MARAPYANE: ITS ORIGINS AND DESCENDANTS AND THE CHIEFS THAT RULED OVER IT – PART 1 OF 2
We might know of it as the central business district of Dr. J.S Local Moroka but there is so much more to Marapyane than meets the eye. Today we take you our loyal reader to the beginning of this village, part two we will focus on Marapyane we see today, interview members of the royal family and of course the current Chief Moepi.
Image: Supplied
The history of Marapyane is a long and rich one. The history begins in Botswana with Chief Mokgatla. The name Bakgatla was derived from his name and he ruled over the Bahurutshe tribe. After the passing of Chief Mokgatla, the tribe split into two sections, the Bakgatla ba Kgafela, who resided in Botswana, and Bakgatla ba Mosetla and Bakgatla ba Makau who went to live in the Transvaal area.
According to the history document titled Short History of the Native Tribes of the Transvaal published in the year 1905 by the then Transvaal Natives Affairs Department, the history of Marapyane started in the 1800 particularly in 1852, during the reign of Chief Mogale over the Bakgatla in Transvaal, they further split into smaller sub-groups namely the Tabane and Motsha group. During this time the bakgatla did not only find themselves in disputes alone. They went into a dispute over the land with the Boer people in Rustenburg and they then retreated to the Matlaba river but the move was not permanent as the people later relocated again. Some Chiefs were allowed to purchase some of the lands in the Pretoria district which enabled the smaller groups of the Bakgatla to create their sub-tribes. Some of the Bakgatla people settled in Makapanstad and the Bakgatla ba Motsha settled in Schildpadfontein, presently known as Marapyane.
The Bakgatla ba Motsha tribe was ruled over by Chief Tabane, who was Chief Mogale’s brother. The settlement in Schildpadfontein did not come with peace within the Bakgatla ba Motsha tribe. After Chief Tabane’s passing, his sons Liale and Matlaisane got into a dispute over the Chieftainship. Liale was driven out and went to form the Ma-Kau section and Matlaisane was left to rule over Schildpadfontein.
The Chieftainship went down to Motsha, Matlaisane’s heir who was named after the tribe then went down to Motsha’s son Ratlhagane who then gave the Chieftainship to his heir Maubane. During the reign of Maubane, there was a dispute in the royal family which led to the establishment of the Moepi’s, who then went on to rule over Schildpadfontein until the present day.
Image: Internet
The village has come a long and it has created its own culture and heritage in the time it has been established. It has become one of the fastest growing villages in South Africa rich with agriculture and business. The descendants of Chief Tabane still reside in Marapyane and still teach us about the rich history.
In the next part of this series we will then look into Marapyane and the jurisdiction it covers, as The Village Mag, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Chief TM Moepi; the current chief of Marapyane for opening his doors and allowing us the opportunity to conduct this interview with him. Furthermore, we would like to thank Chief Moepi for providing us with the document Short History of the Natives Tribes of the Transvaal, the document is also available here on the Wits University’s website, had it not be because of him it would not be possible to compile this history. See you on the next issue.
I would like to know about Sefiri and Ramasodi who are Bakgatla by their origin. However based on the part one information , It would be very interesting to understand in which sub group did Ramasodi and Sefiri fall. Are they Bakgatla ba Moepi? Or Bakgatla ba Maubane or Moche?
Have noted with interest the brief narration of Bakgatla above-
My purpose is to separate the tradition of Mogale’s Following and Tabane’s following:
My concerns is the lineage and mentioned periods.
Its true that out of Bahurutshe, Bakgatla’s origin is traced through Mokgatla who seceded from, no reasons where mentioned or traced what happened.
His direct lineage are, Legabo(Lekgabo) to Pogopi (Pogodi) to Botlolo who fathered sons Mogale and Tabane.
After Botlolo’s passing, the nation (morafe or sechaba) got separated between Mogale-elder son and younger son Tabane.( bana Batlolo wa Pogopi wa Legabo- decendants of Molekeleke-Malope wa Masilo)
These activities happened way far before 1800s, it should late1500s.
Mogale being elder son of Botlolo took reigns after his father and remained in Diloreng( Rustenburg)- his group of Bakgatla was called Masetlha.
He was succeeded by his son Matshego who his senior house begot a daughter – Mosetlha and in the junior house a son- Kgafela.
In Matshego’s passing, conflict erupted and nation or morafe split between daughter and son, meaning some followed Mosetlha and others followed Kgafela. Thats why today we have Kgafela bakgatla group in Rustenburg-Botswana and Mosetlha Bakgatla group in Hammanskraal. Further out of Kgafela following- Bamanaana break out. All these are group of Kgosi Mogale, brother to Tabane.
With this narration, I want to bring to the forth that it shouldn’t be confused with following of Tabane which have its own separated status and history.
Now lets us focus on Tabane, who on his breaking from his brother -Mogale, he went to Pretoria eastward until he settled at Marapyane commonly called Schilpadfontein.
Thats where his kingdom or nation-morafe of bakgatla got established and thrived to what it is today.
Tabane have two wifes- Mmamatlaisane as the first and Mathulare as second wife.
The tradition tells, the status of first wife and main wife differ. Matlaisane a bo Tseke was born from 1st wife being Mamatlaisane while Diale was born from Mathulare(daughter of bafokeng chief) as 2nd wife but being main wife. Thus Diale became a heir to Tabane’s throne upon his passing.
Indeed upon departing of Tabane, Matlaisane as well claim the throne being the elder son, despite being known Diale being the heir, that led to the dispute ultimately to the split of the Bakgatla ba Tabane at Marapyane. Matlaisane remain at Marapyane with his followers and Diale left to Makua with his following to set Makua as it is today.
