 | This article may require copy editing for inconsistent paragraphing, non-wiki language.(April 2023) |
Bobirwa | |
|---|---|
Sub-district | |
  Bobirwa | |
| Coordinates: 21°58′14″S28°25′24″E / 21.97043°S 28.423335°E | |
| Country | Botswana |
| District | Central District |
The Bobirwa Subdistrict is a jurisdiction in Botswana. It is populated by the Babirwa (Ba-Birwa) people who came from Transvaal in present-day South Africa.
Before Moshoeshoe and his Basotho nation of Lesotho, Basotho people populated the land. Moshoshoe didn't find the Basotho nation, but put together a nation made up of Sotho speaking people from different Sotho speaking clans within present day Free State and Lesotho, which the British erroneously called Lesotho, the Basotho nation, cutting Basotho of Moshoeshoe off from the rest of other Basothos in Orange Free State and Transvaal in present-day South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia, outside Lesotho as if Moshoeshoe and his people were the only Basothos in Southern Africa.
Basotho people present in the region before Moshoeshoe were born in Menkhoaneng (c. 1786 – 11 March 1870) to Mokhachane of Bamokoteli clan, a sub clan of Bakwena. Moshoeshoe reunited the remaining smaller and weaker clans of Basothos in the area under his Bakwena clan leadership during Shaka's wars of difaqane after the rest of the Basothos had left the area.
Moshoeshoe, his Bakwena clan, and the other Basotho clans originate from Ntswanatsatsi in present-day South Africa. Families moved away from each other in Ntswanatsatsi. They started clans using a totem as a symbol of their clan (like the crocodile (Kwena) which Moshoshoe' ancestors used) and different families moved to different directions within the precolonial South Africa under different leadership.
Some settled in the Western side, present-day North West Province others spread around Ntswanatsatsi to the present day Free State and Lesotho, others to present day Botswana others to present day Zimbabwe and Zambia, Namibia others moved to the present day Gauteng in South Africa. They became patriarchs of the founding fathers of Bakgatla which also gave birth to Northern Basotho which in turn gave birth to different Northern clans with their dialects like BaPedi , Batlokwa, Babirwa, etc. and others ended up in intermarriage with other tribes they moved next to and mingled with like Swatis, Vendas and Tsongas and Ngunis and in some places these Northern Basotho' Sotho was diluted by the influence of the tribes they found in the area, they moved into and lived alongside.
This is what happened to a subgroup of Northern Basotho who end up becoming Mapulana with their Sesotho influenced by Swati. Also, some of the Northern Basotho have a common denominator of "apa" (meaning talk) with Vendas, I mean Balovedu, BaGubu, and Babirwa of Bobirwa in the Southern part of Botswana near the Zimbabwean border along the Shashe river and with its dialect spoken on the other side of the border of Botswana in Zimbabwe.
After the scattering of the Basothos from their cradle, different Basotho dialects from different locations within present-day South Africa emerged and the Babirwa people were one of those who emerged, coming out of Nareng in Letswalo area near Phalaborwa under the leadership of Tshukudu between 1510 and 1599. Babirwa moved from Nareng under their leader, They trekked further North and settled in Blauwberg in the present day Limpopo and others in Botswana and Zimbabwe
The Babirwa in South Africa reside north of the Bochum area, north of Polokwane. There are more than 40 Babirwa surnames in South Africa which include Sebone, Malema, Makhura, Makwati, Makhurane, Maphala, Nare, Tau, Tlou-Serope, Mmamadi, Legong (Lehong), Mangale, Taueatswala, Molefe, Mogano, Jibula (Tjibula) (Muhanu), Machete, Lehomo, Raphahlelo, Raseokgo (Sebola), Phooko, Ramalepe, Boikanyo, Selema, Morerwa (Murerwa) Makgatho, Maruatona, Monekwe (Monengwe), Madema Morebeng (Phosa) and many more. The word Bobirwa, therefore, means the land of (Babirwa) Ba-Birwa people.
