Dimawe: A heritage waste
Thalefang Charles | Friday September 5, 2014 12:58
This is the opening stanza of a praise poem by Dikokwe of Matlhalerwa ward in Molepolole about Kgosi Sechele I, transcribed by Isaac Schapera.
It describes the events of August 30, 1852 when the Transvaal Boers attacked Bakwena at Dimawe. If ‘Rramokonopi’ had stopped shooting that afternoon and surrendered to the fiery Boers, historians agree that Botswana would be nonexistent.
In the book History of Botswana, Thomas Tlou and Alec Cambell write, “Dimawe was a victory for the Batswana. If Sechele had not fought the Boers then, it is probable that the whole Botswana would have been slowly occupied by them and would now be a part of the Republic of South Africa.”
It is said that the Boers wanted to disarm Sechele and force Bakwena to work on their farms.
Kgosi Mosielele of Bakgatla who was once humiliated by the Boers when they publicly flogged him following a rebellion near Marico River, fled and sought refuge from Sechele at Dimawe. Sechele refused to release Mosielele against the demands and threats of the Boers until they decided to use force.
In a letter he sent to Robert Moffat, Sechele writes, “They came on Saturday and I besought them not to fight on Sunday, they assented. They began on Monday morning at twilight, and fired with all their might, and burned the town with fire, and scattered us.”
A commando of 430 Boers and over 800 African auxiliaries faced off with Sechele’s army comprising of Bakwena, Bangwaketse and Bakgatla ba ga Mmanaana.
Sechele had covertly secured arms assisted by his baptiser Dr David Livingstone. He had a cannon that today lies at the Mafikeng Museum, South Africa.
The Boers killed about 80 Batswana and abducted over 200 people. But the significant number was the 36 (Sechele wrote 28) Boers that Sechele’s army killed.
The Boers, under the command of Pieter Scholtz retreated back to Marico but they left a trail of destruction along their path. Livingstone’s house, church and school at Kolobeng were not spared as they ransacked them.
However, Sechele was not done with them. He employed a guerilla tactic together with scorch earth warfare where he sent soldiers in small teams to burn and destroy their farms. Sechele sent a chilling wave of fear among the Boers that by January 1853, Marico was reduced to a ghost town after the Boers fled and deserted their farms, terrified of Sechele’s attacks.
Meanwhile, Bakwena made a strategic retreat and relocated to Dithubaruba at Dithejwane Hills west of Molepolole. It is recorded that when the Boers tried to storm Sechele at Dithubaruba they experienced an optical illusion as they mistook the numerous cactus plants on the foothills of Dithejwane to Bakwena armies, and pelted them with firepower. Peharps that is the reason some people have suggested that the cactus be declared a national plant because it saved the nation.
Dimawe neglected
Last Saturday, August 30, exactly 162 years since Rramokonopi tirelessly pelted canon bullets on the Boers at Dimawe, Arts & Culture visited the spot of this critical Battle.
Our guide, Justice Kiki from the Museum, began with a boggling statement. He told us that Dimawe Battle spot is not yet open to the public. But it is not that there are still Boer remains or Bakwena martyrs lying at Dimawe. As it turns out, its custodians have neglected this rich historical battle spot located along the Manyana road.
There are no signboards to notify visitors or passersby about the place. As we climb uphill Dimawe Kiki explained that during the battle the Boers tried to gain access to the Kgosi’s capital via some two exits. This apparently made them walk right through Sechele’s trap. Rocks were dropped from the hilltop and the Boers were crushed to their death.
Community Failure
According to Kgosi Kebinatshwene Mosielele of Manyana, that Dimawe falls under his jurisdiction, the Manyana Community Trust is partly the reason why the spot is neglected. However, Kgosi Mosielele disputed that they don’t care about the area.
“We have plans to turn this place into a major tourist site but we currently have no funds,” he said.
He added that they have been in talks with the Botswana Defence Force to assist them but nothing has come of this engagement. Kgosi Mosielele said the Manyana Community Trust has been tasked to turn their natural heritage spots into viable tourists site but the Trust is failing.
“We need help, we wanted to erect a memorial; a Stone of Remembrance, in honour of the people that perished at the spot. We also wanted to host an annual commemoration event at the Battle spot,” explained Kgosi Mosielele. This however, remains a pipe dream.
Other key historical sites at Manyana are Mma Sechele cave and the Dr David Livingstone tree. Mma Sechele Cave is reported to be a spot where Kgosi Sechele hid his senior wife during the Battle.
It lies approximately seven kilometres away from the battle site. There are also San rock paintings found at Mma Sechele Cave. Manyana is also home to a big wild fig tree that is called Dr Livingstone’s Tree. Dr Livingstone is said to have made it his station and health post when he is visiting from Kolobeng. The tree is situated on the west of the village. Although fenced, both these sites don’t offer unguided visitors information.
National Museum Principal Curator, Southern Region, Matlhodi Sehokgo admitted that they have not done enough to protect the Dimawe spot.
She cited lack of funding and Community Trust shenanigans as major obstacles that have hampered efforts to open Dimawe to the public and make it a national monument.
“Dimawe was in the National Museum plan of 100 Monuments which sought to identify and prepare monuments around the country. But money is the problem,” she said. Sehokgo also revealed that the BDF has showed interest in adopting the Dimawe monument.
Historian Dr Jeff Ramsay who usually provides guiding services to the BDF soldiers in Dimawe as part of his War History lectures is also disappointed at the continued neglect and under utilisation of Dimawe.
He said Dimawe offers an opportunity for a historical trail that could boost cultural tourism.
“It is without doubt that Dimawe is a very important national monument. It has a significant historical value to Botswana,” he said.
On the community involvement on the site Ramsay said, “It is important for the community to benefit from the site while the Museum must be commended along with the community for protecting the site.
Additional stakeholders may be involved as ultimate Dimawe in indeed a national heritage site of historical importance to the region as well as Botswana.”
Ramsay displays some vast knowledge about Dimawe and effortlessly narrates the events around the Battle.
“One might say it is where the so called Great Trek ended. It along with clashes the occurring in Lesotho also represented the first time black armies on the Highveld relied on guns in battle against the Boers. Dimawe also appears to have been one of the earliest battles in world history where cylindro-conical bullets were deployed,” said Ramsay.