Mabolwe - History

History

Babirwa people have moved from place to place before they finally settled in their present settlements permanently. It is hoped that this might shed light on Babirwa people of present day Botswana. The region called Bobirwa is the area which lies between the Shashe River Tuli Block and a north-South line approximately 28 0 15 ' E. The area compasses the vIllages of Bobonong, Gobajango,Mabolwe, Lentswe-Ie-Moriti, Mathathane, Molaladau, Mothabaneng, Semolale and Tsetsebjwe.

Babirwa originated in Nareng which lies in the south of Bolobedi in Letswalo country around Phalaborwa. Babirwa people present at Nareng date back to between 1510 and 1599. Babirwa moved from Nareng under their chief, Tshukudu, to the Blauwberg area in the former Transvaal. It was while they were at Blauwberg that they started breaking up around the 1820s. The group that left Blauwberg headed for Zimbabwe under the leadership of Dauyatswala and his brother Makhure(a). This group was not welcomed in Mambo's country.

The two brothers decided to leave the place to seek refuge somewhere else. At the last moment Makhure refused to go with Dauyatswala. Dauyatswala together with his followers moved back to the Transvaal. Makhure was given a piece of land in Zimbabwe to live with his followers. They lived for a while before they were attacked by the Ndebele of Mzilikazi, who was running away from Shaka's rule, in 1837 .They fled to the present day Botswana led by Sekoba, one of Makhure's sons. Sekoba was accompanied by his brothers Makala, Mbalane and Bolamba who in most traditions is mentioned alongside Sekoba as the leader of the group. Among the group were also Sekoba's uncles, Serumola, Legong, Mphago and Maunatlala. It is not clear from the sources whether these men were full brothers or half brothers of Makhure. This group broke up with Sekoba and his followers, settling at Lephokwe while the Bolamba's group settled in the present Tuli Block .

Some sources claim that Sekoba' s group settled first at Gubadwe Hill near Gobajango and that is where Babirwa began spreading over the area which is today called Bobirwa, including the Tuli Block. Babirwa did not live under the authority of Sekoba for long. They broke from Sekoba and lived ill scattered, isolated settlements. Only those who were loyal to Sekoba remained with him. Sekoba's group went to settle at Majweng Hills. Bolamba and his followers settled at Zembefonyi near the present day Lentswe-le-Moriti. Maunatlala settled his people in Lepoko1e Hills in the northern part of Bobonong. Serumola moved his people and settled at Lephale Hills in the Tuli Block and Makala settled East of Mapungubwe. The people of Kgwatalala and Mbalane settled on the hill called Lekhubu-la-Mbalane in the vicinity of the present day Semolale. In their settlements Babirwa were continually attacked by the Ndebe1e forces raiding and looting their cattle. In the 1860s Khama sent his newly formed age-regiment of Mafolosa and Matshosa to Bobirwa. These age-regiments were to group Babirwa in one place(centralization). Because of the attacks and resentment of Khama' s rule, Babirwa migrated to the Transvaal and joined other Babirwa people there. They stayed in the Transvaal until 1894 when they were attacked by the Boers, where eupon Babirwa returned to their settlements in Botswana. Sekoba' s group, who were by then led by his son Madikwe, settled at Majweng Hills in the north-eastern part of the present day Bobonong.

In the 1890s Malema became the leader of the people of Bolamba who settled in the region now called the Tuli Block in Zembefonyi, next to him was Mmadema at Pitseng, near Ghadi Pan, and within the same region Serumola and his followers settled at Lephale Hill. The people of Serumola must have been the ones from whom Mathathane people descend. According to oral information Mathathane village was established in the 1930s under the leadership of Serumola (M. Mangogo1a, personal communication). At the moment they are still ruled by Serumola' s grandson, Richard Serumola. Prior to their occupation of Mathathane, these people were among the Malema people who were forced to leave the Tuli Block by Khama III in 1920. In 1906 Khama III had sent his son-ill-law Modisaotsile Mokomane(one primary school in bobonong is named after him) as a chief representative to group Babirwa people and place them in one village. Modisaotsile established the present Bobonong in 1909 and was joined by other small groups which were loyal to Khama III. In 1919 Khama sent Modisaotsi1e to go and remove Malema's people from the Tuli Block to pave a way for the British South African Company's white settlers who were tosettle in the Tuli Block. Khama had ceded the area of Tuli Block in 1895 to the British government who had passed it to theBSA Company. Malema refused to leave the place reasoning that he had already ploughed hence he need to yield first and as a result Modisaotsile used force. His regiments burnt the fields of Malema's people. At some point Malema was summoned to Serowe in chains and Babirwa cattle were also confiscated. Death sentence was passed on him and everyone was ordered to kill him with a spear wherever he was spotted. Interestly Malema filed a case in court of law demanding his ancestral land back and claiming to have lost $40,000 in damages. He was represented by Mafikeng based lawyer by the name Glucksman whom Malema promised to pay him 1000 heads of cattle if all he emerge victorious. The interpreter during the hearing of the case was Ramaeba Kwada (the writer’s great grandfather). Khama died before the issue was settled but his son Sekgoma II upon being installed as a kgosi admitted that his father acted harshly. At the end out of British interests the issue was thrown away. In protest Malema fled with his people to Transvaal and returned later. Upon their return Malema settled at Molaladau in 1944 and died peacefully in 1959 as old man. Other groups; Serumola settled at Lephale Hills later Mathathane, Madema in Semolale, Mokgethi in Gobajango, Phole in Tsetsetjwe.

One of Madema's sons Ngala and his elder brother Kgoboko decided to move some miles aways from their fathers kingdom and finally landed in the current day Mabolwe. On the other side was Madome Mabidi Sebola followed by his brothers Makgasane Sebola and Moseki Sebola as well as his sisters Molebowe Mankona Mathora, Makale Sebola including his half brothers Jack Sebola, Sezoo Sebola and Mosholombe. These two groups of kinsmen together with other families they came along with settled at far apart but would eventually unite as time went on to form one community. The Great Ngala eventually became Mosada meaning chief in deep sebirwa language as it was believed to have first reached the place. It is still not clear to what significance for the place to be named Mabolwe, with some people trying to come up with some unending stories to interrelate or try to make sense to what led to the naming. It is affectionately known as Mothabeng by its lovers due to its soils, which mostly have little sand.