Umlandvo weNdalo weSakhiwo Seluhlobo lweMuntfu

Imibono yeLushintjo/Intfutfuko

©David Fleminger
Kungavumi lokubanti: lemibono yengucuko ayivunywa nguwonkhe muntfu. Akuyi nangetulu kweminyaka lelikhulu yekufumfutsa ngesayensi kantsi nemagumbi ekugcinela agcwele tintfo letifile letisele, kukhona bantfu labaningi labatfola kutsi kulukhuni kubuyisa ingucuko ngetinkholelo tabo kanye nekwetsemba ngekwabo. Ecinisweni, lokushayisana phakatsi kwengucuko kanye nekwakha yintfo nje namuhla futsi ngulapho khona loyo lomncane longakalungi wesintfu lobitwa nga Charles Darwin wacala kwetfusa lomhlaba ngentsengiso yakhe leyabancono lebitwa nge ‘Endzaweni yendalo yetilwane’.
Uma ungabata lamatfuba elicembu lebantfu lelisebenta ndzawonye ngekugucula, phindze wente lucwalingo lwakho ‘ngekwakha’ utobese utfola lwati lweplethora lolubhekiswe ekukhululweni, kubalekela kanye nekwehlisa kutama kubulala ingucuko. Nomakunjalo, lesi akusiso lesikhatsi noma indzawo yekungena kulenkhulumiswano kanye nembono kutsi letikolwa letimbili atifanani kepha kwehluka kuyaniketwa.

Akukho-e-Afrika

©David Fleminger
Kuyabekiswa kutsi lomhlaba ungetulu kwa 35% ngemnotfo wetintfo letisele letafa letatfolwa noma kubakhashane bekungekho emhlabeni noma ngaseSakhiweni seNhlobo yeBantfu – kwanyalo kuhambela ngetulu kwenkhulungwane yebantfu labasuka etindzaweni cishe letilishumi nakunye letehlukene. Ngekwengetalapho, letitintfo letisele letafa tivama kubasesimeni lesikahle kakhulu lesigcinekile, sibonga ngekungcwabeka ekomeni, kumihomu leyomile, futsi loku kukhulise insha yabo sosayensi labaningi kanye nema anatomists kukala nggisho phansi kakhulu kumilandvo yetfu yaphambilini. Futsi kusekuningi!
Ngenca yaleSakhiwo Seluhlobo Lwebantfu phindze kutfwele tinkhulungwane letilishumi tetintfo letasala letafa letiphetse lizibithi kuletintfo tesikhats lesitsite tendlela yandvulo. Kufuna/kugubha kulemihomo leminingi yaleSakhiwo Seluhlobo Lwebantfu sekukhulise lizibithi lemalungiselelo etintfo letinhle futsi netilwane letitfusako letake tahlephulelana lendzawo netintfo letifana nemadloti: letitilwane lesetingasaphili, emagundvwane, emaporcupines, tinyamatane, tingobiyane, timfene, timpundzi letinkhulu kakhulu letinetimphandze letinemamitha lamatsatfu ngebudze, emakati ematinyo-esabre, lamakati ematinyo-esabre emaDinofelis, lenja yesiganga lehlukile yase Gladysvale, lihhashi letinyawo letintsatfu, indlulamitsi yentsamo lemfisha, singasasho le dassies lenkhulu, emahyena lamakhulu kanye nendayikazane lenkhulu (lengaba nesisindvo lesihambela kumakhilomitha lalikhulu nemashumi lamabili).
Lobumcoka bemnotfo wetintfo letisele letafa taleSakhiwo seLuhlobo lweBantfu, ngaloko, tinentfo lebalulekile lengabuteki, futsi lizibithi selinike sisindvo kulemibono- Lengekho -eAfrika, lekuchaza kutsi bantfu besimanje labaphila eAfrika lese Ningizimu ngaphambi kwekuhamba baye enyakatfo kanye nekuhlala kulomhlaba. Lonamdvumo uchutjwa kuciniswa tibonelo letiningi tetintfo tematje letitfolwa endzaweni, futsi muva tivunywe ngetulu-noma-ngaphansi kufundza lokukhweshile kwelushintjo lolukhona emkhatsini webantfu besimanje.

Lokuningi lokuSetawutfolwa

©David Fleminger
Ngalokubuhlungu, ngekubona ngeliso lelinye, kulukhuni kubona kahlekahle kutsi ngubani locale lomunye, futsi kumele kuvunywe kutsi ingucuko yebantfu akusiyo isayensi lengiyo kahle. Ngekwemphilo, kuva kwetfu ngekunotsa kwemadloti kuhambisana ngetintfo letincane letisele letafa kanye nalokutfolwako njalonjalo lokusiphocelelako kutsi sicabange phindze sibuyise luhla lwemindeni yetfu. Kepha loku kwengeta kulomcondvo wekujabula kulelihlangotsi lwe palaeoanthropology kanye, ngisho nangemuva kweminyaka lemashui lasiphohlongo ekuchubeka nekugubha/kufuna kule Sakhiwo Seluhlobo Lwebantfu, kusekuningi lokusetawutfolwa. Namuhla, lendzawo ye Sakhiwo Seluhlobo Lwebantfu sekuvele kukhomba luhla lwabososayensi labente iminikelo/labafake sandla kulendlela. Ngubani longacabanga kutsi kufundza ngemlandvo kutoba yintfo lesimanga?
Lelendzala ‘indlela – yekugijima’ yengucuko yesimanje yebantfu lapho khona sinye silwane sengca malula sigaba sekucala secele kulesilandzelako lesikhonjiwe kutsi asisasebenti. Loku ngulokubuhlungu ngoba bekuvame kuba yintfo lelula kakhulu, njengasemidvwebeni leyatiwako njengemfene lejika ibengumuntfu: timfene taba ngema Australopithecus, lekwajika kwaba yintfo lefanako, lekwaba yintfo lemako, lekwagucuka kwaba Yintfo le sapien.
Letintfo letasala letafa letatfolw kuleSakhiwo Seluhlobo Lwebantfu ne Afrika lese Mphumalanga sekukhombise kutsi bekukhona tilwane letehlukene lebetitiningi teminotfo lebetiphila endzaweni lefanako ngesikhatsi lesifanako. Yini leyenta kutsi tilwane tinye tiphile tibe letinye tafa? Kulukhuni kusho ngesimo lonesiciniseko ngaso. Kumbe umangabe silwane sakhula kutsatsela lokungetulu. Kumbe sinye silwane sakhula emathuluzi lancono kwentela kusita kutsi tiphile. Kumbe sinye silwane sadvonsa lendlela yelulwimi kucala kunaletinye. Kumbe letilwane tashada emkhatsini (nakucatjangwa ngekuvela batali bato). Noma kumbe tinye tilwane tacondzana tase tibulala letinye (kungaba yintfo lengiyo nasibuka umlandvo wetfu lowengcile). Yonkhe lemibuto isakhulunywa namanje ngummango wase Palaeo, futsi kukhona inombolo yebongcongcoshe besive labanika luhla lolunelwati lonkhe lwesikhundla ngasinye.

Translated by Phindile Malotana