It was in August 1869 when Kgosikgolo Kgamanyane decided to migrate with part of his people from the Transvaal in South Africa to Bechuanaland. Apparently Bakwena of Bechuanaland “had already invited him on several occasions to enter their territory, reminding him of the time when the Bakgatla had helped them against the Bangwaketse at Segeng and received in return a promise of land (Schapera 1942)”.
I would like to take a look at another of Kgamanyane’s descendants; Kgosi Isang who was the son of Kgosikgolo Linchwe I. Following the death of his eldest son (Kgafela) in 1914, Kgosikgolo Linchwe I called Isang in 1916 to come and work with him at the kgotla as the Secretary since he was going to hold fort for the young heir. Kgosi Isang became regent on 5th October 1920 at the request of morafe and his father who has become ill and the heir (Molefi) was still young. Many of us grew up hearing stories of Kgosi Isang’s conflict with his brother’s son, Kgosi Molefi and never got to know more of his visionary leadership. However reading more of Bakgatla ba Kgafela’s historical literature as compiled by Isaac Schapera and other historians one gets to know of this visionary leader. Kgosi Isang’s vision whilst the regent was securing what he thought Bakgatla really needed. He was very particular with;1.
National pride and encouraged his people to speak pure SeKgatla. He ensured that old customs co-exist with modern Christian laws and rules. The morals of Christianity were what he admired and this made him support the Dutch Reformed Church financially and otherwise. He also forbade people from becoming beggars at the railway station or shop entrances. 2. Education for the minds of Bakgatla: he saw the need to build more schools and form school committees. He encouraged Bakgatla to send their children to school but people were refusing to send their children to mission schools. It was through the intervention of Kgosi Isang “that the control of schools should be transferred from the mission to a tribal committee” in which the tribe was represented.
In 1921 he engaged on a big project of constructing a school on top of Phuthadikobo hill and every member of his regiment (Machechele) and any man who was paying tax was expected to contribute an ox towards this project which was completed in 1923 and was named Bakgatla National School later Isang Primary School when Botswana got independence. Addressing Bantu Studies Circle of the University of Witwatersrand in 1933 Isang said;“…the people must have some insight of the world around them; understand the forces that encircle them closer and closer as time goes on, and enable them to react to these forces….. I had to start from the very beginning and build up the structure for this knowledge as a foundation (Schapera 1942:52)”3.
Material advancement of his morafe; especially in farming. Kgosi Isang encouraged Bakgatla to improve their breeds. It is said the present Bakgatla tribal administration farm called Bolo Kampa (Bull Camp) which was “a special Cattle Improvement Centre established in 1937(Schapera 1942)” was one of his initiatives. He also encouraged them to use modern farming implements and was very instrumental in finding markets for their produce; however he continued his father’s policy of controlling the selling of sorghum to prevent famine. He bought 8 farms for the tribe in Transvaal. Kgosi Isang felt Bakgatla should also be in a position to sell livestock to the Europeans in the Transvaal. Realising that morafe is faced with the problem of shortage of water, he initiated a programme of one man one ox and this contribution was expected from any taxpayer in the tribe.
The contributions collected were used to drill boreholes around Bakgatla territory and some of these boreholes are presently used by livestock syndicates.4. Protection of morafe: he was very protective against the European traders who just wanted Bakgatla to buy their goods and yet they didn’t buy from them. Kgosi Isang encouraged morafe to produce earthenware pottery and plates and insisted that battering be the mode of selling. It is said he gave no concessions to Indian businessmen to trade in his territory.It is said that when attending the Advisory Council in Lobatse, Kgosi Isang always took a prominent role in urging the Administration to understand the economic needs of Bakgatla and other tribes in the protectorate. He was instrumental in the installation of a small printing-press in Mochudi, the first of its kind in the protectorate.Kgosi Isang’s prominence in the Native Advisory Council meetings when it comes to speaking on behalf of his people appears in the minutes of 17th – 18th March 1924; Isang said: We found the prices of our grain very low and the storekeepers tell us that the railage is prohibitive. We ask that the railway be approached with a view to reduction of railwayrates, as even if we have good crops we getnothing under the present conditions.
The cost of sending local produce to the market was just making it difficult for Bakgatla and Kgosi Isang stood up to ensure that the colonial administration remedy the situation. He was very much interested in seeing Bakgatla selling their livestock to the Europeans in the Transvaal. The trading should be both ways not just Europeans selling to the natives. In pursuit of his people’s wellbeing, Kgosi Isang wrote a petition and targeted to submit it during the opening of Bakgatla National School on 30th July 1923. This was because the past two years Southern Africa lost a lot of its livestock due to rinderpest decease. The government of the Union of South Africa was very much against buying livestock from the Protectorate territories and this was why Kgosi Isang decided to write a petition to Prince Arthur of Connaught who attended the opening of the school to intervene.
