Lebowakgomo

Lebowakgomo
Lebowakgomo

 Lebowakgomo shown within Limpopo

Coordinates: 24°18′18″S 29°33′54″E / 24.305°S 29.565°E / -24.305; 29.565Coordinates: 24°18′18″S 29°33′54″E / 24.305°S 29.565°E / -24.305; 29.565
Country South Africa
Province Limpopo
District Capricorn
Municipality Lepelle-Nkumpi
Area[1]
 • Total 25.68 km2 (9.92 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 35,087
 • Density 1,400/km2 (3,500/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
 • Black African 99.3%
 • Coloured 0.2%
 • Indian/Asian 0.2%
 • White 0.1%
 • Other 0.2%
First languages (2011)[1]
 • Northern Sotho 87.2%
 • English 2.8%
 • Zulu 1.5%
 • Tsonga 1.5%
 • Other 6.9%
Postal code (street) 0737
PO box 0737
Area code 015

Lebowakgomo was the capital of the former bantustan of Lebowa. Lebowakgomo lies southeast of the Limpopo capital of Polokwane. Lebowakgomo is surrounded by villages, Mogodi and Phutimolle north east, Mamaolo on the east, Makurung and Lekhuswaneng being south east.

History

The township was established in 1974 for Bapedi, and was enlarged and developed in the early 1980s. The name is derived from two Sepedi (Northern Sotho) words: "Lebowa" (north) and "Kgomo" (cow).

The town falls within the Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality. The population of Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality was estimated at 230,350 in 2011.[2]

Lebowakgomo was one of the eight townships in the former state, the others being Mahwelereng, Seshego, Mankweng, Lenyenye, Namakgale, Praktiseer, Mashishing, and Bochum.

Lebowakgomo has grown as a township, from its humble beginnings in the late 70s, when the township had one section (Zone A). In the late 80s, two new zones where developed (Zone F and Zone B, also known as FnB).

In the early 90s Lebowakgomo had three primary schools in Zone A (Little Bedfordview, Mogodumo and Ntseekgopu), in Zone F (Dr Dixon Mphahlele) and in Zone B (Eureka), and three high schools: Derek Kobe High School, Lebowakgomo High School, SJ van der Merwe and towards the late 90s Lebowakgomo Commercial, and Mathomomayo High School.

Mahwelereng lies two kilometres from the town of Mokopane. It is surrounded by the semi-rural areas of Ga-Madiba, Moshate, Sekgakgapeng and Masethlaneng.

