Ukuwa Kwe Mapungubwe
Konakala Phi?
Kangange minyaka engama 75, abantu base Maungubwe babephila ubomi obulula nobukumgangatho ophezulu. Babelawula umhlaba ongaphaya kwama 30 000 skwere khilomitha, kwaye babeshishina ngamandla kuwo wonke la mmandla. Babenaniselana kunye neentlanga ezikufutshane nabo kwakunye nabanye osomashishini abasuka eSofala kunye nase Chinuebe. Kwaze ngesiquphe, konakala konke oko. Ngomyaka ka 1290 AD, ikomkhulu lalendawo lashiywa ngokukhawuleza, baze abantu base Mapungubwe bathi saa.
Kunzima ukubaneenkcukacha ezipheleleyo, kuba kwezoo sentyurii imbali yayingashicilelwa. Mhlawumbi kwabhubha inkosi endala, yabe ingashiyanga ndlalifa izakungena esikhundleni sayo. Okanye mhlawumbi indlalifa yayilibhetyebhetye, elathi lohluleka ukugcina isizwe sibumbene. Mhlawumbi kwabakho ingxwaba ngxwaba phakathi kosapho lwase bukhosini. Mhlawumbi bahlaselwa lolunye uhlanga (nangona kwakungeno fane kwenzeke oku). Mhlawumbi enye idolophu yathathela kuyo ulawulo lweendlela zoshishino eziya embindini. Mhlawumbi yabayimo yozulu etshintsha rhoqo eyabangela ukuphela kwe Mapungubwe. Olu qikelelo lokugqibela kucingelwa ukuba lulo olusondele enyanini.
i-Ice Age Encinci
Ushicilelo lwemo yezulu lubonisa ukuba malunga neminyaka yoo 1300 AD, kwabakho uhlaselo oluncinane lokuthwaxwa ngumkhenkce kwalendawo / ‘Little Ice Age’. Nangona yayincinci, yayanele ukuba itshintshe ngeyona ndlela ubomi balengingqi yakudala-dala yayiphila ngezolimo. Iimvula ezazisina kakuhle ukusukela kokuqala kwe K2, zayeka ukuna. Kwabakho eyona mbalela yakhe yabonwa emva kweminyaka eliwaka. Umlambo iLimpopo waqalisa ukudlkova, wenza izikhukula ngexesha elingelilo waze watshabalalisa nezityalo. Kusenokwenzka ukuba le ngxaki yokutya yaphinda yanziwa mbi kakhulu kukugqabhuka kwesifo plague, esasithwalwa/sisasazwa zimpuku ezihlala ezindlini (rattus-rattus).
Ekubeni kuphele ukutya, kwabanzima kakhulu ukuqhubeka nokuphila. Eli komkhulu laqalisa ke ukudilika. Le ndawo yase Mapungubwe ayizange ikwazi ukuqhubeka noshishino lwayo, kwaye ubume buka hrulumente wangelaxesha wayengakulungelanga kwaphela ukumelana nalengxuba kaxaka. Yabakukuphela ke kwelizwe lase Mapungubwe. Kwaye ekugqibeleni inkosi ayisiyonto ngaphandle kwabantu bayo.
Akukho Kuqhubeleka
Ngoko ke, abantu base Mapungubwe bashiya amangcwaba abo azele yigolide, bafudukela kwiindawo ezintsha ezisemazantsi kunye nasemntla mpuma. Njengolunye ke uluntu lwakudala dala, uhambo lwabo lwabasisiquphe kwaye akuzange kubekho kuqhubeleka. Izithethe zabo azizange zidluliselwe kwisizukulwana, kwaye izinto ezenziwe ngomdongwe ngendlela yase Mapungubwe ayizange iphinde ifunyanwe nakweziphi na iziza.
Kwiminyaka engama 700 elandelayo, lenduli inyulu, yagcina iimfihlo zayo. Akuzange kubekho ezinye iintlanga ezihlala kuyo emva kokuba kumke uhlanga lokuqala, kwaye ubuni nembali yabantu base Mapungubwe banyamalala bungazange bushicilelwe kwimbali. Eneneni luncinci kakhulu ulwazi esinalo ngoluhlanga. Izinto ezifana nolwimi ababeluthetha, umculo, kunye nezenkolo azishiyekelii ngasemva. Ngoko ke singaqikelela intsusa yobucwebe obafunyanwa emangcwabeni, siphinde siqikelele nendlela ababehlala ngayo. Kwaye asibazi nokuba babezibiza ngoobani ababantu base Mapungubwe, kuba igama le‘Mapungubwe yinto ethi gqi ngoku.
Zimbabwe Enkulu
Kucingeleka ukuba lathi xa ikomkhulu liqhekeka, ingxenye yoluntu lwafudukela kwidolophu eyayisentsha ngeloxesha, ekwilizwe elikhulu lase Zimbabwe. Kwakusele kuhlala abantu kuledolophu, malunga nama 150km ukusuka emntla mpuma. Le dolophu nayo yayizenzela izinto ngomdongwe. Ngokuwa kwe Mapungubwe, iZimbabwe enkulu yathi chu ukuthathela kuyo ulawulo lwezoshishino lwonxweme oluse mpuma. Njengokuba ilizwe lase Zimbabwe lalisiya likhula, lathathela kulo uninzi lwezithethe namasiko ohlanga lwase Maphungubwe. Eli lizwe lathatha indlela yokwakha iindawo zokuhlala eyayisetyenziswa ngabantu base Mapungubwe, lenza izindlu ezinkulu ezakhiwe ngamatye, kunye neeyadi ezinkulu ezakhiwe ngamatye. Le ndawo yehlabathi lakudala dala nayi ibalelwa phantsi kwe World Heritage Site, kwaye inembali yayo engaginyisi mathe.
Translated by
Zizipho Silwana
