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25-657: The people who reside in Molepolole are called Bakwena , who are one of the eight major tribes in Botswana. The Bakwena Kgosi (Chief), Sebele I was among the three chiefs who went to England to seek protection from the British in the colonial era. Molepolole serves as the capital of the Bakwena . It was named after the Molepolole river. It is one of the largest traditional villages in Africa with

50-527: A hereditary kgosi (king), currently Leruo Molotlegi. Much of the terrain is rolling grassland. Farming was the primary occupation until the discovery of the Merensky Reef in 1925, which led to mining. The Merensky Reef, a foot-thick layer of platinum-rich rock in the Bushveld Igneous Complex , is part of the richest platinum deposit in the world. The Bafokeng people trace their history back to

75-420: A number of projects, and in civic administration and social services. These include: RBN has also recruited several manufacturing companies to Phokeng as part of a drive to expand the nation's exports beyond raw materials and natural resources. Before his enthronement, Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi set in motion the next phase in the development of his people. His brother, Kgosi Mollwane Lebone Boikanyo Molotlegi, paved

100-553: A population of over 73,102 people as of 2011. It lies 50 kilometres west of the national capital Gaborone and acts as gateway for exploring the Kalahari Desert . It has a large traditional kgotla and the Scottish Livingstone Hospital , is found in Molepolole. Ntsweng was the capital of Bakwena before they moved to Molepolole. Ntsweng is a historic site located a few kilometers southeast of Molepolole. The area

125-524: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bafokeng The Royal Bafokeng is the ethnic homeland of the Bafokeng people, a Setswana -speaking traditional community. The monarchy covers 1,000 square kilometers (390 sq mi) in the North West Province of South Africa . The capital is Phokeng , near Rustenburg . "Bafokeng" is used to refer to both the tribal grouping as well as

150-597: Is a Sotho/Tswana/Sepedi word meaning " crocodile ", the crocodile is also their totem ( seboko ). Earliest ancestor of the Kwena clan, Kwena, was a grandson of Masilo I, the King of Bahurutse clan around 1360 CE. Kwena and his followers settled at Tebang, now called Heidelberg . Around 1500 CE, Bakwena started spreading in the region, from the Lekwa River to Kalahari (Botswana) until settling at Ntsoanatsatsi (mythical origin land of

175-527: Is also Nampol Technical College which is a privately run tertiary institution. Molepolole is the home to many species of plants that thrive in the semi-arid environment. Bakwena The Bakwena or Bakoena ("those who venerate the crocodile ") are a large Sotho-Tswana clan in Southern Africa of the southern Bantu group . They can be found in different parts of southern Africa such as Lesotho , Botswana , South Africa and Eswatini . "Kwena"

200-1094: Is the home to a number of educational institutions that offers education from primary school to tertiary level. The tertiary institutions in Molepolole include Molepolole College of Education which offers diploma in education and Institute of Health Sciences which offers diploma in Nursing. Kgari Sechele Senior Secondary School is the only government-run senior secondary school in Molepolole and it offers Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE). There are 8 government-run junior secondary schools in Molepolole namely: There are 17 government run primary schools in Molepolole namely; Private schools include Bluebows English medium school which offers pre-school, primary school and secondary school and Kweneng International Secondary School. The other 4 privately owned schools are Shepherd English Medium, Al-haq English Medium, Kgomotso English Medium Primary School (now Regent Hill) and Emmanuel Adventist Academy (formerly Meadows English Medium) which offer pre-primary and primary education only. There

225-763: The FIFA 2010 World Cup games were played, and the Bafokeng Sports Campus, which hosted the England football team during the World Cup. The Bafokeng tribe (Bafokeng meaning 'People of the dew', or 'People of the grass') own a piece of land in South Africa's bushveld on which 150,000 people, not all ethnic Bafokeng, live. Oral tradition suggests that when they settled in the Rustenburg valley, it captured heavy overnight dew, holding

250-473: The "central cattle pattern", a conceptual model for the organization of settlements among southern Bantu, where the central placement of the kraal reflects the central role of cattle in the culture and ideology of the people. The Botswana Prison Service (BPS) operates the Molepolole Prison. Molepolole Police Station Scottish Livingston Hospital Mafenyatlala mall Molepolole Stadium Molepolole

275-503: The Bafokeng have always depicted their crocodile with its mouth shut. The Bafokeng's motto is a e wele metsing (idiomatically translated as "let there be peace"). The Royal Bafokeng Nation praise idiom is “MaNape a Tshukudu E naka le nthla E tlhabang e itlhabela” (literally translated as "Nape the Rhino, with a sharp horn, that pierces as it pierces for itself" South African expressionist painter Maggie Laubser (1886–1973) painted in 1945

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300-649: The Royal Bafokeng Nation a 22 percent royalty on all platinum taken from their territory and an ownership stake in Implats. The value of the Bafokeng's stake in Impala had tripled to more than $ 50 million by 2001. The Bafokeng receive annual royalties of approximately $ 63 million from platinum mining. Kgosi Leruo Tshekedi Moletlegi , the 36th recorded monarch of the Bafokeng people, was enthroned in August 2003. His predecessor

