Jeff Ramsay The rise and fall of the Bakwena dynasty of South Central Botswana (original) (raw)
1991, The Rise and Fall of the Bakwena Dynasty of South-Central Botswana, 1820-1940
This dissertation examines the growth of an African state in the nineteenth century and its subsequent incorporation into the Bechuanaland Protectorate and the regional economy of Southern Africa. It begins by considering the transformation of the Bakwena monarchical state from a small, disunited community into a regional power, Kweneng, during the reign of Sechele I (c.1833-1892.) Under him Kweneng emerged as a refuge and centre of resistance to Boer aggression, culminating in the Batswana-Boer War of 1852-53. Despite his successful leadership in this conflict Sechele’s kingdom subsequently experiences relative decline prior it its inclusion into the Bechuanaland Protectorate. During the first decade of British overrule his successor Sebele I (1892-1911) sought to preserve their sovereignty in the face of the British South Africa Company’s desire to take over the Protectorate. The failure of the Jameson Raid ended this particular threat; but was accompanied by the onset of a prolonged ecological crisis and the initial consolidation of colonialism, which undermined the material basis of the local political economy. By the first decade of the twentieth century, Kweneng was becoming a labour reserve. Despite their growing economic dependence, Sebele’s administration spearheaded the campaign that prevented the inclusion of the Protectorate into the nascent Union of South Africa. The success he and his two successors, Sechele II (1911-18) and Sebele II (1918-31) occasionally enjoyed in winning concession from the imperial power did not prevent the growth of divisive internal opposition to them. All three were plagued by conflict with their “leading headmen” who generally identified themselves with the semi-established Congregational Church and colonial state. For their part, the monarchs cultivated the support of commoners by stressing the inclusive nature of their governing council and championing controversial pre-Christian practices, most notably initiation. By the 1920s Sebele II became the patron of a “Neo-Traditional” worldview, which challenged not only the pretensions of the local Christian elite but also elements of white domination. His resulting banishment by the British ended the political autonomy of Kweneng and its monarchy.
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The political detention without trial of Sebele II at Ghanzi was an important turning point in the history of Botswana. Some of its effects, such as the polarisation of relations between most of the Protectorate's dikgosi and colonial administration were immediate. Other implications were only gradually realised. For many decades thereafter the majority of the Bakwena hoped, in vain, that legitimate bogosi could be restored through Sebele, or later his sons' return to Kgosing.¬ In the long run the demise of the Protectorate's senior dynasty proved to be a precursor for the ultimate overthrow of traditional leadership throughout the nation.
Africa, 2015
However, can we really take Kirikongo as an instance of the revolutionary triumph of egalitarianism in the savannah? A close look at the archaeological records published here shows clear evidence of deep changes at the level of a small rural community, something that is not unexpected over a period of 1,500 years. The nature of these changes suggests that communities explored, experimented with, and made choices between different models of governance, belief systems and subsistence over time. However, the revolutionary nature of such a change, although a valuable and thought-provoking working hypothesis, can hardly be demonstrated solely on the basis of the Kirikongo evidence. Too many parts are missing from the picturefor instance, evidence on the webs of alliances within the settlement, the regional historical context, and the ritual practices and beliefsfor us to surmise that change resulted from a forcible, short-term event such as the word 'revolution' implies. More archaeological research into medieval communities of the Mouhoun Bend will be requiredas is recognized by the authorto clarify the chronology and the nature of socio-political change in the area. Firstly, the chronology of change proposed here will need to be validated. Secondly, in the absence of a comparative dataset, the proposed projection onto a regional scale of the model developed for Kirikongo, a 'regional egalitarian movement', is daring. But this does not detract from the book's qualities, and I recommend it to archaeologists and historians interested in long-term socio-political developments in the Voltaic area. Although the author sometimes stretches the interpretation of available evidence, he also contributes much solid new data and stimulates fresh avenues of thought on pre-1500 West African village life.
STATE FORMATION IN KWA-ZULU NATAL AND THE SUBSEQUENT RISE OF THE ZULU KINGDOM IN THE 1820s
State formation in what has been known as Kwa-Zulu Natal since 1994, has always been linked to the rise of the Zulu Kingdom (known as Natal before 1994). This ignores the role of other powerful kingdoms in the region, such as those of Mthethwa and Ndwandwe. The rise of the Zulu Kingdom in the 1820s and during the Mfecane as the only reason of state formation, ignores the dynamics that were taking place in the region. This article endeavours to focus on the role of powerful chiefdoms such as the Mthwethwa and the Ndwandwe in giving birth to the Zulu Kingdom which historians sometimes oversimplify. Colonialism also played a crucial role in promoting ethnic identities in the 1920s which purported the Zulu Kingdom to be the most powerful that shaped the state formation in the later KwaZulu-Natal. The nineteenth century in South Africa is noted for the revolutionary processes that formed new states such as the Zulu Kingdom. State formation in the nineteenth century had tremendous consequences on how different people defi ned themselves (identity formation). The processes of state formation refer to the political and military struggles that resulted in the rise of new states and the downfall of others in the period between 1800 and 1870.
SEKGOMA LETSHOLATHEBE: THE TRAGEDY OF BOTSWANA'S BLACK DREYFUS -BY JEFF RAMSAY Forward
Weekend Post, 2016
Kgosi Sekgoma aLetsholathebe II (1873-1914) has the tragic distinction of being the first Motswana to legally challenge the authority of the colonial state in its metropolitan courts. As the ruler of the Batawana from 1891, until his removal from power as “Chief” by the British in 1906, Sekgoma displayed ruthless talent in asserting his independent authority. Through a combination of charisma and the skilful use of patronage, he came to command broad popular support among his subjects. This was especially true among those who were not at the time considered to be the paternal descendants of the morafe's original, ba bina phuti, founders. Following his removal, Sekgoma was detained without trial for just over five years by the British at Gaborone. His lawyers argued that his detention violated his natural right under the law to either be tried or released. Unfortunately for him, and many other Batswana who would follow in his footsteps, the Imperial courts ultimately ruled that as a British Protected Person, rather than a Crown subject, Sekgoma had no legal standing. The decision thus upheld the absolute authority of the High Commissioner, acting on behalf of the British Crown, to rule over the Bechuanaland Protectorate without any domestic restraint.
This article focuses on the social dynamics of the mid-twentieth century that influenced the body of tradition championed by members of the royal family of Kekana Ndebele at Mošate, Limpopo Province South Africa. The material remains of the 1854 siege of the Kekana Ndebele under chief Mugombane I, provided a means of detecting old political alliances and contributed towards understanding variances in the narrative topography constructed by two senior members of the Royal Council, who related the history of the recovery of Mugombane II during the 1980s. While each adopted the same narrative technique to embellish the political influence of the old chiefdom, each mapped out a different set of relationships. The symbolic import of these different geographic interpretations begins to emerge when considered against the highly fractious local and regional politics of the 1960s and '70s. This article traces the history of the oral narrative and the two storytellers to reveal the political bent and intention of each author.
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