"

~ Silas olema and Stepben Lefenya to protest to Higb Commie ioner~Henr,y

Loch in Cape TOWb , but all in v in . That boundary line has re 1ned virtually unchanged to tb1 d~ t belng l1ne from hur Pan t

bete westward over Kgoro Hill nd further weetward until it atr i k 8

the olopo River , The area included between th t l1ne and the Ramatlabama nd then olopo River represents the Barolong Territory in the Beohu8n8land ProteotDrate .

As far back a 1884, the chief ontahi a had, in imitation of bis n phew .Tsbipinare - , fu rok ' a successor at Thab o~o - oonceived the plan of dividing the 1 nda of the Tabidi olong 6~ bot h sides of

, of th~ Ramatl b a into priv to farms . on the sou . B1gh Commissioner Robinson and. 'Administrator idney bip rd had oopsistently obstructed

, ,

hi • and exp~ic1tly prejud1qed the issue wben the chief ' s wishes were pl oe4 before the lan4 Commiss1on whioh 'set t !keng in January

nd y 1886, th~ Righ Co saioner d~11vering himself of th ~d~ . . statement th t he w s "personally unt vourabl "to 110wing natives

'.. • J , ,~ t. ' .

to hold fanda OD inclividual tep,ur It ,vi w which has b OOlp6 • om tic in South 'Air1can t:t ative Aff~s," ..6n the uat n Ue Founds and

•• • • • ~ I

t 'ereotyped xou e th t rioans are Dot uffici Dtly aAv oed for th ",t "r~~bt , as indo d for ny ri6ht. " '

On· the Qorth of, tbe amatlaba • the nd nQ~th-we8tern boundary of the Eerolon

diaRute with the Bangwaketse chief t oen tied Montehi" ' s b nds , but as soo~ a thi

lca~

orthern the, chronio

tioD ,

defi.ni to line" dr n , between the ngYl etse , ,~olong in 1892, ontshi a set ab ut to ivide the rolong t rrt~~ ioto

~

ep rate fa~ms . It i little no1 ve of 432 square miles . He h d th~ 1 0 carefully surveyed by H. P. shtoD and divtde . ~ to 4 f r s of bout 3 . 000 morg 0 ,e oh. Th e he lloted 1n , . rob 1895 0

incUvidual memb r of hi trib s __ lJertif1c t S oi OCCup$t'ion dr WD , \

up by Attorney De Kook ad ock of afikeng n pPX"oV'~d by th High Commissioner Sir H nry Loch. The 0 rtifio$t s conf r stor 1

" ' gr1cultural nd re ident1al right upo the holder , $Qd e subj ct to the oondition that these right cannot aliena ad exe pt to

~ . noth r member ot the Barolong tribe . They regist~re in tb

~o;;:::v 'I ~.: I~ Jt.id-"5-1,/tl1£\S~ D ,!s Office at Vryburg ~,,~ IJI!-b A/ t lN"'­" fl.Ct. ' u;{ - J&#\;~I<,

The obj at, of the e gr nts was t~ fold" namely to I pr IV Dt the land fro belng alien t to forei f3r t espeoiallT ' ropeaDs , to reward eD who h d served th tribe ith d1 tinot~on . and to . , endo heritage on Chief ootehi a ' s own SOD~ nd ne r rel tives . These grants were difin1tely bd d 1iberately made to in iViduals

a such . and not as trustees for the trib or seotions of it • They are subj ct to the ordin ry laws (1;e ith8 or4illar) laws» :t inheritance

nd have invariably so descended from f ther to son or next of kift in the male line for the 1 st sixty ye ra , even though, theoretio l ly

. ,tho ••••••• /

the farms .ceverts to th Chief on tho death ;'of the grantee. (A. 5111ery: The Bechuanal nd otectorate pp, 174-115)

(Lord Hailey: tive dministr tiOD in the British African Territoriel) rt V. pp . 255 ... 257)

. ' .. ~ ~ ; It 9 shortly after ontsh1w h d thus disposed of the rolong

territory in the Protector te into what as 0 c 1 d l3e.rolong farms th ·t it fell into the t entaol a of Rhodes and his myrmidons.