A large number of Babirwa left the northern South African shore. It ended up living in what is today called the Bobirwa Sub District, which is an administrative region in eastern Botswana, part of the Central District. Bobonong is the largest town and the sub-district headquarters. The sub-district is bounded by Zimbabwe to the northeast and South Africa to the southeast. The Limpopo River forms the boundary with South Africa. [1]
The Bobirwa Sub-district has an average annual rainfall of 300 to 400 millimetres (12 to 16 in). Soils are mainly loams to sandy clay loams. Bobirwa is the lowest part of Botswana, varying from 590 to 886 metres (1,936 to 2,907 ft) above sea level. It is intersected by a network of channels that drain into the Limpopo. Villages include Mathathane, Motlhabaneng, Tsetsebjwe, Kobojango, Bobonong, Molalatau, Tobane, Mabolwe, Semolale, Lepokole, Zanzibar, Moletemane, Sefophe and Lentswelemoriti. [2]
Agricultural activities have heavily degraded the sub-district and are susceptible to drought. Large areas in and around the villages are bare earth caused by clearing grasses to keep snakes and insects away. Overgrazing by sheep, goats, donkeys, and cattle is another cause. [2] A study showed a substantial reduction in natural land cover between 1970 and 2010, combined with a significant increase in population. [3]
In addition to livestock, the sub-district is home to abundant wildlife. In 2000, there was a herd of around 200 elephants. [4]
In 2011, it was reported that the government had approved the establishment of service centers in Tsetsebjwe, Mathathane, and Gobojango, as well as other large infrastructure development projects such as road improvements, bridges, and electrification. This followed rapid economic growth in the previous three years. The local people could now shop and bank in Bobonong, rather than travel to Selebi-Phikwe. The new centers were expected to improve access to services further. [5]
In 2012, there was a sharp increase in stock theft. This may have been caused by drought, which forced livestock to travel long distances to find grazing and water, making them vulnerable to rustlers. [6]
The Babirwa in Zimbabwe is found in the South West of Gwanda District, in the villages of Gungwe, Ntalale, Tlhakadiyawa, Kafusi, Mawaza, Mafukung, and surrounding villages. When Babirwa moved into the area which is today known as Gwanda, it was inhabited by Jahunda (Kalanga dialect) speaking people and a group of Ndebele who moved southward from the Northern side of precolonial Matabeleland South Province which they invaded under their leader Mzilikazi coming from Transvaal, South Africa by way of Southern Botswana, running away from the Boers in Transvaal after running away from Shaka in Natal. Other group of Babirwa left Bobirwa with other Transvaal migrants again and joined their relatives who left Transvaal for Bokgalaka, what Sothos called Zimbabwe back then
Not all Basotho of Zimbabwe are Babirwa. The Sothos found under Beit Bridge district to Manama and surrounding areas are not Babirwa. These are descendants of North Sotho of the then Northern Transvaal who have been displaced off their lands by the Boers because they were displaced and were forced to leave in fear of their lives and crossed either the Motloutse river to present day Botswana to Bokgalaka or crossed the Odi river (Limpopo) to Bokgalaka. These groups of Basotho traveled in groups, usually related. They came from different areas of the then Northern Transvaal as far as Potgietersrus today known as Mokopane. Others came from Polokwane around Moletse areas, Bochum, Taaibosch, Zebediela, Ga Kibi, Botlokwa, Ga Makgato etc. and also others were from Venda and others Tsonga speakers were, and they adopted the Sotho spoken in Zimbabwe because of association and marriage. Some of the descendants of those people did go back to South Africa as early as 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 70s, 80s and reunited with their relatives in Northern Transvaal. Today they are many Pedi and Venda speaking people in Limpopo and Venda, respectively, with Zimbabwean roots from this migration of the returnees. Some Basothos in Zimbabwe are still in touch with their ancestors' relatives in both South Africa and Botswana. The Sotho of Zimbabwe which is similar to the Sesotho that is spoken in Musina and surrounding area is a corrupted Kubu, and it is similar to Selobedu. There is a thin line between Sebirwa, SeGubu, Setlhokwa, Selobedu and other Northern Sotho dialects that use "apa" (talk) and uses "boswa" for "pap" (maize porridge stable food) because these languages are related language with Venda words common denominator and speakers of these share surnames like Malema, Mafela, Moedi, Mahomela, Mokoena. Your surname tells who you are, but many Basothos lost their identity when the Ndebeles forced them to use totems as Surname, that is why today, some Sothos uses Ndlovu, Nyathi, Sibanda, Moyo, Dube, Mdlongwa, surnames instead of their surnames which patriarchs still uses even though it is not in their identity document but many Northern Sotho patriarch still uses their South African surnames like Maphala, Malema, Sephuma, Mafela, Phalantwa, Molwantwa, Sephuma, Sephodi, Makgalema, Moedi, Sehata,Tjibula, Makushu, Mahumela, Madumetja, Makhura, Makwati, Maimela, Manamela, Pheta, Mokone, Mokwena, Marishane.
Sebirwa or Birwa, the language spoken by the Babirwa people, is a dialect of Northern Sotho, along with Bididi, Lobedu, Kgaga, Hananwa, Pedi, Phalaborwa, Pulana, Tshwapong, Kutswe, Phahladira, Pai, Kopa, Kubu, etc. Northern Sotho is one of three Sesotho subgroups of Basotho. The two others are Western Sotho (better known as Setswana, which is largely spoken in Botswana), North West Province, a small number of people in Matebeland Province of Zimbabwe and Southern Sotho (spoken in Lesotho, Free State, and Vaal). The Basotho came from Ntswanatsatsi.
Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. As an enclave of South Africa, with which it shares a 1,106 km border, it is the only sovereign enclave in the world outside of the Italian Peninsula. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest peak in Southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km2 (11,600 sq mi) and has a population of about 2 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru.
