/ l X O/tlsfVniSL' n ttv*. ^2-a^U-^Lu ixJk a \j-Ux*.

Lv^v^CLv*. H^. t't*'' k uu^ |l4^V\. U^c^uX.

IS A/tvw IJOv Cca-- ti-C'U/ w [tAivlii/liuC /* Sc|w (umA^VU4C #

i'l?’ LVA-W ^Ut4VU, uj^ j U ^ , t£i < l/UA^^^VW*.

ctfwu. L u*/£u«^ )[4'*u * fll /u4vu*+<+ / jft-n*.

u* jtJLu ffftr i t t ^ l u uuJL1 x,L £Lw L* lf'tW /H^’V '’* / {*^** t* Hi-c

ctuJli**/ V*1*! fitsuUC * ttt/Lci* UjL*A4 flc tctu €-<. feetSBSX Vu.

Iftu. \u*ttiA? (j Hu. \a U><. *

S<^wfUVwr*a>(.

b u y * * <3t * ' l q * l .

1AN ACCOUNT OF THIS BAPIiTI TRIM .

%*$; , ,• - - ; ■. ..4ev *■$'• ;*»• ‘ -J.' .v‘ ‘ -“V /$■«

■ ; ■' - •„■- . ■ ■ ..., ■■ ■ '•'■•*. ’ . U~V V " ‘:/v ‘% ,1 y -• { g L * , ‘ ' ‘ , i. V tj‘ ,

Chapter 1. Early Traditional History*f ...MR.

Authorities, dates and no tea, in margin. —

. vVv’' > -

• -V- ■ ■:■• w*'*V.'%•! r;r'v-

■ ’•■■', • ‘. . ,';"v ' ■. ' 1 ■ ■'>.■

Accounts by Rahlolo and old Valikgopa of Seopela’ s.

m M

tm■wr m

■■fe

.ywfLe-lella-Teng after ward b renamed Hoimane.

mm

i.V-,hV■v V . . . f

T 1650.

The Bapedl originated from a small Bakgatla clan' M .« ■ , .* . 7r *’* * " ,* X; lK. ‘ >Vv / v:*$

living at Uapogole or Mahlakoaneng near the source of

the Vaal liver.

*«*■ 7The earliest known headman of this group of

■

Bakgatla families was one Tabane. Because the ground

grew less fertile thia little Bakgatla clan trekked

'■ ' i #5 ' ■ <&• -:-V .«away and resettled themselves at what is now known

as Sohilpadfontein in the Pretoria District.

It is not known how long they lived there but■ b*V- • .‘J »■. - r>' -" ' ' J-' Xl5Vl.when one Motshaof Liale and grandson of Tabane was

headman and had grown old as such and had seen his

people increase in number a quarrel arose among the. •

Bakgatla women about one of old Ifotsha's favourite wive

Ma-Thobele*; :v|-£r. .1

The women made mocking songs about Ma-Thobele

'$'•&< •*, ... 1; . ' ' • - -V j.and said her child cried while still in its mother's

;fl %%i ’’t - ’? C-f ' -'&$?$ l:;t- ■■■ % | , •-%!'! ' ^-^\k Vl; •womb. The child was born and named Le Leila Teng

: v:‘ *■ ‘ 1 / ’ ’ * . *' ’ : -r y >(

(you cry inside)* Suoh an unusual event was naturally

attributed to witchcraft and of course the Bakgatla

wanted to kill the mother and the ohild, so Thobele5 ^ ’ if 1the successor of llotsha who was still alive though very

old* together with Mathobele and the whole of his now

numerous section broke away or were driven away from

the main tribe and trekked to the Bast with all their

flooks and herds.-

They crossed the Olifants river below its junction

with the Blands river and passed through the country

which is now North-Hiddelburg then occupied by some

scattered Matlala, and also through what is now aeluks

Looation occupied at that time by the Batau.

On/

miw ^- w wrn- y

Lulu range at what la nowf ........... t I < _ ’; '£■>'-i!> '-1, £* „• •jffl * , ; )J, t i/*, .

known aa the Kalla paaa they happened to find a-v v," ' ■■;!',!• ■■’ •: ' . j" ■, T>V™'-v- /iV.v.'V' ’ -'K

t ' JL j #Alv M* $55 r 1 •-/ v? 5 >porouplna briatle on an antfeeap, some aay on tha top

C * & Vrof the Lulu and some aay on tha alta of tha preaent

platinum mine on Maandagahoek known aa ftoale kop:

from that time they dlBoarded tha old monkey or flame

m ■

: ■. •

W'< i

,>V mk mM."kgabo* emblem of the Bakgatla and adopted that of

tha porouplne Hnoko” Instead.

Country waa oailed Soma assart that thay merely took the name

Bapadl from the country whloh waa than oalled Bopc*l.sit*

Bopadl from Steelpoort to Oroot Letaba andto Pletereburg. Another atory la that thay asaumad tha name Bapadl

Worth ot Oroot from * Bavenda iron-making elan the Vhambedal theLetaba theoountry waa oalled phone tie equivalent of Bapadl, whom they found In Yeatie.

'0$Si !' \

V •* .. ‘ -,S[Vf, * '

■■ : • ■. ■■■-;- •

.

Noted by Lea trade and tfatprellnue.

& \ the oountry ami drove away, retaining only their namem m

In order to propitiate the anolent aplrlta of the

i'Kland) supporting thla theory a Bavenda olan In the

Zoutpanabergi the Vhambedxl, baa been noted who asaerta

that It oame from the oountry where the Bapedl are to-day.r%;,i ^ ■ \ r ''.v , Fi., * 1-v; i ,, . •;> | A variation of thla story la that after they had

f. j* ^M,v y s i'* . fgS>V ■> /aettled down on the right bank of the Bteelpoort river

m

m ,, 1V.„ , ® I' ■ ' •' / -T

• c**1. fy'f‘ V’ t( ■" ’ ’ • *

i- , ■

Kgobalale’a veraion.

w m

I > f'r.

In the neighbourhood where BurgerHfort, Aaplesdoorndraal

and Vlljoenahoop are to-day they encouraged aome memberaV^v^v'V ''' f *JK' ’ \ 0 ' -Mi; 'of a Bavenda olan oalled Vhambedssl to oome and live

‘ f e W 1 tl ( , J--I, , •. ,‘‘t> ' ** ♦ 1 » \

among them aa blaekamltha In order to make themaelvea

f. ?f; l£if y J ] f j p |

Independent of other neighbours In the matter of lron-

<v4'' r"

m ’: 4 **v -s t*1 v- is

'" /'.a

■•jyips

working: when theee Vhambedal had taught their art toi ■<••: f * * • *' . ^ iV(. - - . ‘v i -• - , " • . *j< v • > 7 <• . .•!

the Bapedl the latter were able to say "We are now our

own VhambedslM I .e . "We are now Bapedl1*.

All tradition points to the faot that when the

Bapedl firat oame to ;ekukunlland, as it la now called,

they uaed to lobola with iron hoes aa well aa with or

in preference to cattle.

Through/

mm

Through their hletory up to the time of the

Matebele invaalon there was a email atad of workere* ’ y '■Iin iron living under the cloae proteotlon of the

■ • •' . ' ■. ' • ; ' ■

Bapedl Chlefe and no-one wae allowed to interfere•The Transvaalof Today" by A* with them. Thie nay perhapa account for the ancient Ay1ward. Pagea 64 and 65* furnacea found In 1876 by the Lydenburg Volunteer

S $!v‘. B ' '*vCorpa whan digging the foundations of their fort

whioh they named Fort Burgera*

.■ 1 .i '.V ) ff ‘ V *

The Bapedi found a oection of the Baroka known

ao Mcngatane under a chief Maohabele in poose&alon of

the oountry Bast of the Lulu and along the lower.. ; , , t , :: tTi •:-

t ,, j“V ‘ ' ‘ f s?, A

I 'V'v ' .J •‘/V . .

Steelpoort river, together with aome email aeotione: r - M » . '« - ., ’ > * ' ' / -■ ‘ A:, , w

of the Bakoni Tribe who were more numerous a little

further to the South.

•a f .

' ■. •

. ’’ * I-. ♦vwV'‘ C i: . % r y " # ) . ' ,■ '*;5$ * 1

- • ' ■

'■ • ,- ■ / : i’, ' ,< 'v " ' )►! ?. * '4 > ' <\Vi i

■•. y-f r' -“ ' •

m H h H M R H

/

. , __ .,...* • ■» .tfh" )ly „vvfc-V i ,,V ;■ >,

*?.5 /-.‘-‘i,/’ '* ^ v A

' : t;&-• '>***+ ; . ,/lV:% ’ f< ' **•’

Mm®W.

yf>*+ ' ’ 'r’ S id * *' * * , '*

It will be eeen that for many years the Ba-• , 1 ‘S >' «■' ■’ ' ’t . ••sVi" • ... . ,* o'-yVi'’,’ ,'K .v'-t*.Mongatane were recognised by the Bapedl as their

euperlore, but eventually when the Bapedl had inoreased

and the inevitable quarrels aroae, the Bapedl who were

better armed with native-made iron battle-axes, aaoeg&ie

and rhinooeros-horn ksrrles, took the lsad and subjugated' :f \.>l .<? ' ' *! t', / ■' 1 . ■ • 'y'£i . .i ''■the Ba-Mongatnne who were armed mainly with bows and

arrows in the Baroka faehlon*

The Bapedl occupation seems to have been peaceful,

probably beoauee the oountry was sparsely populated

and there was plenty of room, with water and game

enough for all*

We hear of no ware during Thobele1a time. The

Bapedl settled down quietly In their new homes, living

happily and lncreaaing. Though they had to pay tribute

to the Kongatane chief It wae only a matter of thatohlng

grass and poles, thus it was nsvsr severe and gradually

became nominal.

Tradition Bays that either before or eoon after

the Bapedl oame to what la now known na Oekukunlland

• « M / . ■' ,

country. They ora said to have been armed with Muaketa

and .ora I n , . M U draaaaa. ao war. prohaOIy « „b a

The Baroka killed off one party

on Pashaskraal (Ho. 126) mid

another party waa wiped out by the Batau at Magitshoa, v Mi ■: •• v mm • d )Oeluke Location, These Mapalakata and their fire-

seem to have made a great impression on the

of the Bapedi. It io curiouo that even ao late

as the time of their greatest ohief Thulore Mapalakata

" w a

are mentioned in the praise song of that ohief whioh

mu

Thobele wae euooeeded by Kabu who had two sonsr\ -V W A ;• •

Thobele and Thobejane.■' " 1

.*• mum « (**i tnnUan

YV

' The first incident of note in the hletory of

the tribe after ite arrival in its new oountry was

the driving out ef Kabu’ s son and heir Thobele because

while etill an unclroumoised youngster he had intercourse

1 < ' •» 7 * * mfiStfflk «■*'•* w V * i'i 1 ' * * *4 ** r *■ I? * y /with his father’ s wives.He took with him hie immediate

adherents and a number of young girls, together with

V

'■ mifM im

'"M*- - ■ ' r % « M

* [fir ' * t0' * •<> ■ • v, ■

.v(' V; ■■ ,'V

k ; 8* 4 *mi■■ ■

many cattle, and fled to the north* Vhat became of this

section Is uncertain* Some say that they became absorbed

into the Baramapulana or Basuetla of the iloutpansberg.

They may have rejoined another section of Bakgatla -

Bapedl who had broken away from the parent tribe mid ,

had gone to the Bavenda country in the Zoutpaneberg

in the daye of Tabane before the Bapedl oame to

:• ; . «> *' ' ’ . - ' *• ' ‘Sekukuniland •

, ' . ' Bo/ , 'i

m

-----------

' *&& i I

So Kabu was succeeded by his second aonv pfeftl f c l r

■

Thobejane who also had a peaceful reign* He ruled' ;,r<- .\\* ■ **“ jg&- .•*. . . ■;,<■- ■■»-■>. v.,-- >£.■ •* y--{ . ,••..?•.•.>,*; . ,.j ■ ... • ••y-. •*•*<'? *'»:__hie people well and his name is still revered as

on. of to. b . .t obi.f.« To » U day .

member of the ohief»s house will sometimes be addressed

as "Thobejane" as a of honour*VMS® fyjEfcWiZS1 /tfWHfflvr. - ..*t .■ ? i$§Kf |'

mm-Thobejane*• death his son Moukangoe beoame

chief. Moukangoe was also a popular and peacefulr 4 *'&i f f l tf:‘S ^

chief. Turing his time the tribe grew rich in cattle.

life5

not taken in war but peacefully bred in that splendid

grating country along fch* 3teeIpoort rivert although

-\,v;

■ 1 '

there was plenty of big game and the tsfetse fly was'&kj.

not unknown. The tribe was prosperous and Voukangoe• ' . 1; ‘ vyv, , v •/

made his people pay him as a right or tax the threem

S S I S !right-side ribs nearest the shoulder of any ox killed.

■ w ■■■.« y •.. .

.

w m W'/m y tw #m ' ■■■. Phi;*■ " ' ... • v ■ .- * >, .... ‘I

and also a small flat basket (leaelo, not aeroto) of

kaffir corn* They also

»

'%, ■ kp1 v, iff. ‘J

■,r;,v".r - ■/ « # * < vC;,..'-']

I -■v4:r# ${?' "• r-'v %‘r'-/‘r

VS -.-'OvV.

■ ■ ; • :

■ , -I:f /.v: ’ «}

to bring him beer as a

voluntary gift not as a tax, and he in return usedvryr.'..

to acknowledge the gift by a present of meat. He

reigned a very long time and it is said that In his

very old age the wrinkles on his forehead hung down

over his eyes and had to be propped up by little

pieces of stick and bandages to enable him to sse.' ’ •

He outlived his eldest son I*sallane who diedV v . .Vwithout an heir, and eventually Kohube his second

’ ■ y.'

son beoaoae regent for his aged father*'Miy-

It is during this regency that we hear of the'■■vy.

■ • t. ,, ,

•*;< ).h p ‘ t., * v* vm v x.' '* >

N-1'; y,; v :

'$:>, v_.: ^, ;. , , ■=: V-,, ;-, ■•.... *;■:> as? • ■* v "

ymyyp wA r •>. rv

flret quarrel between the Bapedl and their neighbours.

Kohube trespassed Into the hunting grounds of the

Bagakoauute, a Bakonl -lan, who killed him and eome

of hia followera. The Bapedl promptly retaliated by

killing some Bakonl.

On Mohube being killed Moukangoe'a third son

■■1 '■ . % ' i.'i ;

p r k - ' y . - ^ ,1

. •' ' <'V.

• ■ ■ ‘ • ;■. ■ ■■ 1 ■ • . . ■ .

A*.X,' - '

v Both the Bapedl _ , .... ......: : " -•■ ■: ■ , . ,. ■ . : , ,

> ' their ouarrel to the• kVv • . ’ -'V *K 'y ** • i , ■their quarrel to the Mongatane ohief Makgoai who

■ . . .. , , , , .■ -vv : ■■ *;!>' ' . ' ' ■ ■ : • . vV ’ • , .lived under the eaetern slope of the Lulu mountains

famous later in Bapedl history.

^ — , — — r - w - — — w — — — w

at what ie now known aa T>ajate, a place to b

'< ' ■ ' ' ‘ . • ’ ’ .■. . . ■ .V . •

Thla inoldent of the quarrelling parties

referring to the Bamongatane showa olearly thatV'm:,up till then the Uongatane ohief waa atill regarded

■ - -

■ - “F *■ •• • y ■ - ■ :• :y : . V-

. . paramount.' . -Moukangoe was The Bamongatane deoided in favour of their olderinclined to give into the Bamonga- subjects the Bagakomane - Bakonl and baoked theirtane and hiaold regimentthe Magaba

deolsion by sending a foroe across the Steelpoort ;u<f&

Ttmamagreed with him, river, near where Jfort Burgers Is to-day, to attaok but Mampuru andhis young Manala the Bapedl who however were well prepared and not regiment werefor fighting the Bamongatane.

only repulsed the attaok but pursued the defeatedffijf«sv,s

Bamongatane almost aa far as their own home again.,

Mampuru then attacked and soattered the' ''*** ‘ ' , , v, . * f v!\ * V* .** ' -i ,i

Bagakomane taking their oattle and killing Komane■ t , v' ’

their ohief so that they had to aue for peaoe and

send a girl as a peace-offering in order to be allowed

to return and rebuild their atads. The Bamongatane

■■■ ; . ■

...j : . , . '

’ '' \ •,

■

also susd for peaoe by sending their ohlefta own Son

Magosl as a hostags. Mampuru gave this man his daughter

Nthane as a wife and sent him back to his people,

thus to some extent still acknowledging the priority

of thS Bamongatane but in this way ensuring that the ,St ; v . ’ Y

future Mongatane ohief should be a Mopedi by birth.v?$t ‘ ’"'v 1 L f, *' / 1 ? i’ 7' ' *',V ; ^ r

' 3o we see that in the first brush the Bapedl $*>?» h: ,,vi p f e :y K # v ^ '■ lit 3 ,v::" "M' ’ - fwere able to twow off though still slightly eoknowledge

' ' . ■ ■ ’ " : ■

the jformer supremaoy of the Bamongatane and to begin

s *

to assert that authority over their neighbours whloh

exiS%^/ ^SlV f*f/V' */■' ‘ i * ‘ *";*■ ‘ > t-\ i ‘ *’< ■ • • • 3

' ; . ‘ V'‘,"N\ 5 ‘ > ’* * 4 :: j. , » • •. O.. *, a •« k'-X ; M jlw+i’-U I*'-' v ’ T . '4 4 # ; V.-.4__-__

■ t* < • , ' •. ' ......... . . . , .rv ;‘

------------------------ ----------Vf 4 * v> i’ i 1 , A,' K .hi ■' 1,1 •

■■ - " ■

exists up to this day throughout what Is known.

•y\y.time there was peaoe again and Mampuru,

.

«iK;A* ■fc*V.S\r

■■who waa only acting chief and guardi;m of the real ■

heir Moroamotshe the eon of Mohube, brought up this

youngster together with his own son llthobeng. These

; ■£ , . two young sen became Mampuru’ a leaders In all hia ••' V ,V

subsequent and numerous forays.SEvfl ’A*^ ■'/ • 'w'f*

ohief Mamaile who had broken away from

& ra art w s.* »»vi -X' : '

Mongatane authority and established his stronghold

on s kopje (where Oroothoek Ho.171 is today) was

attacked by Mampuru who failed at his first attempt

to capture tne stronghold, but lured Mameile into an' v'S i ? $ J

ambush at Maandagahoe. - J ; I ', ,people to subjection.

ambush at Maandagshoek and killed him, reducing his

./.-L* f ' C ^rff ,¥ v*-v ' % /.■ •; ■' !*,*•> ■ ■ * W” -. ru/*, * • , * . - - ,v

V • *ki • •:

*V.M . •, •• •. »*; it f«: j : ■' V' ' • " * ■ * * " ■ '' r ' / •' ‘ k

Mampuru then oroused the Lulu mountains by the

• *' f‘% wV', > <k —* *, n „'

- .-V/wPC'iV CXri

- \hJml

Maila pass and defeated the Batau under Tsske at 1

Hmopong close to Manganeng the present Batau head-.7; ■ . ■ ’v A , , • ■ ; •■; . • .■ ,-- r '■ > , ■ ' , :,v' ■ .. • "■ •• ■quarter© In Oelukii Location.

■v rM¥:nK M ,

iff

iSm

His next expedition was still further afieldim

against the Bakonl stronghold known as Kutoane (and

also known by some to-day as *Buller*8 antheap" nearI f c \ \ ’ r» nr \ < i>

Badfonteln south sf Lydenburg). This stronghold

'H

:MwMj * , <e ’ jfr. •/((; ij *. » " ’*' 1

m : mimm

miv'A*Y.w:V , (I.

■ -

.■

■.

!*; ? ■ $ f % |,r;; • ^ ?'»vJ' "' yf? -A < y 3|

• -v;;

I P W J ® ! % h"\ ,

appeared to the Bapedl to have only one entrance

which was susosssfully defended by the Bakonl. A

Mokonl traitor who had married a Moped1 wife revealed■ .v* i- ’ «. '■-'■■ 1 ‘ ’ •* • v‘ ‘ :. •%: •' . •. ■ ‘ ■. .. ' ■ \-.£ . . 4 ■•■. -A ■. ' ‘ v., *

- ' • H r ' f a r * ' ■■ '■ '■• y ' ■ !'ih , i v i ’ V-/\/' * * ' ’•>: ’/■

another feasible entrance to Mampuru who ordered h lB

own son Nthobeng to attempt it by night but he was

afraid. Moroamo>ahe however agreed to go with hid ownv: -%?f ’ V- '' 'V-’v '••'.A v\vf/> -t*? . >■ V 1' ’*• * ... / *

’ * V;$f. " *' - • ;.v J ’l>t\ fr# ’ ' ’koma c ir c u m c is io n sch o o l re g im e n t the M akoa an d ,;? ' n ’. v i • 's' ' t .V «i.\’« „j f’ *' * * 1 / '

with the help of the traitor guide, climbed into

the heart of the stronghold, so that when Mampuru

attacked Again at dawn the stronghold and its chief

Htsuanyane were sonn captured.

