Mapungubwe News Special Edition 2009.Pdf
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MAPUNGUBWEAPUNGUBWE News Heritage Month M Souvenir Edition M News The Offi cial Newsletter of the Department of Sport Arts & Culture THE ENVIABLE LEGACY OF OUR FOREBEARERS Kgosikgolo Sekhukhune Rain Queen Modjadji Kgosi Malebogo Kgosi Mokopane Khosikhulu Makhado Kgosi Makgoba Hosinkulu Nghunghunyani The heartland of southern Africa - development is about people! 1 MAPUNGUBWE News Tribute by Mthe MEC statue of King Makgoba is unveiled. Apart heritage sites of Soutini Baleni in Mopani from the usual activities we will, for the fi rst District, Dzata in Vhembe District, Tjate time in the history of the province, launch in Sekhukhune District and the Malebogo Warrior Kings Day to commemorate their Boer-War Battlefi elds in Capricorn District. fearless and ferocious resilience in the We have to go beyond seeing these sites crucible of resistance to savage imperialist as just mere ancient historical relics but as conquest, dispossession and settler colonial provincial treasures requiring preservation domination. for posterity. It has been maintained throughout that “in history we study only what We celebrate this event with unparalleled chance has left us to discover”. It has been elegance, indomitable a mammoth effort to discover and compile pride and invincible patriotism. We are evidence about these second-to-none determined to live and perpetuate an hallmarks of our heritage. We invite every enviable legacy of selfl essness, sacrifi ce sense of appreciation and determination to and general service for common good. The regard this wealth as sacred and protect it National Heritage Council has added more at all costs. fl avour to these celebrations. The National Ubuntu Imbizo, which will be held on the No amount of words can thank the tireless day preceding Heritage celebrations and efforts of our historian, Mr Tlou Setumu for the Ubuntu Awards that will be held at the his generosity and modesty by allowing us MEC For Sport Arts and Culture: Mapungubwe World Heritage Site. This to use the magnifi cent compilation of his Happy Joyce Mashamba historical records. A member of the Limpopo award was previously conferred to the Provincial Legislature and Chairperson of fi rst democratic President of the Republic the Standing Committee on Public Accounts The department of Sport, Arts and Culture of South Africa, President N.R Mandela (SCOPA), Mr Rudolph Phala, we thank takes this opportunity to extend an open and last year, to the liberation President of you for your contribution in the history of invitation to all residents of Limpopo and Zambia, President K.K Kaunda. This year, the Bapedi ba Sekhukhune. Without rival people of South Africa to this year’s Heritage another colossus, an all time revolutionary it blended very well with Mr Setumu’s and Day Celebrations. This year’s celebrations and highly venerated statesman, the former aptly elaborated important aspects of the are of high magnitude and becomes a leader of the Peoples’ Socialist Republic of Bapedi. historical landmark to the South African Cuba, Mr Fidel Castro, is the one and only people. In the last fi ve years the department one. Compound the luminary greatness of Without being exclusive we will in our future rolled out a programme to honour Warrior the Warrior Kings and the illustrious and editions feature the Matebele of Langa, Kings. This found concrete expression impeccable credentials of Castro and the the Bakone of Matlala, the Batlokwa of in the erection of statues to give tribute, Cuban people in our liberation you will know Machaka etc. Children of Sekhukhune, recognition and historical signifi cance to we will have a memorable series. Nghunghunyani, Makhado, Makgoba, their achievements. We recognise that this Modjadji, Malebogo and Mokopane, enjoy programme remains incomplete until the We also pay tribute to the declared provincial the celebrations. Mapungubwe Newsteam contact details Soviet Lekganyane Sam Makondo Editor Sub Editor Offi ce: 015 299 7700 Cell: 082 699 9630 Offi ce: 015 299 7700 Cell: 082 338 2684 [email protected] [email protected] The heartland of southern Africa - development is about people! 