Freddy Khunou - Mountains of Spirit: The Story of the Royal Bakwena ba Mogopa of the North West, South Africa

M OUNTAINS OF S PIRIT

The Story of the Royal Bakwena ba Mogopa
of the North West, South Africa

S AMUEL F REDDY K HUNOU

Text, SF Khunou and Bagopa Properties 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission from the copyright holder.

ISBN: 978-1-928333-00-5

e- ISBN: 978-1-928333-01-2

Published on behalf of Bagopa Properties by Rainbird, an imprint of Bookstorm (Pty) Ltd

Bagopa Properties (Pty) Ltd

Fredman Towers

13 Fredman Drive

Sandton 2196

South Africa

Cover design by publicide

Book design and typesetting by Triple M Design

Colour photographs courtesy of Bakwena ba Mogopa Administration

Archival photographs courtesy Hermannsburger Mission in Transvaal (HMIT)

Ebook by Liquid Type Publishing Services

Contents

Acknowledgements

K gosi of the Bakwena ba Mogopa traditional community, His Majesty Tebogo Reneilwe Motheo Mamogale, initiated the research and writing of this book. My sincere gratitude goes to His Majesty for this courageous initiative.

Im thankful to all members of the Bakwena ba Mogopa community who participated in the oral interviews that contributed to shaping this book. These men and women gave their time and knowledge, and provided me with enormous historical information which has never before been written down.

My appreciation also goes to the staff of the North West Provincial Archives and Library (Mahikeng), North-West University (Potchefstroom and Mahikeng campus libraries), the National Library and the National Archives of South Africa (Pretoria), UNISA Archival Collection, and the Universities of Botswana and the Free State. They guided me throughout my research.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the Chief of Staff of the Bakwena ba Mogopa Traditional Administration (BBMTA), Wissy Phaladi, for his remarkable contribution. He provided important insights and relevant details that added significantly to the final product. My grateful thanks are also due to Tracey Hawthorne for editing this book.

A special word of thanks is also extended to Joseph Modubu, Abel More, Cornelius Manonyane, Ditshoketsi Obed Pooe, Kgosana Daniel Kelosiwang of Kanye in Botswana and Kgosana Lesley More of Barseba village, who gave their time, facilitated interviews and collated information necessary for the compilation of this book.

My heartfelt gratitude also goes to my research assistants, Bophelo Mabula, Nimrod Mhambi, Franklin Kasanga and Pearl Phiri, for their immense contribution in data collection and research.

It would be remiss of me not to express my gratitude to Rufaro Kelvin Major, who was ever a tower of strength. His patience and sacrifice during the long period of research for this book is deeply appreciated.

I would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their pre-publication insights and input.

With these few words, I passionately say: Pula! Bakwena! Pula!

Samuel Freddy Khunou

Mahikeng, North West, South Africa

November 2015

Foreword

T he idea to write a detailed history of the Bakwena ba Mogopa and their successive traditional leaders came about when it dawned on me that such an exercise would be of benefit not only to the Royal Family but to South African society in general. It is indeed part of the contribution to reclaim our history.

Most history books written during the colonial and apartheid eras tend to distort the contribution made by traditional leaders in the development of their communities.

The colonial and apartheid forces impacted negatively on the traditional leadership of the Bakwena ba Mogopa and the community. In order to be able to predict the future, the current Royal Mamogale Family needs to understand the hardships that the community endured under colonialism, and apartheid and the Bantustan system. Similarly, the new democratic government has a moral obligation to redefine its relationship with the institution of traditional leadership in line with constitutional imperatives.

This thought-provoking work is a mirror of the Royal Family, the council of headmen, traditional councillors, and the present and future generations of the traditional leaders of the Bakwena ba Mogopa. The history is deep, inspiring, sensitive and somehow emotive. It captures the role of successive traditional leaders of the Bakwena ba Mogopa: Chiefs Setlhare, Mogopa, More, Segwati, Tedie Mamogale, Lerothodi I, Otto, Lerothodi II and Letlhogile, to mention but a few.

I hope that the Bakwena ba Mogopa and indeed all people can draw significant lessons from this history. In this way, mistakes of the past can be avoided. In the words of Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiongo: I talk about the past mainly because actually I am interested in the present.

The fighting spirit and resilience of the Bakwena ba Mogopa as demonstrated so lucidly in this work will forever prevail. The future looks bright indeed.

Kgosi Tebogo Reneilwe Motheo Mamogale

Bethanie, North West, South Africa

November 2015

Abbreviations and acronyms

Afplats: African Platinum Limited

Agricor: Agricultural Corporation of Bophuthatswana

ANC: African National Congress

Azapo: Azanian Peoples Organisation

BBMBF: Bakwena ba Mogopa Business Forum

BBMCT: Bakwena Ba Mogopa Community Trust

BBMERPS: Bakwena ba Mogopa Enterprise Resource Planning System

BBMJEDI: Bakwena Ba Mogopa Joint Enterprise Development Initiative

BBMTA: Bakwena Ba Mogopa Traditional Administration

BEE: Black Economic Empowerment

BSAC: British South Africa Company

CEO: Chief Executive Officer

Codesa: Convention for a Democratic South Africa

Contralesa: Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa

CPA: Communal Property Association

D Account: Department Account

DEIC: Dutch East India Company

EDF: Enterprise Development Fund

EPWP: Expanded Public Works Programme

GNU: Government of National Unity

HKR: Hebron, Kgabalatsane and Rabokala

HKR CPA: Hebron, Kgabalatsane and Rabokala Communal Property Association

IFP: Inkatha Freedom Party

Implats: Impala Platinum Limited

JEDI: Joint Enterprise Development Initiative

KMRP: Kgosi Mamogale Rangers Programme

MEC: Member of the Executive Council

MKR: Moduane, Kgabalatsane and Rabokala