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Moshupa | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 24°46′45″S25°25′06″E / 24.77917°S 25.41833°E | |
Country | Botswana |
District | Southern District |
Elevation | 1,141 m (3,743 ft) |
Population (2011) [1] | |
• Total | 19,780 |
Time zone | GMT +2 |
Climate | BSh |
Moshupa is a large village in the Southern District of Botswana with a population of 20,016 per the 2011 census. [2] The people of Moshupa are called the Bakgatla-ba-ga Mmanaana, a group also found in Thamaga. Along with the related Bakgatla-ba-ga Kgafela of Mochudi, they arrived to the region from the Transvaal region in South Africa throughout the eighteenth century. [3]
Moshupa is characterised by unique and gigantic mountain outcrops which often leave visitors in wonder. The giant rocks (some up to 40 metres in radius) are so balanced on top of each other that even the villagers themselves wonder why they do not fall. They are believed to fall only when the village chief is dying, as an omen. [4]
The chief (kgosi) of Moshupa is Kgosi Kgabosetso Mosielele. The chief currently serves in the Customary Court of Appeal and his brother, Kgosi Oscar Mosielele is the current chief of the village on his behalf. As is customary in Botswana the salutation 'kgosi' is the title used before the chiefs name.
There are a large number of Christians in Moshupa. The most popular are the United Congregational Church of South Africa, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Assemblies of God, the Apostolic Faith Mission, the Roman Catholic Church, the Zion Christian Church, and the Indian Pentecostal Church of God alongside other Afro-Christian and charismatic Pentecostal assemblies. One of the oldest churches is the Mothowagae Church, established in 1903. [5]
The member of parliament for Moshupa is the Honorable Karabo Gare. His Excellency Mokgweetsi Keabetswe Eric Masisi, a Moshupa native, is serving in the current cabinet as the President of Botswana. Hon. Masisi is son to the first MP for Moshupa who won the first elections after independence. Hon Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi also had one of his brothers serving as an MP in Francistown West constituency before his passing in 2013. He has received advanced training at graduate level in the fields of education, economics (social policy and social development) and recently began studying epidemiology. [6]
The Tswana are a Bantu ethnic group native to Southern Africa. Ethnic Tswana made up approximately 85% of the population of Botswana in 2011.
The term Batlôkwa refers to several Kgatla communities that reside in Lesotho and South Africa.
The president of the Republic of Botswana is the head of state and the head of government of Botswana, as well as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, according to the Constitution. Sir Seretse Khama was the prime minister from 1965 to 1966, however he later became president of Botswana, and as of 2024 there have been no prime ministers since.
The Ntlo ya Dikgosi in Botswana is an advisory body to the country's parliament.
Thamaga is a large village located in the Kweneng District of Botswana and about 40 km west of the capital city Gaborone. It is home to 19,547 inhabitants at the 2011 census. It is becoming year by year like a suburb part of the Gaborone agglomeration.
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.
More than 70% of the population of Botswana is Christian. Most are members of the Roman Catholic Church, Seventh Day Adventist Church, Anglican, United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, and African independent churches. Anglicans are part of the Church of the Province of Central Africa. The Roman Catholic Church includes about 5% of the nation's population.
Morwa is a village in Kgatleng District of Botswana. It is located around 15 km south-west of Mochudi, and the population was 2,696 in 2001 census.
Pitseng is a village in Botswana. It lies between Jwaneng and Moshupa in the Southern District. The population of Pitseng was 2250 in 2001 and it has since grown though the numbers are not available. There were 2 population censuses since 2001; 2011 and 2021.The current village chief (Kgosi) is Mmolotsinyana Mafhoko. The village has a primary school called by the name of the village. There is a main kgotla. The village is expanding quickly; there is a service center and an expanded clinic which has a maternity division. There is a hardware store and an Agrishop.
Barokologadi ba Ga Maotwe are a Tswana tribe who live in the North-West province of South Africa. They originally split from the 'Bapedi' Community and sought refuge among Bakgatla Ba Kgafela.
Mandunyane is named after Kgosi Harry Mandunyane I, who ruled since 1973 when the village was established. The village is located in the Central District of Botswana in Tonota subdistrict. It is approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) north west of Tonota and roughly 30 km (19 mi) south west of Francistown.
The Bangwaketse are one of the eight principal tribes in Botswana, and are ethnic Tswana. Kanye is the original Bangwaketse village located in the Southern District settled in 1853, originally called Ntsweng Hill. The king of the tribe is King Malope II, son of Seepapitso IV. The Bangwaketse people live in the arid mountainous region of Southern Botswana mentioned in the book Cherub: Guardian Angel. It is bordered by Moshupa, Lobatse, and Jwaneng, and it is a 45-minute drive from Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana. The village is served by Kanye Airport.
Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi is a Motswana politician who served as the fifth president of Botswana from 2018 to 2024. He served as the eighth vice president of Botswana from 12 November 2014 to 1 April 2018. He was a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly for the Moshupa-Manyana constituency from 2009 to 2018.
Gagoangwe was the Acting (Regent) King, the Queen Mother or Mohumagadi of the Mmanaana Kgatla and BaNgwaketse in what is now Botswana. Gagoangwe was a member of the Kwena family and a devout Christian and regent for her grandson, Bathoen II.
Botswana held a general election in October 2019. Though it was more competitive than previous elections, it resulted in a victory for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and won an addition term for President Mokgweetsi Masisi. Botswana saw an escalation in the rivalry between Masisi and his predecessor Ian Khama, with Khama leaving the Botswana Democratic Party to support the Botswana Patriotic Front and the Umbrella for Democratic Change. Following the BDP's victory, opposition leaders challenged the results of the election.
The Dithubaruba Cultural Festival is one of the national events celebrated in Botswana and is also marked in the Botswana Calendar of Events. It aims to promote Kweneng cultural heritage and create leisure time for the community.
Botswana continued to address the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, including the discovery of the COVID-19 variant Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, with COVID-19 restrictions being relaxed in October. Continued disputes took place regarding the Botswana–Namibia border, though an open border was established in September. The rivalry between President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his predecessor Ian Khama escalated in 2022, accelerated by firearms charges against Khama and a warrant for his arrest. The government also saw controversy for its support of bills that would grant it additional espionage powers and regulate journalists.
Tshelang Walter Masisi was a Motswana politician. He was an elder brother to president Mokgweetsi Masisi and served as a member of the Pan-African Parliament, as well as the Parliament of Botswana, representing Francistown West for the Botswana Democratic Party from 1999 until his death in 2013.
Mmusi Kgafela is a Botswanan politician and educator. He is the current Minister of Trade and Industry in Botswana, having been appointed to the position in 2019 by the current president of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi. His term began on 13 February 2022. He is also a member of parliament for Mochudi West Constituency.