Itafula lemvelo elingumdobi wabantu liwubuhle beKapa

Kufika nabaphuma phesheya bezozibonela le ntaba, kubhala uMuntu Xulu.

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Wake waya yini eKibhithawini, wafika wabona izinhlobo zamatafula akhona? Amatafula emvelo namatafula okwenziwa? Kumatafula emvelo, elihle kakhulu yiNtaba yeTafula — iTable Mountain. Kwawokwenziwa alikho elithatha ikhekhe njengetafula likaNgamulana!

Itafula lemvelo iTable Mountain, yibona buhle beKibhithawini emini nasebusuku. Lentabakazi eyisicaba phezulu kuhle okwetafula uqobo, iphakeme amamitha ayi-1086 ukuya phezulu. Ubude bayo ngokwendlaleka kwayo cishe ukusuka ngasesiqongweni sikaSathane ngakwesobunxele ukuya cishe esiqongweni seKhanda leBhubesi ngakwesokudla, bungaba ngamakhilomitha amathathu.

Ehlobo iyakhanga lentaba, ngoba ungayifica isimhlophe phezulu, sekwendlaleke phezu kwayo ifu elimhlophe qwa sengathithi yiqhwa lasebusika, elendlaleke njengendwangu yetafula emhlophe uma selidekiwe ladekelwa ukudlela kulo ukudla okwehla ngesiphundu, emachopho ayo alengela ngapha nangapha ekugebeni kwayo. Khona lokho nje kukodwa, kuyalivunulisa lelitafulakazi lemvelo ngamashoba amhlophe, ligqize inhlonipho njengoweSilo uDlungwane kaNdaba owayebonakala ngamashoba amhlophe eya phansi eya phezulu uma esehlabana.

Laphayana ecabazini ngaphansi kwayo, amanxulunxulumakazi emizi enamabhilidi amade, kodwa awayedluli lentaba ngobude, yona yilokhu iwaphakamele, wona eyikhothamele, ngoba vele njena iwaphakamele kuhle okwesibhakabhaka siphakeme phezu komhlaba.

Ebusuku ungathanda, lapho ubona ukukhanya kukagesi nokukhanya okuvela ngamafasitela amabhilidi sengathithi yisibhakabhaka esicihakaze izinkanyezi izulu licwathile, ubone esengathi kukhanya ubucwazicwazi bamatshe entengo enkulu, idayimane nesiliva!

Naziyana izilwandle zigubha amagagasi — ngolwaseNdiya nolwase-Atlantiki. Ubona nje ephukela phezulu, kuvele ubumhlophe obunjengomkhithiko, sengathi ukuqephuza kwamashoba amhlophe amabutho kaZulu uma egiya eqephuza ekhuza izaga zempi, ebuza ethi:

Uze uthande lapho uzwa kukloloba kude amagagasi esephihlizeka emadwaleni amachweba alapha. Ingwebu iphuphume phezulu kuhle okomhlophe uphehlwa ngebhaxa, ukhihliza ingwebu yobulawu obumhlophe, oyengula maqede uziphohle ubuso ngayo kandukuba usigcwalise sithi nswi ngamanzi, ebese uwaqhweba ngeminwe emithathu, ukhiphe uxakaxa nezindenda, uhlanzeke ngaphakathi, kusuke isinyama namabhadi, kusale ubuhle bodwa obunjengobalentabakazi okuthiwa ineminyaka eyizigidi ezingama-350 ubudala, kodwa isabukeka namanje. Kusho izihlakaniphi phela.

Zingama-350 izindlela ongakhuphuka ngazo ukuya phezulu ecabazini elinjengenkangala phezulu kulentabakazi. Ezinye ziyingozi ngoba zinamadwala ongashelela kuwo maqede uyophahlazeka phansi kwaMamangalahlwa. Kuthiwa sekwafa izinkwelintaba eziningi zizama ukuyothi congco phezulu kulentaba zihamba ngezinyawo.

Kuthiwa ngonyaka ka-1929 kwafakwa ikheshe eligijima kujantshi wentambo yekhebuli, esuka eNtanyeni yeSiwa (iKloof Nek), iyosho phezulu ecabazini leNtaba yeTafula. Kuthiwa abantu abasebenzisa lelikheshe lentambo, bacishe bacele ezi-250 000 ngonyaka, abakhwela ngayo ukuyobona phezulu entabeni, nalapho bewubona kahle khona umbono okhangayo walolonke iKibhithawini ngisho nezilwandle zalo. Ubuhle bodwa obubonwa lapho phezulu.

– Iyaqhubeka ngesonto elizayo.