Retracing the Old Tshekedi Khama Road
Thalefang Charles | Saturday March 1, 2014 18:14
There are numerous folklores on why this crucial shortcut route from Palapye Station to the fertile lands of Moeng was abandoned, just a year after its labourous construction had begun in 1948. To get the full account of the events surrounding this road’s desertion, I travel to the villages of Malaka, Moeng, Ratholo and Moremi. I am embedded in the Y-Care Charitable Trust team in their preparations to lead a sponsored/adventure walk through this abandoned road. The Trust send two of their toughest walkers, Shiela Camm and Sarona Moabi on an expedition to mark the route. We track the road’s approximately 52km length from Malaka to Moeng on foot.
The walking starts at Old Palapye LMS church ruins and Goabamang Tonkana (31) from Malaka is our guide. The last time Tonkana was on this road was five years ago following behind the late Solly Mokgachane. Mokgachane from Ratholo village, we hear, was the master in navigating this road and he had a ‘relationship’ with the ‘landlords’ of Tswapong Hills. We stop by the revered ancestral shrine at Motetane Gorge where a number of pilgrims from African churches and traditional healers frequently visit to petition the ancestors. From Motetane Gorge the road is clearly visible as it climbs the hill on a rocky terrain. The boundary wall is still intact. At the top of the hill it is sandy and there is tall grass.
Since there are no rocks nearby the road is not obvious. This is where Tonkana has to apply the navigation skills he learnt from Mokgachane. The last time they passed here the old man made some special markings along the way. But five years proves to be a long time back as Tonkana searches in vain. We get lost the first time then back track about 400 metres to search again.
Ten hours since leaving Old Palapye, we have lost and found the road on three occasions losing over three hours of walk time. At some point we find ourselves surrounded by hills and Tonkana has to stop and tell us in his soft low voice rich in Setswapong accent, “Kee lat’ile”, (I lost it). With tired muscles, diminishing water supply, frustrations because of moving in circles, the setting sun, and facing failure the trekking proves too hard, both physically and mentally. Before sunset heavy clouds that have been hanging and blocking the sun eventually pour down rain. We continue walking amid showers and finally arrive to another rocky part where the boundary wall appears, making it easier to navigate the road.
We climb down the hill next to Moeng College, which was the road’s primary destination, in the dark night. Our one-man support team Mosimanekgosi Kootshotse has travelled by the longer tarred road that circles the Tswapong Hills from Palapye to Moeng. He has prepared a campfire and hot water for that much-needed shower, we also get a chance to rub our sore muscles. Around the campfire we chat with Thapelo Mmopiemang (26) from Ratholo who says he was the understudy of Mokgachane. Mmopiemang says together with Mokgachane they have been porters to some white travellers who were on a walking expedition through the road. “Solly taught us rules of navigating through these Hills” says Mmopiemang. He says they were taught to respect the Hills and they are not allowed to pick anything. Tonkana adds that sometimes you can find arranged wild berries and Mokgachane explained to them that they belong to the ‘landlords’ of the Hills. They learnt not to make unnecessary noise that could upset the ‘landlords’. The two porters do not know much about the road’s history but only heard that its construction permit was not sought from the ‘landlords’.
The following morning we tour the ruins of Moeng and visit Solomon Legonyane, an old man who lives alone at his cattle post on the Hills. Legonyane is unsure about his actual date of birth but he knows that the road construction started in “1947, when the soldiers returned from the war”. He says he was still a boy when the road was built. His parents’ generation are the builders of the road. When we tell him how hard we battled to find the road he laughs and boasts that he knows it very well. He says, “I use it sometimes when I am looking for my cattle”. He lists all of its landmarks from Moeng to Malaka with ease.
According to Legonyane, the road was abandoned after the ‘landlords’ (he refers to them as ‘Bapedi’) jammed Tshekedi’s vehicle in the middle of the road near Manonnye. Tshekedi’s car problems did not come without warning. “Bapedi ba mmoletse gore koloi ya gago ere tisetsa mokgwa o maswe” says Legonyane. He confirms what the youngsters Mmopiemang and Tokona told us saying the ‘landlords’ were not happy with Tshekedi because he built this road without their permission. He says there were faceless voices complaining about the noise and smog from the vehicle but Tshekedi ignored them. Legonyane says the voice finally told off the boisterous Bangwato chief saying, “Koloi ya gago e re nkgetsa sephinya”, before jamming his vehicle. Ever since that day no other vehicle has travelled through this road.
The ‘landlords’ displeasure with this road did not only come after its completion. Legonyane says the builders had earlier reported cases of trees growing back overnight after being cut off the previous day. But Ramakoro Makee (81) at Goo-Moremi says he has never heard of trees’ growing back. In 1947 Makee was also a teenager when Tshekedi went around the villages consulting about building a road through the Hills and then a national college at Moeng because of its fertile land and plenty of water. He says everyone contributed a cow to finance the construction while some volunteered with their labour. But the people were too fearful to tell Tshekedi to seek permission from the ‘landlords’ because Tshekedi as Bangwato chief was the landlord. According to Makee the road’s architect from Malaka to Moeng was Galethuse Moalosi and it took only a year to complete the construction. He says the Moeng College’s construction was however properly sought from the ‘landlords’.
Makee’s narration of the events leading to Tshekedi’s abandoning of his vehicle on the road is more dramatic than Legonyane’s version. Makee says as Tshekedi was busy driving along the road there was darkness in the middle of the day.
The vehicle suddenly stopped and could not procced. It could only reverse. Tshekedi tried in vain to drive on. With the help from the people of Malaka, Tshekedi eventually went back. And that is how the road was abandoned. Makee, brandishing St Ezekiel church’s badge pinned onto his jacket, concurs with Legonyane’s narration that Tshekedi’s vehicle was the very last vehicle to ever travel on this road.
Contact Y-Care at info@ycare.org.bw if you wish to be part of this adventure walk.