Batau / Kanyane
Origin of Phaahla, Masemola, Marishane, Kanyane, Mogashoa
Mood: hug me
Topic: History of Batau
History, Origin of the Batau Researched by Molemane Kanyane Bbibl(Unin) (Mancosa) MBA (Mancosa) Advanced Cert. Management (Netherlands).
THE BATAU AT CROCODILE RIVER
Batau arrived at Mokwena River around 1250?s A.D. This happened after wanderings and brush-ups with Bakgaditsi (Batswana). They passed the areas around Mapulaneng ruled by Matlebjane until they arrived at Mokwena River, right near Dullstroom Mountains (around Belfast). While there, Matlebjane gave birth to Mokwena. After the death of Matlebjane, Mokwena ruled and gave birth to Matlebjane II who ruled after his father?s death. Matlebjane II lived long until he was beyond ninety years old. The Death of Matlebjane II Matlebjane II had five sons. The first son was Seloane, second Mogashoa, third Phaahla, fourth Masemola and lastly Photo. Seloane, Mogashoa, Phaahla and Masemola, got worried that the king?s gifts (dibego) were continuously being taken to the younger king?s wife (the mother to Photo). They then all agreed to murder the king, but were worried about what people will say. So they conceived a plan, since Photo was still a teenager, they somehow convinced him that all of them including him Photo should kill the king at night with their spears. During that night they all got into the kings resting place and all with their spears stabbed the king and the king died. During the morning Photo realised that his brothers spears? were turned deliberately at the sharp tip and he had killed the king alone. His brothers then cried aloud hysterically with painful voices, that Photo has killed their father. From then on Photo was despised and rejected by the people ? for having killed his father. The killing of Matlebjane II by his sons is the reason we have this idioms today: ?Matlebjane o bolaile ke tswala?. ?Ka hlagolela la re go gola la ntlhaba? The Batau lived at the Mokwena River for a period spanning 200 years. This was a time of relative peace and stability. Many people believe that their ruins and remains are still visible there in Mokwena (Crocodile) River.
BATAU NOT IN LEPELLE
During the migration of Batau from Mokwena to the North, other Batau clans continued to break away and remained behind. These broke away clans can be found around Tubatse River and Leolo mountains. Even though the lost touch with the main Batau group, they still call themselves Batau, even today. Among the clans that remained behind we can mention Moganedi clan. Today they are called Batubatse. Amongst clans which remained at Leolo Mountains are Nkogatse clan.
These clans that remained behind ended without rulers, and were often harassed by nearby tribes, their cattle stolen. In this process there was mass hunger which necessitated some of the people in the clans to become Makgema (cannibals). But after the main Batau group established themselves around Lepelle, they came back and killed them. They did not killed them all, and those Makgema (cannibals) left they lived by hiding themselves in the mountains.
BATAU MOVE TO LEPELLE
After the death of Matlebjane II, there was a contest for the throne by the king?s sons, this contest divided the people and made people to eventually living Mokwena River and moving eastward and finally settled around Lepelle. The settlement was patterned according to the king?s sons. Mogashoa, Phaahla, Masemola. Photo did not have any followers because he killed his father. Seloane being the first born in the family wanted to rule all the people, but Mogashoa, Phaahla, Masemola ? his brothers and their followers rejected this citing that her mother comes from Batswako tribe, they further said that Mogashoa?s mother was married in order to produce a king. Seloane fled with his followers, crossing Ngwaritsi River moving eastward he settled with the Lekala tribe in now what is presently called Malatane. Seloane even took wife from the Lekala tribe. It is not known how it happened that Seloane took over the chieftainship of Lekala tribe. What is known is that chieftainship of Lekala tribe was taken over by him. But looking at the way Malatane is populated by the Batau clans, one can guess that the Batau (followers of Seloane) were in large numbers and the overpowered the Lekalas and made Seloane chief. Right in Malatane and the extension of Malatane – Moopong, are Mogashoa, Phaahla, Makaleng, Kanyane, Nkadimeng all these clans are the heart and soul of Batau people. Seloane?s chieftainship was strengthened by his son Moopong, the father of Sepeke and Ramphelane (Lengana). The Manganeng village is named after him. Sepeke is the father to Tlhomeledi. Thlomeledi is the father to Ramphelane II. Ramphelane II is the father to Phaswane. Phaswane is the father to Ramphelane III and Sepeke II. After the death of Ramphelane Sepeke II took over and after Sepeke II died Mohube took over as regent for the son of Sepeke (Phaswane II) who was still young.