On arriving home Mampuru wanted to give hla own

•on/

.

M. ;

cm*''Vy

i

larger i

•on Mthobeng the oredit for the victory and a

j* , ' 1V &y vf :&/••••'■?share of reward than Moroamotahe, 8# with

mm,

; ,?f ■ ■ A * Tl*w °f ! " •\ ’ ;•■ *,*' ,v i, v 4 ’ V**- !■,:,' tt ■''’V ; vf1 *

preferring In the eyes of the tribe hie;Si;

own eon's eventual euooeeelon to the chieftalnshlp., , / A/, ’ f *, '• ‘

Old Moukangoe wae still alive and heard of

v*.yv< '■■ "•• i ■'■■■ - -end would have none of It, He ordered all

* V ‘ 1 > * I ' 1 * f. * * * ’* ’ „* T '

/ V" , *'' '•> : ' ' ■ ■ ; . ' ‘/,&&> < <k£\ the cattle of the tribe to be eolleoted and made ^ *mm:

eaoh owner bring a young ox and a heifer, and then

W m m,v.y ‘ gave the* all to Moroamotshe but none to Hthobeng*mm .

• i■••• "• v ' - ••* ■ -

Moroamotshi

the whole tribe was made formally to recognise

Moroamotshe ae them$m

HKm« ■

Moukangoe now died and was burled by Hampuru

•KW&f-d, si , *v^ ;-w*. „ . . .

chief when he should become : ;

fW IrofpP ' I

' ’ v;':f

custom amongst the Bapedl that the

succeeding ehlef claims the right to bury the late

If • ' &■■'* '$■ <' .■ ■ohlef. This point crops up several times In Bapedl

V-':; and must be kept In mind by amy student of

their tribal life or hletory. The fact of Hampuru

1 1 1

. ■

V; v ^• .■ ’

S®!burying Moukangoe was a sign that he claimed the

chieftainship and so there was no alternative left for

$• m 4.A

'MM% ■ * jVO : 1: A ;*• *

. , V ft % Jsii.*V< • •*, - &.<•*

Moroamotshe, the rightful heir, but to fight for It..

In the desultory fighting that followed Hampuru

pifti W*yii 4v|mWi I

1 W / t V »• - ’Si$f ySl

was eventually defeated, wounded and oaptured. Some:V „ '&< I 1 .’v . {' : ‘ * 1 ‘demanded that he should be killed but he was still

.

regarded with great reepect as the man who first made

the tribe great In war* Moroamotshe therefore allowed

him to go free and live first at fiuale (Maandagshoek)'"VV- \

and later at Kalekelo (Putney}*

At thla time the tribal headquarters were moved

higher up the 3teelpoort river to where the farm Qoudmyn■ ■ ;; , / ; ' ■ ■■ ■■

and 3teelpoort Station now are. Xt was here that1 *% • '? 1 \i-. ■ % '’V, .'‘V \ <v ' i S " h ‘ ' ,, y:> k ; I

Moroamotshe died and was buried*,

With his death ends what may be called the n i t t w

, - ■; . A.' . .'aV-VV.- bK ‘

earlier traditional history of the Bapedl* 9 tm nowteA-iv

onwards/

A’ ‘ ’A ' ’

-m

«*

HHBH- _ ■ • am-..•certain and sure, where their history begine to f

■ s r ' ' ■* > t y f * w*> ' ' t , A V ' l. i, " ' . ?* *1 «•'*- ' f i . T T i t " VV * * ' j*.V , *

. 1 ;7 iteum• \ . <-:'< y C £' S p » »•/<«•> v • • 'sfi.y> »■ % -4 , V; . v ’ : ); ' ” *’ 4 ’ ■ '&* ' V ^ jft* ■ -T^ogy*v ^Vifc '*•>*" » ■ •

touoh the recorded history of South Africa.

■ A--baolr and allowing for the peaceful ’<

|i , a >l'v" . ‘#v- ‘v‘ ' £>•/ ‘ W'' V ^L1#* ‘"IimP >*’"V ■• ' ' vtinea of the earlier chiefa Thobele, Kabu, Thobejane

• »,i c- * i « £*, ' X t f ' 1 ,• k> . .- y . a; ; -■■ > v5 •'"! ' f ' ' }>* ',r } ' ' " ' r a % * 1 ' ‘1L*•'

and Moukangoe prior to the nor* stormy daya of

wmMmmi: ■ftisKa

Sohwellnua Mampuru and MoroaMotahe it nay have been about 1650thinks 168C.thlnka 1M C.

that the Bapedi broke off fron the Bakgatla and

settled in what la now Sekukuniland, making their■

, « * a , ,. .t fwil >rv?m'- w:a&-y ‘ ' be1- .'f Ji-' ,v' - —V ;''' ' :-A-jtbeae early yeara the Bapedi auooeeded In aaaertingtneae early yeara the Y.

their auperiority over*-

The Bar

their innedlate neighbours. ' i m'- ' ;•■

Baroka living In Sekukuniland are looked upon

by other tribes as being of inferior breed. Their hablta,

t:their uae of the bow and arrow, the thinga they will

•at# auoh aa tortolaee, worms and all kind of offal,I

f are nore akin to the prinitlve Buabnen who once •

Inhabited their neighbourhood and left rook piotureaI

••*!* f than |o the nore particular Bantu native a of higher»■> U ■' •’ W'&f-''- ' .*■ '" P , ■'T.T.'J.

Leatrade. atandard. They are probably a degenerate offahoot of

the Baronga fron further to the north~eaat. The Bapedi IS:aoon placed then in aubjeotlon*

The local Bakonl were the next to fall and beoone

incorporated Into the Bapedi ayaten, though like all■

South African tribes in elnllar case, whether oonquered

or analganated, they continued to retain their clan , ■. 1 ;my' & .name and identity. This aoattered tribe aeons to be

distributed fron Central Africa where they were known

aa Angonl, down to Baautoland and Zulu!and (Bangonl).

The Batau, a harder fiercer lot, are aald to have

cone In fron the dlreotlon of Swaziland and aettled

In the oountry to the weat of the Lulu range nany

generations/

m

i : m

saMfcs

generations before the Bapedi arrived* They were

only gradually subjected and have several times. . . . . .

MLtried to reassert themselves. Some of their customs.

morn especial*# In regard to their circumcision ritee*

still differ slightly from those of the Bapedi.

The Vatlala sections who came within the Bapedi"M , *v .r Si. “• ’ • . W£ ■ ■* ‘ ^ ' •

xm• .y iUVawya ■;

were merely offshoots of the well-known tribe&K§j

of this name in the Pietersburg area*’’ s- i: '' m m ' ' r m ■ ■ I■ i ' >+:':ve :■ ' . V "V- '

Bamohlala were a email tribe who originally

oame from Lekuduraa further north and settled in theH e n d r i k , ., m m w m ^ : * m w ■ m i,,i; , f eii . v m piji : . w w i m , i i w i w , , ■; w m m y * - . 1" w t w a ▼ *** w

headman i- t» ' .S»v \ v v. *\L •Garatouw. Pilgrims Rest area below the berg, till they were

defeated and their chief killed by the Mapulana when

the remnant fled for protection to the Bapod1*.

The Uapulana of pilgrims Rest, in turn, though I....... ................ ...... — * » ■ * * * • * ......

they fell binder the Bapedi long ago, have graduallyi:< -A’’ ,f"t 1 y!.r/" ” \fay.; M:. '&"• 4’: *

separated again and only slightly acknowledge the■-v;=

iSMfk-*.' -■

Bapedi who etlll claim them as subjects.

Some Baphuthi came in from the south, probably about

2$$M

'i

■

.'•a .• ? -• # ;*<*/!•: ’ .'Vi.'. W'

•?: ■' "v'.fj?

■ t e 'V A :; 1* •, ,U; ••••I-

the time when the Batlokoa hordes of IlBntatisi were:

devastating South Africa*

A Batlokoa section joined, from the Zoutpnnsberg,

in 1885 after having been broken up by the government.. 1 » . -■

Borne Amandebele refugees from tfapogo also settled, U ' A . * • ' ; ' - ft inorth of Oeluks Location*

. . , '■ /'• "'t'' ‘ ■’It will be shown later how some Swasies also

'\V. 5. * »\ ' JL%*. >' t' f 1; V '■ *came to be incorporated*

True Bapedi are really comparatively few in*

number and tvm little more than the ruling caste*■ • : .• • >v. ' : '/ .. :<V-. /. . ,j£ , ' £■ S~>\* %$ , , i " -f ' ;Vr i ?Their system has always been to marry one of their

daughters to the local chief of a neighbouring or

defeated tribe and the issue of this marriage, namely

the succeeding chief of the tribe in question, is

looked up to as a Mopedl by birth* The tribe or seotlon

thus falls automatically under the thumb of the

Maruteng, the royal house of the Bapedi though the

actual/. ■ ■’ . ••m m --

.=•- • .-,n n i t m l «m»#%«W4§ W A # A M O 4 » J% A ^ M t l M # 4 i>Wjm.actual word refers to the loeal headquarters of tbe

r- '.m .,<■ . /h h*. y* '• T9’'iyr.' ■■* ? -,7~ J y ? y v r. .\* . . .

paramount chief.

Later it will be seen how by oonquest and by«• ; : '■' . V > W'... ■;*? '••

■' 'i* * .* V „ . ,

marriage tbe Bamaruteng extended tbe Bapedi rule

throughout the present Lydenburg, I

•.

Pilgrims Rest,!.;••., • '

,':'■ ft Wi % « ’B\>< % W ' & /--V*}■'•• . ; 1 ,:\e-. *<-„; *, „ ; .. «*' T Thulare

Chapter XI.i, in.... r...... .......................................

krMV*,;••'*£ ••; 'V .^./:V *.' ■ " • •■.,•• ■ " • * . *: ■ , s<- •. :

' •' ' ■ ■ y / ' ' i s •''■ •*.Y ,' r> ’ j i f f i l .'■'

' ■ .. v /. :'• •• , i> V ‘ »• • ;;-,f.*•'*,v**-

l-xfefr \' 1 .-. • . 4:,* ’ ■ r* ,i*-1- '■’: ■*'' ■'•jfe.’i'M

Thulare Mad the Mate tele Debacle.

iW, jr 5. »- 2*^i>1. \Moroamotshe's sons were Dikotope, Thulare and

Motedl. Diketope succeeded but Mampuru InstigatedJ:! '. ‘ • ’ •!#" ' ’ 1 * \ .’T"" •

Thulare to fight his slder brother for the chieftainship.’ • ’ I ' V ‘ '■ . . -* ‘ '■ V'"' * ' ' .. . . .. ■'. , .

rW>. "?! * r • & * >, 'C1 '*£■,%. * ' ’> ,v'' t* , . l '^5'r

■ ■ ; . . ’ ■' ' • V. . ‘ • ‘‘ * . ,‘ . ' wW$4, - *>' ... • : _ ;- t . /. I

Dikotope moved his headquarters back to near the |-'5'

M >< $$ *' ,n. v ;'•!&?** , • ,/ y i A*] 1 j Ilf\ J' 'iold tribal centre lower down the Steelpoert. This■ ;' ' '■ ’ C

Rahlolo andMaiikgope. . a p p e a r s to have been an unpopular move and Thulare

-JfJ

vlmf:with a considerable following at the stad

%w.. Goudmyn) that his father had built. Thulare soon

found hiasslf strong snough to attack Dikotops who

?V-\nV '*

• I > v .i

* M m & .. ,| ,' - i - ' ■»

' S . , ' * ^ { & * ' •. " ir

•; a » • ■' y

■ • •■■/■■•I ■ ■ ii -v '•>. • , '■•. , ■fled to Maepa ( Ohrigatad; where in turn he raised the

-V ", ■ ■ «'* 1 T '4 • ■ ■ ' -Bakoni and induced the Bamongatane who were oore at

the loss of their ancient parmsountcy, to Join him

m - %: ■ ’v;w4i '/?' t .*o

. " > ■ * ? ' • •. . t / / K 1

, :• ' ' ; #

against Thulare.

<■ iiih.Thulare outgensralled these allied tribes and

defeated them in detail by marching in between themX*" fw.- ‘ ' » -T ' ; --'Hf . ^ te,V .ao they were on their way to join forces. He first

. . v : ' ...

surprised the Bamongatane while they were smoking

dagga in the early morning and, after pursuing them

ila

m m

'mm

1 4 j 1 ■ 4/ % ■ ;

r. 'i >:4>. ■ * <h * -i 4 * ^ '&£***'■’■’ v’- Vi:r

and capturing their cattle, returned vietoiious to

T about 1780or 1790.

the Steelpoort river and fought and beat the Bnkoni,

killing both Dikotope and the Bakoni ohief.

Thulare then returned home She undisputed

paramount chief of the oountry and became the greatest

and most renowned chief of the Bapedi.

Mampuru tendered his allegiance by asking

Thulare to come and vieit him and by formally placing

him on his own throne - a throne msde of buffalo

horns with koodoo horns for the back. Hs also asksd

Thulare to bury him alongside Moroamotshe when he

died/

llW m r $ is M

------------------

'> ■ i t V *,V- ?.*A,S*fit J. ‘ V & * .'s) •;; f/:*': ■; !■ g •;.. " ‘s 'H-' ' ■'* ‘" d I211 . 1&.-3S& raSfc*

*■ 13 •(S' ‘Vy. ■: >• , ‘ii"V;

■•-.■ ■.-■• ■ ..*iJta

J '.C’ u, \ - *• . - ■<& -y >*

1/V-. ‘ j ■ ■ A ! \ ‘ '■ >

■ „ fflaBa, "■■'■'.//':.}■ ■■■’>■

v:' i r;'V'• "<ji - *' " Sm5 i ' v

• •• ■

■ ;- ■■■ N

'.v.-i.: •*: :•-v .• •• vilV‘ *5 v /V* •

rfi * # j § |

died. This request caused a serious division inl"4'• •:'■ • 'i 3 . -V '■ ;v' ■H.1”the tribe beoause when a few days later Haapuru

died and his eon llolamoso burled him, Thulare with

a numerous foroe went and exhuaed the body and reburied

it at the old heed kraal of the tribe on the lower

Steelpoort.

Maapuru's son llolamoso and his followers were

bo enraged that they attacked Thulare but were well

beaten, Thulare adopting his usual taotics of a

surprise attack from behind*

Thulare took all their cattle but purposely

. . . ■ ' • • 4 . i .• ^ ^ r.' , ■■

did not follow them closely and out of respect for

his old friendship with Maapuru allowed them to. v- :-*S' ■ A .1:.' ' -v

escape across tbe 01ifants river where they settled

on the Xohlapetel river and lived there till 1900

when they, new known as the Ba-Hagakala, returned to* #1 * «W* \ , * 3 "/■ f/r f * £K'$V ' --‘s'' ’ " v'X •• :Vi /r *jJ

Sekukuniland and settled at Surbiton a farm subsequently

(in 1927) bought by the Bapedi tribe ae a whole.

Throughout their subsequent history the Bapedi

m-kF&-fE.r’Rsp*« ■

mMhave always recognised theee Ba<*l(agakala people as

. . . ' *. ' " . . . ' , .. . / '• " ' ■ . > . . , • • .

pert of the tribe and in eoae oases of dispute have

deferred to the lfagakala chief as the descendant of

Haapuru whoa the Bapedi revere as the firet of their

ohiefe who was a warrior and aade thea a fighting tribe*

/ Thulare next heard that the iaandebele tribe :

living at Uoletlane (new Zebedlela's Location) under

Sekobe, as well as Mphahlele and Holeaoso were intriguing

against hla so he raided and defeated the As&ndebele

at Moletlane* As was his custom he did not entirely

destroy thea but took aost of their oattle, leaving

their stad unburnt and also leaving the cattle of the

chief's house*

It wae ehortly after this that Thulare aade his

greatest expedition, passing Hapeeh'e and Maleeuwskop

Districts and then hack over the Drakensberg reducing

country to his rule* I gP.i ", . jp< y.r* V.'3VV Jy*/.>;.

Then for a long time there was peace. His■

cattle are said to hate oovered the oountry from*<0 ' i wrv

tht Lultt I—..> I •& * i$m

Mm i

iiithe Lulu mountains to the Komatl river. U\

•H* ,

J<Aji,

.‘V/

He sent his favourite son Makgeru secretlyP^MppM p ppgF'''; • "• a ’■ ■

in touch with white people at Pelagoa Bay■' ,V, ' ‘ HA' *

▼ 4 • %i,:::yAA-r-it i -*•ik iy^fh•e.Makgeru brought baok two whites to visit Thulare.

(r ’ •> ' ^ ^0^-'' I f a - Iwere kept hidden during the day of their arrival

80 that the tribe should not sse them, as the chief , . & ,■ ••■■■' v ■ .

Informed of all happenings before

....... ......................................... ' W ; W > m :vvW : -"•the general public. After dark they were brought

'Thulare who received them well and eventually

■ ■ - . .. ■ '•;••• . aant them back towards the Bast loaded with presents.

hla" ,l f ls • » “ to haTe b0on T,ry ll«ht■

In oolour, his wives were Innumerable, he was

_________________________________________________ ___ __________ * _______ ____________________ u .generous, never cruel and never went to extremes. Hej , , V. ' . *7 a V." :

had his own special workers In Iron and his own head*’

makers living In a stad on the Steelpoort under his. - ► ,;j . ■/ " ' ,r’ ‘ ■ ; “*y 'fy ■ ‘ ' ' W

He Is said to have carried an iron-wulklng-

stlok which may have been * Xapalakata gun barrel or r,* £ v , Zx\ t * ■ -' ’ "/*''* " * s'4u> ’ ■ 1M ■ ’ *’' ‘ ’ i'**' ' ' 'v: j< ' v’ * ‘ t 1 i « ’ * *

ramrod, or indeed a gun Itself. His Judgments were.

• : ' ■ - - -

p ro u cu o ^ .

• \ 4 J* wm ■«&*S|:

v. -

impartial and wftxs quoted as precedents to this day.

He rulod for a long time but as he grew older he used* if/ f.f < \ * 1 i ® v f j' [ & y y

to send his sons to attend to any troubles among his'i,\ '■ V-f ' ri§-’ a V*' \ 'Mi)

more distant subjeots. Latterly it pained him to sse

the jealouBy that existed between his chief sons

Walekutu, Hateebe, Phethedi, Mothodi, Sekwatl, Xakopole,

Makgeru and Slbasa.

" I

J;', V. .<■*?

wjp. f”5

1B24 «,v , 5/ \- ^Vy/.jMV• /ten *Vrf.iia».

He died In 1824 on the day of a solar eclipse,•''ri: A-.. >;<■’ ..rlf. ‘ •*',’*. *~n ^ ‘F

the first definite date we are able to record with■' '-wW># . % Jw .

certainty In the history of the Bapedi.

sucoeaaor of Thulare. He had always been Ml activefighting leader of Tulare's and on succeedlng to

A U § the chieftainship made a great expedition to the$ life .

south-west. He defeated the tfapoch tribes and penetrated ,HP >looting cattle, aa far aa Hustenburg and even to the

f l p

1 SS?; ' - V '

Vuui river but was afraid to creas as he heard that

further on there wore fioreo fighters riding horssa** , -f*: 4$\$> *: ■ ■.' • ; > )y-f-

and armed with muskets, probably the Korana Hottentots,Wi

■ O'1 ;$V. a., Lhflso he turned baok and returned to his hone on the

ssM

mi*. ‘fr ; ^ l A - » . • V\> ■ " \ < i V • - •• V, v;* v*. • f • .. . •. * J v.)v -.yT * f '• ';

'•v- ■•’•:■ ■'<•■* ‘ ’• ;; • ‘The tribal wife whom he should by custon hare

ui&r r i c* d

4 a > I ' - *U JR W l '■ * ivt « ■,> • N iftspM'TviEpPI ‘I -. . ■ . ■ . - • ■ * ■ . * ■■married ana who should have become the mother of the

.succeeding chief waa to have been his cousin

named Kgomo-Hakatane living at Uagakala's. It was •SSBI

claimed in a subsequent dispute which many years

later brought dleaster on the tribe that he never

sent the original customary bull, apart from theKgofcalale. sent «ne original customary hull, apart from the11 ^ • v\ i i/v’ ** < I ‘ p '* 'v ’’ '■ >». v

dowry, to ellfteh his ongagomoat to this woman* invite■ "it r'w ' * v’a , ’/*.... . y w *

possibly he did not, as he was only ohief two years:?73Spv-.v

;

and most of that time away.