To destroy Rhodea nd his protege f the gods pl81'ed riotously and rogui bly into ,hi h ad by providing that his 'represent tive shoul d inv$1glo Ikanong , and e peo1811y ontshiwa 'to c,e de their territories to the Chartered Company in October 1895~ fhe possession of , ontsh1wa ' territory provided J 9't1le on with a jumping-off ground

t M beta or Piton Photloko, three mil a fro tb Transvaal border, for his notoriou raid. Other ,fata.llyf voul" ble Circumstances were the n xation of the Orown Colony of 'British Bachuanal.flnd to the C pe -Colony at this ti e t C using more or 1e dminiatratlve

4..- & • diarupt~on ! and oonfus10n t 1 fikeng, circumst Dces l.tlseparable from nr chan e~over. nd f8vc~raole to 8ny 11lgit1 ate r1 ,the yes bd mind of th dlninistr tioD, being turned south.

Then, as if the go h d not 1 vished enough f avours on their beloved Rhodes nd J meson, some 200 of the echuanaland Border Polioe

IV ,/; . w re conven1 ntly se bled at a.f1~n - 'Y Sir le Robinson '.a ord rs to b ther disbanded, and l~Q of the and their. offic ra were at onoe napped up by Ja eeon to eulargehi s force bieh was being moved fro Eul wayo to Pitsana Photloko. Thi foroe eonsi ted ,

... t· .. ,

~:' ,. of 250 en wi tb 293 borse f 168 mules~ 6 m 1ms an 2 t1~ldpl ces .

Jameson had oome do to P1toana Photloko early in ovember. ostensibly, and evon demonstrably t eo Gnee ~ttt ,,~ ties ~ R o1dent Collllnissioner of Southern B cbu neland Protectol"9te~ but 11t rea11 ty

to make tin~' P . ations for his inoursion into the Transvaal .

On the night of th 29th Dace ber 1895, eeon, .Sir J, W1lloughby, Colonel Ra1iegh Grey aod Jor obertite t the h ~

of . force numbering nearly 600 cro d the r ns~ al. order to r 14 .1ol1anneaburg. t r trave" . iog , out 150 ml'.'fffs h y ere surrounded and d f ted .by General Piat GronJe t »orfnkOP'O ar Xrusersdop. Their lUdic;Jous tfortnded in more ludioroUs t1 sco •

. The Jameson Raid put the :British Governm 011 oonspicuously in th wrong. It pI ced them in awk ard posl tioD Wi t h reGard to

...,. -. -- .. - _ .. - --= the .T~aDavaal, It bea m dift'1cul t and eveQ impos.d1 ble for the off icials at Cape To Xl aDd at the Colonial Office 'to prove their nOD~comp1101ty in the plot, 1 t lone their i~ oranoe of it .

In t he end. the Imperi 1 Govern ent h a. .to rev1se its opinions ' about tbe w1 dom of entrusting the :British South Afric Compan with such enormous adminiatr tive powers . The GoverJjm~mt ' ther efore

reversed •••••• • ••• /

. :

reversed its intention • Bnd repudi ted it. promises to the Comp ny . which h v1ng lre dy lost 3ur1adict1on over the 1 ~ds of Sebole . Kb nd thoen by the vigil eEl of those ohief's,' no forfe1't dtho bal, noo of Bschu8Daland Proteotorate W ioh it was intended to oede to them, 1ncludingthe bro strip of land bot eon the r ail y n4 the estern frnsva 1 border ~out hie the exalt blo 'Dr. uthertord H ria bad tri ph nt11 Wired to Od,ea but fortb1..ght before -"Ther i no n t1vedministratlon bet e n you(i.e . tho r 11w8Y) nd the Tranava 1; you are the bord r BtlthGri ty. i\ t ,the s ~ ~iQle t, the

oclamation oeding the land of Ik g and Mot ba to the Charter d Co pauy w s revok 4 by Doth rand oppo ite instrument.

