Indawo I-Mapungubwe

Idolophu Yokuqala yase Mzantsi Afrika

©David Fleminger
Ngexesha le 1250 AD, i-Mapungubwe yayikwinqanaba eliphezulu elinamandla. Inani labantu abangamawaka amahlanu liqale lahlala pha ngasentabeni, kwaye lonto ingqina ukuba yiyo idolophu yokuqala yase Mzantsi Afrika.
Ezinye indawo zokuhlala zimiswe kude nesixeko esikhulu (esona sibalulekileyo ibiyi Mmamagwa e-Botswana), into echaza ukuba i-Mapungubwe ibingumbuso wokuqala wase Mzantsi Afrika.
Intsalela yobumba olwahlukileyo lwamasiko ase Mapungubwe, ifunyenwe kwindawo engange zikwere zekhilomitha eziyi 30 000, indawo elingana nobukhosi bakwa Zulu kunye ne-Lesotho yanamhlanje.
Kulo lonke oluxanduva nolawulo lweencwadi oluthe longezwa, ikumkani ikhangeleke idiniwe, yayozihlalela yodwa. Phakathi kwe 1250 AD, uluhlu lwendonga zamatye kunye nendawo ezibiyelweyo, zenzelwe ukukhusela indawo yasebukhosini eyayime bucala.
Ngokuzishenxisa ku wonke-wonke, ikumkani izikhuphile naku bomi bemihla ngemihla bomphakathi. Kwamanye amasiko, ngokwe sintu ezobulungisa ngumsebenzi wenkosi, kodwa e-Mapungubwe, inkundla yomthetho ibibanjelwa emazantsi wentaba.
Ikumkani ibinga soze ibonwe ihambe kwindawo engcolileyo, ngoku ubhuti wenkosi ibinguye ohlala kwezinkundla zomthetho, ibenguye osombulula ezomthetho endaweni yenkosi ebihlala phezulu kwentaba.

Ikumkani yaseziNtabeni

©Jacques Marais
Ukombiwa komntla wentaba kudala usenzeka ukusuka pha kwiminyaka ye-1930s, kwaye kucingwa ukuba aye mabini amabanga ophuhliso lwendawo yasebukhosini evalekileyo. ‘Ikumkani yokuqala’ ibihlala pha kumntla wentshona ekupheleni kwentaba, apho imiphantsi yezindlu yayibonwe khona. Kwaye ziphawuleke ngenxa yemingxunya ejikelezayo esikwe ematyeni ukusekela iipali ezimise indlu. Kukho izinto ezininzi phezu kwentaba ezazisetyenziswa ekwakheni izindlu.
u-Huffman uchaza isisekelo salendawo kanje “Esinye isakhiwo esingaqhelekanga besineveranda ebanzi enamaziko omlilo amabini kumacala onke esihlalo. i-Veranda ibijikeleze indlu encinci enomphantsi owenziwe kakuhle ngodongo kwaye iqinile, abagrumbi bakuqala bebeyibiza i ‘samente’. Enye indlu ibinentsalela yokutshiswa komnyango wokhuni obechasene namaziko omlilo. Ukuba ezizakhiwo bezilandele ipatheni yase Zimbabwe, ngekuba indlwana enomnyango yiyo elala ikumkani, yena usiyazi wekumkani ebezosebenzisa indlwana encinci elineziko lomlilo wangaphandle. Kufutshane nalendawo bekuba khona igumbi lababukeli apho ikumkani ibisamkela khona abatyeleli ngokwesihlalo esisemthethweni. Ekugqibeleni, isithunywa senkosi besine-ofisi pha ngaphambili ukuze ibesiso esibona abatyeleli kuqala.”

Iphondo Lomkhombe likaKumkani

©Roger de la Harpe
Phakathi kwe 1250 AD, nangona lemvisiswano belungafanelelangai ‘Kumkani yeSibini’, kwaye nendawo yasebukhosini yasuswa yabekwa kumphakathi wentaba. Iindonga zamatye ezifana nezase Zimbabwe enkulu, zakhiwe ukwenzela ukuba elipomakazi likwazi ukuzimela, nokwandisa isithethe sokuhlukanisa iKumkani. uHuffman, elandela ipatheni yase Zimbabwe yabantu abaphakamileyo, ubonisa ukuba ikumkani yayahlulwe luluhlu lwabalamleli; isithunywa esiphezulu besidibana nabatyeleli, sibathathe sibase kwisazi senkosi ukubona abo babanenjongo ezingcolileyo. Ukuba bavunyelwe ukungena ngaphakathi ngonogada, abantu bebenikwa ithuba lokubona ikumkani, ibihlala kwelinye icala lenkundla, imiboniso ibikhutshwa kwelinye icala lodonga okanye kwiskrini.

Inani eliphantsi lonogada (‘ilihlo’ lika kumkani), iimvumi kunye neembongi kuthiwa nazo bezihlala entabeni-njengokuba iibhodi zemidlalo yase Mancala ichaza, ezibaziweyo ematyeni. Ukombiwa kubonisa ukuba omnye okanye owesibini umfazi obethandwa ebehlala pha kwindawo esemva kwe pomakazi, nangona abanye abafazi bebehlala kumazantsi wentaba. Indawo yezithethe yezinto ezingcwele kunye nokwenziwa kwemvula ibizizo ebezigqibezela ubuhle bepomakazi lekumkani.

Ukuvelisa kunye nokuRhweba

Ngaphandle kwesisekelo esitsha, akhonto tshintso luninzi olwenzekileyo ukusuka pha kwintsuku ze K2. Abantu basalima (baxhaswa zilali ezikufutshane nase mlanjeni) kunye nokufuya (kukho ubungqina bezilwanyana ezifuywa ekhaya ezifana neenkomo, iigusha, iibhokwe kunye nezinja). Intsalela yezandlwana zogcino lubonisa ukuba babe neenqwaba yengqolowa, amabele kunye nekotini. Kodwa ibisisixeko soveliso nezorhwebo ezibangele impumelelo yase Mapubungwe.

Translated by Aviwe Damane