. •• during hie long abaenoe on his raiding expedition

his brother Matsebe had been trying to make himself

popular with the tribe with a view to seising the ohief-• ■ .*’>■,.■■ ■ . ■ ' ■

' 'i I ' : .tainshlp, and it was not long after tfalekutu*e return

!* •, ■ > M ‘f ■ V«'/. • ■ |? t' a,..;:- wv

that Uatssbe poisoned him....s

Hatsebe however did not gain his object as he

was at onoe driven out by Mothodl and Phethedi andv -' ’ • ’ i ' Vi v ■ • ■■ . >■.; * •' 1 •• ‘ J .,y , « -}■'

' ■■ ■' *v ’* •7^ ' •"> ^.:v ■ . r; ' J i>''. . v.r 'V - ; ; ‘' v . . • ■ / . ■

fled to the Ba-Uagakala across the 01ifants river.

Phethedi followed him up and after some fighting

Hatsebe was killed.n h h ... .

Phethedi thsn attacked the Bakonl under Uakopole

near/

^ •y v«t'-v < ‘ * ’• 1 ''-VV •7 / Mkt, -■gatt.i. '*'••■■,- ■•■■j.'i'-i.a • ■( - ■ -j>. ?,V v"V * • s t i t T ; - w- y . . . .

near Lydenburg but failed to take their stronghold.

This Makopole had been exiled by hie father Thularemm

made hineelf chief of the Bakoni.

How we hear for the first time of the appearanoei ■ •// * 4^7 :Y: , *• . •-,y * *,;a

of the dreaded Hatobele. News oaae through to the.

Bapedi on the Steelpoort that Makopole and the Bakoni-,KV

hed been attacked by the Matebele, that Makopole had

^ been killed and the Bakoni slaughtered except for

scattered remnants*

B p 1$*?"■ • " • sSk-’' S'wM: *?- * .

~ The Matebele were moving northwards. Phethedl

had a successful brush with a small advanced partyT ■ ■ ~ H r) r n

of them whom he killed near Krugerspost.

Cv1-

l i l S fir

the main body of these fierce Invaders were

advanoing towards the Bapedi headquarters throughi/M" ' ''7* v ■ ■

■Dworsrivier and tfaterval ./■} ; : '’ N,

■

Phethedl heard that they were about to attaok

through the nek on Olifantspoortje so

he sent a young regiment to hold the nek against them.<: ’■■i-i.i lt* V y ; * ; ' i? ' '■ •' "'.'A ■H ' . ' f 1 ™*5sr‘j : psT ,v . |The Matebele impis however oaae right over the hills

§mh:■ '>y.> . V " V4 w w f * y • .* , *•"**y /. . ’ ' V . • '' *' ’•* • * * **

Phethedl went with the«■ ■’XKr'\\ l\" .*"

mthea but was defeated I

and completely overwhelaed. Most of the Bapedi fighting'? fyj'&yJ • ' " y. % .■ • ^: *'' sXi*-*' ,V .. " , . :

men were elaughtored and the deep donga near the head

kraal wae filled with Bapedi oorpses. Phethedl himself1 - *. x %, *4} ' ■ •...*• * f " ‘ 'rw >i ' ■ W > ' 'V t

fell, full of wounde fighting bravely. All the otherH . . H | I..I B Iwmj mm ■

eons of Thulare, except 3ekwatl, were killed In this

./•S' ■>' C 'XA The young regiment, not finding the enemy in>’71),» V&j ' '> ’ ’ * V } y ' ' 4 • i / * ^ ' '*

Olifantspoortje nek, were returning home but on finding■ > ■■ :• '■ , . ' .

the Matebele already in possession of the head etad

aanaged to make their escape into the Lulu aountalne'' 'mMmmmmmMt H 'III'' ' -f” A.-.S-J*. • .-Vi.* ‘.V- SnSW

r v -V -■

where/

%•*

mm

' - ZL » » « •

: ; V .

rnaqgf women and children had already taken

A' ■:j' ■ •■I '. . sfci f&K i.t' ->hy :

refug..»- * - \ »J« ” ' / l*T '* *’ n / r S't A t J f’>

In the evening the Hatebele burnt the empty

'••4 <•'•■ >

m m m m *...^

head kraal* . & ■■

; The Batau and Matlala tribes to the weat of theL>V U i "& **•' ?» '• • . w* vif, *' * * V\ •*;**» *.■'■ .

Lulu mountains rallied under Clekgatume of the Batau

v>|£k£ * i• ' 4 . • -iV. , ><» ’ ' -'il,-tV;'' " • ■■ _f - i-and, contrary to Bekwatl's advice, attacked the

Matebele by way of the Schoonoord - T)e Qoedeverwaohtlng’ v ' V: > •* \ ■ 'Mm V* ~' ; '-.I. - ■' 4 ,< ' ■ V '* r -' \ '" ... V ■* A .A' J..*

TjraS&iS T O

pathway over the Lulu* The attack failed and ended■; >..■■' \UF\-, ■ : •: ;v ‘;; ;

in the usual slaughter.

'km.During this last fight 3ekwatl himself remained

m Vk

at Honoko oave on the top of the Lulu* T irectly-v-.

mV:

afterwards he fled with n considerable remnant of

the Bapedi across the 01 if ants river.v :V p ?

• f%- -V,% p rn>%• jr * !' , ■ . .

5

y$f :jf:

r;/

■» >,* 1iif. . r . t i w ’

The Matebele settled down on both sides of the

Steelpoort, laying waste the whole oountry and living

M the cattle and goats they captured, From time to

time a few Bapedi were caught and incorporated by.

as men were killed • while a few soattered

$Y.

Moeo 1 ekatse lnto the Matebele - mostly women andvs<V.-' • I.’ s..-. t.*$ Aft/ _ • -;f i’> * . %’>■

1

S '

groups hiding in the Lulu or In the hllle round Ohrlgstad

Kept themselves alive by stealing back stray cattlem

from the Matebele.4^1

Moselekatoe remained for one year, by which time

,',r‘ H . 1 he had completely denuded the oountry of all stock

St® * 1 mjm

and grain* PS

|M After he had pnuBtd. oe to the western Transvaal■■

came the awful time of the cannibals* Cannibalism

first began among the starving remnants of the older. . ' v V v x . \ s;. ■.y'---' is ^ 4 ?"■ : }. -tribes hiding In the Ohrlgstad hills but soon spread

&$.•* % • | V't \ '•■ijvto those In the Lulu as well. They trained dogs to

% i Jk ' *4.;;

■•.■’■•/I. ' ■. ■

hunt men. A corpulent Hongatane headman who was

f t oaptured on D«jate by oannlbalB 1*» aald to hare beenV fT* ;F ^ ‘ '* V, '• -v- ^ ■ f ...A , . .

„ . m A m d m rt

so fat that he would not oook well*

' V*‘ ‘ '■ The/

I P

t e

Pir’tetft’A

18

« • .®L . * / i i?, * * J ' * j , ay, ’ • * ,-«. ..Mamathobo and his peopls living at OsnsJcakopw . w w w m r » w **p ip \JI W v U

and Orootvygenboom on tbs top of tbs Lulu werev<# _ _■ >/ Jri 4- , ’"vv' ■ ■ i

all of them cannibals during that period#

m i

K

EE®

P:t ■ ■

, V-1

K

f f | |

M S g ffr

.■WSW3§

i' JU;1/ '

I I f

Pi

v; -‘t

*|Ir*»

tAfKSw

h M

m §m

assegats ef Mo•V » .***■ ,y-r ;/*

G " '

Sokwati fled from the Mstebele with a goodly' ■' - '• v........ ■■ ; ■ v.-

portion of the tribe who had escaped the slaughtering

of Moselekatse*s lapis. He orossed the

01ifants rlrer at Mphahlela's, thence went onwards'■? ;-vr ■ , ; £ • ,, . > , ■

where at first he allied himself

to Kgoadl chief of the latlokoa. By Making raids,

.

mjBi

killing out small kraals sad capturing women and oattle... ■

W sm &

M *v-sad restore their

'• / h'-l : ' ■ 'v'iT . .. . .fighting morale. He was wise enough to avoid oonfliot

1 Vi-i'-iKi. " M ....... .. ................... .. ...m<w

, ■ i-to oolleot tribute: when Matebele were about, r>«)cwati

■ '--ty-: --4 ' ; ■' ■■■■■■■>.- -V- - , , * : . ws . *\ ! , * u ... *f*v . i? / - v v. - *# .»:•• •• ■ * , vretreated Into the Woodbush and only reappeared after

to,

3ekwati wandered as far as the Blaauwberg where

jj&j*< ip&jsyft) » v '<v££'4$,ne.g m ? P : : * . .r . >

he met Buys, callsd Kadlshe by the Bapedl, who aooompanied

him on many of his raids. Once he raided across the

Limpopo and took many cattle, but the Matebele oaptured

Hbon his wsy baok and he fled

' -/li-lr:' 'U r ' '■ '■ "

Jirsntually, after four years of this wandering

,life, 3ek*ati deoidod to return to 3ekukuniland where

; meanwhile a Mokoni leader Marangrang from furtherS. ■ •; , v"' pit ' ■

'I south had already oome in and had begun to asssrt

himself, though be was not a ohief.

This Marangrang who io atlll looked upon by the

Bakonl as their great tribal hero was tremendously

Btrong and very tall. His story resembles that of

Samson in the Bible. He raided his neighbours In the

■

WmT^r.

musual wsy and like 3amson became the terror of the

countryside. Some cannibals stole a few of his people

; ■■ ■ • •Jfr* •" r'-.V

so he went and fought them at Ohrlgstad and though

_ mm he/

a woman to Harangrang. This woman was Uarangrang's• • in . ■* r ,r ■ \ '• ■■• • •' v *' '■

undoing as she beguiled him into crossing the Olifants

ho fell into an ambush and was surrounded, V v -V •>' '■! -y y . M f ’k'

sna slain by Uphahlela's people at Gskwati's instigation.anti sii

r Sekwati was then able to defeat the Bakoni and -

mm®®

■ . J',j}, \> , \:: ■. V 'J1

... ■ . and supports% |g#$

’ • ■ ........ •; _______ _

a Bapedi ssotion under tCabu who had returned with,. • T W : ..... , v .

supportsd Marangrang. 7his Kabu was the son of/ ''. - - ' . 1,1 ,r' I . ■ . '* 'i' •

Makgeru who brought the first whites to Thulare and

had previously made a name for himself by fighting

#cannibals some of whom agreed to stop sating men and■ ■ W ’»'• • V • '■ •' v. \ > ■ , . * * t~ *■? . ,* .•* .bscsme his allies. Sskwati defsatsd him at Pahla

(now Mooifonto in ).* 1 - ■ ■ ' . ;' ■ . . . ,

, ■ V Wsxt Sekwati reduced the power of the Ba-Magakala• w>~sy. & y - . , 7 •• >« v

mZ

■ r\ j*V .. ' ’ z ' ■ w' '■ •■■■;under Xegadimane. He distributed captured cattle in

i §order to stop oannibalism, and killed the two cannibal

fi&m?'■ ohl

.mmmmSmsmi

.ffv

>g:‘ chiefs Marubanye and Makulele.....:r -SJ'

He thus re-established the old Bapedi ascendonoyV''V~S’*fev ' i S * v A * *. ' ■r :■ '

•• f;s,_ >-V • !”*'■ * ■.•-'over Sekukuniland.

A rooky kopje, Phiring, in what is now Magaliss

Looation in ths northern end of the Middelburg

Tistriot, was his stronghold.

■ *. Looat:v:,'.'v V.:> M

Pistr:

. According to the Bapedi account he easily beat

'-I

off a Swasi raid under Somoduba Dhlsmini. A few years

namely on July 5th 1845* on account of this' f - ■ \V«A . J ' y ‘ ■ •* >,4' 5?. V m5 *‘

raid the Swasies laid claim to the Bakoni oountryv ‘ w i t f .: V ' ' : ' * '3K ' V' ^ :'V »hVv?;?-v ~ . .s . ,v :v v v". ■

formerly ruled by the Bapedi whioh they sold to the

Voortrekkers for 100 eattle. Ths boundaries of the

oountry described as sold by Umswasl are;- "From

'".w MT. £ - '■!

A \ J < W> 4, ^

"Ohrlgstad northwards to the olifants river and down■

'V f ,*to the Pslagoa (boundary) line, southwards to the

wv! £:

"Krokodile river, westwards to Xlandspruit and up

"to the 25th degree sastward to where the Krokodile

• H r . * /

---------------------------------------— --------------

• ■“ • 4 1 / , .

- 81 - ■$WV ' >" •'>

wzt, 1ft

“river rune into the Kemati and to the (boundary^

'•line of Dftlagoa Bay".

aKiaHiiIt nay here be noted that it has sometines quite

• \ <• .-W,^

• v v: •”• ■■•

■ * 4 | p i . # ' » i ”■■S.v'v ./:;-6;,;

f e f

inoorreetly been assumed by hlstorlana that by this

treaty the early Republicans acquired their right■Mi

to "Sokukuniland" by purohase fron the 3wasies. This

contention does not hold good under close examination,

ri

' . . . . . ..••••■

• \ ' I'f' ■ ' v

• '< ''v:'- ■ '•Vv‘. :.r ' "

aft the treaty boundary in the direotion of sekukuni-' j , 4 * i r f ^ ^ ' J1 , , j >t 1 ’ it ■ • *r* t " t’jlj

land did not run further woet than from the Olifantft

river north of Ofcf igfttad to .ifeft island opruit betwft|||/.

Belfast and Machado dorp, thus it never included

Gekukuniland at all. 3ekwati always considered his

oountry north-west of the Steelpoort independent of

mthe Republic and his suooessor Bade the sane olain.

» [ ’ > t 5 i, ' * J, * t .* | ‘

a far nore serious affair than this Swnst raid

& ,y '

i § » i 'W?>'

immk • 4^

■

• ;■ ■ h ’Vv : li■> ’

'-‘txi •.y\ %

w n

’V S s i •'• • *■''■ ’ is*-, v

ip

1845.

■».', v- ,, v *$,' **,•

. ... ■: • -.*•» •:•• v v ; <>■'..'■• ■'•'■■ v w'/;i ■ ■ .

r . y - 1 *: ■ \ V $'4\, f-Jy- • 7 x

waft an inoursien by a big 2ulu inpi sent by Panda."

They swept the oountry but after a big fight failed to

capture Sekwati in his stronghold. i»fter they left,: ■ .

'ekwntt organized a big hunt and, in auch the sane'

manner as Mcshefth of Bafttttftlnnd on a similar occasion,i . * < r , ■ . ^ t •;.• • ■,,» ■

sent tbe invader a present of ostrich feuthers and

skins of the tshipa (a ground squirrel) as a peace

ftifftrini* asking -hin not to come again. 3ino« then th«

Bapedi IniVft ooo as tonally sent presfttttft to the Zulu

eh Lefts and rem ained f r ie n d s w ith them : even l a t e

lift 1006 there is no doubt that emisunrieu passed to

and fro during the Bambata rebelli<N|«

I t wad uoon after tn iu that Hftndrik Potgieter

and his Voortr«kk«rs appeared in Sekukuniland from

the Water berg side. 3ekwati with all his aen went to: < fcj '1\ , * >v * • " - * v' i *.

meet hia at tfolahlegi's not far free Rooibokkop on

the ollfanta river, bringing elephants' tusks and,

soae sheep and goats as presents. Tbe meeting was

friendly and the Yoortrekker party passed over Usgnet

Heights/

Heights to the west, eventually founding Ohrigatad

Potgieter appears to have used Bapedi ns■ ‘ . ■

auxiliaries in some of his expeditions and to hunt1 '.f't ' " ** - ‘

elephants and herd captured•■•■if . • s * m • “ * - V ' ' * H

r w w —» — — ” ■ ” " ”■ w ” — w — S t 0 0 It* . Soon an incident

occurred which ended Jfor ever their mutual raiding■ " ■

Acoerding to the native version Buys alleged to

Potgieter that the Bapedi had taken more than their■ ■ , • ■ .

spoil in a previous expedition. Potgieter

,■ ■ : ' k ;earns with a commando of ISO burghers together with Buys

■ . ■ , ' ' , . ■ ' ' - ; ' ' • ' . ■.

-nd his tribe and some Barolong to attack the Bapedi.v- ■■ ■■ ' • jHw -•

lost 8fOOO cattle,

6,000 goats and also e large supply of oalioo that they

Prom now onwards there was constant bickering.

with the new Republic at Ohrigatad which had been■ \ ■ ■ ■ ■ • %v.

established in the country occupied by some Magakala,

Bakoni and Mapulana aectione. These people naturally &

In 1982 Potgieter attempted to disarm the BapediI i ' : ‘ ' § ' / H ■

• .\,v, with a commando of 320 burghers mostly from the* ■ ■ . ■ - .

tives from weetern tribes.

* ♦ *August and jje attacked ekwati who had assembled hia fighting menSeptember

r ~ ■ , • , . ■ . ■ ... ■ ■ ...

at his Phiring stronghold. The commandos laagered on■ • -

‘ 'J't* I - i’

1882.

nearly capturing it, but the Bapedi held on to the last

■ : . .. '^v enclosure and the assault failed. The I * then

Ss^

•

, '* '■ V-; 'v ;,'v '".v‘ '' ,’ 'v ''■■■ ‘" V•.......... • 1

, , ■ 1 \ ' ", ' ;■■■ ' - • •

surrounded the hill and out off the water supply. The

defenders sucked the liquid from the otomaohs of cattle

died. Two of the ohiefa sons, young Uekukuni and

tfagulodl, asked his permission to try and break through

the cordon and fetch watersekwati refused but young

Sekukuni, a bold young warrior, privately organised a1 /• ' V . ’v ; V *'? 4^ * J x ' n l ■, ^ 1 v ' ' ' ‘

' \v'feA ■■; J-f :V- f-V

• ■ j • •

. , ___._____

party of bis tfatuba regiment and together with some

young girls carrying pots broke through tp the river.» li . ■ > *“ *' t f1 'p *'.* •» «4ff , t J, v ‘‘* *'* ** • 5 s ' •«' ?r’,k & 1 ' y * *%' .L \ '

' They/ •rosy/$7? >w _ _ _ _ _ _ _

the oiifanta olose by and th«n assaulted tde atronghold,

■ v'vvV- V v-• ■

m m w .‘■ f < W i ' . v ; iu "p.

. :>>'’S*'

They were fired on and returned the fire ae eone ofv*'?‘ ': v>:

TV'?* them were armed with muaiceta that are aaid to haveHBBSS 1 9MH9S9HNHI ■ riKHK’* i

,;\3fe ;s3-.\t ■: £ . ^ ' ^ spfc* aK-,.-1 ,. t’vbeen brought up from Hoshesh in Basutoland. The young

1 ‘ • * ' 1; A -

., 9 ' - * ai' > 7“-’'* '"v ’ ’<■ I

' ^ n - , ■ girls drew water and the party succeeded in returning' f'* *51 aaA - A*‘ > ,* ; v K*4 $ ff '<%*: y|$ ■ \ VV ;

V; to the stronghold, The burghers thsn retired with

6,000 cattle and d,OOO sheep and goats, mostly belonging

to the I'atlala, which they had rounded up from the ‘*.® j'-m • M ' . i ? ■ j : ‘t,*1,: ■• ,• ’ '■’ £» ' -i I v*.

u v '

country. The attempt to disarm the Bapedl*

dm *38 <.<VV

r .n .o .• ' . . . • 1 • •• • .■ • ; ; . ' . ; . ■

' *. -i .. - -".Vf -i • ••- ; ' : , > '.-V" : ■ .... , 7. V - <• . v ^ : , V v V

whloh was the ostensible object of the expedition.

% .

Sekwatl sent a peace-offering toiw&v*

...

all the women were wearing black.

that the latter had Just disd - :

‘‘ ■ ''

iA'/i, xt |{jM| i'V

i.,1 r&'. ^ ■ ■

Sekwatl no longer felt that Fhlrlng was oeoureWEB

as a Stronghold, owing l x n the possibility of beingfWS/W-

from water* Me therefore removed his head-

mfm W ■ w m ■**A

XwfSy'n' "quarters to Mooego kop under the eastern slope of

r a ® s* ...... h ..... ^ v< ................i the Lulu range (now the farm Hackney;* By this time

'mi

he had grown ao fat that he had to be carried all

• . y " > the way in an ox*hlde by relays of young men*.

