Senyawe: 100 years of existence

KEABETSWE NEWEL & MOGOMOTSI BUZWANI
Correspondent | Friday December 3, 2010 00:00

 

Amongst the invited guests was guest speaker and Assistant Minister of Local Government, Kentse Rammidi, who saluted the villagers for organising the centenary celebrations and urged others to emulate Senyawe villagers.

Senyawe Village is located in the North East District, about 5km east of Tshesebe, along Ramokgwebana highway from Tsamaya turn-off. Upon reaching the land, its leader Kgosi James Sebele, who narrated the history of their 100 years in the village, revealed that the inhabitants of Senyawe are Batalaote, a Bantu tribe of Bakalanga and Baswena group, from the Banyai ancestry.

The village, he said, is a product of historical turmoil between Bataole, Bangwato, Batebele and the British colonists. He said before the coming of Bangwato Batebele and the British, Batalaote/Bakalaka occupied and roamed the land between the Ramokgwebana and Mahalapye rivers. 'Batalaote had settlements at Nkhwisi, Manyalala, Nyangabgwe, Madzilobgwe, Matshwabgwe, Toubgwe, Sweneng and Lesoso.

The names of these settlements have been corrupted to Matsiloje, Matshwakwe, Toutswe, Swaneng and Shoshong,' Sebele said.

Explorer and missionary David Livingstone reported the co-existence of Batalaote, Bakaa and Bangwato at Shoshong during his first visit in 1846. Since the British took over the Cape Colony, their primary motive was to colonise Africa and tame the natives. Cecil Rhodes spearheaded the developments and the British provided military and administrative support.

Kgosi Sebele said a strong alliance between Bangwato and the British was cemented when Khama III converted to Christianity at an early age, adding that the British reciprocated by giving Khama III the status of a king within the close vicinity of Shoshong.

In his opinion though Bangwato were given access to guns, education and intelligence, Batalaote had a strong religious base from the Mwenematapa Kingdom and could not be easily converted.

He said Batalaote of Kgosi Motalaote, Bakaa and Baphaleng were subjugated and the trend was set, all other tribes within the route of the railway were to be subjugated under Bangwato.

Another group of Batalaote ba Sankoloba, according to him, existed beyond the vicinity of Shoshong. The group remained on the northern fringes of Batalaote and did not have any contact with Bangwato. He said their seat of power was at Manyalala and Nkhwisi and they roamed between the Ramokgwebana and Motloutse rivers.

'Their first encounter with Batebele occurred at Magolo hills on the southern banks of Motloutse west of Motshwakwe.

Matebele were badly bruised and forced to flee north crossing Motloutse river at the current Letsibogo la Batebele near Mmadinare. Matebele, who had a stronger army, transacted Batalaote until they settled in Bulawayo,' explained Sebele.

He said they thrived on raiding cattle and women from Batalaote to Manyalala, the raids intensified with time and Batalaote finally assembled a formidable defence that annihilated Matebele.

Although Batalaote won the battle, Sebele said they feared for the reprisals.

'After the death of Kgosi Malese, the Batalaote were left under the leadership of Kgosi Motsumi Dema, who became an activist after he could not tolerate the bad treatment accorded to Batalaote.

Attempts to assassinate Dema were hatched but failed,' he said.

Sebele said that in April 1896 Kgosi Khama III called a pitso at which Bakalaka, Batalaote and Bakhurutshe were ordered to move to their place of origin and begin self-governance.

Kgosi Motalaote, according to him, migrated with some Batalaote to Swaneng Hills, the original place of Baswena, presently called Swaneng.

He said that it was then that Kgosi Motsumi and some Batalaote were eager to go to their ancestral land Nkhwisi and Manyalala. 'They retraced the old navigation route only to be stopped at Tati River.

The bulk of their land was sold by Lobengula to Daniel and William Francis in 1880. Tati Concession Company was in existence and Francistown was being developed,' Sebele said.

With no access to Nkhwisi and Manyalala, Sebele said Batalaote occupied the land between Palapye and Shashe River. Around 1905 and 1908 the majority of Batalaote under Kgosi Motsumi settled at Makome village.

The village was on the eastern tip of Makome hills over-looking the Motloutse and Letlhakane river confluence. Makome village had two wards, of Kelele and Seboo under Kgosi Motsumi, according to Sebele.

'Khama, whose hatred for Kgosi Motsumi still fumed, hatched a plan to banish Motsumi and his followers from Macomb village with no place to go.

Their possessions were to be confiscated and they had to pay the 1908/9 hut tax before leaving.

The Resident Commissioner found this to be mean. He facilitated a meeting between Khama and Motsumi together with his 26 followers at Serowe where a safe passage out of Makome was negotiated, 'explained Sebele.

He said Motsumi then negotiated with the Tati Concession Company, his major argument being that the land the company possessed belonged to the Batalaote originally.

'He requested a small piece of land just enough to house his 26 families and their cattle. The land right was granted inside Tati Concession Company. Batalaote did not go to the Tati Native reserve. In 1910 Batalaote baga Motsumi settled in Senyawe,' he said.

He however mentioned that there was tax to be paid by the Batalaote to the Tati Company as a token of appreciation for the land provided for them to stay.

By the time the land was occupied Sebele said that it was not called Senyawe, but was rather named after the leader Motsumi, thus Goo Motsumi was the name that started up the village but it was later called Senyawe after the Senyawe hill in the village.

Sebele said that Kgosi Motsumi then relocated to Nikati, which is currently called Nata and left his brother Malisi Dema behind to lead the people since he was fed up by the tax they paid to the Tati Company.' Many people left as well because they were unable to pay tax to the Tati Company,' he said.

'Dema then died leaving behind his son Juvet Sebele who became a Kgosi.

The Boers who owned Tati Company relied on Dikgosi to collect tax for them. Sebele however decided to use the tax for his personal satisfaction and then fled,' said Kgosi Sebele.

In 1952 Sebele said that Johannes Sebele took the throne until 1958 when he relocated to Serule and his uncle Mpho Macheng took over until his death.

Kgosi Sebele said that amongst the royal of Batalaote at that period, was a Motlokwa man, Othomile Mothotlego who then held the throne until 1991 when the current Kgosi James Sebele took the throne.

'It is under such conditions that we saw it fit to celebrate our journey in this village, we express gratitude to God for the years that have seen us in this village. We also celebrated the growth of this village which was in the beginning occupied by just 26 people but today we have more that 1,500 people in this village,' said Sebele.