,!rbus the British outh Af~ic Compatly, whioh was. up to eptemb r regax-ded B , be 1 thy nd :'t"aluable eolon °a:ng age oY, ' as

now $ , e 1n the words of arah 11 Hole, e dapge~ouB beG those . claws must be out without d 1. y. " (B. H. Holel id p . 277)

Th J eson Rid, 1 , UDohe 80 U ple.10usl endd ost ignom1Dous-.1ft "At h rdly p.282).

the beg1nn1n everything went rIght. · t the end there s t~1ng that ~ailed to ~o wrollg."{Sar h G~ ' lin: :Rhode

1896: :At the end of aroh, 0 tsh1 -t s Oh noellor ;':. Isrei . 101e 1ed f rom chronio ullt wou d in the lung received in th 1 at

battl - T1gele - between the 130er nd the ro16bg on .th 31st . - -~

. July 18&4, At the customary . obituary m et1ng t tile gotl fter the fUQer 1 ceremony, onts i" paid ov1ng tribute to th · ceaset tn memor bl ddress whiob filled the tr.1be with w • and was rep ated for any y aft r the. ch1 1 f h elf ha(f" pasae<i. RecQunt1ng the cal :1 ties th t h d r e ntly Vi 1 te,4 the ~r1be in .'. I · , "

SUO:l tr .ai,c UOCOS ion he s id t aj g tb wif ~nd. eOtn~" !;'t on of youth · ~n nhoo4 is gone, . uti though I till halte junior Wiv s

living to Bol co e. I in f at eaping Wi 0 er.' '&b~epil~ 'my eldest son nd pride of rq hetlr,t 1s gone. upon wbQIn my :

hi .st hopes re oent red 'to 1 ad thi ' tribe of!bb1d1 ,in tbe · q 's o~ 1 ts Dcient oestors t ok etei T1f3 mother~ . b*O.th· r • ...

uDcle, nd my oraole 1 gOb" 4 by hi d th I e .'0:0 h~ve , ,

buried mother Sebudio for ' t e s cond t1 I d n'o s '

h d al 0 left e , Ir eJ. ' light nd your light, ' . . ; , """\ i. .' f

last. ' dviser who remaiu d to comfOI' - sol ¢ me "in ' t , sa gri ·voue ~ ." ~'; ! • , • < > • I '{ !.:, ' . ~. ~

10 se t 18..:'$81 to he Ia1n11 ow position as, (qh1.e,!Jf this ~r1b t I • " . iDd 4 for v~ry life. or- this f1kena ,3 , '. ole ' s own 'to ':.. ad should bOW be I~l" '. 1 * s ' -the ehief ,heir . ~d '~ucce'ssor of ' ~le ' ':,.. As for life. you 11 ' now h~w h rEf SOU' '4 . "/, 'at the

,. ."( , \ I. :l J .~ '.;"

risk of his own lifo hell I s surrounded by the SODS 0"1 Iia;pul n , t • ' !' A! "

in t-be battle of ga-Sebuba in ,1881. His very death no,,: ' I~ it I ~. • • i ,f'r "': 1\"; •

his 1.,iB8 down his ,llfe for me and for !OU' - ' t«? reaoue not due tf) ', .. ,' '

us fro the dull yoke of a bloodthirsty f .oe ?

, " fomore ..... .. / '

,I

4nore ill you he r his voice in the council meetings . nd in t ·ne ' kgotla.· Ther will be no one no to criticise me and to correot me .he~ I err 10 my old ge I m left alone s a tree st nding in ~he pl in by itself, beaten and buffetted by cold wind, wild storm and death-dealing lighting. Like uch a tree I am without 1 vest 1 am bare, I am naked, I dried up: am I left thus lone? Chief ontshi as much d1stressed nd a c rr1ed w y from the kgotla speechless cd 1n fit of uncontrollable emotion, n4 w a Dever uit hims It g in until he follo ed his pr~me miniater 'six months after rds.