The Bapedl used to oomplaln to their chief that‘H *Mk. - -* , /

, i ■■ j,;wr

hunting parties of ohrlgstad farmers used to stealTide Agar- Hamilton's•The Native small native ohlldren and carry them off to be Indenturedfolicy of theVoortrekkers" as. farm labourers and that when the parents went to lookend looalnatives. for thsm they were shot at by the farmers, on the other

handV'f ' y 1

hand the farmere complained bitterly that natives

If

m

, ■ ui 'Vs * .

,T ’'i

v‘

' :,v■

. " ' ‘ M>. ’ ■

tS ik'

carrying arms were constantly stealing their stock.

There were unending dloputes# though Sekwatl who was

growing old and was now partially paralysed in his feet* a a ' rj'cT' a , '■% * v ” '■ Snt . * I *> A ?' * *did his utmost to prevent a war between his people and

-■

the burghers.

The original Ohrlgstad Republic was msrged into' ' .V ' V • ‘i ;j.‘J ‘' . ,,,v ' I • • *” '■■ .,- 't* • • ” . > i'"' '' */ ■*?

that of the Transvaal but the Lydenburg Republic

m*

seceded from the Transvaal on Msroh 11th 1857 and did

not rejoin till April 4th I860*■ " , " ■ ■" ‘ ,V. : .V ■ .. ...'• • , -■■■ : . ■■

On/OH/

■\&«L :>#$■■ /••• •

November 17th 1857 •

On November 17th 1807 the following "Agreement"v '1 7 ' * ’ ' j i( *;« v ( * T1, v' ’ v ; V,

wee made between nekwatl and the Volkeraad of them

M M new Lydenburg Republic :-■Mi

"" £!*. ■' ftX;1y,#;£#!NrVffct

P J — . J LA0RK11BW.

. •

fU " V ; ' Xiv o- , '

m % * -:y , -ly > / f ->' *>v4 -■ • .

Sntered into by the Committee appointed by the Honourable "The Volkaraad of the lydenburg Republic," and tbe "Matlatee Kaffir Chief, Sekwatie."

■ .r, j ,’'v f ,■ ’ ■' ‘ ,* '"! '■■■,! 1 ' ‘ f. _‘ i - u... ’ I i i ■ * < ** • S* rfC i, a •' ; ’ >4 ■' ' ■

On the 17th of November, 1857, the appointed Committee have agreed:*

# | v )

- /.v-■ ■ - ■ .,•- •, ‘vx. ^

J ">: •• ... ; *S \}L&if.W

<• That Sekwatie shall

j| ;| ..•/£ 'i&jfc

, •/,* \ V1 •..$ ' ky

V

f,' * •': 1 •’. • 1 -Vj •' *iVt -u <*"That peaoe between Sekwatie and the Lydenburg

Republic sball be promoted as auoh as can be on both eides. / ;

That tbe people of Sekwatie shall not be permitted to pess the steelpoort River with guns and horsee, unlese by permission, or on being oalled by somebody, but that they are permitted to hunt “free and unmolested", on that side of the Steelpoort River, on the lande now occupied by Sekwatie,

upon request and indication, olen cattle and punish the

},Y ’< i > 1 ')-p t’pj

' i £ ■’ ■ ’

mm

■ • >■ '' ! ■ :v: „‘viV''■> >■ ■ ... V - - . ' ■■. < . W ; ;• $ f

■ • •' ; • ■■I M , ,

at onoe deliver up the sto guilty party.

Likewise, that Sekwatie when anyone oomee to him and sake for assistance *a ahall then render assistance to Buob an one, to trace the cattle stolen or bring baok the abeoonded eervante and he ehall punlab the gttilty party.

'Furthermore that all the people (Hatlvee; who live

beyond the Steelpoort River, on the elde of r>ekwatle, can be considered as his people; but all the people (Natives) on the other elde do not belong to btp andtbe white men can deal with them according to theirpleaeure.

Thus done in the town of Sekwatle on the 17th of November, 1887.

?he Committee appointed by the Honourable Volkeraad of tbe Lydenburg Republlo;*

. vv? «’». «' 1 • ' . ' •’ : ' • ‘ . , , :> •'

v v .. '• f- - “ ‘‘ ’ ■ . v • ' ■ *r ‘ • ■

(Signed) X SBXWATIB •• X MAKTSXB. VY-:* X UMffURU.

Ve, the undersigned Commiesloners, declare that the above marks of sekwatle, Maetele and Mampuru, were made in our presence by the eaid Hatlatee Kaffir Chief and hie Head-Captains on tbe day end date above-mentioned

(Signed) C.T.VAN NXKKiSRK,member of.• X *. -j ■ «

IIm

Vi*.o.T.VAJf NISKHRK,Oeon.Interpreter• J.M DIKL, Jeon, Acting Secretary*

This document was approved of by tbe Lydenburg Rxecutive Connell on tbe «th of December, 1357, and by the Lydenburg Volkeraad on tbe 9th of Apr11,1857.

From the Bapedi view tbe main points of this

"Agreement" were that the Steelpoort river was from

henceforth to be looked upon as the boundary between

them/’ Mi! -

-----

•41 ;:r-;-

________

.

it »'■' * V'1 ' ’ - ]•'*’,'1- tf* !- . A" ». f [ &'% | >,,4 * 5 n’(V j‘t £<•

_

, jfe *&«., • B 'yx\ ;■*,£ . 1 .

■ . ,. ,. ■•...• ;. ■ ;■ • . •>• '■

. • •• . ..’ - . ; ' • /• •■ ' • '• >.v ‘ < ' -W

. - ■ ?«;;. ..'. '■ ■■ -Sff

; \ -.‘V

'• \

■

them and the white people, and that they could noV '* * V ># >V$ . 1

longer go armed aoroeo the Steelpoort.. ,, /. * > ■ « :i ‘ ' v •t>. .**

j

It le worthy of note that, regardleea of the\ " *• ' k C- \m.V . • . • V .;■ ’ i■ \ ■' *. ■ *'. . \ . •* » .. , •* % •.; V-V.. ' ' >■ \; >■ \v.% ' *•■ :

//''i ••tv‘H i m- fi <

many events that have happened einoe then, the majority' ' ' , . ,

of the Bapedl from that day to thlo have regarded

- V l

mmm

the 3teelpoort aa their eaetorn tribal boundary.•- ' ; V V;/ ■ < ;;i *1!'

..

•'

;V : 2 • ■'September 30th

18dl,' '3»'' v •

After thla treaty had been uigned the tribe,y Y' '•diiyVlfe '•* f-j 1 .v'‘ \ • ■, r&tyfvrh :

lived in peaoe for oevoral yeare*’ !'v '.V W!f< . ' fi, r ' .... (»,. '•...’» * • ::■■■■■[*.?>: \ 1 ’ * * * * t

Sokwatl died on Soptember 80th 1881.

f ; ; >Wwk. y |

. ?&y fcift ;

, v ’ v ?V/Vi ■S'**’ ;'• %'»r?*.

He will always be remembored by hla people ae

the olevereot of their ohiefa. He had re-united and

re-established the greatnese of the tribe* He never

was oompelled to and in his latter• / i >ryp'':\ p r^; ; >iv; [4. K :

fought unless he■V'^r • fj

■ ' ■ '%«■ »,'w .,F,; r-:

• /•v’vU . S' . ■’,’. Vi . 0, •„ 1

years his constant aim was to preserve peaoe, especially

■ ■ ;:^4rih >.';■■ ■:» -yot■ . ; ;>*•

with the white people. He lo buried on Moeego kop and

even now in times of misfortune or calamity, such as

; ■

V"

cattle disease or drought, the Bapedl bring offerings• .

of meat and beer to his grave and ask help from his

spirit. Moroa-nekwati (Son of Sekwatl) is an honoured

and complimentary title among the tribe., / 1 ’V, v ,f ■ . ter 1 " ! l i.r a' **• .*! k 5 > j,j •/ fi-j \ 1 o' * j

ooooooOOOoooooo* v /V

■■■ K‘fJ( 4

y/:

•" • ■; .■ :Vi '' »/}■; *- ' >■ ■ • 's ' «*’ ..« .. v r*y* *,■ . ^

■ / *V »/ - >k 'T"'1* 4f ('v<

,/■„ -. ' ■ ■■ ";V. ••* ’ ’ ’ Af ‘ t

,V ■' V ‘Jp Tl'*' V

; ’•' ''V f t

W $m

i

HI, _ . Y ■ »&: .■-■v MvSS ^

J ■ « aa ■;';«»<

*0m;A

m ^ w P i »•; -v ‘ •• M -'• 3tH#*?' »‘;r w-®!'' •- , * ' •} i'- ' h j 1 *''*•• ' •>•0* 'V *

■.

. . . * . V

; <'&&& *

Chapter W .

Sekukuni T . period 1861 to 1877•' \ ... . • ■ - ■. -

. ■ •• ■. ■; : •

' - ; ■ ' , ■ ' •; n ' .V / ■ ' "■ . ' :

to grasp the situation oauaed by Sekwatife

do nth one must turn back to the days when Malekutu''ft, v '*

„ - • V • ' W

>» ' , 7 $ 0

k mPCgobalale k

others.

■ • I „

‘j- a' Mr*• * v^V*’* ’-ils- ’fl&V'A ft*. .■$ *r$' •' • '.> ‘U , , .v .

. . .• ,

. ; .t, V ■ ■ ' ■ I * " ' ' \ i ,

’ * '■ ( , ‘ >

mm

was poisoned and his br*thers, with the exception

of nekwati, were killed by the Matebele*

Malekutu had never married a tribal wife with

tribal cattle, though the woman who by custom should

have been his tribal wife to produce the next heir,\% * f *$*'; ?/' *’ J / > {*• * If y >J| Y4fS‘ A \v ^4$ ‘ ' -V f‘V’was Kgoao-Makatane of the house of Magakala and a

cousin of the Bapedi ruling house*

Atter the Matebele invasion when Sekwati fled

to the north there was, at the time, no idea of hie

ever becoming a great chief.

Kgoao-Makatane had remained at Mngakala and/ . / ’*5 f y y d t ' '•V , *>' •, ■* . - ; jg 'V '•> ' ' * ‘n a .

only oame to Sekwati later in hie life on hie return

to Phlrlng* One Kapjane of Pahla (Mooif onto In) was’ ' ' ' ' • »\ , ;

privately allowed by Sekwati to have Interoourse withi f f i> ***rt; . ;• :v. t ■" f%>>■‘i * T r * t ■

Kgono-Makatane as he himself was too old. This, though

customary up to a oertaln point, should have been done

by one of the oh iefs house and not Kapjane. The off-

eprlng resulting from this interoourse was named Uampuru,

probably out of oompllment to the Magakala house.

Mampuru's birth compares somewhat with that of

the present Chief Sekukuni Tl though, in this latter

case, the legitimacy of the parentage has always remained

undisputed as his aotual father was one of the ohlef*s

(Maruteng) house.

< After the birth of her child Msmpuru, Kgomo-

Makatane returned to Magakala but r>ekwatl sent after

her and made her return him the child but allfewed her

to go* Mampuru was plaoed under the charge of Thorometjane

Pfcnl® /

1V V!V® ^Ckwr r S * -.A•;.\ 1 v, ; f'w<#;.*, >/, .- Yv*■ V ■• .-/J ; " : ■ ■ ;:v-

■ •, v.', i <•>»]$*3&&. 'v • .v,> JX t

- I I I - * . ■'•■ ;' v5' . ¥<f v •* ,J >’{' I'M1 ■. v

■ ■ ■ ' ■ ,' ' ■ .. .

5 • v' r.l I 1 WiffI1 •$*V $ S P " '

jf. '■%' ij $$$*s l § I ■■mm'-#

Phalp, Sekwati’ a favourite wife, whom lie hud married

.before he vent on his early wanderlngs. Thin Thoronetjane

™ , r> * , , / * ' ' ' f (

had a eon of her own, Sekukuni, a fieroe and active, K ' JV '}%' : >- ' \< *t/ VL : * T ’{ * * K

young warrior.'

• M i

.’/hen old Sekwati waa lying eiok before hia

death Thoroaetjane was nursing him at Moaego. Sekukuni

meanwhile was living at Madikane (Clapham) a few miles|*r * ’ ‘ ’ ' * %**' \ f ’ '* / VV ^ J*r ’’ ‘ ^ V * '* H* ,i ‘ ' '* A *'<

away but waa kept informed by Thorometjane of the atate‘i *'•'* 1' *■; * • t'K ‘ * *' v.\'-v' 4 •» *.« " ' " 7 ‘ ‘ ‘ *v ‘7 t\ ,» * *of hia father’s health and eventually knew of his death,

.

m*-

before others of the tribe. Thus, the moment Sekwatim

W**died, Sekukuni, with the help of hla oiroumoision

?4>y'4

•r. '& ••Rip.'V'.v- ,f *• .■ t •> -x ia.Tv- * r i £ ‘ r ■ ; •' v . - j ■ • 'Ai v ‘ ■ ,< „ ( ' , * ,v f ‘ 1 ' 4 *'!v•> r , 4 -■' ‘

regiment the Uatuba, at onoe seised the head stnd and

challenged tbe right of anyone else to bury Sakwati:

in other words he defied anyone else to claim the

ohtaftatnahlpn...v-jr' ¥if0 ^ W 0 - $&

' '""-vMampuru the other olalmant and whom most of the

tribe had expooted to succeed, waa unprepared and

''U

1861.

could not proteat.

-

■ ‘W"/

Sekukuni burled Sekwati quietly.

, .. 1 • • ‘ •■•.v f;

His next immediate move waa to have all Sekwati*s

old advlaera who might have supported Uampuru assegalodMy

and their bodies dragged to the front of their own

houeehold enclosures. Next day he gave permlaslon for

them to be burled

Xekgolane, sister of Chief Sekwati and married to Rampheloane Chief of Batau.

Mampuru himself escaped to the Batau of Uanganeng'

where Sekukuni followed him up with the intention of

killing him, but Lekgolane, the Maruteng wife living

among the Batau, pleaded for Uampuru, saying that he

was not really a oon of Sekwati*a loins but that his

true father was the small headman Kapjane. Sekukuni

therefore contented hlmaelf with cutting off the

string of royal beads from Uampuru*s neck, aa he would

not allow Mampuru to handle the beads himself by taking

them off.

•v »-j

t ( ';i&$\

sekukuni/

; , M . , . t itT»ws < * - ■ * * v >• . . .... t • •,3 C*l jJt^vuL ^ f i v C ^ l r v - '” v <

Sekukuni passed on to Pahla and himself killedw

Kapjane with his battle-axe while his followersjte-v •' o'.'. # v s f c B H

- ■ ■ . - ■ 'slaughtered as many of Kapjane’ s followers as they frs

oould find. He then returned home and the survivors

of Kapjane*s people sent him a young girl as a peace-

' l' ; . h* : • *of farlog.

' . 1Mampuru took refuge with the ftwasies.

' .Moyalodl another son of r>ekwati, senior to

Sekukuni, but e quarrelsome man who was not liked,■ ■' >.

fled to the Hapoeh tribe.9RPH.. aspsppapmpMB ...... .saaa. „ pan urn,

This ooup d'etat of Sekukunifs caused the second: -

of the three mein divisions that have occurred in

Bapedi tribal history. The first being the breaking off■

of the Magakala seotion of old Maapuru T in the pre-

Thulare days already described.

How the whole point of the subsequent division■

♦ «. -

in the tribe hinged on this - Malekutu had not ssnt' * • "L\ f ' flp | *>/ . ‘ • if . m

a bull as is oustomary to ollnoh the engagement of’ ’ *- ' VV , , $* 1* ihi •* -r ,k <* . *

his oousla Kgoae-Makatane. Therefore the Sekukuni party

claimed that Sekwati, as chief, marrlet ggomo-Hakatane

aa his own wife and not in order to raise seed for his

elder brother Malekutu. They also olalmed as further

proof that she was not a tribal wife, that Sekwati paid►v:. / ; ‘ ' 4,' ' ■ . ' ’ .;

, ly ■ , . \ v'\ ‘ .1U > 1 ‘ ’• : :-v /H - f j+ i - > « V • '•

dowry for her out of his own private cattle and not’ * / / ' ‘i ’ v A * V 1' v r * * '*'« > W * ' ' ‘ i \ ’ .It ' ‘ \ * * l,( ' ■*,' < * '

with cattle eubsorlbed by the tribe, as would have

been the esse had she been intended to produse the

future ohlef. The allegation that a commoner Kapjane,

and not Sekwati or anyone of his house, was the aotual

father of Maapuru, Kgomo-iinkRtane’ a child, was another■ •

- X 'j\ ’ « , y ..V V, - V , » £ , 4 V \ Vh ' *' 'Jf 'Jn ; , , • 4>

point asde by the Sekukuni party.

The Mampuru section deny or disregard his Kapjane

parentage and say that at any rate his aother wae the

pereon who by oustoa ought to have keen the tribal wife

and that as she beoeae the wife of SeMwati en behalf

of the late Chief Malekutu and produced a son, that sen

Mampuru/

I

■ /“5'/ .■■■*<:'■''. '\ £ ■V>V“-i'X V*V‘ *'■’ V iff

'&K; fv* *>•:/ * >Sg:i >U '’> ' M-t 1 ‘ •.A/1*'*-.*, *Vv 9:4m

"*■$, * , it> *<•* I v ^r '■■"• .y/'V'V ■>■'. •' • ,•. V •

;' ■ V ; & v 'S'/1'.-:"'5?

' ; ■ ■.,. • ..

•/. •.■" m

'» ** '!

« ®*:*h « i l ' J J ■ -vr. Is®

.... './■ ■ -

;’*1 k"'Vw ,y;>

v '

k *;- i»v«v vV-TiK':

' v V

- 29 -

;‘rJ

; a-v , . V;- ,j*v' > y dfa?.y&*$ ■ :a\. • * >: cTxfflJm#.*> ul>JSte

Mampuru wan the rightful heir as 3ekwatl wae merely

raising seed for his elder brother* They also point out

that Thorometjane I ^ekukuni’ s mother was not a tribal

wife though she was 3ekwati*s favourite wife whom hei§m

..>•*«

had married before going on his wanderings. Uoyalodi*sf ,u$ ^ v q |'} *M ‘/ ’v ,/■ B u v W ' 1$} f \ ty'mother too was senior to Thoremetjane,

1 «* &/} v v *r'V ft ( *’* i ’ - ft ‘ '# * */This dispute will always be the aubjeo* of

endless argument among the Raped1*

The faot is that the Matebele had upset the■ ■. , 7 \ ‘ . ', ‘ ' ■ i

ordinary flow of events and though Kgomo-Makatane’ s

marriage may not have been ciulte tribal aooordlng to

formal details it was generally expected for several

years before 3ekwatl died that Mampuru would succeed

iw

■

Sf:,

'M1

••.v ■ \. ,W-/. / ■ ;>. ; *wf

;

tmWm$

1861: <**.,•-. Ir- ■>■

Jw.m , 1

#1

to the chieftainship* Sekukuni, the older In years,-Vr ' ^

and mere resolute of the two, struck in at the right

moment and, clearing all opposition, established

himself firmly*

Zn 1861 the Transvaal Republican Government

nad not as yet established lt& authority over thei ■ . . • ' . / ■ r- ■ ■’.. ' AX'- ;»■' ' • • w ,• ‘ • - , ' *’* • ;V v v

■natives of aekukunlland who then, an6 for several yeare

to eome, had not been brought to coneidor themselves

subject to white rule* Besides, when ttekwati died the.

Republic was too busy with Its own factional troubles

to oonoern itself about who ehould be the rightful

suoeesser to the ohieftaihship of a tribe situated

as the Bapedl were, though nowadays a patsrnal Govern­

ment would sse Into it through ite Native Affairs

department* Therefore the Government took no sides

in the affair and tacitly recognised 3ekukunl as the

ohisf,

AX first he lived on good terms with his white

neighbours. The Steelpoort river was a olear boundary

line on the Lydenburg side and there was as yet no

preesure from either party to the west or south-west

of Sekukunlland*

He/

He knew how to make himself popular with his

people. He abolished some of their more savage customs

and no longer allowed the killing of youtha who broke

certain rules in the oiroumoislon schools. M:

Ms Jfii

><vii

IvfiaB

Sekukuni however strongly objected to Christianity' ■* • "r i/’. <

m

1864.

■

which thrtatensd to interfere with his customs and his. . . • . ; '■ " •• ■XM$-

■ - .. ■:

. . . . ••

? power, ao in 1864 he ordered away a missionary numed

Merensky of the Berlin Lutheran Mission who had been.,V '£ ' ' ‘ , ♦ 4 * a*» >;(“p - , ;g h '* * ; . -<* : ■ .

*7:7- .; v ■ fir*': -f:'allowed by Sekwati to establish himself first at

Bchoonoord and later at Maandagshoek in Sekukunlland.