BATAU LIVES IN LEPELLE
How Batau settled around Lepelle We have looked at how the first of Matlebjane II Seloane settled and how he became king. We now turn to the rest of Matlebjane II sons: (Remember Photo does not have followers because he killed his father) Mphanama The location was developed by Mogashoa and his followers. Mogashoa the second son of Matlebjane II ruled here around 1450?s. Ga Phaahla Phaahla the second son of Matlebjane II ruled here and his descendents still rules. Ga Masemola Masemola, the fourth son of Matlebjane II ruled in this area. This ended in becoming the seat and heart of Batau. The Batau ba Masemola were very fierce powerful people. Here the Batau gradually were assimilated into the surrounding tribes of Bapedi and Mphahleles intermarried with them. They also took the customs of Bapedi of taking their sons and daughters to circumcision schools usually on the mountains or tight far away forests. The Batau were eventually literally called Bapedi. Many people today can not differentiate the Batau to the Bapedi as the have same customs. Batau even today are still called Barwa (Southerners). This name was given to them by Bapedi because they came to Lepelle coming from the southern direction.
BATAU BEFORE SEOKODIBENG
According to the book, Setlogo Sa Batau, Batau people were originally Swazis under the clan name Mlangeni. The clan Mlangeni broke away from the mainline Swazis and stayed in Wakkerstroom. This breakaway probably happened during the late 1100 A.D. Before 1100 A.D. the Batau were by blood pure Swazis. And if the reader wants to trace further the history of Batau people or Kanyanes before Christ, he or she should study the history of the Swazi people concentrating on Mlangeni clan.
This study will only focus at the Batau as they have broke away from the mainline Swazis.
The Batau people are called Batau because they respect (not worship) Tau (Lion). But before they respected the Lion they originally respected the Sun (Letsatsi/langa). While staying in Wakkerstroom around 1100 A.D. and under the leadership of Ngwato they changed their respect from the Sun (langa/letsatsi) to Nong (Hawk) by that time Nong (Hawk) was believed to be the king of the birds. Now compare this respect for Nong (Hawk) with the opening line in the Kanyane praise poem and the question of the origin of the Kanyanes will be put to rest. As already stated, the opening line in the Kanyane praise poem reads:
Re bana ba bo Nong e thomo Ratsoke
As I reflect on this I am amazed of the power of oral history as transferred from parents to children. I mean the Kanyanes as part of Batau respected Nong around 1100 A.D. And Monyamane Kanyane who was born barely 1942 is still clutching and holding on, after a history spanning nearly 1 000 years? Amazing!
AS WE CONTINUE DIGGING DEEP IN THE HISTORY OF BATAU
The Zulus in middle 1800?s were powerful people. Their tactics of war (developed by their king, Shaka, as we shall see later in this study) were highly advanced to that of African nations combined. Wherever they went, the Zulus were heartless merciless killers; on the center of southern Africa, there was Mzilikazi who brutally killed and destroyed the Batswana. Another Zulu warrior, Soshangane was roaring and advancing the Bapedi and Batau territories. Other Zulu warriors were reigning havoc slaughtering; killing people in now what is called Mozambique. People all over southern Africa were terrified because of the Zulus. Mzilikazi,after destroying Batswana advanced north of Limpopo and entered the area now called Zimbabwe and mercilessly slaughtered the Shona people in a landslide killings and massacre. In Lesotho the Zulus came and before destroying the Basothos, Moshoeshoe ? the king of Basotho?s – escaped the Zulus up the mountains with his people. And when the Zulus tried to climb the mountains to get to the Basothos, the Basothos pushed and rolled huge mountain rocks down, crushing the Zulus to death. The battle between the Zulus and Batau/Bapedi took place at Tubatse. There, the Zulus mercilessly slaughtered many many Batau and Bapedi people. There in Tubatse the Zulus killed Batau and Bapedi like flies! Ijoo Nnaa!!! Such murder, such slaughter! It was the first time in their history that Batau people met such merciless cruel killers, the Zulus. With the Zulus, you cannot raise your hands and surrender or give in. It was in the Zulus? plan of war that no enemy should escape the Iklwa, their sword. After this war with the Zulus, many Batau were displaced disorganized for the first and now you find them all over southern Africa. Nevertheless the a large chunk of them is still living in ga Masemola, ga Marishane, ga Phaahla, Mphanama, Tibane, Nchabeleng, Manganeng, Malatane and Moopong.