The Makololo and Balozi - Story by Dr. Jeff Ramsay, the spokesperson for President Ian Khama President of Botswana Our exploration of the history of the greater Chobe area has already made reference to the Makololo and Balozi or Barotse whose kingdoms came to dominate the region during the nineteenth century. But who were they and what has been there broader role and legacy? The story of the Makololo begins in the early 1820s among the Bafokeng baga Patsa, who were then living in the south west of what is now the Free State. After suffering from a series of raids by armed Griqua and Korana, in 1822-23 the BagaPatsa leader Sebetwane decided to move his people northwards, beginning a two decade migration that took the group to the banks of the Zambezi via northern Botswana and Namibia. Along the way the BagaPatsa following was enlarged by the voluntary merging as well as conquest of other groups in their path. In the process Sebetwane’s followers ultimately became known as the Makololo, after clan name of his principal wife, Setlutlu. The 29 August 1826 battle at Dithubaruba, the Makololo were expelled from southern Botswana by the Bangwaketse ruler Sebego. Thereafter they had mixed fortunes raiding such groups as the Bangwato, Deti-Khwe, Batawana and Ovaherero prior to their arrival at Linyandi c. 1839, where Sebetwane finally settled. From Linyandi the Makololo conquered much of the middle Zambezi region imposing their authority over the Matoka, Maila, Matotela, Mashanjo, and Aluya communities, as well as the Bekuhane (Vekuhane/.Basubia), Hambukushu and for a period a large section of the Batawana. The largest of the vassal communities were the Aluya, whom the Makololo called Barotse/Balotse, meaning people of the floodplain, since rendered Balozi. During the 1840s Sebetwane dispatched overseers to preside over his increasingly diverse domain. The identities of some of these survive as place names such as Isuswa, Kabulabula, Kwenani, Mutwametzi and Mukumba. While the Makololo kingdom was short-lived, being overthrown by an 1864 Balozi rebellion, its political and social structures as well as Sotho-Tswana language have to a great extent survived. The Makololo Kingdom declined during the reign of Sebetwane’s son Sekeletu, who had succeeded in 1851 following a brief regency by his elder sister Dikuku or MmaMotsisane. Sekeletu moved his headquarters from Linyandi to Sesheke, possibly due to the emerging threat posed by the Amandebele and Batawana, as well as the presence of malaria in the former area. For a number of years before his death in 1863 Sekeletu suffered from leprosy, resulting in his becoming a recluse. His uncle Mbololo thereafter attempted to assume power, but his heavy handed efforts to suppress the Balozi led to a widespread uprising. In the end most of the Makololo warriors were either killed or fled to the Batawana, though the majority of their woman and children apparently remained behind, becoming along with their language part of the new Balozi social order In 1864 a descendent of earlier Aluya rulers, Sipopa, was installed as the new Balozi Litungu or king. Having grown up as a privileged member of Sebetwane’s court, before escaping from Sekeletu, Sipopa had already establish himself as an independent ruler on the upper Zambezi prior to the rebellion. His subsequent reign lasted until 1876. The new kingdom was governed by a sophisticated social order. At the top the Litunga was assisted by a “Prime Minister” known as the “Ngambele”, along with a “Cabinet” made up of distinguished commoners as well as the indunas drawn from his kuta or court at Lealui. In addition the state had a parallel junior dynasty of the “Mulena Mokwe” of Nalalo, who were based at Sesheke, which had its own indunas posted at various places throughout the kingdom. While the royal kuta were the senior political and judicial fora of the land, most of the day to day administration was carried out through junior kuta at district or silalo, village and sub-village level. From about 1885 Sipopo’s successor, Lewainika, posted his senior son and heir Litia to act as his deputy and southern gatekeeper at Kasangula (on the north bank). From there Litia claimed authority as far south as Mpandamatenga, where the European trader George Westbeech came to be looked upon by the Balozi as one of their local induna. By the 1880s the area south of the Chobe-Linyandi was also being claimed by the Bangwato who often sent hunting parties into the region, which otherwise functioned as a buffer zone between the Bangwato and neighbouring Batawana and Amandebele as well as Balozi kingdoms Source : BOPA Author : Jeff Ramsay Location : GABORONE Event : Builders of Botswana Date : Mar 06 Thu,2014 About The Author: Dr. Jeff Ramsay is the spokesperson for President Ian Khama President of Botswana and has recently written several similar articles such as: March, 27th Thu,2014. The Anglo-German scramble for northern Botswana (Part 1) - dailynews.gov.bw/news-details.php?nid=10153 March, 20th Thu,2014. The 1851 mapping of Mosi-wa-Thunya - dailynews.gov.bw/news-details.php?nid=9903 March, 13th Thu,2014. The self discovery of Ngamiland-Chobe - dailynews.gov.bw/news-details.php?nid=9692 - See more at: barotsepost/index.php/en/news/feature/739-the-makololo-and-balozi-story-by-dr-jeff-ramsay-the-spokesperson-for-president-ian-khama-president-of-botswana#sthash.e5RGRNkf.dpuf
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 20:04:06 +0000
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