Izwe Elithelayo LaseVenda

PHAKATHI neminyaka eyishumi edlule, mina nomkami siye sasebenza njengabashumayeli bevangeli besikhathi esigcwele phakathi kwamaVenda. AmaVenda ahlala eningizimu yoMfula iLimpopo enyakatho yeNingizimu Afrika, futhi isizwe sawo sihlanganisa izizwana eziningana ezawela iLimpopo phakathi namakhulu eminyaka adlule. Amanye amaVenda athi okhokho bawo bazinza lapho eminyakeni engaphezu kwenkulungwane edlule.

Ngempela, lesi sifunda sake saba ingxenye yombuso okwakuthiwa uMbuso WaseMapungubwe owawunezinga elithile lempucuko yasendulo. Kwakuyindawo yokuqala yokuhlala eyayiyidolobha elikhulu eNingizimu Afrika futhi yayilawula isigodi esikhulu soMfula iLimpopo, ukusuka entshonalanga eBotswana ukuya empumalanga eMozambique. Kusukela cishe ngo-900 C.E. kuya ngo-1100 C.E., abahwebi abangama-Arab babelithola eMapungubwe izinyo lendlovu, uphondo lukabhejane, izikhumba zezilwane, ithusi ngisho negolide. Egqumeni lamathuna asebukhosini elibizwa ngokuthi iMapungubwe, kuye kwavubukulwa izinto ezigwedwe ngobuciko zananyekwa ngegolide. Lokhu kungezinye “zezimpawu zokuqala zokumbiwa kwegolide e-Afrika eseningizimu,” kusikisela enye i-encyclopedia.

Igolide alisambiwa lapha. Namuhla, izwe laseVenda laziwa ngokuthela kwalo. Eningizimu yeziNtaba zaseSoutpansberg kunesigodi esivundile, lapho kumila khona inala yezithelo ezinjengokwatapheya, ubhanana, umango nogwava. Ngaphandle kwamaqensi nama-macadamia nut, kunenala yemifino. Le mifino ihlanganisa no-muroho (imifino yasendle), onambitheka njengesipinashi nothandwa kakhulu abantu bendawo.

AmaVenda ayisizwe esinokuthula nesinomoya wokungenisa izihambi. Akukhona okungavamile ukuba inhloko yekhaya iyale ukuba isivakashi ebesingalindelekile sihlatshelwe inkukhu. Idliwa ne-vhuswa (ipapa), okuwukudla okuyinhloko okwenziwa ngommbila. Lapho isivakashi sesihamba, inhloko yekhaya iyasiphelezela ibangana. Lena indlela engokwesiko yokubonisa isivakashi inhlonipho. Izingane zifundiswa ukubingelela izivakashi ngendlela enomusa ngokugoba zihlanganise izandla bese zithi ukudonsa esinye. Kuleli khasi ungabona abesifazane ababili abangamaVenda bebingelelana ngale ndlela engokwesiko.

Ulimi Olulukhuni

Akulula ngabantu baseYurophu ukuba balwazi kahle ulimi lwesiVenda. Obunye ubunzima bubangelwa ukuthi amagama amaningi abhalwa ngendlela efanayo kodwa aphinyiselwe ngendlela ehlukile. Ngolunye usuku nginikeza inkulumo yeBhayibheli ebandleni lesiVenda loFakazi BakaJehova, ngangizama ukukhuthaza izilaleli ukuba zikhulume nabo bonke abantu. Omunye ezilalelini wavele wafa insini ngoba ngangithe “nomunwe ngamunye” kunokuthi “nomuntu ngamunye.”

Lapho ngizama okokuqala ukukhuluma isiVenda emsebenzini wokufakaza wasobala, owesifazane othile ongumVenda waphendula ngokuthi: “Angikwazi ukukhuluma isiNgisi.” Ngangicabanga ukuthi ngangikhulume isiVenda esihle, kodwa yena wayecabanga ukuthi kwakuyisiNgisi! Ngesinye isikhathi, lapho ngisondela emzini othile, ngacela ingane ukuba ingibizele inhloko yomkhaya. Igama lesiVenda elisho inhloko yomkhaya ngu-thoʹho. Ngephutha, ngangithe thohoʹ, ngaleyo ndlela ngicela ukukhuluma nenkawu yomkhaya! Amaphutha anjengalawa angidumaza, kodwa ngokukhuthazela mina nomkami sesiyakwazi ukuxoxa kahle ngesiVenda.

