WHO OWNED THE DIAMOND FIELDS?

Did you know that the world-famous Big Hole in Kimberley was once a little hill, or kopje? The discovery of diamonds in the Kimberley area was a momentous one that physically changed not only the landscape, but also the lifestyles of the people who lived there. This includes the Batlhaping and their leaders Galeshewe, Toto and Jantjie; the Korana; and the Griqua – as well those who travelled long distances on foot to earn money for their clans and themselves. Before Johannesburg existed, the Vhavenda would walk from Vhembe to Kimberley – a distance of about 1 000km – and would rest for a while at a halfway point. A resting place in Tshivenda is “chiawelo”. Later this resting