2 MAPUNGUBWE News 1. KGOŠI MALEBOGO OF THEM BAHANANWA be their arms wherever they went. An indeed, to the Black communities and their leaders, their the young son would become his mothers arm roles soon caused trouble among communities. (assistant in royal matters). Lebogo was born In their quest to spread of Christianity, the around Thabana ya Morudu, on the eastern side missionaries found some obstacles along the way. of Limpopo River. They were very intolerant of some of the ways of life of Blacks which they wanted to dismantle Again, still using their pursuers’ reference, so that Blacks could be “saved” and “shown the Mmatsela’s people were beginning to refer to light”. They found some of the Black customs as themselves as the Bahananwa. At this stage, they “evil”, “backwards” and “barbaric”. For instance, still retained the Bahurutse totem of a springbuck. they worked tirelessly to discourage polygamy, However, they later abandoned a springbuck as magadi (bride price), koma (initiation) and such their totem because it snored. The snoring of a related Black customs. The attacks of the ways springbuck was regarded as in a negative light of life of Blacks by the missionaries created The Bahananwa originated from the Bahurutse because they believed it would expose them to divisions and confusion among communities. branch of the Batswana nation. They are a break their enemies. They moved slowly until they Those people who were converted began to away section whose roots are in the present day eventually reached the Blouberg Mountains look down upon those who resisted conversion. Botswana. Before the break away, they were the which they turned into their permanent home Tensions among communities due to missionaries Malete people of the Bahurutse. Oral history until the present day. At Blouberg they adopted varied. In most instances, the missionaries used has it that this break away was caused by the a baboon as their totem after abandoning the the political intervention of the colonialists in fact that Kgoši Malete had no sons by his senior springbuck. They chose the baboon as they found order to overthrow the Black tribal system which wife to succeed him in his throne. This wife them in abundance in the Blouberg area. During disabled them to achieve their goal of converting only had one child, Mmatsela, a girl. Without those days of unannounced attacks, mountain Blacks into Christianity. sons, Mmatsela was the natural heir to succeed strongholds were very essential for security. her father. However, there were people who Other key fi gures who helped to lead and guide The missionaries’ divisive impact was also felt strongly opposed the fact that they could be ruled the Bahananwa during their exodus included by the Bahananwa. As already indicated, the by a woman. As a result, there were plots to kill Sebudi and Lerokolole. missionaries messed up with tribal politics and in Mmatsela, especially by Kgoši Malete’s son of a Blouberg, the Bahananwa of Kgoši Matsiokwane junior wife. Because of lack of records, especially written was divided as a result. This tension which was ones, much of the history of the Bahananwa partly due to power struggle and partly because of To avert bloodshed, Kgoši Malete sent this in the 16th, 17th and 18th century is very scanty. Christian/non-Christian factor, resulted in Kgoši jealous son to hunt for a phuti (springbuck) and Much light on this history was shed by the arrival Matsiokwane chasing away the missionary, then he tipped his daughter, Mmatsela to fl ee. of the missionaries – who kept written records Stech, who had succeeded Beyer in 1874. Mmatsela took her followers and headed to the – in the second half of the 19th century. The Matsiokwane dismissed Stech from his country east. When the troublesome son returned with missionaries arrived in the Bahananwa country because in addition to causing divisions, he also a springbuck and enquired from Malete about during the reign of Kgoši Matsiokwane. The regarded the piece of land he was allocated as Mmatsela’s whereabouts, Kgoši was pressurised fi rst missionary to arrive was Reverend Beyer his own private property and he also began mine to disclose that she had fl ed. Noticing that his son in 1868. Beyer was warmly welcomed by the prospecting on that piece of land. The Bahananwa was eager to pursue her, Malete instructed that Bahananwa and was even given a piece of land (and other Black communities) did not know of should he indeed follow her, he should not follow in order to establish himself so that he could be such a thing as private land ownership and they her beyond the river, the Limpopo. Apparently, able to perform his duties of spreading the Holy were disgusted by Stech’s actions. Stech was also Malete had tipped her daughter, Mmatsela, to Gospel among the Bahananwa. accused by the colonialists of trading fi rearms to swiftly cross the Limpopo before they could the Bahananwa. even rest. Kgoši Matsiokwane and the Bahananwa did not only embrace the missionaries just for the Indeed, those who wanted to attack Mmatsela Holy Gospel. But they also viewed the White Tensions within the Bahananwa polity reached followed her and found her already on the other missionaries as important diplomatic agents in climax when Kgoši Matsiokwane was assassinated side of the river. Following Malete’s instruction, the increasingly changing environment in which in 1879. The missionaries’ involvement, which they stopped their chase. All what they could the colonial forces were slowly encroaching on complicated the power struggle factor, accounted say in frustration was, “Lena bahanani tena, their area. Just like most Black communities, the for this tragic event.