Merensky himself wished to disobey the order and remain.■%W

; <* , /7but the Government did not want to run riBks and told

f-..*SB5? •.

him to come away. He moved to tbe town of Haxareth

(now Middelburg} and re-established his mission station

35® ■

‘■ 1 - ' ' “ '• > ■ 7 . :

‘ \ 7; !

near by at Botshabelo.f ‘ .• • ,

ti1' ( •f’V.'i(['' $ J ' t ‘M™* , .. 1' S ' ■*. <V'.’ \ t / y . ' / ’■ J , ' r \'-i *'’ \ ' V-’‘7 7 ’ ■

After Merensky had left, Sekukuni burnt the

mission station at Maandagshoek.

v 0 m ■■M m s'

j*7 ?7- • Sm-v •wMz,- /

. v fcr*.

-S’-

v:

Johannes I inkoanyane a half-brother of Sekukuni

had become a Christian during the latter days of 3okwnti.

He received a hint, some say indirectly from Sekukuni

himself, that his life was in danger so he ran away

■

V . -

v.4 hto Botshabelo, which, in aocordanoe with the meaning

of its name, beoame the"refuge" for the small number

Iinkoanyane , left Botshabelo beoause he quarrelled with one Martinus Oebushane as to who should be headman of the Christians there.

of Bapedi converts. Mampuru visited DInkoanyane there■

but they quarrelled beoause tlnkoanyane as a Christian

threw away Mempuru's dolosse bones. This quarrel

reaobed the ears of Sekukuni who, beoause of it, beoame

more reconciled to I)Inkoanyane and this reconciliation

had its after-effects when Dinkoanyano left Botshabelo

and returned nearer borne to the Spekboom hills north

of Lydenburg.

During the years that followed, Sekukuni was

m m

W'

larger following* oolleoting a considerable store of muskets and

but t inkoanyane i ^ i o f Maruteng

blrth* *»ou Nool" "X" was tbe go-between and employed another

lunitlon. according to native report a farmer named

aployed t

farmer/

EM r* ,?£/1' ' A 'it ■' H'' •' •, k .v»iV» n ■/

1 <i|k ■■*■$ Sr

.

- (•■ -f, < Si' 1 Mp ! .v’.' r4fnn« aff»! ■':>/, ■ \ - v

. ’ ' H ’’ » ’ ,!”>r '‘ V VL 1■ /■ ‘v • , - ’ *

• , >\ ;v

1374. Uinsutu the father of preeent 3wazi Headman Umshoblans or "Shopplane*

',: A;

Mpehle the father of present Head­man Ngobe.

They were after Upehle especially.

1375.

“Transvaal of Today* Aylward page 159.

- 51 -

‘V'.C7 ': fcfr • .f'../\v' I * ‘ ’0 $$*.

farmer "Z" whose native nickname was Uakatane to,t; * j/'- - y r- : • ,/,;l *vv:f/' < S * % 8f '•run the guns and powder In wagons from I>e logon Bay

to Roodewalshoek in the ^aterval valley, to whloh

place Sekukuni used to send and rsoeivs them from *XH •

At various times groups dispossessed by the•. ' ' •» ■ . v ■ * ■ : ■ '

whites or refugee* from other tribes came and joined

the Bapedi. Both iekwati and Sekukuni were careful

to post such groups in outlying strong places between

the Bapedi head stad and possible enemies. About 1374

Umsutu the son of Somoduba l hi am in 1 of the rullug

Swazi chief's house fled from Swaslland with a•w i * *'» i11 i f t , t ‘ t ‘ , **> t * <r t t ,i * i v 4 5' k t , f

considerable following to Sekukuni, because Somoduba

had been killed by Chief Bm o c m I . Sekukuni located

mM:v

Umsutu and his Swasiss on the top of the Lulu range

above Sohoonoord.

A few months later another group of Swasiss

smaller in number but more closely related to IJmswasi

and Umbandlne fled, under Mpehle, to ->ekukunl and

were similarly placed on the top of the Lulu range*

The Swazi ohlef sent an impl to follow up and

recapture thsse fugitives.

This Swazi irapi penetrated nearly as for as

Mosego kop but were there heavily defeated and driven

back by the Bapedi who were better armed with muskets.

It is recorded that the bones of these Swasl dsad were

still to be seen lying round Hosego in April 1878,

three years later.

This suooess confirmed Sejcuxunl's feeling of

security in his stronghold, backed by the Lulu in

the Ilaokney-Dsjate valley, with the formidable hills

of Mosego and Modlmolls guarding Its entrance and

its small cave-riven mound-like hftll on I^sjate as

its citadel.

He considered Sskukunlland independent and

foreign to the Republican Government and refused to

allow miners from the Pilgrims Rest gold-fields tg(mey

—

.

f . . ' ’’•. J:-‘ ' •:/'■■■

■ .

n

- 32 -

come and prospsot on his side of the Steelpoort.

By this time Johannes Blnkoanyane had also

established himself in a stronghold on the Spekboom

, .

vi"hills north of Lydenburg where he had collected a

Sekukuni regarded small following and, in the midst of the farming r inkoanyane as

community, assumed a very independent demeanour which

■■

holding an out post between him and his enemies.

T> inkoanyane had recently visited

"ekukuni•

• * ! V v 1' ■■ '* *• * ^ * ( ’ '► .• u • > * • <• ; * * •• . * '

Sekukuni himself by no meano discouraged.

" ■ ■/<>■'■1 ' VHad Sekukuni confined his activities to his

own side of the Steelpoort according to the 1857

Agreement he might possibly have delayed the impending

clash but when he backed Pinkoanyane by openly

regarding him as bis subject there was no longer hope■ : . ‘ ;■>*/ ’ . ./ \ , , .,;y ‘,(i , ’• s I; ‘r? \y’\ tof peaoe.

The growing feeling of mutual fear and hostilityWagon load of woodwas held up by J .......-.JWHBL.___ rAsaph Tau Mashala, between the Burghers and the Bapedi culminated when, one of XInkoan­yane ’s followers on March 7th 1878, Plnkoanyane Insolently detained a as its owner'sboys were cutting wagon-load of wood belonging to a farmer named Jankowits.poles nea* r inkoanyane1s stad.

:.v

This, together with a false report which reached

Pretoria that Kaohtlgal«s German Mission had been

burnt by Pinkoanyane, decided President Burgers to call,

up his commandos to deal with the whole Sekukuni menses.

Account by Mashueu Tbs burghers with the aid of some Swasiss Mabele of Sohllck-manskloof a captured Plnkoanyane's stronghold. According to an

k'okoni who was•nurse"to Mloba aocount of this affair by s native who took part in it T) inkoanyane whomhe sent to hide on Dlnkoanyane*s side, it was Hampuru who brought the in the oave andthen took part in Swasies: the burghers opened fire with a cannon on the

the fighting ohuroh whioh formed a good oentral artillery marks the

f:\

and claims to have shot a Swasi dead.

July 5th 1876.

natives, a Christian lot mostly Bakonl, began firing

on the burghers and did not notios the swaslss who

orspt up from another dirsotion. The defenders think

that svsn thsn thsy would havs repelled the attaok aa

they wers shooting every Swasi who showed over ths malls,

but Johannes T>inkoanyane was himself shot dead by a

Swasi at oloss quarters and when the ehlef was klllsd

his followers gave In or ran away. The Swasiss killed

■any/

Uloha rinksan- ane the present

neadman of ~ omplaata•

Many women and children hut young Hie ha the eon

of Johannes T'inkonnyane escaped as he wae hidden

in a cave a little dietanoe away.

The Swasies lost heavily and some of Maapuru's

personal followers were also found among the killed.

im

mm

>

WM:

400 wagons aooording to one account,540 according to another.

;»■ 4 /igjt , •.,

August 1st 1876 Hoodie Vol.II page 272,

For details of thie fight esc Carl Jeppe'e "Kaleidoscopic Transvaal" in which he des­cribes it as an eyewitness.

August 2nd 1976.

fter the fight the r>wazies went boae complaining that

they had not been properly supported by the burghers.I' 1 ' - *5' x ' > . ■ •• ' * • *1* ' r e , "7" ' ' '

The Preeident wrote that he had oaptured the

Gibraltar of tbe south*

By this time the burgher commandos had oil

arrived and the President advanced northwards and

m\

mi

Hi

oroueed the Steelpoort with the largest force them

Republic had ever hitherto assembled; it consisted,*/ , VY (' | , *■ f '' '** 1. «V» t f

of 3,000 burghers with a few Krupp guns and 400 or■ . ’. ... •• • • v - - . ; - ■■

500 wagons. From the Steelpoort the advance continuedWl-i

on a broad front with little or no opposition till- ' :’v ■ v T 't 'fW «■.*»’P

they arrived within reach of Hosego« The feig attack was

mode on august 1st 1876 and though the burghers

euooeeded in burning part of tho head-utad the attack

was not pressed as it should have been, and it failed

to dislodge Sekukuni. The fact of the matter being that

the burghers' hearts were not in it, as they distrusted

both the military and religious capacity of President

Burgers. They retreated pell-mell and did not stop

till they bad reoroueed tbe Steelpoort and then

dispersed to their homei*

To meet this situation it was decided to hold

the line of the Steelpoort against Sekukuni with some

volunteer mercenaries oalled tbs lydenburg Volunteer

Corps who were placed under the oonmand of a German

ex-officer Von Sohllekmann with orders to keep in

oheok and haraes the Bapedi in ao far ae he could••

4* V # •m M m

mm‘■ '000-^'

- 34 -

------

•: '••■ -7:'>>'fe

; twll Mjf?

■m: ••yf:

'4 *;, ^

* v'v.hi\ i >*'14' V*

i\\.' ™

A fort, named Port Burgers, waa at once builtu f' / \ rL'' * * * < • fji'( 1 -■ ‘ 1 ' i /) ! , v. ■ .‘y . , - .■'opposite the drift on the Steelpoort at the foot of

...

September 29tb 1876.

fflm.

Morone mountain.

On September 29th SckUkuni with his Swaslee under■

Hpehle attacked the fort with the object, according to. . ■ .. '■

the native aooount, of recovering cattle which had' v, /' \ / ' . , i ■*,*" , V-r £ < - ' W ‘: , . ,,*/'‘ \ A , I * ? \ K ]/\J V

been looted from them by volunteerc. They recovered

i-Vfy ■V*' '■ " •'*’ , * * V; '.'V-'*'' • ^the cattle and killed two of the volunteers, but

!*»•

■ ' ’ l\W.> '■

CM

November 17th 1876.

Aylward an ex* J?enlan, probably his true name waa

failed to take the fort. The volunteere were reinforced' " .. ’ •

by recruits from the Kimberley diamond fields, but

on November 17th Von Sohliokmann was ambushed in n; ^ 1 4 * ' <’ • \ V’; Pf ^ >

kloof some eight milea from the fort, while on a

cattle looting expedition. He himself was killed andV : ‘ ■ - • ' :11 Vf, V'* * * - . • iJ'J*?1A- • , * - iV . , . ,9’ 1 f 'J / y+Z'if * ' -

the volunteers suffered six other oaaualtles.■ ■ • : ' . ■ ' ■ ■ ' ■ ;V 'V' . ■ , . ■ ' ' -' ' ' ' 1 . •

Aylward then took oommand at Port Burgers and

note to page 361 of Walker*s His­tory of South /frloa.

■■ ■

December 1876.

, :,r,«

k m B t

Murphy vide foot- oarrled on little raids, burning huts and rounding ^ . r, ( ■ _ • t ; *

up stook within a safe radius of the fort.

The Bapedl are accustomed to sow their orops' ■ V • ■ ", 1

late after, rather than with, the early rains, so

they did not mind oil this border skirmishing at

first, but by Teoember when It became urgently. " i j - ' -

necessary to prepare their garden lands the presence

of the volunteers along the SteelpOort at last had

Its desired effect. Barly that month Sekukunl sent

measengere to Pretoria asking that peaee should be

restored and the volunteers removed, but it waa not

before February 12th 1877 that peaoe was proclaimed

along the border.

Certain offlolals acting for the Government

met Sekukunl*s representatives at Botshabelo near

Mlddelburg on February 16th and the next day the

terms of peaoe were supposed to have been agreed tofinal

by Sekukunl. The/terms were that Sekukunl should

become subjeot to the Republic, pay 2,000 oattle and

reoeive a location to live in. The looatlon as

deeorlbed/

;i‘Y ‘ ,'«

£•»

Wi

sss

••Transvaal of Today* Aylward Pegs 91.

February 16 th 1877#

, - - . * k : ■' ■ • ■. i

* : ? • 'IlkV**wmm

described in the terms wee never mariced out for• \ ■ t"*;’* • M ' > •' S Vl' If’ . ‘I '*<• ' - ••

-x, - ‘ ‘ \ •

him, its description at beet w h s extremely vague;

he delayed payment of any cattle, and he denied" ;'Vv ’ > ''’>(* r -/'V !■

having signed any document. He had stated at the

time, that he would remain Independent as his

father had been, and would not become a subject of

the Republlo; it therefore seems extraordinary thatee Hider Haggard's

mission to Sekukuni he should have been allowed to put his mark to theto ascertain the truth of this matter.

I /.*• j&m* fe Mi¥'■ v

terms of peace - If he ever did so, whloh seems

doubtful.m

mm<3-

I $ 4 $ ■ I j V

f- ' ooooooOOOoooooo

, . .1 .,

• / u ; £ J. \ \ ■ - I - . .*'■ v'-: • - • ■■36 -

■m^'k • v I f f * > m < r r;: J k' X ^ : ®

: , "■•■ .. • 1 • , ' r ‘ - ■■ , , , , . . . ; ‘ ■ • * v . i ' ' ' ‘ > 1 ' ■'

Chapter 7 .----------------------

flSftfoa

.’••*■ Is ’•. a$‘, m .■■>/,

■ ■ /1m .•■ fs'51 on* -g L' ->-•■;;• •; i-fpi :'-r, • * • • r

Fall and Death of Sekukuni. 1877 to 1882.

* W - - -.I-MPt ■■■■

.7. *

! ■On April 12th 1877 Sir Theophilus Shepstone

/r • ;• •*'\ . i, ' ' ;

annexed the Transvaal on behalf of the British Kmpire,I 7 i'u -i-\! ’'-V i 'V ;C • ’ •The Lydenburg Volunteers were withdrawn from Fort

April 12th 1877.

PiSSl

Hey 1877.Ay1ward. "Transvaal of Today" pages 107 to 109.

Burgers and disbanded after a party of them had tried

/fterwarda Sir Marshal Clarke first Resident Commissioner of Basutoland.

.

. ' ' V ' i■ ■■■ » J S

"Transvaal of Today" Aylward page 249.Another authority says 300 were paid.

*$3■ v .'K

V '-f/r ,*1?'. March 8th 1878.

Kgobalale

to enter Bekukuniland to prospect for gold and had

■

been turned baok by the natives,

Captsin Clarke R.A. was sent as Special

Commissioner to take over the Bapedi situation but\ ,14^ . ^ ; ■ ’ . , I*7' ; . l , ‘ •’ ■'

as Sekukuni still considered himself unoonquered' . ’ • ,'C,r ‘f.v. \ v $ ' “ • /; Ithe situation was not eaay*

■:*; . . ■ ' JA ' ■ ' ; ■ ’ ;•+: ' . " ' ' :: - ‘ v . ' , ' , . . . '> : !w . " ■ ■ ' '

Sekukuni pretended to welcome the new rulers

of the Transvaal but did not pay tbe 2,000 oattie■

under tbe recent terms of peace, though he offered

170 which Shopstone refused.

The Bapedi soon began to Indulge in oattlo

stealing round Lydenburg town, beoame very truoulent

and shot a farmer named Venter at Haauwpoort (Ko .l4l).

On the western side of Sekukuniland the Matlala’ - A., . T • . 'kV , •,

broke into two oeotiona and began quarrelling among

themselves: one party of them under Shigoane Maserumule

claimed to be undor Sekukuni and Independent of white

ru|pt tbe other party under Pokvani regarded them*

.

■

.

i t

Lekgolane#3ekukunim selves as under the protection of tbe Government and 8ister persuaded

refused to acknowledge Sekukuni who sent a regimenthim to send this regiment.

Mar oh w f 8 •

• v

April &th 1878.

to raid them* Thus began another Sekukuni war.

Captain Clarke applied for troops but there

wore only a few in South Africa and they wore wanted

elsewhere eo he was allowed to reoruit 200 Zulu police.

With theae he managed to drive baok the Xatlala of

Shigoane after a fight near Fort tfeeber and establish

,1’’ % ; ' . . • an/ ■ / ■ ■ ; v •'v

■

rtf

X ?k'

wm &

- 37 -

, >j

iSvelyn Wood."Prom Midshipman to Field Marshal". Chapter TXXIT page

295.

• 'A

mDecember 1878*

Zulu war began January 1379.

September 27th 1879.

f

d

I # ; ;X.V&X',f/\ ■SKTft'.VS9SM1 - r Wmmmi

p ) ; fMM : ‘I

fo lk .3mr a

m m

t e •n

n t , . , ' .

:

Si rtPEjfs k'-' <\

; .--.V' .

an advanced fort named Mamalube closer to the Lulu.

3oon after this Clarke himself was nearly lured Into

an ambush below Magnet Heights and only extrlooted

his foroe with lose.

Thus mutters simmered on with Sekukuni doing

muoh as he pleased, murdering, raiding for cattle - !jg f .:M .■

and disturbing the whole countryside. It was also

alleged that he was intriguing with the Zulus who

were on the verge of war.

To aooount for this state of affairs being

allowed to run on so long, it must be remembered

that small matters have to wait on others proportionately

greater. At that time Britain was negotiating with,* , •' W*v . ■ ' V: , ■ " 1 ■ ■, ' >v ■ ' :'K • "*'

Russia at San Stsfsno so did not wish to appear to

have to move soldiers from Europe and therefore even

wanted to delay the Zulu war. The Cabinet had refused

to reinforoe General Theslger a month before ths

Zulu war began.

Thus there were no adequate forces to deal with■

.Sekukuni. The system of holding forts in and around

Sekukunlland was the method adopted by Colonel Rowlands,• .■%' , , ' , v . *, ( . • 1 , ; . * / * v, *V "

who had assumsd command, till decisive action could

be taken.; *>. ■ - *' ''• ’-'v*' ! . ' >* 'J4 ‘ ’ ir$ . 71 M '

It was not till after the Zulu war that sir

Garnet Wolsoley oame to Pretoria and was abls to

torn his sttsntion to Sekukuni.

He made his plans with hie usual preoision.

A column wae formed at Middelburg consisting of six

companies of the 21st Royal Soots Fusiliers, six

companies of the 94th Connaught Rangers, some Royal

Bnglnsers, Ferreira’ s Horse and four guns of the

Transvaal Artillery. Colonel Baksr Russell was plaosd

in oommand of the force whloh also Included the two

remaining oo«panies of the 94th end one company of

V a /

* .*

— —‘ - 'v:"V -’V ■ ‘ - ?v;*• • ■■ ; ; ■ ■ . - - •• • ■ •'

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the 80th South Staffords from Lydenburge

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'U'vA volunteer oontlngent from Rua ten burg joined

and Sir Garnet bad arranged that Captain MaeLeod

of MaoLeod the Political Agent in Swaslland andl\ -v 5 - ^ > J. ;. <■ f' ‘ ( ?* •. 1'* f,* > ' \ '% >y M *''%>

hie Lieutenant Allater Campbell R.N. ahould bring,

via Lydenburg, a foroe of 8000 Swasles who were ready■ ' • , ' f, ■ f ■ \. , f , , , • ’■ . , • < < ,< ,

I ' » % n IfipNSW t tfdBRWl :\Av'$??v1 'a»WM»llr^KEai'fcU-Tj-1 *>

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November 28th 1899 •

"i T>

enough to oame to avenge their 1873 defeat at Moeego, • •• • . ■ - ■

and to endeavour to recapture or kill Umautu and

Mpehle. Marapuru ae before came with the Swaslee andm

hie followera were ueed aa atretober-bearera.. ■ ■ ■ ■ . . . ■ ■ ■ ■». vThe Infantry partly marched and partly were

conveyed in mule wagone from Ulddelburg round by

the Ollfanta, past the northern end of the Lulu range

and thence aouth-eaat to the mouth of the Dajate

valley where the whole foroe met according to plan.

Sir Garnet arrived on the eeene and on November

28th the aoldiera advanced, Major Carrington leading

the attack straight into the valley towarda the little• . . • ' ;

stronghold kopje: Ferreira'e Horae were on their right:

the Swasiea awarmed over the hllla from the eouth and

joined in the attaok whloh was entirely auoceaaful.,

Young Moroamot8he Sekukunl'a aon and heir atood

with hla baok to a big rock and fought bravely till

be vaa killed. Umautu waa alao killed in another part

of thle fight* The Bapedl lost heavily. The Britishwl;'V ii-m ■$».'

had forty-two caaualtlea including Captain Maoauluy

12th Lanoera, Captain Laurel1 4th Huaaars killed, and

Lieutenant Alia ter Campbell r .n . who wna shot dead

high up on the Lulu In the pursuit. The Swasl loeaea

were eatimated at 600, The trunaport loat u large

number of mules from horee-alokneua.