Diale had young brothers in their sequence, Kgetsi of Makgolokwe in Free State, Kgwadi of Batlokwa in Free State who spread to NW, Botswana and Limpopo ultimately, Matsibogo/Matsiboho of Baphuthing in Free State as well and lastly, Mosia of Basia in Free State as well. These five, are siblings begotten by Tabane and Mathulare. These younger brothers to Diale left to Free State direction in dismay over their brother being the heir but forbidden(denied) taking over the reigns after Tabane over the entire Bakgatla at Marapyane- NB. this got nothing to do with Bakgatla ba Kgafela and Mosetlha- it is separate history as they belong to the following of Mogale- elder brother to Tabane.
Diale in response, left with his following to set up Makau bakgatla section. While at Makau, there was discontent among his wifes with the younger one being Mathobela who it is narrated her first born cried in her womb during pregnancy, obiviously out jealousy of her being favoured over them, the witchcraft labeled a attributing factor. Bakgatla termed that an omen(bohlola/botlhola) to them, intended killing the son- Thobela- Lellelateng- bare”Ke Lellelateng laga Modise wa ga Rakau” and her mother(Mathobela). In intercepting, Diale opted to rather leave the nation (morafe/sechaba) at Makau with his heir Modise, find a new location with following to save Thobela-Lellelateng. He headed to the east ending up at North Central Transvaal or North Eastern Transvaal around Steelpoort and Burgersfort vicinity now at Lulu Mountain range at around 1650 to start the nation/sechaba we call Bapedi- Marota today. Tradition says, Thobela, son Kabu, was followed by his son Thobela 2nd, who was banished over misbehaving, he headed Tshwetla-Venda with following. His younger brother, Thobejane took over, followed by his son Moukangwe, who was predeceased by heir Leseilane, subsquently younger son Mohube followed Moukangwe. Mohube was followed by his son Morwamoche, who was followed by his son Thulare who killed the heir Dikotope being his brother. Thulare was followed by son Malekutu, who got killed (poisoned) by his brother Matsebe, who got killed over the action by other brother Motodi who reign briefly before being killed by Ndwandwe worriors from Zululand with other brothers with only Makgeru and Sekwati being Thulare’s sons who survived the attack. Sekwati after returning from exile in Venda when heard the Ndwandwes have retreated to Zululand, revived the Marota/ Bapedi kingdom. He begot son with his wife Thorometjane, Sekhukhune and Mampuru on behalf of Malekutu with candle wife(timamollo-Mohumagadi) Kgomomakatane.
On his (Sekwati) passing her son Sekhukhune fought Mampuru over heirship which was meant for Mampuru and usurped the Kingship. That was history in repeat as Matlaisane did to Diale, Thulare and Mampuru I ( his parternal uncle-rangwane-monnago Morwamoche) did to Dikotope, Matsebe did to Malekutu and Motodi did to Matsebe. Today the Kingship of marota- bapedi is in dispute following Sekhukhune I and Mampuru 1 quarel in 1861 upon passing of Sekwati I, the son of Thulare who survived Ndwandwe annexing in 1824/5/6, that was not Mazilikazi as it has been wrongly mentioned, was Ndwendwe led by Zwide then who was succeeded by his son Skhunyane- NB. today there is a place named after Skhunyane(Sekhunyane as spelt in Sepedi) in Burgersfort/Steelpoort vicinity named after son of Zwide.
It is over their arrival period there as 1650 that, I dispute the period stated as 1800 to be precise as 1852 that Bakgatla arrived at Marapyane.. Please note Mogale never came to Marapyane, remained at Diloreng(Rustenburg) where his father Botlolo was with original united Bakgatla. Its only Tabane who went to Schilpadfontein( Marapyane) with his following.
In so saying, Bakgatla ba Tabane settled at Marapyane before 1600s. The Diale siblings equally, left Schilpadfontein or Makau around 1600s to find their new places being Kgetsi, Kgwadi, Matsibogo and Mosia enranged over the quarrel that denied their brother (Diale) to ascend the throne after his father Tabane by his brother -(morwarre) Matlaisane a bo Tseke who his following now is the ba-Motsha/Maubane/Moepi still in Marapyane.
My purpose here was to share the information on lineages of Mogale and Tabane. Should be known that, they ruled separately and period of their rulings was before 1600s. Which after 1600 was their sons and grandchildren.
Bakgatla ba Mogale being Kgafela and Mosetlha, they are not ruling Bakgatla ba Tabane, they don’t have a say in the affairs of Tabane’s Bakgatla.
Equally so, Tabane’s-(being Makau, Mocha, Bapedi, Mokgolokwe, Batlokwa, Baphuthing and Basia) are not involved in the affairs of ba-Kgafela, Mmanaana and Mosetlha being ba Mogale.
This history is my pride, brings the brotherhood and sisterhood and the real identity that is embedded in the blood and genes not in the sotho dialects that we found ourselves uttering. We should be in mind language involved influenced gradually through generations by other languages you found yourself around them. No way will after generations, the language that first generation arrived speaking will be maintained 100% the dialect of those you settled around will tap in bit by bit until new dialect emerge. Equally so, the fact that those in Free State and Lesotho speaks differently unto those in Western Transvaal or NW now..so those in Botswana differ to those in Northern and Eastern Transvaal vary a bit because they are around other people who their dialects has tapped in. Thus the dialects we speak, doesn’t define who we are but our genes and blood which will never be distorted. We are the offsprings in the lineage of Malope of Masilo of Malore of Mhete back to Morolong.
Thank you, this is very important. Please share more information and historical key events on Bakgatla ba Tabane.