Batlokoa

Batlokoa is one of the three main Basotho tribes/clans who speak Sesotho, the other two being Bakoena and Bataung.

This tribal name occurs in all the three South African Sotho languages i.e. Sesotho, Setswana and Northern Sotho. Each of the tribes has no known relationship to the next and the names occur in different spelling variants. The Setswana variant is spelt Batlôkwa and its pronunciation is the same as the Sesotho one, while the Northern Sotho variant is spelt Batlokwa pronounced 'ba-dwogwa' by the speakers.

The Batlokoa [Basotho] recorded history is linked to the famous Queen Mantatisi

Queen Mantatisi (1781-1836):

Queen Mantatisi (1781-1836): Commander of the Batlokoa (The Wild Cat People Ma-ana-Nkwe Leopard not the Tiger) of Southern Africa Perhaps one of the most well-known and feared women military leaders during the early 19th century was Mantatisi who was born the daughter of Chief Mothaba of the Basia in the Harrismith District of the later Orange Free State. She became the wife of Mokotjo, the chief of the neighboring Batlokoa. Mokotjo died while their son Sekonyela was still to young to take over control of the chieftiancy. As a result Mantatisi assumed control and acted as regent for Sekonyela.

Reports claim that Mantatisi was a tall attractive woman who bore her husband four sons altogether. After her husband's death a series of military encroachments by the AmaHlubi clans who were fleeing their homes in neighboring Natal. According to historians of the region, Mantatisi commanded the Batlokoa into the Caledon Valley where they drove out the more peaceful Sotho clans living in the area. Her troops seized the crops and cattle of the people they attacked leaving a trail of destruction and devastation.

Her reign of military conquest extended as far as central modern day Botswana. At the height of her military and political power her army was estimated to contain forty thousand fighters. However, she eventually suffered a series of defeats beginning in Bechuanaland in January of 1823. Peter Becker describes the developments during this period when he states that:

"Meanwhile Mantatisi was approaching with forty thousand men, women and children. It was January 1823, the time of the year crops were ripening and food was usually plentiful. But the Wild Cat People were compelled to live frugally, for so great had been the chaos brought about by lifaqane in general and the plundering of Mantatisi, Mpangazita and Matiwane in particular that entire tribes had vanished from their settlements even before they had tilled their fields in preparation for planting. Indeed, the Central Plateau swarmed with hunger-stricken stragglers and small, detached parties of bandits. Apart from roots, bulbs and berries, there was little food to be found in the veld, certainly not enough to feed so large a horde as that of Mantatisi."

Nonetheless, the most prosperous of the Bechuana chiefs, Makaba of the Bangwaketsi, made a firm decision not to surrender to Mantatisi without a struggle. The same above-mentioned author, Peter Becker, continues by saying that:

"Meanwhile, the old Chief had decided not to surrender to Mantatisi without a fight. He called up every available warrior, garrisoned every pass leading to his capital, and with the guile for which he was famous, prepared traps into which he planned to lead his aggressors.

"Since her flight from the Harrismith District Mantatisi had managed to brush aside all opposition in the teritories she traversed, but now in the stifling bushveld of Bechuanaland she was to come face to face with a foe whose fighting forces were as numerous and also better fed than those of the Wild Cat People. The vanguard of Manatisi's army strode into ambuscades; large groups of men topped headlong into concealed pitfalls and met their death beneath volleys of barbed javelins. A battle broke out, in the course of which hundreds of the invaders were massacred. Before the situation could develop into a rout Mantatisi suddenly disengaged her armies and retreated with her hordes to the east. Thus Makaba became the first Sotho chief to repulse the formidable Wild Cat Army, and to this day he is spoken of as the 'Man of Conquest.'"