Sekukunl himself took refuge in a cave named

Mamatamogeng on Grootvygenboom high up on the top of

the Lulu. Major Clarke followed him up quicicly ufter

the fight, with eome aoldiera of the 94th and,

entering/

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Revd.J.A.tflnter*

January 1880*

Q m m ,

Ramoroko la the "Ramrod" of Moodla*a account of Pightlng Kop.

r< ' ; ?:* ' . , > # ’’ ‘ - , • entering the cave alone, called upon Sekukuni to

surrender. All Bapedi trusted Major Clarke, or

i"Tsogoane* as he Is called on account of his loss

•A* ■ ■ ■' : ‘ ' 'of part of his left arm, and though they fought him

they respected him* Major Clarke came out of the

, ; ’ ' ,v . '

cave with Sekukuni and a few lndunas and Mpehle*

The soldiers lined up on each side of the mouth of

the care and as Major Clarke and Sekukuni passed

between them they fired their rifles Into the air, . •*

and gave a shout* Major Clarke then gave the ordert/! ■'(' ' ■;* '• t ' ‘

that there was to be no more firing or killing.

V ’ 1 , ■ '

Thus ended the Sekukuni menace which had been1

a nightmare to the Transvaal for years.7 ' . ;;v: 'v w; ; ,4',., ■ • .

Sekukuni was sent as a prisoner to Pretoria

with his half-brother Nkwemasogane, the Swasi Mpehle

and a few attendants., .

On Major Clarke's recommendation Sir Garnet

Wolseley granted the Berlin Lutheran Society a site'

for a miaaion on I sjate provided they occupied it at

once, so within the next few weeks tney sent the

Reverend J.A.Vlnter who established his mission in

the midst of the ruins of the destroyed head stad

with the unburied native corpses still on tho battle­

field around.

Mampuru and Ramoroko temporarily became joint

chiefs of tbs Bapedi* Rsaoroko was the son of one

of Sekwati*a lesser wives and a supporter of Mampuru

though it is said that his actual father was Sekukuni

who on aooount of thla had had to live separate from

Sekwati up to the time of the lattervs death in 1861*

Mampuru established himself with the bulk of the

chief's family at Kgono (now Brakfontein No.157; in

the Middslburg ristriot, while Rsaoroko chose to

remain in what is now Sekukunlland*On/

August 8th 1881.

1 • . -i’ * ’ X" t ’ ?' *'• '1 ; l ■ ■ • '

-A.lv/ ■£ - ’ C -: ••(:femaV:v •? /\

- v r

On August 8th 1881 oame the retrooesolon ofv (T .. v — ■',

the Transvaal* The question had been raioed whether

that part of the Transvaal east of longitude 30°

should be retrooeded. This would have af footed

3ekukuniland, but it was decided to include the

whole Transvaal os annexed in 1877.

Article 23 of the Pretoria Convention of 1881

provided that Sekukunl should be released forthwith'

and hare a location defined for bin. He therefore■

returned to a snail stad named ilanoge under the

western elope of the Lulu where he made his head­

quarters for the time being* meaning to ohose a

better place later on* His half-brother Kgolokoe M, '• y V}' ' w' ‘ • ' •

left Mampuru at Kgono and returned to bin*

The new Republican Government sent a flag to

Hampuru as a sign of recognition of his local status.V.Y- * • - ...

He refused the flag and refused to go to Pretoria

when sunmoned, saying that he was either under the

British or independent* When a commando wus sent to

fetch him he ran away to TJetje (Steynsdrift 16) on

the Steelpoort, eo Megaoe of the oblef's family■

was appointed chief at Kgono*

In August 1882 Sekukunl wae at Manoge with most

of hie able-bodied men away lent by him to the new

Native Commissioner Abel Kraamus to help oolleot tax

August 15th 1882* from the Marishone people. On the 13th of the month

*

Mampuru oame with a group of followere, surrounded

Sekukunl in the night and assegaied him as he slept

under a shelter in front of his hut.

Thus Sekukunl•» death was violent Just as his' •''f v* t'Kv&i...

life had been. He waa a thin, t lerce-looking ham.

Ae a child he had seen the Matebele invasiont he had

been with hie father Sekwatl in the northern Transvaal

and had known no peaoe during thoee four ye are; neither

d id /

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did he find peooe when hie father returned to.

Sekukuniland• He first shows up as a leader when

a young man at Phirlng and hie seizure of the

oh&eftainehlp et Mosego is tjpioal of hie energy,; . ■. :'

resource and cunning* His struggle against the

tide of white occupation and rule was as

- * V -V$! I • •..w.y’y A = «•«*:•*» *v

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hopeless ae, in those days, it was inevitable.

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The Splitting of the Tribe Into Divisions and Factions.

!L. — —

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SSI

Thorome tjane TT daughter of Chief Mutle Mphahlela*Still alive 1931.

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Sekukuni 11 born at the end of

1880.

Had Sekukuni*s eon Uoroamotshe lived he

would have been heir to the chieftainship but he

had been killed in 1879 at the storaing of Sekukuni's• .

stronghold.. • ■ . \ . - . . . ‘ f • ■ ■ *. ■■

^ ‘I * ' f '' ' ‘ ' . ’ ■ ’ * *% 1 » y,V|

Turing hla lifetime he had been provided with a. ”7- ' H y ' *', ■’ ■ ; W

wife, the daughter of Hutle the ohief at Mphahlela»sVs ." '■ • . . •. • ,

In the Pietersburg District, but this woman had died,.

so Mutle according to cuatom had to give another

daughter in her place. Thta substitute or "ssantlu"■

was ThorometJane who was too young to ooae to Moroaaotshe

before he was killed in action.

It has been shown above that old Chief Sekwati(s

senior son was really Moyalodl a quarrelsome unpopular‘ t ‘ ■ / '

aan with a talkative shrew of a aother, so he had

been passed over as a possible suooessor and thef; . v 1 I ,H>' "‘t* • . / '.*x\w, v **'$.K f '• a.

struggle for the ohleftainship had been between

Sekukuni and Mampuru. This lfoyalodl had two sons

Phethedl and Sekwati.l" V \ ’’1 .$? r. r ‘h ' r

This young Sekwati had osoaped froa the 1879

disaster at Fighting Kop and had taken refuge with

Loganabatho the aother of Thorometjane at Mphahlela'a.

In the absence of any other member of the Moruteng

family Leganabatho allowed young Sekwati to have

oonneotlon with Thorometjane. Harly In 1881 it was

reported to Sekukuni In prison in Pretoria that

Thorometjane at Mphahlela*a had a male child by this

young man* Sekukuni saw at onoe that Moyalodl's houset t w -

had thus got back suocesslon. Directly

on his release Sekukuni sent for Thorometjane and her

baby Rn(S named the child 3ekukunl after himself, thus

m

..................

'rA' ' £’

- 43 *

PP ;TKilled by order of Kgolokoe early

1833 p t tin* of Mapoch war,

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July 11th 1883*

In the eyes of the tritoe preferring hie own houee

name to that of Moyalodl.

Young Sekwati in due couroe wae done away with

ae he Bight have boasted when drunk and mode publio

what should be kept ae a oloae family eeoret of the'C ■ ■ ,$< ' * 'V v'-' f? 4

3a-Maruteng."7

On the death of Sekukunl T In 1882 Kgolokoe

'it{ ,vv V'*' ■'/ ,r 1 '* ' *l '* -rt ' ' * ■ s' v’: ■” ,• V.:a half-brother of hie from a lesser houee beoane

' i ■ ■ '■ >’ - r ' '• "V, t,.\ ; ..,./> • .!/ , ; '

regent for the young Sekukunl, He at onoe requestedV. ' " f ‘ • 4»Qt x - ( <*/ <• ; , v ^ ’/ +s% * <*“ % -c’ @the Government to deal with Mampuru for the murder

of the late ohief.; j.\\

After the murder Uampuru had taken refuge with/* ■ ' . { . * * t(i' .. v'-'v " i - w v * ” - • ’* ' *■ ' j >... »• , * » > . 7 - . • *' ,

the Amandebele of Nyabela the son of Mabogo generally

known ae "Xapoeh*.^ v /'x MfS / v*V;i

Hyabela when sunnoned by the Government to give

up the murderer refused to do so.

the Transvaal was at this time In a disorganisedI I ' i' tip- AAt .?* < I ' **L I r ‘ Jt ' * 1 ’ 4 *l , '■* !* yf v r < {’ 1

state and a serloue expedition agalnet a powerful

native tribe would probably not have been undertaken

by the Volkeraad had It not been considered advisable

to demonstrate practically to the British Government

that they were better able to cope with the nativev<;t •, * * 1 h‘ , ' i t, * * i j . ^ , ? •* v’ Y . ; ' i + •» ; *J Vj rt* '**

tribes than hud been the case prior to the 1877

annexation.

A commando under General Joubert was sent and

Kgolokoe supplied auxiliaries, mostly Bakonl* The

fighting was of a deuultory nature and the oarapnign

lasted nine months. General Joubert oomplained to the

Volkeraad thst the burghere seemed to prefer looting

cattle on their own account to fighting. Uynbela's

people held caves and ekanees difficult to get at but

the blockade was eventually sucoeosful* On July 11th

1883 Hyabela handed over Mampuru and aurrendered with

more than 10,000 of his tribe. The burghers then burnt

the head-stad and indentured the Hapooh tribe in the

W 1 usual/

■'.*1 .

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* vt' $M< ‘a&’/j.'

.

tfovembcr 22nd 1883.

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February 22th 1864.

Kay Slit 1886•

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,;^yj’ ' • V- ■ V , v ‘. ' . •; •"•• ;'nv ‘ »

Pelagoa Bay railway begun June 2nd IBR6.

June 4th 1B93#

April 5th 1892.

■In* W .V

Ife ; % V•k; *: « •. ;• , . "T . . ’ - ■ ^ ‘

usual manner, scattering then over the oountry.1 ■' / * ’• -*7 *\ / V"*' ' < .iv"'- 1 v . |aV| ’• V'!*

Nyabela was sentenced to Imprisonment for life but

was released In 1896. Mampuru was taken to Pretoria

and there hanged on November 22nd 1883.

Malekutu IT the son of Mampuru escaped to the

■. , . / r .■ r'riv- * * ■'* ' '' '

Mapulana of Pilgrims Rest below the berg and later! ,*•11 ’ 1“'.; /vVi'1 - ,,1" ’r' % '*» v ' *,■ • . ,* ' '/ ’ /’ * ‘ * , *>;>

was allowed to return to the Ulddelburg IU trlo t and• 1 - ‘ * . ■

settle at Uamone (Hoogelegen 364). Ills son Sekwati

Is the present chief at Uamone.

The London Convention of 1884 reaffirmed the

1881 Pretoria Convention as to the appointment of

a commission to mark out certain native locations.

Thus on May 31st 1885 a large locution of about 400

square miles was marked out for the Bapedi In the

open oountry west of the Lulu and named Gfreluks Location

after the regent Kgolokoe; the name "(ieluk" being

the Afrikaans contraction of the native regent's name.■ ■ ; V '■ '

In the years following 1886 Kgolokoe became

unpopular with his tribesmen beesuse, In compliance

with repeated orders from the Government he kept on

forcing bis people to go and work on the building of ■

the relagoa Bay railway where a number of them died

of fever.

In so far as be could Kgolokoe continued to

follow lnatruotlons given him by the Hatlre Commissioner

Abel Srasmus and supplied labour when requisitioned.

He also gave assistanoe to the Reverend J . a .

Winter the missionary who used generally to act ao

tiiIK?-

M'i'

lit

te-

m

interpreter to Abel Krasnus on his visits to Sekukuni-

land. In spite of much persuasion Kgolokoe continued

to refuse to become a Christian till the actual day

of his death in 1893 when he allowed Vinter to baptise

hia.

In 1892 Vinter had broken off from the Berlin

Mission and had founded a sect of his own oallsdthe/

m

U' . M-»;*.k3^5A: • ?k«

- 45 -

fSwSraSpthe Bapedi Lutheran Church*

Bow flpcame another of thoee divisions which hVl

■

i- filp#1

• :• ,'i '.'*■<.■ ••

■ • *t '-it V mJ&* • W J P *

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w ilP^'? X i i

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fe v *

have split and weakened the Bapedi aa a tribe*

At the tine of old Oekukuni’ o death Kgolokoe,■; ■ 1 \.« ■ • ■ ' . ; \ • • *. • * ■ v ' ■ ; ' ' *lthough not quite senior by birth, had been an

’■aooeptable regent to the tribe and had proved satis-

■ . * . v ■ ■ J •

factory to the Oovernment* But when he died the

Ba-Maruteng and the root of the tribe expected that

the Government would sanction the appointment of* ' :\V < ’ ' ■' ' ■■ v / . : ' • \ •

a new regent chosen by them. The main tribal alternative!!

for the regency were;-* ’' ' * ! ‘ *>' ‘ 1 W,; , T' *

(1) Kgogolagae old Sekukuni*s chief wife who was

getting olds

(2)M

(45

( # 5

WM

Thorometjane the mother of young Bekukuni:

Kgobalale who wae senior uncle but waa still

a young unmarried man:

Mabue of the next house: and

Phethedl of Moyalodi'e house whioh had fallen

awry.Ml

idm

■/ - ■ S'a * • ^ ' • %

The tribe wanted either Kgogolagae or Thorometjane

appointed with young Kgobalale bb"mouthpiece" in ell

o f f i c i a l mattore till the child Sekukuni, now 14

yenrs old, ebould grow up.

In the light of eubeequent evente it cannot

sufficiently be emphasised that there was so far no

dispute about Sekukuni’ e ultimate eucoesslon, the■■

queetion of the moment was merely who Bhould be

regent for him*

Mabue and Phethedi each went ecparately and

seoretly to Abel Eraemue at Krugerepost to prefer

their olaime and were refused. Neither did bol

Erasmus consider it advisable to have as regent such.

a young man as Kgobalale, for that was what the

appointment of Kgogolagae or Thorometjane would have

amounted to though, aa eubeequent evente ahow, thia

might/

'

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- 46 -

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1 jl il ‘ 1 <„••„? 1 /<.* '

; . ' ■ •

July 7th 1395.

1894.

night have been the wisest course. In the end

he appointed temporarily Ramoroko to the great'• ’ ’V/*$/•; !• ,y $ ' '■') ’ ’V rT 'V './**• ■ ' ' /■-.Indignation of the tribe*

'Paaoane, the hsad of the large Batau section,

openly told the Cooelssloner at a pitso that be

would refuse te obey Ramoroko and ostentatiously.

left the pitso.

|M;: 4. deputation of tbs Baaearuteng started off

to Lydenburg to interview the Landdrost, Jansen,

and to ask blm to represent their oase to the

government* Abel Braemus intercepted the deputation

before it reaobed Lydenburg, flogged Bokgobelo an

unele of young Sekukunl. Pasoans and some others,

then sent the whole deputation, whloh included

Kgogolsgae end Thor onetjane, under arrest te Pretoria.

Kgogolagae died in prison and some of the others

remained there for four years*

Thus Ramoroko was Installed as temporary regent

but after e year, finding that he eould make no head*

way, he suggeeted to Abel Breemus that he should be

allowed to resign and sdvlssd tbe appointment of

Kgolane tbe eon of Kgolokoe.

Raaoroko thus disappeared from the pleture and

died about a year later in 189S.

Abel Erasmus appointed Kgolane as temporary regent.

By oustom Kgolane had no rightful olalm to be regent

and guardian of the young Sekukunl as be was merely

the son of e former regent. It Is not olsar why Abel

Brasmus did this: as Native Commissioner he must have

known that It would be quite unaooeptable to the tribe.

Perhaps hs did it purposely to weaken the tribe

by greeting a division among them and it ehould be

remembered that the Bapedl were still strong and were

in possession of a number of firearms: perhaps he wae

influenced by the sealoue missionary, winter, who did

his/

m

m l

his interpreting and, being a keen admirer of the

late Kgolokoe, wanted the latter** eon appointed.'

The tribe almost as a whole disregarded Kgolane,

except in offioial matters when foroed to do ao.

from, fchat day to this the only loyal supporters • j •; y yM -t'*y ,v( 'f '>■ J

of Kgolane*s house, apart from his own stad, havef,r. / ...

been two minor headmen, Heopela and Rahlagane who

had married into hie family and alao some of Winter’s‘ - V l f ’ ■ 'V'. . '' *' ' ‘ W "'’J ’ V. v j * /,» v

Christiana round Sohoonoord and Malla’ s.

At that time the tribal head stad was at Masehleng. .

in Qeluks Location under the western slope of the Lulu.V ,tv •

Kgolane was living in one part of the stad a little

separate from the other Bamaruteng whose head was >

Kgobalale and who regarded themselves as senior to

Kgolane. Brasmus told them to reoognlse Kgolane andj

pay him the customary three right-side ribs of any

beast killed, but none of them did so, svsn though

Brasmus threatened them with arrest and told them that

their cattle would be oonflsoated.

n incident soon arose which brought matters to

a head. Kgolane was ordered by Brasmus to turn out

labour for work on farms. Among others Moreoane the

son of Moyalodi was detailed to go but, as was often

the oase, provided a substitute. Jk few days later

Kgolane noticed Moreoane still at home, so, without

listening to his explanation, bad him tied up. In

the struggle Moreoane wae stabbed in the leg and *

jfeck.The young Bamaruteng of the a tad rescued Moreoane

and gave Kgolane a beating. Kgolane's followers attacked

the Kgobalale faction but were driven off.

Field Cornet I>avld 3choeman oame out with a small

oomaando and chased away some of Kgobalale *s men who

were looting cattle from Kgolane*s adherents on

Bcboonoord and had wounded a Bapedl Lutheran native

minister named Martlnus Sebushane.*bel/

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V!v I. '.5j';‘ s :>;;- ii-'t • ■ - ' %

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February 8th 1896.

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1R96.

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IS

Abel Erasmus, Commandant Schalk Burger*• and

sSmmim■KgHSj** ■

February 29th

Executive Counoil Reso­lution 315 dated 23rd April 1896.

Ex. Co.Resolution dated 23rd Dec­ember 1896.

July,1896.I ' y ' V1'

0-A%■

te?- I’ avid Schoeman called both parties together at Magnet

v,," ,•••,.; <* ■. • . : vv ' ’ " t 4 n * ' ■' ’ !

Heights, heard the dispute and decided Kgobalale was

to blame. Kgobalale was arrested and sent to Pretoria

and the Meruteng party fined heavily in oattie. |||

Towards the end of February General Joubert

himself came to Sekukunlland, having previously sent* * ' **5 1 *' ]31 ** *■ i f 1 “ ’ '' *" , , 1 t- , " * h *

forward young Sekukuni and his mother Thorome tjane

from Pretoria. He held a pltso at Malagall attended

by 27 headmen and some 1,200 Bapedi, with Winter as*: ' ‘ 7 v ■; ■ - , -v, 1}J' ',•/ *' - V:'i ? * ’vi * rr''-v /*" '

interpreter, and announoed that he had decided to

divide Oeluke Location into halves. Thorometjone was

appointed ohieftainess of the northern portion on

behalf of her oon Sekukuni now about lb years old,*' • "" id '

and Kgolane was appointed ohlef of the southern

portion. He then gave Sekukuni and Kgolane each a

Transvaal flag. Sekukuni was sent to Pretoria Location

to school and returned to Sekukunlland in Ootober 1897.

On February 29th Erasmus, Schalk Burger and

lav id Schoeman out the location in two and set up the

dividing beacons. The followers of eaoh faction were

told to remove to their respective halves of the

Location.

In a further report to the Volkeraad on ^prll 18th

General Joubert exonerated Kgobalale and plaoed the

blame for the trouble in Sekukunlland on Kgolane; so

Kgobalale was released from Pretoria by order of the

Executive Counoil and sent home.

The oattie taken from his party were ordered to

be returned and Kgolane was ordered to pay oattlo

Instead, but in leoember this latter fine was remitted.

