Intaba iMbubu

**iNtaba iMbubu**, eyaziwa nangokuthi **Swartkop** noma **Zwartkop**, iyintaba etholakala cishe ngamakhilomitha ayi-15–20 entshonalanga yesidlavela uMgungundlovu ngaphansi kukaMasipala waseMsunduzi esifundazweni saKwaZulu-Natal, eNingizimu Afrika. Le ntaba iphakama cishe ngamamitha ayi-1,451 ngaphezu kolwandle, futhi ingenye yezintaba ezivelele ezakha isimo sendawo saseMidlands.

## Umsuka Wegama

Miningi imibono ekhona nezinkulumo ezishiwoyo ngokuqambeka kwale ntaba ngaleli gama.
Isilandiso esidumile sithi igama lesiZulu elithi *Mbubu* lisho “indawo yembubu”, okubhekiselwa otshanini obude obusetshenziswa kakhulu ekufulelweni (*Cymbopogon excavatus*) obabukhula emagqumeni ayo.Igama lesiBhunu elithi *Swartkop* (okwakubhalwa ngokuthi *Zwartkop*) lisho “ikhanda elimnyama” noma “intaba emnyama”, okungenzeka libhekisela emahlathini amnyama omdabu ayekade emboze le ntaba.

Enye indaba eshiwoyo eyamaniswa nomlando, ishiwo abanye abahlali abasondelelene nayo intaba bathi lisuselwa egameni "ukubhubuza." Kuthiwa kudala kwake kwanesimo lapho owesifazane othile wayeyotheza ebelethe umntwana. Wathi angafika ehlathini lalentaba wamthatha umntwana wambeka phansi. Entabeni kwasuka isilwane esingaziwa esesabekayo esinamaphiko samgxavuna umntwana ngamazipho sayosithela naye entabeni kwase kuthiwa "umntwana ubhubuzeke entabeni" kwase kuthiwa intaba yiMbubu. 

Isilandiso sesithathu sivela kubantu bakwaMbanjwa, abanomlando osemqoka kule ndawo. Abantu bakwaMbanjwa bathi le ntaba yaqambeka ngomuzi wabo, okwathi uma befika kule ndawo beyinikwa nguNombewu, inkosi yaseNhlangwini bawetha ngokuthi yiMbubu ngoba bebhubuzwe yiziMpi zikaZulu namaNdwandwe.

## Indawo

iMbubu iyingxenye yeqoqo lezintaba ezisentshonalanga noMgungudlovu futhi iyona ephakeme phakathi kwezintaba eziseduze ezifana neMbutshana (cishe amamitha ayi-1,376) kanye neThe Knoll.

Izingxenye zayo ezisempumalanga zibheke esigodini saseMgungundlovu. Umfula iDorpspruit, ongomunye wemifula engena kuMsunduzi (owaziwa nangokuthi uDusi), udabula esigodini esiseduze nale ntaba.

## Uhlaka Lwamasiko Omhlaba (Geology)

Le ntaba iyingxenye yohlelo lweKaroo eNingizimu Afrika. Yakhiwe ikakhulukazi ngamatshe eKaroo Supergroup, agcwele amadwala enhlabathi (sedimentary rocks), agqunywe amadwala e-dolerite avela enkathini yeJurassic. Isiqongo sayo sigcwele i-dolerite, idwala elavela ngesikhathi sokuqhuma kwezintaba-mlilo zeKaroo, elaba negalelo ekwakhekeni kwesimo sendawo saseKwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

## Umlando

### Isikhathi sangaphambi kokufika kwabamhlophe

Ngaphambi kokufika kwabokufika baseYurophu, le ndawo yayihlala abantu abakhuluma isiNguni. Imithombo yomlando ikhombisa ukuthi abantu besizwe samaMpumuza babehlala emagqumeni nasezingxenyeni ezizungeze le ntaba ngekhulu le-19.

Ngesikhathi sezimpi nezinguquko zomphakathi ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-19, okuhlanganisa nezikhathi ezaziwa ngokuthi iMfecane, kuthiwa amahlathi aseSwartkop ayesetshenziswa njengendawo yokukhosela kwabantu ababephoqelekile ukubaleka ezindaweni zabo.

### Isikhathi sobukoloni

Igama elithi *Swartkop* laqala ukubonakala emibhalweni yekhulu le-19 ngesikhathi sokufika kwamaBhunu nabaphathi baseBrithani. Isigodi esiseduze sabizwa ngokuthi iSwartkop Valley.

Ekupheleni kwekhulu le-19, abaphathi baseMgungundlovu baqaphela ukubaluleka kwamahlathi ale ntaba njengendawo egcina amanzi, kwase kuqokwa “uMqaphi weZwartkop Bush” ukuba anakekele futhi alondoloze le ndawo.

Nakuba uMgungundlovu wathinteka ngesikhathi seMpi yamaNgisi namaBhunu (1899–1902), akukho bufakazi obukhombisa ukuthi kube nezimpi ezinkulu ezenzeka ngqo kule ntaba.

## Imvelo

Emlandweni wakudala, iMbubu yayimbozwe amahlathi omdabu kanye notshani basezintabeni. Imibhalo yakudala ichaza ukuba khona kwezilwane eziningi kanye namahlathi amakhulu kule ndawo.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ukugawulwa kwamahlathi, ukutshalwa kwezihlahla ezingezona ezomdabu, ezolimo, kanye nokwanda kwamadolobha kwehlise kakhulu amahlathi omdabu.

Namuhla, le ndawo inengxube yotshani obuvuselelwe, amahlathi okutshalwa, amapulazi, kanye nezingcezu ezincane zamahlathi omdabu. Le ntaba ayikho ngaphansi kwesimemezelo esisemthethweni sokuvikelwa kwemvelo, nakuba kunezindawo ezivikelekile ezifana neFerncliffe Nature Reserve ezisenyakatho-mpumalanga noMgungudlovu.

Kukhona nemizamo yokuhlaza kabusha kanye nokuvuselela imvelo ezindaweni ezizungezile.

## Ukusetshenziswa Kwamanje

iMbubu isetshenziswa abantu bendawo ukuhamba ngezinyawo nokuzivocavoca. Ukuphakama kwayo kwenza kube lula ukufaka izinsiza zokuxhumana ezincane ezifana nezinqola zokuxhumana.

Izingxenye ezizungezile ziyingxube yezindawo zasemakhaya nezindawo zokuhlala, futhi ziyingxenye yokwanda kwedolobha laseMgungundlovu entshonalanga.
## Bheka futhi

* uMgungundlovu
* KwaZulu-Natal Midlands
* Karoo Supergroup

## Izikhombo