After Mantatisi's son Sekonyele reached maturity he took control of the Batlokoa social structures and military. Eventually they would be conquered by the Basotho King Moshoeshoe I. In the work known as "Chronicles of Basutoland: A Running Commentary on the Events of the Years 1830-1902 by the French Protestant Missionaries in Southern Africa," a correspondence from church operatives in Basutoland stated the following in regard to the fate of the Batlokoa under Sekonyela the son of Mantatisi:

Batlokwa [Batswana]

Gaborone sheds light on Batlokwa history 29 March, 2006

GABORONE - Did you know that the tiger nkwe used to be Batlokwas totem before they adopted thakadu or ant bear, as the alternative? This came to light during an event dubbed Voices of the Ancient, hosted by Oasis Motel was intended to regenerate some cultural aspects and moral suasion among others by story telling and traditional cuisine. The event focused on the Batlokwas history and their traditional beliefs and norms and had brought together elders who were proud to share with the audience Setlokwa and other experiences which have been part of their daily chores. One of the elders Kgosintwa Gaborone took the audience through the cultural journey of Batlokwa, their origins and traditions as well as how they came to adopt Thakadu as their totem. While Batlokwa originated from South Africa along the Mogale Mountains and Pretoria, they adopted Thakadu as their totem, following the dugout wells by the ant bear, which salvaged them for their water needs while in the wilderness after defeat by Basotho who drove them out of Lesotho territory. He said they had joined Basotho in Maluti following tribal wars and the final division ofBatlokwa into two groups in Polokwane-Petersburg. He said while in Lesotho they were requested by King Moshoeshoe to pay tax and pledge allegiance to Basotho king, which Batlokwa defied. We rejected the notion and this led to skirmishes between us and Basotho, in which we defeated them during the first round of the skirmishes, but they got us in the second round and routed us completely. While in the wilderness we were thirsty and starving. But we found a catch of the daywater from the many holes dug by thakadu, the totem since. Batlokwa then started drinking from such holes and since then they decided that nobody should harm the ant bear and must be protected at all costs, he said. He said during that time Mmakgosi was expecting and after drinking water from one of the dugout holes, she gave birth to a son who was named Marakadu. He said that Marakadu was named after the thakadu - the saviour, adding that since then Batlokwa agreed to change their totem from nkwe to thakadu and that is how they became dithakadu as they are known today. Shedding light on the Batlokwa royal lineage, Kgosintwa said Marakadu then begot a son called Mosima, a hole dug by thakadu from which they obtained water. Mosima then begot a son called Motlhabane - who begot Mokgwa - a savanna shrub under which Mmakgosi delivered. Mokgwa then begot Taukobong. The name was chosen because there were no blankets and they opted for animal skins to keep warm. According to Kgosintwa, Taukobong had three sons from different wives named Makaba, Molefe, and Tshekiso. He said that this was the time when Batlokwa were at Itlholanoga - the snake eye, near Rustenburg. While Makaba died without children, however he had engaged a woman called Nkae and to keep the royal lineage growing, Molefe from the second wife was called in to father children for Nkae. Molefe then bore three sons in the house of Makaba, namely Bogatsu, Phiri and Semele. Traditionally, the children were not his but his elder brothers Makaba. Molefe became the regent chief because Taukobong died while they were still young, he said. However, when they had matured, Phiri suggested to his brother Bogatsu that they should take over the chieftainship from Molefe. Kgosintwa said this created enmity between the two with Phiri constantly plotting to kill Molefe. He said that sensing danger, Bogatsu then instructed Molefe to choose two of his favourite wards and ran away. In his determination to kill Molefe, he said, Phiri pursued and attacked Molefe but it was Phiri who was defeated and killed. Molefe did not return to Itlholanoga but continued with the journey until they arrived in Botswana where they asked for a piece of land from Kgosi Sechele, he said. However, the relationship became sour when Sechele approached Batlokwa to join forces with Bakwena to fight Bakgatla. But Batlokwa refused and fled to settle at Moshaweng, now called Tlokweng, he said. BOPA

References

1 Military History Journal - Vol 1 No 3A comparative study of strategy in bantu tribal warfare during the 19th centuryby Dr. PETER BECKER 2. Interview with one of the Ba-tswana elders Gaborone by