The land where Lebowakgomo is based was donated to former Lebowa government by Chief Mmutle Mphahlele of Bakgaga ba Mphahlele. The chief's palace lies 10 kilometres south east of the township in Seleteng. Other villages under Chief Mphahlele include Makurung, Mamaolo, Dithabaneng, Mogodi, Morotse, Mashite, Bolopa, Lenting, Marulaneng, Lekurung, Tooseng, Hwelereng, Malemati, Thamagane. According to the book, Ba-xa-Mphahlele (1942), the present Bakgaga ba gaMphahlele originate from the Maake tribe, presently found in the Tzaneen area in the Northern Province. The mother of the Mphahlele tribe was a favourite wife of Chief Maake and was advised to escape lest she be killed by the tribe. Accompanied by her son, she escaped and changed their surname to Mphahlele from the verb "go iphahlela" which literary means to fend for oneself or to defend oneself. After the death of Chief Mphahlele, his son Chief Lephalale ruled the tribe to be succeeded by Chief Lekushwaneng. The following diagram from T.M. Phatudi-Mphahlele's unpublished article of 1950, illustrates the Mphahlele's rulers: Chief Maake .u. Chief Lephalale .u. Chief Lekushwaneng .u. Chief Kgwerane 85 (was allegedly killed by a tribe commonly known as the Maejane (Mazwi) as revenge for having taken over their chieftainship.) .JJ. Chief MorwaMogale (His wife was Pebetse'a Phahla'Masehobane, the first queen from the Batau of Masemola.) .JJ. Chief Matime I (His wife was Marungwane. She died without bearing a child. The chief married a niece from GaMaesela. They were blessed with a baby boy called Matsobane, who became the next chief. Marungwane was the last queen from Batau of Masemola.) .JJ. Chief Matsobane I (He was the first chief to marry a queen from the Maroteng in approximately 1830 (T.M. Phatudi-Mphahlele:1950). He married Makgobokele, Sekwati's sister. The marriage was blessed with three children, namely Mafete, who married the chief of Magakala; Motodi, who died early; and Phatudi II.) .JJ. Chief Phatudi II (It is not known when he acceded to the throne, but it is known that he died in 1879.) .JJ. Chief Matsobane II (It is known that he took over the reigns in 1879, but died in 1880. When he died his successor was not yet born.) .JJ. Mogalatiane (Acted for a short period while the tribe waited for Matime II to take the reigns as a regent.) .JJ. Regent Matime II (Ruled the tribe from 1880 to 1914.) .JJ. Chief Mmutle Ill (Ruled from 1914 to 1950.) JJ. Regent Moepadira (From 1950 to 1953.) JJ. Regent Mokgobi Trodd ( From 1953 to 1957) JJ. Moepadira reinstated From 1958 to 1974 JJ. NgwanaMohube 86 (She has been ruling the tribe on behalf of her son, Matsobane, since 197 4 ) It might be interesting to determine the reasons for the tribe's change from taking the principal wife from Masemola to taking wives from the Maroteng. According to Delius (1983: 15;55), this was in response to a directive from the Maroteng that compelled subordinate chiefs to take their principal wives from the paramountcy. The prime objective of the directive was to help the Maroteng paramountcy to increase the military obligations of subordinate chiefdoms, thus ensuring both political leverage and inflated bridewealth (Delius 1983). Delius (1983: 15;55) claims that the Bakgaga tribe paid one hundred oxen to Maroteng as dowry. Phatudi II acceded to the throne, after Matsobane I, as illustrate by the diagram above. According to T.M. Phatudi-Mphahlele (1950), Phatudi II took thirty five wives. In the abovementioned article, Phatudi-Mphahlele discusses only six of the socalled "important wives". Here follows a diagram illustrating the position of these six wives according to seniority: 87 Chief Phatudi II WIVES 1. Leganabatho - daughter of Sekwati, niece to Makgobokele. 2. Kokobele - daughter of chief of Mphanama (Ngwana' Kgaphola) 3. Mamakokote - daughter of Sebaka (Ngwana Shaku/BaMangwato) 4. Thakane - daughter of chief of Magakala (Mafefe). 5. Mante - daughter of Sekwati, next paternal sister to Leganabatho 6. Mareketle - daughter of Sekwati, next paternal sister of Mante PROGENY 1 . Matsobane II 2. Makgobokele II (Married MorwaMotshe, son of Sekhukhune I) 3.Thorometsane I (chosen as "seantlo" because Makgobokele II died) 1. Masampoke - female 2. Masetentsa -female 3. Leobu. 1. Mokgobi 2. Mogalatsane (Kamella) (took over the reigns for a short period) 3. Matane 1. Pelane 1. Matime II (became regent after the death of Matsobane 11. 1. female child - name unknown After Phatudi ll's death, his son, Matsobane II, became the chief. It is said Matsobane II did not rule for a long time as he also died within a year. There is controversy as to when both Phatudi II and Matsobane II died. According to Baxa- Mphahlele (1942), Phatudi II died in 1889 when he was succeeded by his son, Matsobane II, who unfortunately died in 1890. The book's views are strongly rejected by Legora Campbell Molaba, a man born on the 4th April 1898. Campbell says when his father, Lucas Dikobe Molaba came to Mphahlele in 1881, both Phatudi II and Matsobane II were already dead. We have no reason to doubt the authenticity of his information as he is one of the oldest former teachers at the village and a prominent member of the community. He is also the son of Dikobe Molaba, as we have already indicated, the man who is credited for his role in bringing education and Christianity to the Mphahlele people. In our interview with Campbell Molaba, conducted from 1992 to 1995 when he unfortunately passed away at the age of 97, it was obvious that the man 88 had a thorough knowledge of Mphahlele history. It must be mentioned that he also acted, prior to 1976, as the tribal secretary. Campbell also denies the fact that Phatudi II died in 1889, as the book alleges, but says Phatudi II died in 1879 and Matsobane II in 1880. His views are supported by Mmutle Ill's letter dated 27 March 1943 in which he says by 1881 Leganabatho had assumed the ruling power of the tribe after the death of her husband, Phatudi II and her son Matsobane II. The letter also concurs with Campbell's view that the Mphahlele people came to Hlakoanachoana (Seleteng) in 1890 when the tribe had been harassed by Whites at Molapong. They moved as a result of the influence of Lucas Dikobe Molaba and Makobatsatsi Mphahlele, two people honoured for their role in educating the people of Mphahlele. The death of Matsobane II created the problem of who was going to rule the tribe. The problem was further compounded by the fact that when he died, his successor had not yet been born. The problem could have been solved had it not been traditionally taboo to allow a woman to rule, since Matsobane ti's mother, Leganabatho, and her daughter-in-law, NgwanaMohube, were still alive. However, because of cultural discrimination, both were denied the opportunity to rule simply because they were women. According to T.M. Phatudi-Mphahlele (1950), the tribe had to look for a regent amongst Matsobane's brothers and sons. At this point it is important to talk about Matsobane ll's wives and children as this will make it easy to understand the tribe's search for a regent. It is difficult to separate Matsobane ll's wives from those married by Matime II. All in all, it is said he married twenty two wives. Again, relying on T.M. Phatudi-Mphahlele's article, we will mention only the first eleven wives he discusses. They are as follows, in order of seniority:

Notable People

Notable people from Mphahlele include:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Lebowakgomo". Census 2011.
  2. ↑ census2011.adrianfrith.com - Lepelle-Nkumpi Retrieved 19 November 2013.
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