Chobe District (4)

Jeff Ramsay | Tuesday September 14, 2021 06:00

In our last instalment we had noted that, following Sebetwane’s death, the Makololo kingdom declined during the reign of his son Sekeletu, who had succeeded his father following a brief regency by his elder sister Dikuku or MmaMotsisane (Mamochisane).

Sekeletu suffered from leprosy, becoming a recluse, while many of his father’s original followers continued to die of malaria at Linyandi. A Makololo general named Mpololo tried to assume power following Sekeletu’s death in 1863, but, his heavy-handed attempt to suppress the Malozi, who were heirs to the region’s earlier Aluya rulers, led to a wider uprising under the leadership of Njekwa.

As a result in 1864, the Makololo ruling class was overthrown by an internal revolt by the Malozi. Unlike the Matoka, the Vekuhane are not known to have played any significant role in the 1864 rebellion. Most of the Makololo men were either killed or fled as refugees to the Batawana, though the majority of their women and children remained behind, becoming part of the new Malozi social order. While the Makololo kingdom itself was ultimately short-lived much of its political structures, as well as language, survived.

Amongst the Vekuhane, Makololo introduced patrilineal inheritance, which began to supersede older matrilineal customs. This shift was consolidated as a result of subsequent Malozi and Batswana influence.

Following the revolt, Sipopa (ruled 1864-76) was installed as the new Malozi Lintungu or King. Sipopa had previously grown up as a privileged member of Sebetwane’s court, before escaping from Sekeletu to establish himself as an independent ruler on the upper Zambesi before the rebellion.

His reign lasted from 1864 until 1876. The Malozi kingdom was governed by a sophisticated aristocratic order which survived into the colonial era. At the top was the King or Lintunga assisted by a traditional Prime Minister known as the Ngambele. The Litunga ruled through a Kuta or court at the capital Lealui, whose membership included a nobility made up of indunas and commoners. The Lintunga was assisted by a Cabinet that was selected from distinguished commoners as well as the indunas.

In addition, the State had a parallel junior dynasty of the Mulena Mukwea (Mokwe) of Nalalo, which had its own indunas posted at various places throughout the kingdom. While the royal Kuta was the senior political and judicial forum of the land, most of the day-to-day administration was carried out through junior Kuta at the provincial, district or silalo, village, and sub-village level.

Sipopo was succeeded as Litunga by the brief regency of Mowa Mamili (1876) followed by Mwanawina II (ruled 1876 - 1878) and Lubosi Lewainika (ruled 1876-1916, with break 1884-85). The latter posted his senior son and eventual heir Litia in at Kazungula on the north bank of the Zambezi to act as his deputy throughout most of the Zambesi-Chobe-Linyanti.

There he enjoyed senior status but shared authority with Mukwea, with each authority having interspersed subjects under its direct authority. This arrangement continued after 1893 when Litia moved his Kuta to Mwandi adjacent to Mukwea’s at (old) Sesheke.

As a result of this power-sharing arrangement, many of the silalo or sub-districts were jointly governed by two indunas, one directly under Litia and the other under Mukwea. On occasion members of the two regional Kuta would meet together under Litia chairmanship.

From 1871 to 1888 trade with Malozi was largely monopolised by George Cobb Westbeech, along with such sometimes partners George Blockley and Benjamin Bradshaw. By 1872 Westbeech had established his trading post at Mpandamatenga, where he was looked upon by the Malozi as their local induna.

Westbeech’s success has been attributed to his ability to forge cordial relations with regional rulers, most notably the Amandebele King Lobengula and Balozi Kings Sipopa and his successor Lewanika. In the later court, he became known as ‘Joros Umutunta’, i.e. ‘Great George’, and was ultimately regarded by Lewanika as a trusted induna. Between 1871 and 1881 Westbeech established the “Hunters’ Road” trade route from Tati/Francistown to Lesoma, along with a network of trading posts that in addition to Mpandamatenga included stores at Lesoma, Kazungula, and Sesheke and in Malozi country.

In 1881-82 Westbeech further extended his road from Lesoma to the banks of the Zambezi, terminating 27 yards east of a large Muzungula or Sausage Tree, a landmark which then stood about a quarter-mile east of the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers.

Before this development wagons from the south had generally stopped at Lesoma, where they were offloaded with their goods being portered to the river for crossing. The Hunters Road was subsequently used to demarcate the Botswana-Zimbabwe border. Westbeech died in 1888.

The emergence of the Malozi kingdom coincided with the break-up of the Vekuhane monarchy. Toward the end of Sipopo’s reign in 1876 Munitenge Liswani II, along with most of his followers, fled from his long-time residence at Impalira Island to Gammangwato.