In his petition speech Kgosi Isang said; We are a nation of cattle breeders and we depend on our cattle for food and clothing for our children, wives and helpless old people and to find the means of paying our taxes to His Majesty’s government. If this becomes law, we see no hope for ourselves as a nation, and we humbly pray that your Royal Highness should avert the threatened evil. We have sold them breeding stock freely and with good will to enable them to replenish their herds after some years of drought, so why they propose such harsh measures against us. Following his insistence that Bakgatla should produce quality livestock and be able to sell to the Europeans and produce enough grain for the market, the fruits of his efforts were visible in 1930 when Bakgatla held the first agricultural show in Mochudi. Three hundred cattle were exhibited, plus sheep, poultry, pottery and woodwork craft.
In his letter to the British government, the Resident Commissioner Lt Col Charles Rey said; This is the first native agricultural show to be heldin the Bechuanaland Protectorate. Imagine such backwardness. I have been egging them on to this for months, and have organised it themselves, a wonderful effort. Kgosi Isang also played role in advising his colleagues in Bechuanaland. It is said that when Kgosi Kgama III became a Christian he decided to do away with drinking of beer and wanted his people to stop brewing it. But other chiefs in southern Bechuanaland didn’t see anything wrong with beer, so in a letter dated 1st May 1921 Kgosi Kgama III wrote to Kgosi Isang informing him that he (Kgama) would like to boycott Native Advisory Council meetings until the Southern Protectorate Chiefs promised to give up beer. In response Kgosi Isang realised that there was confusion in making a difference between beer drinking and the government as an institution.
In his reply to Kgosi Kgama he tried to explain that there was nothing wrong with beer and Kgosi Kgama should not deny himself the opportunity to contribute to the administration of the Protectorate by boycotting meetings. On 17th June 1921 Kgosi Isang replied Kgosi Kgama’s letter; I understand what you say about liquor. I am a Kgatla and I say that European liquor and kgadi are not our native drinks, therefore it is very good to forbid them to our people. But as for our own native beer I see nothing wrong with it. It is not beer that governs nations, other nations that drink beer like the English, how have they dominated us? how have they dominated you, Chief? Does this not show that beer is not the government? Kgosi Isang argued that he will strengthen the Council by taking part in its activities so that ultimately it can effectively represent the aspirations of the black people of the Protectorate “including the Ngwato”.
He went on to say, “nationals progress by debating in Parliaments, and not by the absolute monarchy which you, Chief, are possibly seeking”. From the above situations one can say Kgosi Isang was one person who speaks his mind and a courageous leader who confronted issues head-on. It is alleged that Kgosi Kgama III was one of the respected and feared Chiefs in the protectorate. Kgosi Isang’s courageous stance was captured in the Minutes of Bechuanaland Protectorate Native Advisory Council meeting held at Mafikeng 6th – 10th March 1939. The resident Commissioner Arden Clarke Esq gave the Chiefs a note which set out a list of “noxious weeds” and wanted to find out if the Chiefs have ordered their people to destroy them since it was illegal to have them.
All of the Chiefs said they will order for their destruction except Kgosi Isang who tackled the issue head on: Isang Pilane: Your Honour, on this list is a particular item to which I would like to refer and which the tribes call “Sekgatla” (dagga) and the tribes want to know why it is detestable. We do not quite understand why it should be made an offence for this plant to grow because it has never killed anybody. When we first came into the territory from the Transvaal, our forefathers had this dagga with them.
Res Commissioner: Before anyone else tries to defend the growing of dagga, I would like to remind you all that under Proclamation 36 of 1922, it is a serious offence…..so I hope no more of you are going to confess to the commission of serious offences.Isang Pilane: We consider ourselves very lucky to have such a Resident Commissioner as you are Sir, who whenever you make a law, will always bring it to your people and consider it with them. But the Proclamation with regard to the growing of dagga was made without the knowledge of the people who were only told of its operation when it was in force. This stuff is used by the natives and not by the Europeans. You will understand me Your Honour that your predecessor made this law without consulting the natives who are using this, and we have all become criminals. If a full explanation of the undesirability of dagga were made we might be in a position to tell our people at home why there is an opposition to the use of dagga.
Unfortunately he never got an answer to his question instead the Resident Commissioner got angry with him for defending what he says is illegal substance. From all the literature I have read there is nowhere stated that Kgosi Isang wanted to refuse to vacate the Chieftainship seat. It is very clear that he has always known that he is holding fort for his brother’s son, Kgosi Molefi. It was during his regency that Bakgatla enjoyed the reputation of “being the most progressive tribe in the protectorate (Schapera 1942)”. In conclusion I would like to point out that one of his descendants who enjoys the respect of Bakgatla is Kgosi Mothibe who took over as Regent when Kgosikgolo Linchwe II was appointed President of the Customary Court of Appeal.
Many belief that Kgosi Mothibe if given a chance canassist Kgosikgolo in resuscitating the dignity of Bakgatla and their culture because like his grandfather, Kgosi Mothibe never created any problems forBakgatla when it was time to hand over the Chieftainship to the heir, Kgosikgolo Kgafela II.