arly 1n 1896 vi rule t c ttl plasue . rinderpest d 01 red itself among t e bovine popul t10n 1n on~sh1w ts district. The diae se b d b en kno to exist in A yssini a early s 1890', nd had crept south to Cantr Atric, being conveTed by large g

buff 10 t elnds, bok. h tebeeat· nd other rum1n t ntelope. It h d th n be D OODv. y d further outb by tr Dsport ani ~ . us 4 by, hunters nd tr dere until it r che Rhodesi. enc its spread r pidly int o chu n land. deoimating hundred of thousands of ca tle. The ngw to of me nd th ir ff111 t tribes alone are a id to have lost over million nd h If cattle. hile· n

, '

e ti te, prob b1y ex g erated puts Kbama' persona~ loases at 750,0 0 "(G. 1e uur: Cecil Rhodes. p 129). In d f1 nc of oordone, quar otioee nd inooculat10D, the infection pre d through the o pe Colony c using such enormous 10 es a to ke 1896 ~ epoch

(

year of economic collapse. Amon~ the rolong of ontshi , many men reg rded as Itby s po sessing 1 rge herds o~ cattle, were 1 ft 1th only a stack of hides , the luckiest beio left 1th but a haodful of cattle. ontshi himself the 1 rg t owner

on the Barolong e w hi self re uced lmost to a of beggary in his old o. ,

It .is so a tot, bo ever, that some urop ouI tor 1n nd roun f1 ns bee e Ell thy b this outbre k., ,oontr ctor

in oordon or buying in lots of qu r tine 0 ttle for sODg, illflate4 rices • .. --The rail. y a ayo had Dot en compl t. , and merchand1e , d prov1 ion for t e north had to be carr! 4 y ox-. gons. ssr io - - co platel p raly e4 when teams of tr k ox n ere atroyed in their yok s along the 500 mile route to Eul 0 and S li bur.f, ~d 1n most c ses the agon. h d to be bando ed. DoDk 78 n4 ules c into d ad to repl oe drau t oxen. d were t 8 pr mium, donkey fetohing tlything from £6 to £12, and a mule £30 to £50. ny olong of ontshi a were eng ged in this luer tive bue1ne e.

CHA ER XV •••••• • /

CILAPfER xv !rHE CLOSE 0 EPOCH

The Tshidi Bar~long ere still at gering under the eooDomic blow of the r1 derpest when nother ntt or e cal ity befell th m..

i'or many months the chief ontshiw had been affected ith dro sy ~

nd as progreasiv 1y ·becoming w akar _ndAshort of ,~:r th 0 that he could not move about but sat day aiter day 1n 10 . 0 ir under

l'J., eyr1Dg~+ tree in hi kgotl surrou~ded by several 0

For about thro weeks now. his condition bad grown com:pelled to t ke to bed end it was clear that ,

be far off",

bis oounsellors . orae so that be

th end oould not

On the 19th October (1896) at a~out 9 o ' clock in the eve~ing the chief 41ed.,

I The royal oirel and oourty rd h d ' been crowded. with men of · 11 age-group or regiments for sev r al ys, hil ' r l ays of wo eb had' moved up nd do n asi s ting in the p rfom nce of ,domestic dut1 in and around lthe royal abode . The royal pl oe d be'en buz2iin 11 a

hive of bees. :But on this d ,although th number of men and omen had 1Dore d ny fold. an ominous il nce reigne t nd thought

excbange ss only by hi per, sign d geetur •

ound th dyi.n chieftain ere 111" wives - a shele an G dibusaQy ; his daughter Buku; his sons aele nd BadirileJ his broth ;rs ~eru an Saane, bis n phew--Iie oko. -t'fI - tho and os la . and hi oousin otlhw re ' nd Setumo hetlbu . ost of the men er~ . .

pr sent _ ith their wives. The Cbief w a p oeful, luci d in mind d maden eff ort to i)e jovi 1 d jocular, e al: ys, until the

vel'''' end. <,

In the aft rnooo th Rev,:J ri< Alfred S. Sh rp, ethodist ~i6s1on ry stationed 8 ong the rolong t ikeng baa b e s on d

t the chiet ' s re u st ,to shriv& him, n h (} administered tb · last . sacraments. manifestly under the stress of deep e 0 iOD . nd 'had . been thanked by the ohief, ho xpr sse hi s If e surrounded by glor¥. It a in the 1 te ev n1~g bout n1 e otelook h n the end , .. .

