Iqiniso Ngukushesha
I-Mapungubwe itholakala engxenyeni esenyakatho-ntshonalanga yeNingizimu Afrika, lapho kuhlangana khona imifula iLimpopo neShashe. Kusemngceleni weBotswana neZimbabwe, ngokumelene neTuli Block. Eminyakeni engaba yinkulungwane eyedlule, lokhu kwakuyisizinda somphakathi omkhulu futhi onamandla ohweba kakhulu nabathengisi abasuka ogwini lwaseMpumalanga ye-Afrika.
Kunezindawo ezingaphansi kwamakhulu amabili eziphathelene nokuvubukulwa ezindaweni ezizungezile kanye nezinhloko ezintathu ezazinabantu behlala kuzo ngezikhathi ezahlukene: Zhizo, K2 kanye neNtaba yeMapungubwe Inhloko-dolobha eMfuleni yaseMapungubwe yayiyiyona enkulu kunazo zonke futhi icebile kakhulu. Inkosi yayihlala yodwa, kanti abantu bayo babehlala emathaleni angaphansi kwegquma.
Ngemuva kwempucuko, eminyakeni engamakhulu ayisikhombisa eyedlule, izizwe ezisele kule ndawo zenqaba ukusondela entabeni, zikholelwa ukuthi indawo engcwele lapho okhokho bahlala khona. Leli gquma laqala ukutholakala ngabantu abamhlophe ngo-1932, lapho indoda eyayiyimpumputhe okuthiwa uMowena ithonywe ukukhomba intaba eyingqayizivele kuthisha okuthiwa uVan Graan.
U-Van Graan nabangani bakhe bathola amathuna amaningi phezulu kwegquma elaligcwele izinto ezimangalisayo zomngcwabo, okudumile kunazo zonke njengezithombe eziphelele zobhejane ezenziwe ngephepha legolide.
Kungani Imfihlakalo Nensumansumane?
Kuyathakazelelisa? Ngempela! Khona-ke kungani singasazi kabanzi ngaleli siko enikhohliwe kanye nentaba yabo? Yebo, noma uMapungubwe engomunye wemiphakathi yakudala e-Afrika engaphansi kweSahara, akuchazwa ngayo kahle ngendlela eqondakalayo eminyakeni eminingi eyedlule engamakhulu ayisikhombisa. Futhi zikhona izizathu eziningi zalokho.
Okokuqala, njengoba kunjalo nakweminye imiphakathi yasendulo eNingizimu Melika naseMpumalanga Ephakathi, kukhona ukuqhubeka okuncane phakathi kwabantu baseMapungubwe basendulo nabalingani babo banamuhla, ngaphesheya kwenganekwane ezingaqondakali kahle.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, abantu beMapungubwe abashiyanga amarekhodi abhaliweyo, futhi umlando womlomo ngokuvamile awufinyeleli emuva eminyakeni engamakhulu ambalwa kakhulu. Ekugcineni, ngobandlululo eNingizimu Afrika, ngokuqinisekile uhulumeni akazange afune ukukhazimulisa noma yikuphi ukukhwabanisa komdabu kanye nenqubo yezemfundo nje ebhekane nomlando wabantu abamnyama.
Izwe labantu abaphila ehlathini kanye nenhlangano yezindawo zaBantu besikhathi sensimbi kwakukhohliswa ngokucophelela yizincwadi zemibhalo, futhi lokhu kuye kwaholela ekuboneni ukuthi akukho lutho olwenzeka eNingizimu Afrika kuze kube yilapho abaseYurophu befika kuma-1500.
Imfundo Kamuva ka1994
Labo abanamahloni abafana nami ukuba bafundiswe ngaphansi kwezinto ezidabukisayo zobuzwe baseNingizimu Afrika abangeke bakwazi ukuzwakalisa ukucabanga ukuthi abantu bendawo bebelokhu beyinkinga, behlala ezindlini ezingaphucukile futhi beqa ehlathini ngemikhonto.
Esinye Isiphukuphuku sathi 'abantu base-Afrika abanalo isiko' futhi, ngaphambi kokuba ngithukuthele, kwakudingeka ngikhumbule ukuthi yilokho ayekufundiswe izazi-mlando zakudala ezedlule.
Noma kunjalo, eminyakeni edlule, kuye kwaba nemibukiso eminingi emphakathini ephakanyiswe yiYunivesithi yasePitoli, futhi indaba yabika kabanzi emaphephandabeni. Kodwa-ke, iningi lale mibiko libhekene ne "mpicabadala" yaseMapungubwe futhi bazibuza ukuthi ubani owayengenza ubuhle obunzima bebhejane legolide – bengalokothi noma ukuphupha okwesikhashana ukuthi kungase kube abantu abamnyama basendulo. Kodwa, ingxenye enkulu, iMapungubwe yaxoshwa emashalofini aphansi kunazo zonke zezemfundo ethembeni lokuthi izokhohlwa. Futhi cishe kwenzeka.
Ngaphambi ka1994
Kusukela ngo-1994, noma kunjalo, imibono yezombusazwe ishintshe futhi uMapungubwe uphinde wabuyiselwa njengesibonakaliso sokuvela kabusha kweAfrika. Ngakho-ke, ngonyaka ka-1997, isilabhasi yomlando ekugcineni yavuselelwa ukuba ifake isithombe esiphelele somlando we-Afrika, kanti iMapungubwe yabuyiselwa endaweni yayo efanele ekuqapheliseni kwezwe lethu.
Njengoba kufanele kwenziwe kanjalo, amasayithi amakhulu aseMapungubwe manje aqinisekiswe ngokuphepha ngaphakathi kwemingcele evikelekile yepaki esanda kumiswa. Ubuye uqaphele ukuthi inhlonipho ephakeme kakhulu enikezwa uhulumeni kubantu baseNingizimu Afrika ngenxa yokuthi 'yokuphumelela okuyingqayizivele' kuthiwa yi-Order of Mapungubwe.
Lokhu-ke, yindaba yeMapungubwe. Kuyinto engavamile neyinkimbinkimbi, egcwele izimfihlo ezithakazelisayo ezikhanyiswa kuphela ngokukhanya kwegolide, izingcezu zobumba kanye nezinsalela zabantu ezimbalwa. Kuyinto yokulandisa okuthakazelisayo nokucebile kwemiphakathi yasendulo nokuthola okuphawulekayo, okufana neveli ka H. Rider Haggard. Kodwa, noma ubani owayefunde ngaphambi kuka-1997, indaba yesiko laseMapungubwe igebe elibucayi emqondweni yethu okumele igcwaliswe.
Translated by Nsika Khoza