The history of people living in the area now known as Lesotho goes back as many as 400 years. Present Lesotho emerged as a single polity under King Moshoeshoe I in 1822. Under Moshoeshoe I, Basotho joined other clans in their struggle against the Lifaqane associated with famine and the reign of Shaka Zulu from 1818 to 1828.
Northern Sotho, also known by its native name Sesotho sa Leboa, is a Sotho-Tswana language group spoken in the northeastern provinces of South Africa. It is commonly referred to in its standardized form as Pedi or Sepedi and holds the status of an official language in South Africa. This language group includes dialects like Sepedi (Serota), KheLebedu, Setlokwa, Sekone, GaDikgale, and GaMatlala.
SothoSesotho, also known as Southern Sotho or Sesotho sa Borwa is a Southern Bantu language of the Sotho–Tswana ("S.30") group, spoken in Lesotho, and South Africa where it is an official language;
The Bakoena or Bakwena are a large Sotho-Tswana clan in Southern Africa of the southern Bantu group. They can be found in different parts of southern Africa such as Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Eswatini. "Koena" ("Kwena") is a Sotho/Tswana word meaning "crocodile", the crocodile is also their totem (seboko).
Bataung is the most senior tribe of Bantu origin which descends from its ancestor Mohurutshe and which speaks the Sotho-Tswana group of languages, namely, Setswana, Sepedi, Sesotho and Lozi.
The term Batlôkwa refers to several Kgatla communities that reside in Lesotho and South Africa.
The Sotho, also known as the Basotho, are a prominent Sotho-Tswana ethnic group with roots in Southern Africa. They primarily inhabit the regions of Lesotho and South Africa. Historically, all individuals who spoke the Sotho-Tswana languages were collectively referred to as Sothos.
Moshoeshoe I was the first king of Lesotho. He was the first son of Mokhachane, a minor chief of the Bamokoteli lineage, a branch of the Koena (crocodile) clan. In his youth, he helped his father gain power over some other smaller clans. At the age of 34 Moshoeshoe formed his own clan and became a chief. He and his followers settled at the Butha-Buthe Mountain. He became the first and longest-serving King of Lesotho in 1822.
Sotho may refer to:
The colonial history of Africa spans from colonial period until the postcolonial period in the history of Africa.
The Lobedu or Balobedu(also known as the BaLozwi or Bathobolo) are a southern African ethnic group that speak a Northern Sotho dialect. Their area is called Bolobedu. The name "balobedu" means "the mineral miners," lobela or go loba, - to mine. Their ancestors were part of the great Mapungubwe early civilization. They have their own kingdom, the Balobedu Kingdom, within the Limpopo Province of South Africa with a female ruler, the Rain Queen Modjadji.
The Free State–Basotho Wars refers to a series of wars fought between King Moshoeshoe I, the ruler of the Basotho kingdom, and the white settlers, in what is now known as the Free State. These can be divided into the Senekal's War of 1858, the Seqiti War in 1865−1866 and the Third Basotho War in 1867−68.
The Sotho-Tswana, also known as the Sotho or Basotho, although the term is now closely associated with the Southern Sotho peoples are a meta-ethnicity of Southern Africa. They are a large and diverse group of people who speak Sotho-Tswana languages. The group is predominantly found in Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, and the western part of Zambia. Smaller groups can also be found in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
The Pedi or Bapedi, also known as the Sotho, Basotho, Northern Sotho, Basotho ba Lebowa, Transvaal Sotho, Marota, or Bamaroteng are a Sotho-Tswana ethnic group that speak Pedi or Sepedi, which is one of the 12 official languages in South Africa. They are primarily situated in Limpopo, Gauteng and northern Mpumalanga.
Mabolwe is a village in the Central District of Botswana that is located in the eastern tip of the country's border with Zimbabwe. As of 2019, the village has a single primary school, and 30 out of the 3,000 residents are employed.
The Southern Bantu languages are a large group of Bantu languages, largely validated in Janson (1991/92). They are nearly synonymous with Guthrie's Bantu zone S, apart from the exclusion of Shona and the inclusion of Makhuwa. They include all of the major Bantu languages of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique, with outliers such as Lozi in Zambia and Namibia, and Ngoni in Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi.
Ga-Molepo is a town in Capricorn District Municipality and Polokwane Local Municipality in the Limpopo province of South Africa.
Gobojango, locally known as Gobas, is a village in the Central District, Botswana; more specifically in the Bobirwa Sub-District.
'Mantsopa Anna Makhetha (1793–1908), often referred to as 'Mantsopa, was a Basotho prophet, rainmaker, and storyteller. She advised King Moshoeshoe I and predicted the outcomes of several battles, including the Battle of Viervoet in 1851 and the Battle of Berea in 1852. She was exiled to Modderpoort in the late 1860s, where she converted to Christianity and was baptised in 1870. She fused Christianity with her own traditional Basotho customs.
Citations
Sources