./

came - pe cefully. Those who wi t nes d th event .e>f th,at night ' could n ver forg t them. 0 sooner did th b 11 go round that the old · chief h d run hi mort 1 race a

, . siazed with par lYSis at . p Die, wbioh soon tollo of the Wil.(Jest emotion . ,. , , .

.' 1...' I ' ..

ike, the Egypti n and the :ts~a 1i~QS rolong of ont ·hi ~A ' s ti e were notorious for the wi1 ent tjPDSt the . frantic wailings , the hyst ric 1 ifestations n d 'Q~str tive m DDer in bich they express d their grief and mourned their e d .

(

Tearf ul, obbiu an d screaming omen. tossing 'and tearing thems Ives' 'i'!.C-

and blidnly falling s if bereft of their senses e~e to be een - everywhere · ····1

verywhere. They 1 in he ps on th roud, crying, gestioul ting, rolling and truggling in epilept1for e1ezures. or moaning, h1mper1ng ' n sp &king their misfortunes in h If-choking stscc to

voie nd ould not oomforted. Da~ed stuDned and ~1 f-strieken marl, sitting, at nding, slouohing or moving 8iml asly about in utter bowtlerment, or 0011 ete in m 11 knot nd peaking 1n u dertone ad b ted br th. , It was obviou tb t

h d befallen the . tribe.

All re depre sed. Fe r, melancholy nd disp 1r are written on every fae ; the tribe is h If'-p lysed ith cOQstern tion and a, aGd vell it might be, for it see d 'S 1f so thing unnatur 1 had happene. Children h d b en born whila ontshiw ' S ohief; they had grown up d b com men and omen an th mselve beget ch11dr D, aDd ontshi till chief of th ' m gre old nd died, ad still ont-shi s ohi f. ontshi seem d to be un~;ng. everl sting_, ti'-e.l

It w s inor dlbl that he s ow de d. riD his 0 life. he w s lre legendary f1guce, In hi I1feti e he ae alr 4y

almost n oijJect of deification I it any wonder that for the hymn

wame 1-"" i;' fjht~r'o Ilk,,;;! ru' . ~l"JtJio,f-~o~~rJ:~ ? .

T ke~OJU"I 'JLb comforte.d~ttB( ~-:~ ~'.t' ~/ p x£eZP.-Pff-. /Lr..c-..f'/ '~or by R ea er 7 t ~oi eth. g ote • 0 tl go thusa

" • .. J~ •

any l3arolong unconsc1ou ly sang /JL f~'lecr9 1~eJi7'1) /~ ~o.2~

i:= kg ots , kgaotsa 0 awe r' y ntwhiw 0 sa bus ~ ~ake cour • b comforted 0 my soul "tor ontshiwa atil ~

30 - ~ JY'~JJkr~~~.u ~9 1(, c - ~l!W-~vr~rChief. ;..J. - ~ MP1V/!.kt.~ ,a ~~. $.t.w# ~ ,-

Pires ere de at tb Boy 1 kgotl acoording to an undying ...- ...;

custom and round bl zing loge of ood, en t, reclined or slept through the night, nd ere to do so for thirty days to e p ceremonial . vigil ove~ the resting- pl ~ nd r s of be dep rt d monarch.

These se n s' ere r ~ ted -at the funeral in the roy 1 c t lefo14 ,----

on ednesd~ th 22n4 of October. rom all p rts of ehuen .1 nd . ,~

immense cro or p ople c e to p their r spects to,. the e or7 of tbe great chieftain d arrior who had epitomised Ts ana thou bt, symbolia d fs. n p triarchal and o~al life, h d repre ented

definite er in Taw a history.