Izithelo Ezingokomoya

Izwe laseVenda liyathela ngokomoya. Ngawo-1950, izifiki ezazivela emazweni angomakhelwane ezazizosebenza ezimayini zethusi edolobheni laseMessina zakha ibandla loFakazi BakaJehova. Umsebenzi wazo wentshiseko wenza amaVenda amaningi ezwa amaqiniso eBhayibheli. Ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi, iqembu loFakazi abangamaVenda lase liqhubela imihlangano yalo ekhaya lothile edolobheni laseSibasa.

Ukuze kusheshiswe ukwanda, igatsha le-Watch Tower Society laseNingizimu Afrika lathumela abashumayeli bevangeli besikhathi esigcwele kule nsimu ethelayo. Ngokushesha iqembu laseSibasa lakhula laba ibandla. Imihlangano yobuKristu yayiqhutshelwa egunjini lesikole ngaleso sikhathi. Nokho, ngosizo loFakazi BakaJehova basePietersburg esebangeni elingaba amakhilomitha angu-160 ukuya eningizimu, kwakhiwa iHholo LoMbuso eThohoyandou, okuyidolobha eliseduze nalapho.

Abantu abakhuluma isiVenda enyakatho yeNingizimu Afrika bangaphezu kuka-500 000. Babengekho oFakazi abangamaVenda lapho umsebenzi wokushumayela ngoMbuso uqala lapho ngawo-1950. Manje kunabangaphezu kuka-150. Kodwa kusenezindawo eziningi ezingakathintwa futhi usemkhulu umsebenzi okudingeka wenziwe. Ngo-1989 saqala ukuhambela isigodi saseVenda okuthiwa iHamutsha. KwakunoFakazi oyedwa vó owayehlala lapho ngaleso sikhathi. Manje kunabamemezeli boMbuso abangaphezu kuka-40 abahlala kuleso sigodi. Ngenxa yokuthi oFakazi basemabandleni asePietersburg baphinde basisiza, nangenxa yeminikelo yezimali yabazalwane abasemazweni acebile, simatasa siqedela iHholo lethu loMbuso.

Sihlala kumahamba-nendlwana epulazini. Ngokugcina ukuphila kwethu kulula, siba nesikhathi esengeziwe sokufinyelela abantu bendawo ngezindaba ezinhle. (Marku 13:10) Ngenxa yalokho, siye sabusiswa ngokucebile ngelungelo lokusiza abaningi banikezele ukuphila kwabo kuJehova uNkulunkulu. Esinye isibonelo ngowesilisa othile okuthiwa uMichael, owabona incwadi ethi Ungaphila Phakade EPharadesi Emhlabeni kwamngane wakhe.a Waqala ukuyifunda futhi waliqaphela ngokushesha iqiniso. Ngakho wabhalela i-Watch Tower Society ukuze athole izincwadi ezengeziwe. Encwadini yakhe, uMichael wachaza ukuthi wayesanda kubhapathizwa njengelungu lesonto labaPhostoli. Waqhubeka wathi: “Ngiye ngathola ukuthi ngisendleleni okungeyona eya eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu. Senginqume ukuba ngelinye lamalungu enu, kodwa angazi ukuthi kufanele ngenze kanjani.” Wabe esenikeza ikheli lakhe futhi ecela ukuba kuthunyelwe omunye woFakazi BakaJehova azomsiza. Ngakwazi ukumthola uMichael futhi ngaqala isifundo seBhayibheli sasekhaya naye. Namuhla, unguFakazi obhapathiziwe futhi ukhonza uJehova ngokwethembeka.

Ngo-December 1997, saya eMhlanganweni Wesigodi ‘Wokholo EZwini LikaNkulunkulu’ woFakazi BakaJehova owawusenkundleni yezemidlalo yaseThohoyandou. Ababa khona babengu-634, futhi kwabhapathizwa abangu-12 abasha. Ngaba nelungelo lokunikeza izinkulumo ezimbili ngesiVenda. Lokho kwaba yingqopha-mlando ngempela eminyakeni yethu eyishumi yenjabulo sikuleli zwe elithelayo!—Inikelwe.

[Umbhalo waphansi]