The Maruteng party moved during the winter of 1896

from Kgolane*e stad at Uasehleng and made their head­

quarters at Mohlaletse about seven miles further north,

the/

H ■

■ -''fit*, :• ’V|fr

1896*

On being re­armed with mausere some farmers traded off their older weapone to natives in spite of severe gun- running laws*

tbe rival bead kraals tbus remaining dangerouBly

close to ono another* A sootion of tbe Bapbutbi under

Nkoane Paobe wbo was a supporter of Sekukuni moved

from the farm Nkoanestad No.28 into the northern end*f\ ’ '■J’, ^ ‘ , |4p ' ' )i,*- - l.‘A - 'I1* J-?‘ fi,' wj ’ 1 $ * '* J

of Oeluks Location* As the Kgolane half of the looation ;'iVWj$k V v J|§li i'

was the most thlokly populated, the best watered and

most fertile it was found that very fow moved fromy,*v i ] ' “■ 4 - A 'S' ■ '’v '■ v’. *V&

that portion over to Sekukuni's^ though the vaet

majority of them still oovertly remained Sekukuni*s

adherents and did not reoognlze Kgolane as a ohiof*t f,, , 1 (v| [ 1 '’ ’..v*!, * "'’If,

The outbreak of rindorpest does not seem to’ - v f ' : ‘ \ . „ ; ' • >'

‘ f *■ • v>: V- ' '''•><• V*-?v.'*" • ' .

have affected tho Bapedi so muob as some otbor tribes*

They had lost a number of oattle in various ways during

the recent troubles and do not appear, at that time,

to have boon riob in this rospoot.•• \ - >. • ■ ■ :

The Bamaruteng faction did not take the official

division of the ohleftalnshlp without a murmur* They

U ' -vt,: •''•■t' /•■• \7*<* ! *■"- '■ <r-- ' v ^ ;’i ‘ Vv.knew they were not strong enough to rebel openly*

.Though a oertain number of martinl-henry rifles had

lately oome into their possession as an addition to

their old muskets, they were well aware that thef\ , . , ' . • ' i ■; ' ' :;’ v j ? ! ‘j ’ , ’,f; v '1 ' fj,

burghers were rearming with Hausers* They therefore

engaged a lawyer named Van 8oelen to fight their case

in the oourts* Ho demunded a heavy foe whioh they were

prepared to raise by sending labour reoruits through

him to the mines*

In 1897 Van Coelen advised all who were Sekukuni'S

upholders to toll their tax collector that they would

all oome and pay their taxos at Uohlalotso, Sekukuni's

new bead stad, and said that ha himself would oome and

meet their Commissioner there*

Van dor Val, who from 1806 had boon atationed at

the old mission station at Sohoonoord in Qeluke

Location as detaohed olerk to Abel Erasmus, had to go

and collect tax and hoard of this* Ho reported to

Srasmus/

Brasmus that they refused to pay tax* The upshot‘ "■ ‘ 'V/ v - • ‘ ,1. * . »/! * • -

was that General Cronje oame with a commando and

summoned Thorometjane and Kgobalale with all their

headmen to s meeting at Halagali. On their arrival'» < , t* v * V$1 SC / fk?' &f* * i\ , i ' \ * ’ r*"s ,yif 3* Av 1General Cronje ordered the men of his commando, while; J . > ■' V ' • ■ » [.?' Vhe was having breakfast, to seise tbe headmen, egolading

Tharometjane and Kgobalale, and give saoh 85 lashes.

He then ordered then to pay taxes ae usual. Van Soelen -’-.J

took up tbis eass as well as that of the ohieftalnehip.

Eventually each headman who had been lasted wae

awarded £5 compensation by the government* though

v | « Soelen accomplished nothing in the natter of the

reimifieation of ths ohieftalnehip.

Thus by the beginning of the Anglo-Boer war in

JOctober 1899 we find tbe tribe split into three main

dlvleione occupying the oountry north-weet of the

Steelpoort and into the northern ld< delburg ristriot.

There were then few or no Whites in that area except

the fsmlliss of ths Qommissloitsr's clerk Van dsr val

and of tbe missionary ,/inter, together with four or

five whits tradsrs, two of whom were married.

Young Sskukunl had been relegated as prospective

ehlef of the northern half of Osluks Location only,

though actually nearly all Bapedl and kindred eeotlons

of the tribe throughout tbs whols ofths Ionation,

throughout Sekukunlland ( i .e . north-weet of the steel*

poort) and also as far as Ohrlgstad, Lydsnburg, in

parts of the Klddelburg THstriot and svsn here and

there north of the Ollfants rivsr acknowledged him

openly or secretly as thsir hereditary paramount ohlsf.

Kgolane's position as a government-appointed puppet

with but a comparatively small following loyal to him

was difficult. The majority of his followers, officially

regarded ae euob in hie southern half of Oeluks Location,

being/

v * ' ■ v, iswifjsv */•'«' v • ' 7 / »«**r ;fi‘v

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, •;A- ' . '' ■ v - ■ s t e m

.. . „ I ....... ........................opportunity to get rid of tain.

The third main division of the tribe were

those who olung to Unmpuru’ s eon and successorr ■ ■ .■'f-: 7 v’T»' ' ' \ J' y- : ■' ■ ' v ■• • •• ■ -. fi: ■ ■■ 1 ; ' .Malekutu, living In the north-Middelburg District

»’■ f r *V « ^ ^ 1 > «’• f f ' ^ k * *.? t ' *« 1 * f tp k ^ s

alongside the Oelulcs Location boundury and backed

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by tbe lfatlala section in the Pokwani Location. Thia

division still claimed tbe Maapuru succession aa

rightfully paramount and were bitterly opposed toa-w"c*® ■mp^:

'iv’vA 'the Ba-Uaruteng of tbe 3ekukuni group whom they

regard'd . . uaurper..

3o the stage waa aet for the further shedding1

of Bapedi blood directly tbe war between the two white

. ■ ‘- . i fa tfaJLw v *7 ; ,

^ V ; ' . • • V \ V ' ,V- -:.;i . w t , ; (v «. . . -

races of South Africa cleared it by the removal of

‘ ■ • ’ ’ ' 1 ■ ' ■ • ’ ■ . . , ■ 4 ’>< W t i w m m m m u ...white control.

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The Anglo loir war period 1899 - 1902.

■

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i . ■ -v a

a®On the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer war purtiea

\ ''. aPlf '’$($( ■% / •\

of burghera were poated In Qeluka Locution aa guarda

• > • * ' ' • ■ • ' ; -*• & ■ 1 • 5 . , : 'J

and a levy of 2/6 per tax-paying native wua impoaed

IlSfll%v

for their upkeep.

At firat the Bapedi though poaaeaalng many fire-tm

arma, kept quiet owing to the oloae watoh kept upon(VM»

then aa they were not sure which way the war waaW.fl.V

■ w ' * V .

,■

SSffiSsW*;-'going.

When the Britieh broke through into the Orange

Free State and the Tranevaal the white guarde had to

be withdrawn to go and fight»

T ireotly thla happened Sekukuni determined to

attaok Kgolane.

On Juno 11th 1900 Kgobalale waa oont from Uohlalotoe

by night with 140 pinked men to endeavour to aurprlae

and kill Kgolane and hla advioora at tfaaehlong.

Kgolane and moot of hio won eaoaned but eight of hla

indunaa and aone othera were killed. In thla night

attaok two women were aleo killed, one party aayo

deliberately and the other party aaya by accident;

it la not generally the Bapedi ouaton to kill wonen

in war and noat of the women had relatione on both

aldea.

Kgolane fled firet aoroaa the Lulu and a few daya

later reoroaoed to Sohoonoord whore he found Cannandant

Klaaa Prinaloo and a a nail oomando with a wagon

renovlng Van dor Wal and hla family. Ho aooompanied

then, together with a number of Chriatian nativea,

fron So boonoord to HietfOnteln - half-way between

3ohoonoord and Lydenburg.

Meanwhile three daya after the Xaaehleng affair

Kgobalale/

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Kgobalale had attaoked Kgolane*a supporters under

? v v • “%■ .■„ nx ,

Headman Rahlagane who lived at Beletoa hill near

’* - ‘ v ? f" '* ' * n * *' f * *■ ’ ’ ’ 'Malagal1• A large number of Rahlagane's men were

killed and his stad burnt*

gn the same day Pasoane and his Batau in the

southern half of the Location killed out the men of

a small stad at Mangmang near Manganeng beoause they

had formerly supported Ramoroko. Then Pasoane oame to

^IHl.

> ' * -■

m i l l:f%... -

help Kgobalale against Rahlagane but the stad wasijgpiff ' ^ . v - ■ ■ ' • . '% v ^already burning and the fight over.

Next day, on the same day that Van dor wal and

Kgolane went out with Prinsloo, Pasoane moved on to

i ' * S » / \ f ‘ / .“/irk •' • - < P y v f *' >• i u * * ‘ * *' ai t Lr ?* *,*• ’ mltr* *r * •»

3oboonoord but found that Kgolane*s followers under

Headman Soopela bad taken refuge in the Lulu and only

a few very old men and women bad remained behind at

ctual man who set Headman Tsesane's Christian stud, so Pasoane had to fire to the iiousewas petty Headman content himself with burning Van dor Wal*s offloo tCgobise.Sohoonoord burnt June 14th 1900.

ml

He repeatedly olalmed that though the ground had been allsnated to Companies and to farmers m«l **«•«- people still remained his.

and house. He then followed up the burgher commando

past Magnet Heights, skirmishing with them down as

far as the Steelpoort drift*

fter reaching Rletfonteln safely with Prinoloo

Kgolane went to ask help from the Native Commlusloner

’bel Erasmus at Krugers Post* He wanted a commando

to help him fight Sekukuni but no men could be spared

and all that Krasmus could do was to lend him oome

rifles with 100 rounds per rifle* with these Kgolane

returned to Sekukuniland and went to Halekutu the eon; fVVv'i *. '' /S'1*"' . , , ‘ . • p 7“ ' f ; ' / . t . vT . “ ry;\ V; . T/y ■ Vof Mampuru at Mamone In the north-Uiddelburg District*

Small groups of his scattered followers totalling

altogether about 300 fighting men rejoined him there,

though moot had by this time made peace with Sekukuni

who now olalmed to be ohiof of the whole of Sekukuniland

as far as tbe Steelpoort.

Sekukuni attacked Uafefe across the Ollfants and

drove him out of bis Looatlon beoause in 1896 be had

oueted young Ntoampe Uagakala Sekukuni *s oousin froBi

from the chieftainship of the Magakala seotlon.

Malekutu received a demand from Sekukuni tov "

give up Kgolane or take the oonssquences. Malekutu

refused to give him up and prepared to defend himaelf.'

Sekukuni oolleoted a large foroe Including some 300*

men of Mphahlela*e Baroka-Bapedl besides many more

from Hkoane and Ktoampe Magakala and from all the• "*|V ;vNH#,,r- • v 'y, ’ * a '■'%

headmen on the farms on the eastern side of the Lulu.

vand also many of those nominally under Mloha

l>inkoanyane and Kagosebo from the white oooupied*» * ’ I O,]' »jj* ;r •'* * ■ , . f* * ‘ ' - ; 1,1farms aoross steelpoort aa well*

With these he attacked llalekutu in his stad at. 5 , ; , ' ■' ■. 4 . / . : it ’ , ■ ■

Mam one and would probably have overwhelmed him had

not Pourie the Middelburg Native Commissioner oome to

the latter's assistance with a small eoMsando of 23

whites, whs, though few in number, included some

exceptionally fine shot*. Their prestige gave as

much confidence to the one side as It disheartened /

the other* The result was that Sekukuni was driven off

with a loss of ovsr 60 killsd and a largs numbsr of

wounded, while Malekutu only loat about 15 killed............■'* . 7 -r - •

Malekutu and Kgolane then attaoked and killsd

about 30 people of the kraal of Saboshigo Morssane

who waa a supportsr of Sskukuni living at Pahla, ths

headman himsslf and several of his sons being killsd

after surrendering* One son Mokini escaped to Sskukuni

vrho located him and the remains of his people near

Kgolane*e old stad at Massblsng*

*f ter this there was dssultory fighting and both

parties wsrs preparing for a further trial of strsngth

whsn British troops under Sir Rsdvers Buller oooupied

Lydenburg*

Both parties at onoe eent to get in touoh with the

British, saoh giving his own vsrslon of the recent

intertribal fighting. Winter ssnt in a report on behalfof/

---- --

$ m ft A :i T *1 V . ' l v 4 ; •

- 55

- - —JPH*£.’ M${f. . ■ • . n? v

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October 4th 1900.

•'fcfflW *1

•'• 1 ■$ k:

1 v,•”<’J>:if&rc ? . •• ■. ■ ■ ■ *•• ^ ' '' '■■1 *>«* .■<

of the Kgolane-Molekutu side and Sekukunl sent

hie scoretaxy, named a sof, personally.

On October 4th 1900 General Duller Issued

instructions that all fighting in Sekukuniland

must seise and an Intelligence Officer Richmond

Hsigb was ssnt to Uagnet Heights.

Haigh alone and cut off from support combined

tbe duties of Intelligence Officer and Acting native

Commissioner extraordinarily well and cleverly. Us

enlisted Kgobalale Sekukunl's fighting leader, and

Vateu a prominent supporter and adviser of Kgolane

in his email police foroe and employed some of the• *' 1 ;,v. ’

local firebrands, such as Micha Pinkoanyane, on

Intelligence work. In spits of great difficulties

he managed to prevent any more intertribal fighting

till the war wae over in 1902.

•; '■■;-4©;54 ooooooOOOoooooo

r-■V V ’ * ' S i , *' *

----------

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• • ^ p * v ' 1 * *f« * *,,» *r *,> v'a " T i ' i •vV '.'f '- Sl '* * '• •'■*»

1902 to 1930 Reoent Svonta.- =

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* v >V 'r ' 1 '*v - ‘ W- / ' f*

... ■ - , •;:- ■

1902, On the reetoration of civil government Sirwarn

Godfrey Lagden from Basutoland took over tbe

administration of the natives of tbe Tranavaal and, —^ * »

■

m r i ,

-v ?t -'/vi W*'V* i I ■ -w. '

f- S i1 |*S

. .;Vi ’

B jB P » p i|W||||||Pi|BW

appointed Sub-Native Coramlsslonero in tbe Sekukuniland.... 1 j 1 .? ’• f. j -."-iV. i •: i* ?;• i.V4; •'• > V i-3? ■ .... .•r*r>: ',V'J Lf'v i.:TS’?!ii' r t?', '' ■

wtsI "•' - c-

and Pokwani areas* *

August 1903

• • .V,'.

■ M*'

\'fU

" ' f* • • :. &"’• • j W S'*'/, •• 'Kgolane, baoked by Winter, applied to be restored

jjtiljBMif' *■to bis obleftalnobip in tbe southern half of Oeluko

Location. Now that peaoe had been rootorod his non

and tboir women fo2k wanted lands to plough and woroV- ‘ \ t>;7' ‘ . *' . < ’ I' ’ j : * 1

naturally booonlng a burden on lialekutu's roaouroeo..

Ao Sokukunl had no capable nor Ibe or mouthpleoe

the new adalnlatration only had winter»a version of

K«>’

& \

m & ;

recent eventa and at the aame tine were anxloua to

'

get the natlvoa who had boon dlaplaoed by the war

baok to tboir original poaltlona. Knight the Sub*

Native Comolsaioner on Winter*a advice recommended.

that Kgolane ahould be restored to bis pre-war

position.

Kgolane waa therefore brought baok with the 780

men women and obildren who had boon at ifalokutu'a

with him. He decided to vaoate Maeehleng as being too^ 1 '

close to Sokukunl and mado a now headquarter a tad at

Madlbong on the weetern aido of Oolnka Location within

oloto touch Of Malekutu on tbo Nokwanl aide and nt n

infer dlatanoe from Sekukuni at Nohlalotao.

A oouplo of petty headmen Touane Kalla and

Mashupshoa who openly refused to reoognlse him aa

chief woro removed to Sekukuni*s half of tbo Location.

Pasoane of the Batau and the majority of the other head­

men in Kgolane'a portion had no desire to leave their

fertile landa and good water aupply In order to bo

orowdod/

-------------------------------------------------------------

,S V A A " A A , A

< , A :«■ 7 A ■■ ’ > ..v,:' • •'

Wff*

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crowded Into Sekukunl* s laou fertile and badly

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1901

mSL &.4 ' & 'i&wW' ' ' '* • i t ><:.>" • '.'U ‘v ‘/ . . r . u m

’ • ' 4-'. ' 1 . 2V\fV*, • ' ■ , ' % * 'ft r ." 1 ;,-f v - ,

'' '*mpm * ■H M p ...1 J| . 1L-, .H! I BRL — I- I ™„. B .11 . <••"■•> : v*' Af* v\'K4'J< f s <' * ‘ : kjta* * '* • V, ‘■f y, ’C ■ »; ?

watered portion, bo they remained quiet and only

passively and oovertly opposed to Kgolane whenever

opportunity ooourrod.’ 1 f ‘ . 4''1, . ' " . 'V A / , / ] , ^ '• *’ V * 1 * . sV r ^ >V'/vl ’ '•■ '

ifafefe had before this returned to his Location.

Ntoampe with his following of the llagakala seotion

came across the 01ifants into Sekukuniland and

1 \ ■

■'j* ‘ ,,-u v V

settled on tbs Company farm Surbiton. Since those' ‘ M-A, '

days the Bapedi have bought Surbiton and large portions

• iof tbe two adjoining farms, making in all a 7000

■ '

Jj? * *;

' y\ i)' <■,

morgen strip of land on the Uutss river for those

Uagakala people to oooupy.

•k;\ • t i X ,4-'/, '• ; *,}■•_..... ; : v-!,• * r. ■ 11 • '.1 • i" - - ' *

$

..

The Sub-Native Commissioner*s task was therefore

i 'A ■ . "'S'-'' ’ ‘n '*•to curb Sekukunl' s ambitions in regard to the

■ .• ' ' • ' • ' • ' •' \

reunification of the chieftainship and te continue. ■ .■ .. '.to bolster up Kgolane in hia diffioult position of

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: . #;W^'? : i- »/V ' v Av;.* ‘ ■ AV • ; -i.TEEG

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a non-hereditary government-appointed ohief.

Unfortunately now that Kgobalale bad become aV ^ 1 * ’ « .>, . .• “ f J ^ ■* '

valuable eervant of the government, Sekukunl*a ignorant

W^r%

September 5th 1902.

April 13th 1904.

ff :*'A': I

and retrograde uncle Bokgobelo became the chief

influence of the Haruteng faction at Mohlaietse.

one of the first acts of the new Crown Colony■ A - r! >r£ < '' '• , • A, A '/ V/'; ''•'"'•A

government was the disarmament of the Tranevaal natives.

Tbe Bapedi of Sekukuni were the only tribe to

hesitate to obey the order. At first at a pitso held

at Sohoonoord on September 5th 1902 they refused to• . .

disarm and it was not till late tbe next day that

Kgobalale at last pereuaded them to agree. 4121 fire-

arms were handed in by 3skukuni's people during

September and October 1908 and subsequently about

another 200 were surrendered. Ualekutu's people were

similarly disarmed on tbe Pokwanl side without raising

any difficulty.

Chief Kgolane died of ooneumption on April 13th

1904. He was only a comparatively young man of about

for ty-five/____

1 '-4'.*' ■*<

forty-five years.. f . ' . .-T/.-

His son and heir by hla chief wife Uoroke a

S* lM5,

m,

■

daughter of Ramoroko, was Kgolokoe IT, then about

12 years old, and too young to take over the suooession_ f > •< l ’ - ’’ > ( r'*;- v* »' s - '1

so an unole Ifarisane who was own brother to Kgolane

by the same aother was appointed regent for him. The

young Kgolokoe was sent to Lovedale to be educated,

a levy being imposed on his people to pay his school’

fees. Heedless to say this levy wua ant an easy mattor

to collect*

In the middle of 1905 Chief Halekutu died and

wao sucoeeded by his son Sekwati the present ohlsf.

By this tine Sekukunlland had settled down. Host

of the young men had begun to be accustomed to go to

the mines to work for their tax money. The bitter

feeling against the chieftainship of the house of

Kgolokoe was never far from the surface and always

ready to show itself, but foar of the consequences,

namely poasible removal from home and from garden

lands, prevented any overt AOt of factional strife.

The Banbata rebellion in Zululand gave riae to

grave fears among the neighbouring white population

that the Bapedi might also follow the Zulu exanple.V , 'A - . - ? : ' ' h '} V « , «*" 4 • ' * ' '?>.’ <> ;■ ** % / ■ ■ , ■ v 1 f .. . * . . . > ft • ■ " 1 . ■. ■

There was the usual "fear complex'* and the white

people seemed unable to grasp that the Bapedi were nowcd.disarmed, though they were undoubtly In touch with the \ *

Zulus tlwgb mutual emissaries there were never any

real grounds for suoh fears. The Bapedi as is the ooae

with all Transvaal natives, knew perfectly well that

they could never again fight a successful war with

assegais, sticks and stones agalnat white authority

backed by machine guns.