Pr Dt were n rly 1 tbe chief , prince ad dign1tari s of kfw~~.

the v rioue, section of the roloag trib s, Chief osheter Chief Letlhogile of G nyes • Chief Phoi of ot itl n nd their near reI tiveSJ also chiefs nd princes of oth r Bats ana tribes in Southern nd Worthem chuanaland s ell s in the Traneva and the Oran e e St te - Chief olal okurwane of T UDg, Ohief Sebele of the Bakwena, Chi f Bathoen of the ~agweketae t Chief Lkalaf ng of the Bahurutshe Chief T w ne orok of Theba leho . rom the

,uropean •••• • • • • 1

~ , . " ' .," .

urope n town of f king oame tb Resident Co i iODe~\ ton of the chuaD 1 od otector tet glstr t G org J ' , ost ster Flo er, ttorney Sp D er nchin, Attor y •• de ock, J . inter

yor of the To , es ro • PaddoD , f. dgar owl ndttJ cobs , S. il , and many oth r . The sl n communtty as repr s nted by H djee H ssa A.H. ob, Is ail od while the r trican8 the 08 people from the feking ubto c iQ .full force. oonoour filled the roy 1 circl until ,th re s DO standing roo hen the gre t

chief as oommitt d to e rtb by Chri ti D rit B conducted by ,hi , mi ionary. ,It th nd of full lif t th chaptsr p ck d with 1 old t Bnd dr It

close of stirrin s t~e s tting of the

sun of t~ olo,ag. R XVI

' T su Like 11 peopl , the Obief ontsh1 w a product of his tim S f

bie heredity and hi e v1ronment. nd h d hls ' f ir share of hum n virtu nd hum vice. Be a n of po erful personali ty n4 strong ~onv~ct1ona th t ttr ct dome cd repell d others. Among his people h COD idered 1nd. g berou ,for ving, cour geou8 shrew od a1mous H loved 1 r of p tri ch ociety, true fath r of hi s peop! • bumerou ll-ver ed io

T aDa 1 nd u g . ut vi ed 1n the light ad e sur d by , the at ndards of the 20th C ntur.f sohools, colleges ad c thedral of an alien ci Vilisation with its strange soc1 1 systems nd or 1 t nd rde , h sav ge; superstit1~ust prev r1cating, dye .

Dner , D un poly

law t opinion , usages 'tt ated heathen , amist of tb . de pest

It must b remembered th~t 1 penn th 19t oentury hich was itself t ilight if not dark to many Europa DS who today claim to be 1n th van of civili ' tion and progress .

P' ically ontshi S 1'1 of aver ge h tght. or as ,tho D S

would say - he n 1 ther short nor tall . AS h a d a full rou cs ( dark-bro n in colour . slj i htly pock- Qr d t ith f ir orop of moles , S,na ( iD J.att r ye s) ori a-crossed by any wrinkles and cross d by

uncommonly d ep furr o 0 fold of skiD hicb gave him ~be ~ppearBDoe of 110n , and lso th n m of "the lion of afi!! ng forest" (ta~

~ ' .' ya sekgw sa aiik ) ~Corpul nt in 1 tar ye rs n ith a 1 rge

~ :

~otrUd1bg abdoma a b f!t A ric chi f . hi eigbt ' s e ormou • ~~~ . ~ro~1m ti~g th t of the Zulu chief Dini ulu (400 l~ . )~ ,~~ result , }ic-::::.t:'hiS gait a ung inly. ! t : b c . e s~uffling 1E l ,tter ~ r~ . ~Q/,-" u..-~ ".,.".../ J,,( it1.Lf.:w'-~ 8'H/lfl., S IN~"-d'.L6-V. I'tMJ~ ~ 4-1+,l...~ ::r:..~dJ'f,-.:;..,.~ Lord J ee :Bryc8l\.met ontshi a to rd the ' end , o£ 1.895 , th t ~a~¥ . i ~ is year before his d ath. In hi orda - He fou d hi a1 tting

on a low chair und r tree 1 th idst of his huge v~ll e . dre s 4 in a r d £1 nel hirt , a p ir of corduroy trousers, nd a broad

1" •• ~ey felt h t with a jackal t 11 stuck in it for om ment . Hi short woolly h ir was hi te and his chocol te COti~d skin hard _ nd tougp .

