Setlaole Our Home

By Tlou Setumu

In the Setlaole, before the advent of the white colonisers’ activities, the indigenous black communities lived in the area. Like in most parts of the south-western side of the Makgabeng Mountain, Setlaole area was occupied mostly by the Bakone. Those Bakone people lived in scattered settlements around Setlaole small mountain, while some of them lived on top of it. In addition to the Bakone who were in the majority, there were other communities of the Batšhadibe in the Setlaole area. Those communities at Setlaole were those of Ngwepe, Setumu, Ramoroka and Mojela. It must be noted that the concept of those identity markers of “surnames” is a relatively new phenomenon brought about by the European colonisers for effective control and administrative purposes over indigenous black communities. In the pre-colonial period, people were named differently, with no such surnames which are preceded by “Christian” or “white” names such as “Johannes”, “John”, “Tom”, “Dick” and “Harry”. Indigenous people had their names, praise poems and totems as identity markers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tlou Setumu
• Release date: Feb 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215135259

Tlou Setumu

Tlou Setumu was born, grew up and went to school in the rural, impoverished Makgabeng area in the north-western part of Limpopo Province, South Africa. He started Sub-A at Noko-Tlou lower primary in 1972, and proceeded to Mogohlong higher primary, then matriculated in 1983 at GH Franz high school.Owing to his poor family background (he was raised by a single, sickly mother), he did not have funds to continue with higher education studies. He became private teacher and was self-taught as he studied privately until obtaining BA degree in 1993 with University of South Africa (UNISA).In 1994 he enrolled and completed Higher Education Diploma at the University of the North (current University of Limpopo). He obtained BA Honours at UNISA in 1998, and in 2001 completed MA degree at the University of Pretoria. He enrolled for PhD degree in History at Rand Afrikaanse Universiteit (currently University of Johannesburg), but later moved the programme to the University of Limpopo, where the programme was completed in 2010.He had started as a volunteer for the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), and then worked as researcher from 2001. He established Limpopo Heritage Resources Authority (LIHRA) in 2004 while employed in the Limpopo Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. He later worked at the Robben Island museum as Head of the Department of Public Heritage Education. He is currently heritage practitioner in Limpopo Province, specialising mainly on the Blouberg-Makgabeng-Senwabarwana (BMS) area. (www.mak-herp.co.za).

Book preview

SETLAOLE OUR HOME

Our Own History, Heritage and Culture

By Dr. Tlou Setumu

©

Copyright 2023 Dr. Tlou Setumu

Smashwords Edition

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue

Background

Pre-colonial people of Setlaole

Setlaole pre-colonial rule – Ngwepe

Land split into pieces for sale – Matlonkana

Colonialism and apartheid disrupt traditional rule – Khale

Rich natural, cultural, tangible and intangible heritage in Setlaole

Preserving our rich heritage: Establishment of Setlaole Open Air Museum

THANK YOU

OTHER TITLES BY Dr. TLOU SETUMU

CONNECT WITH Dr. TLOU SETUMU

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Chapter 1

BACKGROUND

Like the word, Makgabeng, the name, Setlaole does not seem to have a specific meaning according to the local communities, except that it belongs to a small mountain on the south-eastern side of the Makgabeng Mountain. This small mountain of Setlaole runs about ten kilometres east to west from the present-day village of Mmorokgong (Schoongezicht farm) in the east, and drops in the west at Ga Ngwepe (Millstream-Early Dawn farms). As already indicated, the small mountain is known as Setlaole, and in other parts of South Africa, especially among the western and southern Sotho-speaking communities, there are similar name variants such as Setlahole, Setlagole, and so on.

Setlaole small mountain is geographically located on the south-eastern side of the iconic Makgabeng Mountain, which is renowned for its rich Heritage resources, including its world-class rock art paintings.

The topographical texture of Setlaole is more or less similar to that of the bigger Makgabeng Mountain, because of their closer proximity – the distance from Setlaole’s Matsheleng area and the Makgabeng’s Leritaupje cliff on the north-eastern side, is less than five kilometres. That is why Setlaole and Makgabeng would certainly share the same topographical, climatic, faunal and floral characteristics.

The floral species indigenous to Setlaole include big and small trees such as melope, meokgopho, mekgwa, mešu, mengangameretšhe, mekgorokgoro, mekgalo,, megohlo, mehwiliri, meselesele,, menekanekane, as well as fruit-bearing ones such as merula, metoro,mekgwaa,, mekeemekwerekwere, memoumethobethobe, mehlakauma mebilo, meretlwa,, metšhidi, mekgakgalane, and so on.

The faunal species include ditholo, diphaladikolobesodi, diphutidipela, dinokodiphukubje, mebutladikgabo, and so on. The bird species in the area include magokobu, dipekwa, dikgaka, dinwamerula, maeba, ditlhanhlagane, mankwetlana, mekowe, matsiababa, dikgwale, diphorokgohlo, dikgaratsio, dirabiibii, dimpšhere, dithaga, mahodi, ditheko, melakatsiane, etc. It must however, be noted that most of the floral and faunal species in the area have largely been annihilated by human activities of deforestation and hunting.

Some of the floral species in Setlaole

Wild fruits in Setlaole include (from top, clockwise): Mabilo (wild medlar), Matšhidi (sour plum), Ditoro (prickly pear), Makgwaa (orange monkey fruit), and Marula (maroela).

SOME OF FAUNAL SPECIES IN SETLAOLE: Clockwise from top: Kgabo (monkey), Pela (rock rabbit), Phukubje (jackal), Mmutla (hare), Phala (impala), and Hlong (hedgehog).

Bird species in Setlaole include (clockwise from top) Legokobu (craw), Phorokgohlo (sparrow), Kgaka (guinea fowl), Rabiibii (blue-breasted waxbill), Kgoropo (crowned hornbill), and Mokoe (go away bird).

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Chapter 2

PRE-COLONIAL PEOPLE OF SETLAOLE

Like in all other parts of what came to be the country, South Africa, and