MOHLABE TRIBAL AUTHORITY

ABOUT US

 

 

Batubatse Ba Ga-Mohlabe arrived in Ga-Mohlabe in the year 1600. They were led by Chief Segopane Mohlabe. Upon their arrival they settled below Ngopelle (the peak of the mountain pictured below) in the Drakensberg Mountains. Majority of the people in our community use elephant as their totem and address each other as ditlou.

 

Behind Ngopelle there are villages like Mankele, Ga-Mokgotho and Tading, which are also part of Batubatse Ba Ga-Mohlabe.

 

THE ARRIVAL OF BANARENG BA GA-SEKORORO

Banareng Ba Ga-Sekororo came to pay tribute to Chief Sekwatapeng Mohlabe around 1918. At that time Batubatse Ba Ga-Mohlabe were still based in Ngopelle. The visitors (Banareng Ba Ga Sekororo) were accompanied by Maatjawela Moagi in his capacity as headman (Ntona) under Chief Mohlabe. Banareng Ba Ga-Sekororo were just a small community of people originally from Venda, who settled in Segorwane under Queen Maantjana prior to relocating to Ga-Mohlabe.

 

PONONG

Batubatse Ba Ga-Mohlabe lived in many places in his own land including Ponong. The latter is a significant historical site where Chief Mohlabe once lived.

 

 MOROLA RIVER

Morola River next to Ponong. This river is a significant to the history of Batubatse Ba Ga-Mohlabe. Upon their arrival in Ponong they put their belongings down and rested alongside this river. They named it Morola because ba rotŠe merwalo moo. The river is still being called Morola even today.

 

GA-MOHLABE DIP TANK  

The dip tank operated from 1909 to 1958 in Ga-Mohlabe. This facility serviced subsistence farmers who owned livestock from various communities including Mankele, Tading, Ga-Mokgotho, Bokgaga, Mametja, Lewele, and Malepe, among others.

 

BETHANE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Bethane Primary School is the first school to have existed in Ga-Mohlabe. The school was established by the Presbyterian Church-aligned missionaries from Scotland in 1912. The school catered for a number of communities in Ga-Mohlabe and beyond.

 

BETHANE PRIMARY SCHOOL NAME CHANGE  

After the Apartheid regime recognised Sekororo as the Chief at the expense of Chief Mohlabe, the former seized the opportunity and changed the name from ‘Bethane Primary School’ to ‘Sekororo Primary School’. Sekororo’s intention was to distort the rich history of Batubatse Ba Ga-Mohlabe and to strategically belittle him before his subjects, and in his own land. This attitude was sustained for many years by those who subscribe to Banareng Ba Ga-Sekororo chieftaincy, however, that did not change the way people appreciate Chief Mohlabe and his rich history. In addition, Batubatse Ba Ga-Mohlabe continue to resist any campaign against Chief Mohlabe.

 

 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH – NEW LOCATION

The church is affectionately known to the community as Kereke ya ga Samfana (loosely translated Samfana’s Church). When it moved to this location, Batubatse Ba Ga-Mohlabe associated the church with its leader, Pastor Lokweng, who was also nicknamed Samfana. The church served as a classroom for learning during weekday and for church services during weekends. It was also used for burials for church members. 

 

KGORONG YA GA-MOHLABE

Our traditional meeting place in Ga-Mohlabe is known as Kgorong. Kgorong is where community meetings take place. It is the only place where the Chief can address his subjects. Our kgoro is known as Mokateng. This name is associated with a specie of fig tree called Mokata, which provides much of the shade in this space.

 

THE NAME SOFAYA

In 1957, three elders from Ga-Mohlabe; Rev. Jobola Mashumu, Jackson Popela, Ntsotsodi Masete and Thoto Phillip Masete known as Lemphotha; invited Nelson Mandela, a lawyer from Sophiatown, to Ga-Mohlabe to help them to rescue their chieftaincy. The community was excited that an important visitor from Sofaya (Sophiatown) was in the village. However, the political climate at that ti1me prevented Madiba from achieving what the community had hoped for. The name Sofaya (taken from the name Sophiatown) was inspired by this visit.

 

Meanwhile, Mandela played a key role in assisting another group under Chief Mohlabe - led by Lewele - when relocating to a place called The Oaks.

 

 

SETSO SA BOGOSHI BJAGA MOHLABE