Thato Mabolaeng Maryanne Monyakane
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THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SIMILARITY OF THE BAFOKENG, BAKUENA AND THE BATAUNG LINEAGES AMONGST THE SOTHO by THATO MABOLAENG MARYANNE MONYAKANE Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY in the subject AFRICAN LANGUAGES at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROF DANIEL SEKEPE MATJILA CO – PROMOTER: Dr. THABISI HOEANE DATE OF SUBMISSION: JUNE 2016 DECLARATION I declare that THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SIMILARITY OF THE BAFOKENG, BAKUENA AND THE BATAUNG LINEAGES AMONGST THE SOTHO is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. _______________ Thato Mabolaeng Maryanne Monyakane Student Number: 45025401 _______________ Day of _______________________________________________ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My appreciation and acknowledgement goes to the institutions and persons who contributed both intellectually and monetary wise. First I thank my supervisor Professor Sekepe Matjila and co-supervisor Dr. Thabisi Hoeane. Dr Tšiu was my first supervisor and contributed greatly in the beginning and shaping of this study together with Dr. Hoeane. I greatly appreciate their contribution. Professor Matjila took over the supervision of this thesis from Dr Tšiu, worked with Dr Hoeane and allowed the thesis to progress until its completion, my great appreciation and thanks. I thank Dr. Thabisi Hoeane for always being there with regard to the development of this study, I greatly appreciate his undying believe, intellectual engagement and motivation that this study will reach its completion. Furthermore I thank Professor Inge Kosch for being patient with me with regard to my regular questions about how to navigate the bureaucracy of the academic studies at a PHD level in order to begin, progress and complete the study. Mme, your intervention is greatly valued. Second I thank my parents (Sehlabo and ’Makose Monyakane) for the undying support throughout my studies with regard to funding my formative years at school, filling the monetary gaps at tertiary level, appreciating my progress in studies and motivation to aim higher. I thank Santrust in partnership with UNISA Research Department for offering me opportunity and funding to attend a pre-doctoral and proposal development programme. I also thank the Department of Education in the Free State for offering me a study leave to attend Santrust classes at the time. I further thank UNISA with postgraduate bursary and later the UNISA staff bursary. Furthermore UNISA offered me Academic Qualification Improvement Funding for study leave, thesis editing and other study materials – I humbly appreciate. In addition I thank NRF Thuthuka Trust Fund offered through UNISA Research Department. All of these people, institutions and others who contributed in many ways I say, “one stands tall because she is standing on the shoulders of a giant.” Le ka moso, ha e nne e sise. ii DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to My parents Sehlabo Lazarus and Blandina ’Makose Monyakane. My aunt Mabolaeng Mary Anne Monyakane, uncles Vitalis Montši & Seutloali Monyakane and Thomas Mosomothane. My brothers and sisters ’Maseabata, Molisana, Kose, Montši, ’Mampolokeng, Thabiso, ’Maseutloali, Rethabile, Seabata, Bafokeng, Seutloali, Monyakane, Motlalentoa, ’Mathai and Letlotlo. Last but not least, I also dedicate it to my son Tšepo, my nephews and nieces. iii ABSTRACT The central argument that underpins this thesis is that the Bataung, Bafokeng and the Bakuena lineages are found across all the Basotho groups of Basotho (Southern Sotho), Batswana and Bapedi. The thesis concerns itself with the similarity of the Sotho groups, a topic that has seldom received a sustained scholarly attention. Scholars have devoted much attention in discussing Sotho groups of Batswana, Basotho (Southern Sotho) and Bapedi, but their concern has mostly been to describe one group at the time discussing their cultural, social and political dimensions. The thesis aim investigates the oneness of Sotho by discussing the cultural, social and political similarities of the Batswana, Basotho (Southern Sotho) and Bapedi. The thesis drew on a range of semi-structured interviews with academics, senior people with knowledge of Sotho culture and literature to crystallise the information from the narrative analysis of documents, media and secondary literature. The thesis maintains that Basotho (Southern Sotho), Batswana and Bapedi are similar people. Their cultural dimension shows they have similar languages that share the same collection of words (langue) that indicates the same same origin. They also share the name ‘Basotho’ ~ Abeshundu that emanates from their similar way of dressing. The Sotho groups’ social dimension shows that they have similar practices of birth, raising children, lebollo (initiation school) and handling of death. They share similar games, folktales and taboos that reflect the aforementioned four cycles of human experiences in similar narratives across the groups. The thesis finds that Sotho groups have similar way of governance. They come together in the hierarchy of similar clans (e.g. Bafokeng, Bataung and Bakuena), chiefdoms and a group. These subdivisions in a group help with the allocation of resources for each individual and maintaining status quo in governance. The Sotho groups have similar proverbs and idioms to counsel proper leadership. The thesis discusses Sotho groups together as they come from the same origin although they have gone their separate ways. The thesis uses Gellner and Smith theories of ethnicity to explain the similarity of the Sotho groups. Gellner’s view is that one chooses to belong to a particular culture and associates oneself iv with people who practice this culture. Ethnicity is socially constructed due to experiences and people’s circumstances. Smith complements the description of the Sotho in forming different groups by saying that in these groups, there are memories of shared historical past. There is a continuum of the original culture where the groups have resemblance in their ways of life and symbolical elements, although adapted to their new environments and time. The variations of the groups’s practices are not their differences but they are changes caused by a quest to adapt to the new environment. Key words: Bapedi (Northern Sotho), Basotho (Southern Sotho), Basotho “Abeshundu”, Batswana, Chieftaincy, Ethnicity , Initiation rite (lebollo), Life stages (Social practices), Sotho language, Sotho lineages (Bafokeng, Bakuena, Bataung), Sotho people v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ ii DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iv CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................... INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Preface to the Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Contesting Sotho groups similarity .................................................................................. 1 1.3 Aim ................................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Rationale ........................................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Theoretical framework ..................................................................................................... 4 1.6 Literature review ............................................................................................................... 6 1.7 Research sources ............................................................................................................... 9 1.8 Structure of the argument ............................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................... LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Cultural definition of the Sotho groups .......................................................................... 11 2.3 Social similarity of Sotho groups indicating significant stages of life. .......................... 23 2.4 Political dimension of Sotho groups ............................................................................... 34 2.5 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER THREE ........................................................................................................................... AN OUTLINE: