Mogonye village's landscape simply breathtaking

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Friday May 29, 2009 00:00

Modern houses, which are scattered around the village, depict an urbane culture where modernity exists comfortably in a rural setting. Goats and an occasional herd of cattle can be seen as they lazily scavenge for pasture in the thick forest on the outskirts of the village. When a Mmegi team arrived on that Thursday morning most residents were still indoors; so we were greeted by the melodious sound of insects and birds as they chirped, flapping their wings flying into the sky. The place looked sleepy partly because it was Ascension Day, which is a public holiday in Botswana.

Mogonye is surrounded by big hills, especially on the eastern side. The hills stand out like knights in a castle, securing the village with their mighty presence. According to local folklore, the village was set up in the Mfecane era, that turbulent time when the southern Africa sub-continent was engulfed in tribal wars.

It is clear that the Mogonye settlers, who are of Bahurutshe origin, were motivated to settle there because of protection offered by the hills.  For they could see the enemy approaching from afar and quickly organise an ambush. Our guide, Thobega, told us that Bahurutshe, being great farmers, were also influenced by the fertile soils found in the Mogonye area.

'If you look around you will see fields which are still being ploughed. The biggestpart of Mogonye back then was largely used for farming by the settlers. Most of them came from Kudumane and Lehurutshe in South Africa and, as you know, they are a passionate farming community,' he said.

Our trip to Mogonye, which was the venue of this year's Museum Day celebrations, was inspired by the fact that the hills have seven magnificent gorges. To access the gorges we had to go through a dirt road west of the village. The road, as we learnt later, would require off-road vehicles like 4x4 Land-Cruisers or to negotiate the rough terrain to the picturesque gorges. The light truck that we were travelling in could only take us as far as a few metres to the foot of the hills because its tyres had no grip on the road whose surface was covered with rubble and kept on rolling back.

But fortunately, right at the foothill there is a clearing that could do for anyone interested in camping. We then arrive at the first gorge. There is clean water on the rocks and one is tempted to reach out and let it run in his fingers.

We go on to the next gorge and then the other, where we even end up using a rope to climb much higher. Along the way, our guide shows us an amazing tree, which he calls 'setlhare sa pula'. With its roots embedded in the rocks, the evergreen tree has water flowing from it continuously. You would think there is someone pouring the water such that it runs through the tree. We scratch our heads trying to figure out what science has to say about this strange scene before our eyes. After a while we give up and just accept the guide's explanation that 'it is just nature's mystery'.

The group of tourists, including this writer, Standard Bank employees Cheshe Dow and Chawa and renowned walker Nomsa Mbere of Y-Care and employees from DTC is later told that of the seven gorges, Mmamotshwane is the largest.

With its water pools and waterfalls, the scenery is breathtaking. The gorges are also home to rare species of ferns or Bofitlha trees, Thobega later reveals. Some of the wild animals found here are Kudu, rock rabbits, baboon and a variety of bird species.

According to the information on the board at the Mogonye Kgotla, the area around the gorge was also inhabited by people of the Iron Age (AD 600-950).

'Evidence in the area shows that those people were a farming community in the 1850s.

They have  used the gorge as a permanent supply of water for both domestic and for watering their animals. Traditional doctors and herbalists also harvest plants from the gorge,' reads the board.

Thobega also adds that this area, like others, has its own 'dos' and 'don'ts'. There are certain strict rules to be observed here. You are not supposed to go up-hill alone otherwise something will happen, he says, giving the impression that the hills are occupied by a divine power. He says that people who usually go up there alone come back abnormal and die.

'One person had difficulty in talking at all. He just looked at people without saying anything and was taken to hospital where he later died. To date we don't know what he saw,' says.