakekelwe, lenkhosi yayitinaka kakhulu ngesikhatsi ihleti iyodvwa. Ngesikhatsi sa 1250, incumbi yemabondza ematje kanye netiphetfo tatakhiwe ngetulu kwalentsaba kwentela kuphucula bungasense balesigodlo.
Ngetikhweshisa kulokwatiwa, lenkhosi nayo yatikhweshisa ngelilanga-ngelilanga etimphilweni talommango. Kulamanye emasiko, umtsetfo kwakuyintfo yesikhulu, kepha eMapungubwe, tindlu temacele betakhiwe ekungeneni kwentsaba.
Lenkhosi ngabe ayibanjwanga ihamba ungatsi ifile emkhatsini walabangakagezwa, ngako umnakabo lenkhosi beyita kuletindlu tekutsetsa emacala anake umtsetfo esikhundleni sebaphatsi lebebasesikhundleni lesiphakeme.

Inkhosi ye Ntsaba

©Jacques Marais
Kugagabula ngetulu kwentsaba bekuchubeka kusukela ngemnyaka wa 1930, kwanyalo kungumcabango kutsi timbili tigaba kulelitiko lekutfola tigcibo tesigodlo.
Le 'Nkhosi Yekucala' yayihlala ekugcineni kwentsaba lesenyakatfo nshona, lapho khona incumbi yetiyilo tetindlu tatfolwa khona. Loku kwachazwa tigodzi letitindingilizi lebetijutjwe tabangematje kwentela kusekela tindlu taboguca. Kukhona ngisho tindzawo letiningi kulentsaba ngetulu lebetakhiwe ngemabondza aboguca.
Hufman uchaza indlela yalesicumbi semabhilidi ngalendleka lelandzelako:"Sinye sakhiwo lesingakajwayeleki sasinevaranda lenkhulu netindzawo tekubasela letimbili (tibitwa 'tintfo letibukiwe') ngakutinhlangotsi totimbili tesihlalo. Levaranda igegelete ligumbi lelincane ngesiyilo selibumba lesicinile futsi nalebesakhiwe kahle lekwenta bagagabuli basibite 'semende'.
Lenye indlu lebeyisele nekusha kwesivalo setingodvo yasala imile ibukene nendzawo yekubasela. Kube letitakhiwo betilandzele lemidvwebo yamuva yase Zimbabwe, ngako loguca wesivalo nguye weligumbi lekulala lalenkhosi, abe loyo lomcoka kulenkhosi abengasebentisa guca lomncane lobowukadze unetindzawo tekubasela ngaphandle. Encenye dvutane bekungaba yindzawo yelibandla lapho khona inkhosi itfola khona tivakashi ngendlela lelungisiwe yekuhlala. Ekugcineni, sitfunywa lesikhul senkhosi ngabe sagcina lihhovisi nawuya ngasephambili lapho abengamukela letivakashi ngakhona kucala."

Liphondvo Lelimhlophe Lelibhilidi Lelidze Lenkhosi

©Roger de la Harpe
Ngesikhatsi sa 1250, lamalungiselelo lamancane besekangalungeli 'Kuba Yinkhosi Yesibili', futsi lesigodlo sakhweshiswa saya emkhatsini wentsaba. Emabondza Ematje, intfo lechamuka kwentfo lefanako kusilwane lesikhulu lesakhiwa eZimbabwe Lenkhulu, akhelwa kwenta lesigodlo lesincane sibe sikhulu ngelinani, nekukhulisa/kuphucula kuhlaba kuhlukaniswe ne Nkhosi.
Huffman, lolandzela imidvwebo ye Zimbabwe Lenkhulu, kubonisana kutsi kutsi lenkhosi nyalo besiyishiywe yodvwa bantfu labaningi; sitfunywa lesikhulu sitohlangana nebavakashi bese siyatitsatsa tiyakulendzwo yenkhosi kuyobonwa kutsi ngabe kukhona yini bubi letitengako. Uma bahlolwe bogadzi, lesicumbi sibese simikiswa kulenkhosi, lebeyivame kuhlala ngakulinye lihlangotsi lalendlu yemacala esigodlweni, kubukwe kumabonakudze losebondzeni.
Libandla labogadzi (le 'liso lenkhosi), baculi/bahlabeleli kanye netimbongi kungahle kube kutsi tahlala kulentsaba - njengekusho kwemabhodi eMancala lasele, labambeke ematjeni. Kugagabula kukhombe kutsi munye noma babili bafati labatsandvwako kumbe bebahlala kulentsaba. Indzawo yekuhlabela tintfo kanye nekwentiwa kwelitulu kungumbono kuba neLiphondvo Lelimhlophe Lelibhilidili Lelidze Lenkhosi leliphelele.

Kukhicita kanye nekuTsengisa

Nomakunjalo, ngaphandle kwalendlela lensha, kute lokunganani lokushintjile kumalanga ase K2. Labantfu bebasolo balungiselela inhlanganisela yekulima (ngekusekelwa bantfu besigodzi lebebasondzele emfuleni) kantsi nekufuya tilwane (kukhona lizibithi letinkhomo tekufuywa, timvu, timbuti kanye netinja).
Lokwasala kwetindlu taguca kukhomba kutsi bahlohla inhlanyelo, emabele kanye nakotini. Kepha kwakukukhicita kanye nendzawo yekutsengisela lapho khona iMapungubwe yenta yendlulela.

Translated by Phindile Malotana