II rt;<. j;, #ti· ,£ ;~~ l~t6:-~ ~ 4£~, ., Our-t 14, #- .co . ~ """'''\.I ~~ 1ca..L-.4 ~1tIC- ~ ~" ~)6M- . . - ~w..I"~A • J'!ltt~ .tI,,·I4-t:.L'.t:WI'A.' - 11ke • •• •••••• / tL~ #~~r:[, . . "1Z'~·:' ~~-r~ .kiIf£, j.~':;"""", ·/~~P 7.~/~. ·/J.r. Ck6-kr H<v ..;._t.- ~ .J .... ~"; ... I. ,.~-~ . .,--J" ~ tr " -v p ~ I ' ... __ ~uiiL: .,~J~ I/U<.,... .~ ~.~

If .. ,~

,,' ~ ... '

, .'

like that 0 rhinocero w s cro sed with a fret ord of tiny rinkles ueh as one eldo Bees on European face., He w proud , of his ge(85) nd r c 11 d the names of ' sever 1 ~ h overnors snd '

generals during the last seventy ye ~]; had ' peculiar defect ' of peach hich bee e more pronounc d 8 Ih o~e. older. It aa not

11 ping; to g1 v 1 t Dam on e might 0 ' lrv1 t .. hu hing" . He enunci t d t t ' s it itw 8 ' tj ' or ' fch ' as in child- or ·chooso·,

. - , an his t. S if it a ' h e, therefor A1s sing _would become "shing" nd his ' sell ' t hell ' . H spok on whos mouth is full of

silivs. , ,

hather this w' s genuine cong ' ital df ' ot or' just tactation it is diffioult to ' ' ay . Some of hi' rother ( • S aDa) and

I nephe s (e . sr . !rat1ntana ' otshe re ) h 4. or ffec~ed tbe same defect . , ~JV a.-Ut:(;~t~u.: ,

Such ffect t~on re fairly coon 0 g the Ts r1stocracy . In , ,

time th y bec co~d ' natur • = , .' .

A oh rming conver t10Dali t with ke Dense of hu our , jovial jocul r, un~r t Ding, ll-info , into ~iv, evinci g gr at Vit lit., of the mind. bre d. outspok 11 , t ti s provoo tiv nd o pabl of mord nt Wit. his mind s a repo itory 'of Ts ~an law, history, tradition cd ·mythology. Hi -t r s "equa 1e an we11-regtilat d. Hi lw s glo ed wb 11 be et pole who camo to see him, ltd h i D every. ord h d se d to COCle from his

5~""""t4l ·~ h art . Dr. 1 Holub, n ustr1en tr v llor who met ontshiw in 1873 says of him - plump . jon 1 looking n of bout 50 years ho inspired m ith confidence 1mm d1 tely. ". then gain b compares ,him 11 th other chi fs nd . say ·of soh 1 - "Althou h'lle the irst of

he :Batsw8n ing to profess Chri ti ratty , he he the reput tioD of ,

tandin lower in or 1 character thBn ~ any of the ~ . Hi northerly n ighbour am th present king of th~ Eangw to is ra~ked highest , our good friend ' ontshi beiDg asigned the second pl ce . tt(Seven Years in outh Afrio&) . or any y ars ontshiws ' easily the most

.I

famous ~s an chief, his fame exe ed~.Dg ev n th t I)f ~ echela of the ' • l • • •

Bakwena ho was discover ~ and widely pub11c1s d by r . ~~~ngstone .

It was not le s than that of Kh me of the ngwsto ho wtsl lioni ed by the miss10nsri s nd gents of the London i 10nary Society . ontshi a t,9 f h d 4i1'£ r nt, and ODe m y y oppoal to origin to

that of those t 0 ohief . Theirs a primarily due to ,their connection with church or Christian activities . It as the e sure of th ir asses m nt by foreign noral stand rde . ontahi a t s greatness on the otber h ndt is ,seen in his native or unoph1sticatod inde enous

-L J!Dd, the rugged strength of his character, his inflexible

d termin tion nd 111 po ar, nd hi pur ly fric n outlook n culture . These u 11ties are ho n n exe plif1 d by his iadomit ble

~ resistance tOAdetribal~s tion of hi peopl nd yp their subjugation in the face of military odds nd fOl'Plid bl en ~j.lies around him during many periods of his life; it is seen 1n the atr te of his retr ats and i thdrawals " hen to give battle ould .~ave boen

disa trous ••••• • • • !