In 1906 Hast Coast Tever appeared among the oattle

but did not become serious till 1906 by which time it

bad spread throughout Sekukunlland. All the branding,

fencing and shooting out of infeoted cattle resorted

to by tha government did not atop its spread.

Over 10,700 oattie were shot and compensation

paid for them at the rate of between 10/- and 15/-v V 1. • /

a head, apart from thoae whioh died of the diaeaae.j* , V *■ * * ’ t \,r , * V ‘ ' ’ • J' •

for whioh no money waa paid. The loaa eventually

totalled Close upon 20,000 head.I; . .v*: . ... -

mmk I

e' ’

It wae not till the oattle had been plaoed in

concentration camps each with its separate grazing

area and no movements allowed that the diaeaae died

out. By that time there ware only 7,500 oattle left

in the Lydenburg area of Sekukunlland.

Meanwhile ploughing with oxen had to cease and.’A ” • \tr?'/,*' i, . ; * i\]f "• * 1 i i ( i’ xv , \ i'the old faahioned hoe oame again into full uae. Thus

the years 1911 • 1912 were particularly hard for the

Bapedi. Bventually a largo number of donkeys were

bought whioh helped to relieve the bard timea, being

uaed both for transport and ploughing purposes. The

loss of oattle temporarily upset the lobola system

to some extent and was the oauae of much subsequent

olvll litigation.

La 1914 the concentration oampa wore abolished,

dipping tanks were built and general compulsory

dipping Imposed, with the result that the oattle

rapidly increased to nearly 5i,000 in Sekukunlland‘’ j p ! * , a. ' s£$Y-' ,-jf j, - % >x ■: ftexcluding the Pokwani area. This large number of

r '

cattle together with a 100,000 small stock is more

than ths area can conveniently carry,

from 1907 to 1911 young Kgolokoe was at Lovodalo

sad his unolo MarIsaac was acting as regent for him.

M a r isane was a maa of weak character, an invalid and

waa never regarded as of any aooount by the Bapedi,

By 1911 ho had bcoome a drunken half-lmbooile maa

whom it was no longer possible to prop up as a chief.

It therefore agala became a question whether to

reunite the chieftainship of the whole of the natives

i f f

— *f-' wmmm

J .......

- « n -- 60 •

.. >* '; - *o|a • ^<7 , , / > / ? ,

W ■ .'/' 'ftv.s.;'. • v* .. ;-, |fkjg £v l&vtfoy:'M ''’.7 •' /Vi'v'v":'v v-/' * >~

Ka v-i ';*'•■ * .v/«N

£&$> v v«-> 5‘v , • n'WV)1ir.'i

. . . f P S f * ' #-d$Sj®km -.?r-....... , v « » * «

: I M f-'V .'* -H*- V1 •;• 'a xl, f . , ( / v ^ ’v1* •V M ' * ' * * V-i*/

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®awlMS2"<icf $f'J w & v w v 1

••• 7 V . ; ?‘A'.f '4 t ''VV/.> ..’' ;#:4

l\v:July 27th 1911.

■’> >.f?U * i» ".'-ji: /.

;?f|,

I M M• V&lirv -;V

ilP :&$?

.

1914 - 1918.

of aeluks Location undor Hekukunl, or to bring the

'youthful Kgolokoe back from Lovedale,make him chief

of the eouthorn half of the location and thue

c o n t i n u e the offlolal division of the tribe. The

former course would have given permanent satisfaction

p>!

m

to the tribe and would have enabled it to go aheadRPf:

free fro* the constant throat of internal strife

and bltterneoo which le always ready to crop up.

V

BS*f,

The authorities in Pretoria however eventually

decided, once more to the groat disappointment of

the tribe, not to reunify tbe chieftainship andv v " ; *•*

ordered Kgolokoe TT to be brought homo from Lovedale

and installed in his father's position. The maso of

his nominal followers, like the rest of the natives

of oekukunlland, still look upon Sekukuni as ths

chief and regard Kgolokoe merely as a headman of

Haruteng blood living at Madlbong.

Kgolokoe has 00 far proved himself a capable

man but at times bo foelo bis position acutely. He

himself keeps on friendly terme with Sekukuni whom

at pltsos be defers to as bis senior and epeako of

an bis "older brother"•

By thle time (1931) chiefs have gradually lost

their old powers of direoting main events and the

tribe have cone to look nore and more to their looal

Commissioner who has boon able to oheok and head off

muob of the old Ill-feeling in reopoot of the dlvlolon

of the chieftainship, though It is always prssent as

s retarding influence and possible danger.

during tbe world war of 1914 -1918 the natives

of South Africa wore oalled upon to oupply volunteers

for oorvioo in tbo various native Labour Oorps. The

Bapedi supplied a few nen for South West Africa, a

muob larger number for Bast Afrlea where many died

of fever, and for France, to whioh country no loeo

than/

.

• •V ; v

»K4vi

- ei -' : ■' I 1 ' '-A. i , ■ ' <■ '• ' ' '* ’ * ' ■>') ; ' L * Kb t ' ' .

than 9300 went fron Sekukunlland. The Native Labour

Corps recruits froa this district wore aoro numerous

than from any other single district in the Union and

were reported on by the authorities lit France aa.

having been good workers and vsry well behaved*\Y.V -y- / T ; ■. ' y ’ •.' $ ’ ’ ■ ..' ,f ;! ’ . 1 jS ’y ' ■%

Up to 1922 the Bapedi had never bought any

lend. Oeluke Location dating froa the Pretoria and

London Conventione of 1881 and 1884 wns the only** 4 '* ' * t * i '•?? *

location in the whole Lydenburg District, including

the Pilgrims Rest and asms Reserve areas. Prom 1904

the government Imposed rents on natlvss living on

Crown Land farms, while the Companies whioh owned"

almost all the balanoe of the farms In Sekukunlland* ' 1 ■'’ >*. . v % « • • * * v v" '

steadily year by year tightened up the collections

of thoir native farm rents, in the earlier days it

soaroely seems to have ooourred to the Bapedi that" ** Ax ' y/' * '* * - ‘ r tfy1 * ,'ft >/,•.* £ ' •» *'

”nsga* (veld) as they oall it was a purchasable

commodity. After 1908 from time to time at pltaos

the idea of buying land to give tho tribe more scope,

to give fixity of tenure and to fras the people froa

rent paying was frequently mooted to thea by thoir

Coaalssloner. The influence of Bokgobelo, Sekukuni**

uncle and the ruling mind at Xohlaletse was always

against land purchase as be rofussclto recognize

that times had changed from the days of Thulare and

3ekwati« He Continued steadfastly to assert that

Sekukunlland aa a whole was ths property of the

Bapedi and they should not buy what belonged to them.

It wss aot till 1988 tho year before old Bokgobelo

died that the tribe oa the advice of their Commissioner

Hunt at a pltso held at Soboonoord oa September 26th

1922 agreed to Impose a levy on themselves at the

rato of gl per annum per taxpaying native, as from

January let 1923 with a View to buying baok Sekukunlland

gradually, farm by farm. Since then the Pokwaninatives/

--- ------------------

Y ' ; O''- ^ r tIp

• 1 X X 'T T vTy -- V:■? .■■ }>M Sv'- ‘4 K ■■■%r . • • . • v' ................

■ • '

.’■r v/■/ ‘ v'•• “ . V ’,v • 1 ■ ‘At bfSti ■ * ?..»

natives have followed suit with ths result that.• , • K i ' ' ‘ . I , : I--:*’ ' . .'»» . • • 1 • ' T *

• > : y .rl- ,'-

‘■■'S'?/#!

on the ekukuniland and Pokwani uidea combined, some

two dosen farms or portions of farms have been

s&

w m

•X Y;K

trlbally bought*

& y‘, .

■

' t' . T.ii

mIt has been shown that before 1860 the Berlin

Lutheran Society under Merensky had startsd Christianity

in Sekukunlland In Sekwati*s days and that Sekukuni T*~

had turned then out in 1864* Winter of the same

; ■)■***

' -It.:

;

Kpjgfcf, • $ Immt*

* Mt ■’I

' 'X. 4 & ?;E

Society restarted alsslon work In 1880 tout secededw

and founded the Bapedi Lutheran Churoh on his own

■

account In 1892. The Berlin Soolety however sent■; :

another alsslonary to reside at Lobethal on the Pokwani

■Id*. ‘ ’’ ■iijafew .? • # • - -viV' " '7 < . • I-. . ’

•; , •' ' .............................

H

In about 1907 the Weslsyans also started a■

mission on that side*V • h" 'A;.

fi

■ ' •» M |fc': ..i * & 1

■ "• I'*" V*' ’ . 'k-X ’a'* '

mk.In 1921 the Anglloans founded a medical mission

March 7th ,1921*

■ ,v

called the Jane Purse Memorial Hospital on tho Pokwani

border with their Too tor acting as dlstrlot surgeon: j ' ’

in an area whioh till them hod had no dootor within

a radius of 70 miles of the new hospital. This

institution has dons aa enormous amount of good

towards tho health and Wflf are Of the tribe*

In 1927 the T utch fieforraed ChttTOh eutablished

themsslvos on Moolplaats the most northsrn farm of

tbs Middelburg T latriot on tho 01if ants.

Ths latest entrants of the Sekukunlland mission

field are the Roman Catholics who In 1929 wsnt to

Morgenzon near the Pokwani office*

On March 7th 1921 after forty-one (41) years

in Sekukunlland the old missionary Mintor died on

the farm Mecklenburg. From the time when he seceded

from the Berlin 3ooiety and founded hla Bapedi Luthoran

sect he had always clossly identified himself with

looal native politics as a kssn supporter of tho

Kgolokoe house. Prior to 1899 he frequently acted» • /

£

m

aa a government Interpreter at pitsos and even did

eo on two or three occasions in 1902 till the nativee

objected. He wae also employed by a land oompany to

oolleot their rente. Owing to hio interference in;

tribal matters the firat requeat Sekukuni made to

the military authoritiea in 1900 wae to have him

removed. He waa alwaya a forceful independent character

and hie influence had much to do with the shaping of

events in Sekukuniland. >»fter hia death the Bapedi

Lutherans began quarrelling amoug themaelvee and do' ‘ h i-'u'f ' V '• V '' ' ' *■‘‘I ";■-v’-'‘ - :?■■ ■’ v •- ; • 7. , ; ; ■

not aeem to have made much headway.

Since Winter's death there has been no resident

White miaeionary in Sekukuniland on the Lydenburg

aide. All the misaione where whites reside are along

the Pokwani border, aome being very oloae together.

Of reosnt yeara the whole area haa become over­

stocked and loaaea auch aa ooourred in 1927 when

10,000 cattle died of poverty seem bound to happen

again whenever there is a drought.

In 1924 and 1929 a platinum boom Swept through

Sekukuniland like a gross fire. The whole ares waa

oloaely prospected, roads were opened up and some

hal| dozen minsa were opened, one result was that the

natives wsrs able to earn good monsy on the mines at

their own homes, while another result, lsss fortunate,u i y< ? * iY ,f V j v $ y> ' 'n '' * . \ * * * k* ‘r k J » 1.. ,>was the almost entire disappearance of wild game for

which Sekukuniland had previously been celebrated.

By the end of 1930 ths last of the platinum

mines closed down but the gsme had not returned to

A Local Council for Oeluks L0oatlon wos a tar tod

’■ ; ' - *$ U ’M k [in 1928 and io still in its infancy. Already it has

\’ " - ‘ ■ ‘ w i ' f■ 1 ’ 5 vj;.* i*.-.

done oome useful work towards improving tbe water

supply.

Ae to the future of the 100,000 or more natives m1

iforming the Bapedi tribe and olans in the Sekukuniland

■ *, *:>and Pokwani areas north-west of the Steelpoort it is

difficult to prophesy. Tbe tribe are unlikely to rest

content till by purobase they have won baok the land

to the old 1857 treaty line of the Steelpoort* with

'' -v i f }, ’ ' 0*.'“ llfVv. 'such conservative people it will probably be advisablev * '/ \*» " ’ ; U!r • • s*’* \ , • 7„ 7*. : ■ ■> v, t.s*>t\ >\to keep to tbe tribal system for ooae considerable time

to oome.

Ultimately it might be possible to join Sekukunlland

to its Pokwani area and make it one single separate

dlstrlot under one Commissioner and with one nominal

paramount chief. It would then have the natural

boundaries of the steelpoort to tbo oast, the olifantn

to the north and west and a ridge of hills to south.

Instead of calling it by names of chiefs suoh as Geluki

and Sekukuni, it could then be more truly known na

"Baped iland".

If tboir local Coamiooloner cun keep in check the

deep-rooted Internal factional jealousies and if tho

tribe can, without Interference, go quietly ahead with

its land purobaeee so as not to become unduly over­

crowded, it should gradually show steady and uolid

progress. Bxoept for regulation-made misdemeanours

there is but little serious crime, stock theft being

almost unknown.

The future of the tribe would then lie mainly

with the activities of that new branch of Native

Affairs known as the Native Agricultural Department*

000000OOO000000

s' ,

J

I

t ■ '■

1s * > r ’

V‘. * A ‘ **.•''.' * V ;• |

M i l

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m k W t £ . ■. •• ; •

I I 4 -: s

:; f ‘ <ft*v . r #1 ■

' s / - I ' ‘J O ?

tf * * ’f "

(JENI3AL0GICAL TRKE I Off BAPKT I OHIKFS.

3»K

W )According to Rahlolo:-

'v

• _,, .f.,,,A-:-®.

’’ ■

. 1 . ' 7, . “ T r v i v \ : .;*

mTabane

—

■:, ■ . . v / V ^> w u >4 ' * v M i i

......*< i*', w

Mod ice ,.(of the Bakgatla* ba-Makau}.

, : . . . ■ ' ■ ■ " • ■ ■ ■ . ,

1m ,4 1 m > *w ‘ *• ’ »r' v t ' r* 3T

1 ■ 1 ■ * ' ' - ' $ * ‘ ’ - ' H ‘ :* ;

x ^ > :v 4, vV \, v./■ , yN A’ &•<*. • 7 -. 7 . ■ 7

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. v f w v w i p i ; ’

• ' ■’■*'■' - \ • ' V. 7 •***>>' ■' ' ■" ■’ ' . ■ ■ ’ ■• . ■.

-1^ A . ^ ' ' 'Kota he■ ;* # ... ,.

•■ .■ iV :* •Le lella teng (Holmane;

Thobele

Kabu

s',;; mVIf ^

W & T ’' r y j f , I

: f i V :

'*bA Mv t ,, , ' j . , \ k „ ’ >• • ' •/■» ’ , . 1 s , n

Thobele

.: • '1‘ <5^ , a •.* v-v. 'V

Thobejane

Mouknngoe

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■ ' . •;a Jl;y.

- :isSI/ »■••:;:•-’v ‘ /’ f „ . " ■ -

. .a -vs '/A 7 • .. .v;-- ;.

Lesailane;*<7 ■>:

Uohubt (killed)

^ * 4 ( s *f a- ;; . * • ,,,,

Mampuru (of the (Kagakala seotioi^

Uoroamotehe

• ■■»■.» — ...... .....

Dikotope(killed)

Thulare (died 1824}

Valekutu 1 . Kateebe. Phethedi. Mo tod i . Makopole. sekwati. Hakgeru. r>ibaaa.(poieonedT (killed; (killed) (killed) (kiUed) (died 186l)(killed)(killed)

by Thor owe tJanc I ♦ by KggaQ-Hai»tftiie >Sekukunl 1•

(killed 18l2)Uoyalodi Sekukunl T • Kaapuru. Kgolokoe T

(hanged 1883) (died 18937

Moreoane Sekwatl.Moroaaotahe Malekutu Kgolane(Councillor (killed 1879)(dled 1905) (died 1904)1931).

Kabu

SefogoleC headman at lfagnet Heights 1931).

by ThorometJaneH Sekukuni lT Sekwati Kgolokoe IT

t?vi-

j

----------- ------- --

4 t BBpBAccording to Mallkgopa:-AOOOI

■ .. ■ > ■ ■ ’ . . 1

Si;

. < ^ : - v

■ ' ' ' \

. ■.

■ >•■ ■, ■■■■ ■ ■■V'■ V V ,J , • ' • >V

Pogolo1? * .

Moinane (Le leila tong)

Tabane

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* ...

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7 - ' 7^7 ' ' • ': .

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■ . . • • •

Matlapane|p.., a

Bohlolo*>/ ’ I'SW'.J ,,\ :iC? ' ''

. ;,

Hod loo Mote he(Of the Bakgatla- -ba-Makau}.

i ■■ , •:*•• v m M », r *■>

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r-.V a ’ <> r •** *■, f ' K t ’t■■ 7 ;■I-

’ ; . r ■ * / , . : . •

y% • ^ , ‘ /.... > ■ * .*V ; • r ; . ■ •

- . v . • , •• ' • ' •- '.v . ■ . „ ,

■' .• ' ' i- ' . f’, I $0$$ *: i I p.;

" 'tv i *»>, /; > ' '* - ''

•Vw, ;mm ■ ) ■ ■ "

‘ ■ a- .* 1 ■ ■ '.v. ,* '■ .' •

im m m M m immk

. v... . ; , ;

■•y'

\ /'k fcS » i ^ | l r‘ ..® '

;v. : " '

S ..., A ‘ '-1' .dk £«

I.:' .: •• (as por Rahlolo'a H a t ) .

> 0 'K , r'- ?-f vf ■ ’ ,

•• 1 ;&?. .-.,7 •

MF.m •'; ■’ /.

Othor old notivoo Tory again frota the above

two 11ata when giving the names of ohlefa prior to

Moukangoe, in faot no two author1tiea ore alike the

further fe&Qk they go.

Malikgopa’ s Pogolo may have been either the naao

of a plaoe or on ancestor* Thla mna can be heard daily

when two Bapedi women greet eaoh other with tha words

"Dumola, ngonna • on - PogoloI" or the more clipped

"Tumela, ngoan’ - a - Pogolel* (Greeting, ohild of

PogoleC

i:'u'

Rahlolo’ a /

Rahlolo'a placing of Le-lella-teng who after

• 1 ,

circumcision was called Moinane, is much the nore

probable of the two*'■ •

Both Halikgopa and Rahlolo agree that tfotshe.

was a contemporary of Modise of the Bakgatla-ba-

-Hakau. According to Mallicgopa the Bapedi broke away

from the Bakgatla during the chieftainahlp of

Thobejjane. Rahlolo aaya that Motahe and Thobele

oaae together to Sekukunlland and hie version Is

aupported by other old men who say that Uotshe was

burled on the r>teelpoort.

£ Vv t'W > ! Vvc-*»

i'fvt- V*Vv v V ' w ; *y§V Uvf- 'V t-¥

btwc Q-'we# v a * 0^° / vc-v yit- <n * i/tvi.

t /iitto v^- va^j u * t w ^ tw 1st

V & ___ ,d^ci<-

A M — .iJ ' , I T v I H 1

^ K A / \ . - i . * v v — .__, l s \ . C * s X r X * O s i ' \ y f L ~ t v ^ ' U ^ C

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7 U lY*#iw /| li«- t /)^0>vlfA^M^(9i<

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I\A*+Ar \d***L kv fcit* S fW ^ iljf lvui*- Y1TL*Aa*aA* ^ ^CU4vt4»

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u # # X*. ® * 'Itwu^iv «■ a ^ u u a '

It* bvd*+'t u% I fine 4 l^oi*

FHF/MHK,

N. A. 8/403,

£ ao* '

/. '■ *$ :, ’ k j, • . i"v= .>■ ’ .'V. ' ■»' * ''•*■ *'* ‘ * * -M : . * r. •’ ‘

THE ADDITIONAL NATIVE COMMISSIONER,

SEKUKUIJILAND.

Account of Bapedi Tribe : Peimission to publish in "Bantu Studies",

With reference to your Minute No,S ,K ,3/3/881

of the 21st ultimo in connection with the above subject*

I have the honour to state that the Department commends

the zeal and interest you have shown in writing the

"Account of the Bapedi"9 which is returned herewith.

There is no objection to its publication in ’lai - rjsjteji

"Bantu Studies"| and, if you can conveniently arrange

it , the Department would be glad to purchase a few

copies of the issue in which the article appears.

e, b*J O '" 1

SECRETARY FOR NATIVE AFFAIRS,

-DRHATSH.

S . K. 3/1/881.

PRIVATE BAG........

21st September,1931.

The Secretary for Native Affaire,

P r e t o r i a .

Account of Bapedi Tribe: Permission to Publish in "Bantu Studies".

Reference attached, certain University

Professors have suggested that it should be published

In "Bantu Studies". Is there any objection ?

In any case please return it.

O. R. HUNT

ADDITIONAL NATIVE COMMISSIONER,

SEKUKUNILAND.

Collection no: A1655 Collection: HUNT, Donald Papers

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