Abantu bebala elinsundu babephucuzekile kwasekuqaleni!

Sekukaningi ngizwa inkulumo ehlose ukubabaza ukuhlwithwa komhlaba wabantu abansundu njengento okwathe mayiphela yashiya impucuzeko. Into eyingozi ngalenkulumo wukuthi iveza sengathi abantu abansundu babengathuthukile futhi babengenakuthuthuka ngaphandle kokufika kongxiwankulu kwelikamthaniya.

Umlando uyakuveza kakhulu ukuthi ukutshala nokufuya kwadlala indima enkulu kakhulu entuthukweni yamazwe ngamazwe. Abalobi bomlando baveza ukuthi ingakacatshangwa nhlobo le yokwakha imikhumbi nokufisa ukwazi kabanzi ngezinye izindawo kanye nemvelo yazo, abantu baqala ukuqonda ukulima kanye nokufuya. Kwathe lapho kunezitshalo eziningi ezazitholakala ukuthi zingalimeka, kanye nalapho ekwakutholakala khona nezilwane ezazingafuyeka, intuthuko yaqala.

Ukuthuthuka kwamazwe kwakuhambisana kakhulu nemvelo elimekayo futhi efuyekayo. Lokhu kwaba nomthelelela omkhulu kakhulu ekuthuthukeni kwendawo eyayaziwa nge-Eurasia ngoba yona yayicebe kakhulu kunezinye izindawo ngemvelo elimekayo futhi nefuyekayo.

Loku ke kuchaza ukuthi akubanga wukuhlakanipha kongxiwankulu kanye nobudomu bebala elinsundu okwaba nomthelela wokunqoba nokuqotshwana kwemihlaba nezizwe njengoba lokhu sekuwumlando, kepha kwaba izinga lentuthuko eyayisekwe imvelo yezwe ngezwe eyaba nomthelela omkhulu ekutheni ngubani owakha umkhumbi kuqala.

Nokho-ke, ngiyafisa ukuveza ukuthi abebala elinsundu nabo babesendleleni yabo yentuthuko, futhi ngokuvunyelwa imvelo yezwekazi labo nokushicelelana ngolwazi nomakhelwane babo, base bengene shaqa endimeni yokulima nokufuya iminyaka eminingi ngaphambi kokuthi kufike ongxiwankulu ngenhloso yokugwinya elase-Africa.

Incwabi kaPeter Croeser eyakhishwa ngonyaka we-2013 ikuveza kahle kamhlophe lokhu. UCroeser kwincwadi osihloko sayo sithi Umbukiso omayelana nokungalingani ngokobuzwe Maphakathi nesifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natal uveza kabanzi ngabalimi bokuqala e-Afrika eminyakeni engama-400 AD kuya phambili.

Ngokuchaza kukaCroeser, abalimi bokukuqala ababaziwa ngokuthi uMzonjani bafika KwaZulu-Natal bevela enyakatho nezwekazi lase-Afrika eminyakeni eyi-1 600 edlule. Bafika nemfuyo okwakukhona kuyo izinkomo, izimbuzi, izinkukhu kanye nezithelo ezitholakala ehlobo. Bafika futhi nekhono lokuncibilikisa insimbi bakhe amathuluzi kanye nezikhali, babebuye bapheke ubumba benze ngalo izinkamba zokuphatha ukudla namanzi.

UCroeser uqhubeka aveze ukuthi abalimi bokuqala ababekhuluma isiShona emandulo babaziwa ngokuthi amaKulundu bafika ngonyaka wenkulungwane namakhulu amabili bevela nyakatho ne-Afrika base bezinza ogwini kanye nasehlanzeni laKwaZulu-Natal. Babe sebelandelwa, futhi bagwinywa, maphakathi nonyaka wenkulungwane ye-11 AD (ngabo 1050 AD), ngabalimi bokuqala ababekhuluma isiNguni abase besabalele emazansi nogu, babuye banyukela maphakathi nesifunda lapho kwaku namadlelo aluhlaza kusuka ngonyaka we-1300. Isizukulwane sabo ngabantu abakhuluma isiNguni namhlanje okungamaZulu namaXhosa, kanye nabeSuthu nabaTswana.

Ukuqala kokuhlangana kwabalimi kanye nabazingeli kwakunoxolo kubonakaliswa ngokuhwebelana. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kwabakhona ingxabano lapho abalimi baqala bangenisa ezindaweni ezingamadlelo maphakathi, ngisho naphezulu enkangala. Lokhu kwaqhubeka isikhathi eside kakhulu kanti abalimi abangabacabi bona bafika isikhathi sesihambile, ngonyaka yowe-1837.

UCroeser ukucacisa lokhu ngokuveza ukuthi abalimi ababeyisizukulwane sabantu baseYurobhu baqala ukufika KwaZulu-Natal eminyakeni eyikhulu namashumi ayisikhombisa eyedlule. Abakokuqala ukufika kwabe kungabelungu abakhuluma isiDashi abangaBacabi, ababebuye baziwe ngokuthi ngamaBhunu (abalimi), nabanquma ukushiya umbuso wokufika wabamhlophe eKapa.

Kubalulekile ke ukwazi lonke lo lwazi ngaphambi kokuphimisa ukuthi intuthuko yinto abantu babela elinsundu abayiqabuka ngongxiwankulu.

Article Overview

There is a great myth among people in South Africa that had it not been for colonialism, South Africa and indeed Africa would still be under the conditions of the Stone Age. Arguably, this belief is shared by some sectors of both black and white communities, including some prominent politicians and celebrities.

This article seeks to dispel that myth by highlighting the agricultural and trading roots of Africans which date back to 400 AD according to Peter Croeser’s book entitled: An exhibition on the struggle for racial equality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. In the book, Croeser aptly posits the trading activities of Africa well before the first arrival of farmers of European descent in 1837 in southern Africa. The article rightly advances that by the time of European arrival in Africa, African indigenous people were already had a vibrant agricultural and trading system already taking place.