Molepolole

Last updated
Molepolole
village
New Molepolole Shopping Mall.jpg
Mafenyatlala Shopping Mall
Nickname(s): 
phuase, phua lerole
Botswana location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Molepolole
Coordinates: 24°24′24″S25°29′42″E / 24.40667°S 25.49500°E / -24.40667; 25.49500 Coordinates: 24°24′24″S25°29′42″E / 24.40667°S 25.49500°E / -24.40667; 25.49500
CountryFlag of Botswana.svg  Botswana
District Kweneng District
Sub-district Molepolole
Elevation
[1]
1,189 m (3,901 ft)
Population
 (2011) [2]
  Total67,598
Time zone UTC+2 (Central Africa Time)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (not observed)
Area code 5 [3]
ISO 3166 code BW-KW
Climate BSh

Molepolole is a large village in Kweneng District, Botswana.

Contents

The people who reside in Molepolole are called Bakwena, who are one of the eight major tribes in Botswana. The Bakwena Kgosi (Chief), Sebele I was among the three chiefs who went to England to seek protection from the British in the colonial era. [4] Molepolole serves as the capital of the Bakwena. It was named after the Molepolole river.

It is one of the largest traditional villages in Africa with a population of over 73,102 people as of 2011. [5] It lies 50 kilometres west of the national capital Gaborone and acts as gateway for exploring the Kalahari Desert.

It has a large traditional kgotla and the Scottish Livingstone Hospital, is found in Molepolole.

History

Mission house in Molepolole, 1870s Seven Years in South Africa, page 424, mission house in Molopolole.jpg
Mission house in Molepolole, 1870s
Bakwena Royal Cemetery, formerly a royal kraal at Ntsweng Bakwena royal cemetery.jpg
Bakwena Royal Cemetery, formerly a royal kraal at Ntsweng

Ntsweng was the capital of Bakwena before they moved to Molepolole. Ntsweng is a historic site located a few kilometers southeast of Molepolole. The area was first occupied by Bakwena, led by Sechele I (ruled 1829–92), in 1864. It was abandoned in 1937 when Bakwena were forced to move to Molepolole by Kgari II, assisted by the colonial administrators. [6] Ntsweng today consists of a large area covered with traces of occupation. Most notable are the patterns of stones laid on their edges that form house foundations which are still visible on the surface. There are also the ruins of what used to be Sebele II's office which is at present referred to as Mmakgosi's house. The ruins of that building are situated next to an area which used to be the royal kraal at Ntsweng but is now the royal cemetery. Several clusters of ruins seem to represent different wards. Analyses of the settlement layout and soil samples suggest cattle were often kept in the center of each ward. This seems to follow the "central cattle pattern", a conceptual model for the organization of settlements among southern Bantu, where the central placement of the kraal reflects the central role of cattle in the culture and ideology of the people. [7]

Government and infrastructure

Scottish Livingston Hospital Scottish Livingstone Hospital 228.jpg
Scottish Livingston Hospital

The Botswana Prison Service (BPS) operates the Molepolole Prison. [8]

Molepolole Police Station

Scottish Livingston Hospital

Mafenyatlala mall

Molepolole Stadium

Education

Kgari Sechele Secondary School Kgari sechele secondary school.jpg
Kgari Sechele Secondary School

Molepolole is the home to a number of educational institutions that offers education from primary school to tertiary level. The tertiary institutions in Molepolole include Molepolole College of Education which offers diploma in education and Institute of Health Sciences which offers diploma in Nursing. Kgari Sechele Senior Secondary School is the only government-run senior secondary school in Molepolole and it offers Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE).

There are 8 government-run junior secondary schools in Molepolole namely:

There are 17 government run primary schools in Molepolole namely;

Private schools include Bluebows English medium school which offers pre-school, primary school and secondary school and Kweneng International Secondary School. The other 4 privately owned schools are Shepherd English Medium, Al-haq English Medium, Kgomotso English Medium Primary School (now Regent Hill) and Emmanuel Adventist Academy (formerly Meadows English Medium) which offer pre-primary and primary education only. There is also Nampol Technical College which is a privately run tertiary institution.

Vegetation found in Molepolole

Molepolole is the home to many species of plants that thrive in the semi-arid environment.

Sites of interest

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Molepolole, Botswana Page". Falling Rain Genomics, Inc.
  2. "2011 Census". Archived from the original on 27 December 2012.
  3. "Countryareacode Botsuana". 2019-01-13. Retrieved 2019-01-13.
  4. Parsons, Neil (2007-03-06). "Unravelling History and Cultural Heritage in Botswana". Journal of Southern African Studies. 32 (4): 667–682. doi:10.1080/03057070600995350. S2CID   145185548.
  5. "Kweneng East Sub District: Population and Housing Census Selected Indicators 2011. vol. 4.0" (PDF). 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  6. Schapera, Issac (1943). Native land tenure in the Bechuanaland protectorate. Alice: Lovedale Press.
  7. Badenhorst, Shaw (2009). "The Central Cattle Pattern During the Iron Age of Southern Africa: A Critique of its Spacial Features". South African Archaeological Bulletin. 64 (190): 148–155.
  8. "Prisons and Rehabilitation." (Archive) Government of Botswana. Retrieved on 26 March 2013.