325-704: The Sotho-Tswana people) with the Bafokeng around 1580 CE. and it continues to the royal line of Lesotho. Kgabo II led a small group of Bakwena and crossed the Madikwe River and founded a tribe on the lands of the Bakgatla tribe (whose totem was the blue monkey) which they drove away, modern day Botswana. As the result of a split, several tribes like the Ngwato and Ngwaketse . This article about an ethnic group in Africa

350-474: The area and remained there until his death in December 1997. In 1925, the world's largest deposits of platinum group metals, such as platinum, rhodium and palladium were discovered on Bafokeng lands. Mining companies now pay royalties to the nation in exchange for the right to mine these metals. A court settlement in 1999 with Impala Platinum Mining (Implats), the second-largest platinum company in South Africa, gave

375-618: The land its members inhabit. The kingdom's current ruler is Kgosi (King) Leruo Molotlegi , who has reigned since 2000. The Bafokeng first settled in the Rustenburg Valley in c.1450AD, the presence of the ceramics in the area suggests the arrival of the Bafokeng in the Rustenburg Phokeng valley at about this time. Kgosi Tshukudu became the first king of a unified Bafokeng in 1750. Bafokeng gained greater international attention in 2010, owing to its Royal Bafokeng Stadium , where six of

400-448: The land the Bafokeng had occupied for centuries from white colonialists. Thirty-three years after Mokgatle's death, a part of the reef containing the world's largest deposit of platinum group metals were discovered under Bafokeng land. Owing to Mokgatle's purchasing of the land, the Bafokeng were able eventually (post apartheid) to claim royalties from platinum mining industry mines within the nation. Mokgwaro George Molotlegi (1936 to 1997)

425-505: The nation. The crocodile is the genealogical totem of the Basotho-Batswana people, who include the Bafokeng, and hence the Royal Bafokeng Nation. Thus the crocodile is an element in the RBN's flag. In the flag, the crocodile is moving towards water, which the Bafokeng people believe to be a sign of contentment. The crocodile is depicted by other Basotho-Batswana groups with its mouth open whereas

450-459: The promise that the land would be fertile and hence that the community would prosper. The Bafokeng struggled to buy the land, repelling invaders and imperialists as they did so. About 100–150,000 ethnic Bafokeng live in an area 150 km north-west of Johannesburg , South Africa, with the balance scattered primarily throughout South Africa. The Bafokeng have retained their unique cultural identity and traditional leadership structures and are led by

475-425: The ruins of what used to be Sebele II's office which is at present referred to as Mmakgosi's house. The ruins of that building are situated next to an area which used to be the royal kraal at Ntsweng but is now the royal cemetery. Several clusters of ruins seem to represent different wards. Analyses of the settlement layout and soil samples suggest cattle were often kept in the center of each ward. This seems to follow

500-454: The way for the initiative by proclaiming Vision 2020. This challenges the Bafokeng people to reduce their dependency on their diminishing mineral assets and to become a self-sufficient community within the first 20 years of this century, whilst also maintaining the Bafokeng culture. The main areas of emphasis of Vision 2020 fall into the following areas: Most Setswana tribes, like other South African tribes, selected certain animals to symbolise

525-423: The year 1140. Kgosi (King) Sekete III, who ruled in the early 1700s, was the first in the line of kings, of which the current Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi is the 15th direct descendant. Sekete III was followed by kings Diale, Ramorwa, Sekete IV, and Thethe. Then came arguably the most influential king in Bafokeng history: Kgosi August Mokgatle, who reigned from 1834 to 1891. Pooling community resources, he started buying back

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550-418: Was first occupied by Bakwena, led by Sechele I (ruled 1829–92), in 1864. It was abandoned in 1937 when Bakwena were forced to move to Molepolole by Kgari II, assisted by the colonial administrators. Ntsweng today consists of a large area covered with traces of occupation. Most notable are the patterns of stones laid on their edges that form house foundations which are still visible on the surface. There are also

575-566: Was forced to flee to neighbouring Botswana. Mangope then recognized Mokgwaro George Molotlegi as Kgosi of the Bafokeng. This situation prevailed until 1994 when Mangope was forced out of power when Bophuthatswana was reintegrated into South Africa. This enabled Kgosi Lebone to return to Phokeng and to once again lead his people. His return was marked by tumultuous celebrations, but they were short lived as Kgosi Lebone died in November 1995. The would-be Kgosi Mokgwaro George Molotlegi returned to his home in

600-625: Was his elder brother, Lebone II. Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi is the 15th member of the current dynasty. List of the most recent kings and their periods of reign: The nation has established a sovereign wealth fund , Royal Bafokeng Holdings, an investment entity in Johannesburg. The fund is responsible for overseeing the growth and maintenance of the community's income streams. It is considered to be Africa's most progressive community investment model, with total assets under management at approximately $ 4 billion. The RBN has invested royalties and dividends in

625-495: Was the brother of Kgosi Edward Patrick Lebone Molotlegi who ruled the Bafokeng from 1988 to 1994. During his reign, South Africa's ruling National Party had created the Bophuthatswana government as the authority over all Batswana people, including the Bafokeng. Kgosi Lebone's opposition to the move brought him into conflict with the then Bophuthatswana president, Lucas Mangope, who detained the Bafokeng king and harassed him until he

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