Thank God, I saw the church before they came!

GASEBALWE SERETSE
Staff Writer | Friday May 14, 2010 00:00

 

As one approaches the woody area of old Palapye just outside the village of Malaka there is a board that declares: Phalatswe was the Bangwato capital for 13 years from 1889 when they left Shoshong until 1902, then they migrated to Serowe...This occurred during the reign of Khama III.

But this is as far as the custodians of the site could go in helping the visitors to appreciate this revered site as there are no further signs or boards that direct visitors to the old church which is most certainly the main attraction at this ancient place.

My first visit to the ruins proved futile as I failed to locate the old London Missionary Society (LMS) Church ruins that have been declared a World Heritage Site.

This most certainly reflects badly on the government, which has failed to preserve this place that has been recognised internationally. Perhaps Hans Vorting rightly captured the pathetic state of Old Palapye when he wrote for the now defunct Khama III Memorial Museum review Lekgapho in 1989 when he said:

'Most of the area is covered with trees and bushes, but there are also cultivated fields. You will probably not notice anything special unless you know what you are looking for. Very few visible traces now testify that a hundred years ago, this was a very busy place. It was the capital of King Khama and his people, the Bamangwato, with a population of around 30,000...'

After failing to locate the old church for over an hour in the blazing heat, I reluctantly decided to go to the village of Malaka where I spot a teenager whom I ask to help me out as a guide for a small fee. The teenager agrees but leaves for a moment to consult with an elder.

After an animated conversation, he comes back and asks, 'Go ka nna jang ha re ka tsamamya le yo mongwe?'

It is clear that he is not comfortable in going alone with me, a stranger and as I would later learn, the people of Malaka have lately become suspicious of strangers.

I reluctantly allow the older male to get into my car, as I also fear what the duo could do to me in the forest.

'My friend, why is it you were not comfortable in going with me alone,' I ask the teenager, breaking the ice.

'Rra, people have mysteriously disappeared into thin air, so we do not trust strangers,' explains the older man adding that a young man recently disappeared without a trace.

I try by all means to put the two men at ease, while at the same time trying to convince myself that no harm is going to befall me in the forest.

When I inform the guides that I had failed to located the ruins and drove in circles in the old ruins, they 'knowingly' nod and tell me that these were the works of the Badimo who did not approve of my visit to their resting place without seeking permission from the village elders.

At this point I decide not to differ with the villagers by telling them that had the Department of National Museum and Monuments done their jobs I would not have been lost. It is clear that the too men have a deep belief in their Badimo and I do not want to risk falling out of their favour because I appear to look down upon their gods.

I also restrain from telling them that the Badimo of Old Palapye would be my Badimo since they were Bangwato but I do not wish to cause any offence to these people who have since claimed 'ownership' of the area.

As the car approaches the aforementioned notice board again, I am convinced that with the two guides in tow, I will be able to locate the old ruins quickly.

The guides show me the ruins of the Bechuanaland Trading Store (BTA) and Khama's Kgotla.

Deep in the woods, there are several heaps of stones and mounds of red clay, which are most certainly the remains of the European and Bamangwato settlers of the time. There is no doubt that there is little that remains of what a Cape Argus reporter mentioned in 1890 when he said of the village, which he labelled Palapye Wondrous:

'Palapye is a native town covering some twenty square miles of ground holding some 30, 000 inhabitants; yet less than fifteen months ago there was no such place in existence'.

But as mentioned before the most important monument at Old Palapye is the LMS church, which Khama, with the help of the Reverend JD Hepburn and the Bangwato, built soon after settling at their new capital.

Although I am happy with the presence of my guides, the ride on the winding road to the ruins proves to be a tough one as we negotiate treacherous terrains in a vehicle that is not designed for off-road trips.

After what seems to be forever, I catch a glimpse of two red baked-brick gables. Sighting the remains of the historic church excites me as I try to imagine the times when the building stood tall and in full operation as a place of worship for hundreds of the Bangwato.

According to Vorting, the church building was finished in 1892 and the foreign secretary of the LMS, the Reverend RW Thompson, wrote in his report:

'The church is of simple Gothic design, substantially built, and capable of accommodating fully one thousand people seated. The place is now fit for use; and even as it stands it is a striking testimony to the generosity of those who provided funds and the labour required for its erection and not least of them, Rev. JD Hepburn'.

A few metres away from the church stands the picturesque Madi Phothopho Hill where the locals believe the Badimo reside. This is a hallowed place to the Batswapong people living in the area who insist that a stranger should be accompanied when visiting them so as not to disturb and anger the Badimo.

Back to the old church, its fate was determined by the move of the Bangwato from Palapye to Serowe in 1902.

According to Vorting, the church remained untouched for nearly 20 years after the relocation, as he records:

'In 1921 the breaking down of the walls started. The Bechuanaland Trading Association got permission to take away about 10,000 bricks. Others probably got similar permission later on, but there is no doubt that great respect for the site proved it from being totally demolished'.

I consider my visit to the church ruins important as it happened before the envisaged restoration funded by the US embassy.