I •

"

disastrous; it is proved in his re-capture and repossess ion of positions and fields which had been all but lost . It is exemplified in his stubborn resistance to the us~rpat10n of hst he considered his -rights , nd hi per iatanc in etending hose rights before the highest oourt •

It 50S th t terminationt illflexibil.:.ty ad constancy 1n his ch :-acter th t m de ont hi a steadfastly to uphold the faith . ad

tradi tione , the D tur - religion and an'cestore-worship of hi fore-. f thers. It is not too+far-fetched to a sum~ that hie opposition to alien faiths was di{at e' by }U.s sagacity to me s~~s tribal ff irs by a political standard and tribal public opinion , and not to pay any

, "

reg rd to the ,pr~teD 10ns of ",lew opinions' exce'pt '1 .. welf re of the tribe .

nd claims Qf any sec or the pre ohing so far s they could promote the present

At firs ontehi ' s view on religious $ t'ter accorded 1t h th~ pr1~eval ssumption tb t 8 person*s best religion i ~hat of his oountry, and he ould lmost seem to h va rec 1v. the el s iel dvicc of eac.en" fO Oct vius Co ser - "worship the gods' aocorc1ii'\g to the rites of our own oountry~ Pursue ith 'h tre and punishment tho e who 1ntroduo fo ign r ligions, for entic thera to use fore! 1 w, ne henoe 1 e eonspiraci , oc1 ties nd' ameblies , t hings very uns~i ted to a homogenous empire."~ . Leoky: History of '

, .s.""trV · uropean J orale) . Or ~ontshiwa ight have re d ene carte:

" ~....\ • ~ t· '. .• ;.. .,' .. •.• .J

"Our roligion should not be ' aoq1.ltr .. '; ;' .. '.t.h~ ~" t:e; a e. of others t but bould e worked out by ours lves It 1s 'not to be borro ed from oti uity. but it is to be diaeovere-dby each mind. It is Dot

" \ . '" . ~.

traditional , but person 1 . "

, At t'irst ontab1w pur Qe .. the, f"rs't Cnri t1an8. Of ,his trib with implaoable hostility, r~s1 e~ all manner , ~f spiritual innov tio

.' , IlDJ~~~f;J.;.'I' ,t,h . 'fore-front.1i r . e.outirlg, them in . D.o· t . m 'a anner , .. : ' I ..' f'. • , • , ~ , • • (', •

s tbe most dilig nt of the Roman , -emperors perseCUted the early .- • , i

Christi n church. ' As in 0 e and the provinces , the 'Per'se~ut10D after , 0 flaring up nd now abating first oe s d . nd ' th.e Christians ' ere ! toler ted ith their ' du 1 loy 1t1e8". rid then evebtu lly the' faith I '.

T.\.90j!'>'Ir,~ 'M:, 10 £ 1 cO~Pt~d '.'.. . · c.Q~aged:r th~ , . uwe~\C~~;1Q~ . ti'ne' \ himself .

, . ' ~ -c- j 1, '. '. f'. i \ •

. , salutary ch nge in ontshiw . s attitude to ards the Christian

religion took pl c early in 1882, shortly after 'the ' de th 'of his evangelising brother olem " whose efforts to teaoh the Barolong 'he had stes fa tly opposed. 0 ont hiwa befriends the preaohers of the ospel , DO he nnounoed a charter of religiOUS liberty. now he or ered the Barolong Christian lea era to y prayers at the royal Kgotla especially b fore the embarking of tho tribe upon any mo ea toua issues . The chief even nominated Setlhakony n'e selw Dyans. olema ; s le ding isciple to be' the royal ch plain. and re ueste~ he v~t;pp

o e atkins , Ch irman of the lesleyan 'ssionary Society in the "

Tr navaal to send hi a resident mission ry . and in the same year(1882 :

gave • • • •••• /

Collection Number: A979 Silas T MOLEMA and Solomon T PLAATJE Papers PUBLISHER: Publisher:- Historical Papers, University of the Witwatersrand Location:- Johannesburg ©2012

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