P R E V IO U S A R T IC L E S IN T H IS SERIES:
T H E R O L O N G O F T H A B A N C H U - m u s e u m n e w s 3 1: O c t . i 9 8 6
E A R L Y Y E A R S A T T H A B A N C H U A N D F R IE N D S H IP BE TW EEN T H E R O L O N G A N D T H E V O O R T R E K K E R S - Mu s e u mn e w s 3 2 : Ap r i l
R E L A T IO N S H IP S BETW EEN C H IE F M O R O K A O F T H A B A N C H U A N D T H E O TH E R C H IE F S IN T H E A R E A - Mu s e u m Ne w s 3 3 : Se p t. 1 9 8 7
THABA NCHU'S BORDER PROBLEMS —
Relationships between the Rolong and the white governments of the
area
Sandra Bishop
The im p o rta n t ch ie fs:
Moroka — Chief of the Seleka Rolong at Thaba Nchu.
M o s h w es h w e — Chief of the S o th o and the m ost pow erful chief in the area
Sekonyela — Chief of the Tlokwa, the other large S otho group in the area an d long-standing enem y of M oshw eshw e. M oletsane — Chief of the Taung and ally of M os hw es hw e
F o llo w in g on his frie n d s h ip to w a rd s the V oortrekkers, M oroka had a very sound relationship w ith the Boer republic at W inburg. Soon, however, under the influence of his English m issionaries, he became pro-B ritish. A llied to the B ritish cause, he found him self harried on all sides. Time and again vacillating B ritish policy let him down. The B ritish were also inclined to support M oshw eshw e rather than their so-called 'a lly', Moroka, whose autonom y M oshw eshw e refused to accept.
In 1843 the Napier Treaty set the boundaries of
M a p s h o w in g Thaba N c h u 's position in relation to the territories o f M o s h w e s h w e a n d Sekonyela a n d the shifting b oundaries o f n ineteenth century Lesotho.
(fro m : J .S B e rg h 1 9 8 4 . Tribe s e n d K in g d o m s )
M o s h w e s h w e 's te rrito ry , c u ttin g th ro u g h te rrito ry claimed by the Rolong, Griqua and Kora. The Treaty also recognised the independence of Sekonyela on territory claimed by M oshweshwe.
It w a rn e d th e B o e rs a g a in s t f u r t h e r
encroachm ent on 'native' territories and claimed any Boers in those territories as British subjects.
No one w a s sa tisfie d w ith the trea ty.
M oshw eshw e felt that Thaba Nchu and the territory of the Kora, as w ell as Sekonyela's territory, should have been included w ith in his boundaries, w h ile Moroka, the Griqua and the
Rolong w arriors receiving strengthening m edicine fro m a medicine m a n before going to battle. D epicted b y C.D. B e ll in the 1 8 3 0 's.
(fro m : A S m ith 1 9 7 5 .A n d r e w S m it h ’s J o u r n a l o f h is e x p e d itio n )
Kora all claim ed that M oshw eshw e had been given part of their lands. There w as also continuous trouble among all the parties concerned over cattle rustling , grazing rights and squatters.
In 1 848 , w it h the d eclaration of the Orange River Sovereignty, Sir H arry S m ith marked off the
boundaries of Thaba Nchu and o fficially
r e c o g n i s e d M o r o k a ' s a u t o n o m y , b u t M o s h w e s h w e refused to accept it. In 1 8 49, w h e n the W arden Line deprived M o s h w e s h w e of a large tract of arable land, a contest for land- occup a tion ensued, w it h M o s h w e s h w e 's people sq ua tting on land claim ed by M oroka and a wave of cattle ru stlin g on both sides.
M o s h w e s h w e / in 1 8 5 4
In 185 0 the Rolong, British, Boer and Kora com bined forces to p u n is h M o s h w e s h w e 's ally, chief Moletsane of the Taung w h o had plundered the Wesleyan m is s io n a ry station at M p u k an i. In retaliation M oletsane raided th o u s a n d s of Rolong cattle and horses. A lth o u g h m a jo r H.D. W arden, the B ritish Resident of the Orange River Sovereignty, succeeded in retrieving some of the stolen anim als, M oroka w a s not satisfied. In 1851 after the defeat of W a rd e n 's forces and the Rolong at Viervoet by M o s h w e s h w e and Moletsane, the Rolong left Thaba Nchu and moved closer to Blo em fontein for safety, w h ile the w a r r io r s of M o s h w e s h w e and M oletsane plundered Thaba Nchu. Later in the year M oroka returned to Thaba Nchu, but the Rolong had lost most of the ir stock and were v irtu a lly destitute. M a n y left Thaba Nchu p e rm a ne n tly and sought w o r k on w h ite - o w n e d farm s.
W h e n the Orange Free State came into being in 1854, M oroka m a in tain e d good re la tion sh ip s
w i t h th e n e w g o v e r n m e n t . M e a n w h i l e M o s h w e s h w e w a s o c c u p ie d in d r i v i n g Sekonyela, the Kora and the Griqua fro m the ir s trongholds. He gained c ontrol of most of the Caledon River area, e x cluding Thaba Nchu. In 1 8 5 8 , in a le tte r , M o r o k a c o n d e m n e d M o s h w e s h w e 's action s and offered the Free State s upport a gainst M o s h w e s h w e . D uring the subsequent Basuto W a rs the Rolong served the Free State as spies and helped w it h patrols to catch stock thieves. In 1866, after the Second Basuto W ar, Moroka and the Free State signed a treaty concerning m u tu a l help in w ar, the sale of w e a po n s to Thaba Nchu and the e xtrad itio n of c rim in a ls . By the end of the third Basuto W a r in 1 8 6 8 M o s h w e s h w e had lost the w h o le border area. His territo ry w a s confined to Lesotho's
present boundaries and became a British
Protectorate. The border area become k n o w n as the Conquered T erritory and is still claim ed by L e s o t h o t o d a y . M o r o k a r e m a i n e d a n a u to n o m o u s chief and an ally of the Orange Free
State, u ntil his death in 1880. ijTTnji
S ot ho w arriors as p ain te d by C D . B e ll in the 1 8 3 0 's.
(fro m . A. S m ith 1 9 7 5 .A n d re w S m ith 's J o u r n a l o f h is e x p e d itio n )
B IB L IO G R A P H Y
KOTZE, C. 1 9 3 8 . D ie G e skie d e n is v a n d ie B a ro lo n g . v e ra l d ie B a se le ka B a ro lo n g .
to t 1 85 1. U npublished M .A . thesis. University of South Africa.
LE RO U X , C.J.P. n.d. M o ro k a / / e n d ie B a r o lo n g van Thaba N c h u . Voortrekker M u s e u m , V rystaat No 6.
LYE, W .F . & M U R R A Y , C. 1 9 8 0 . T ra n s fo rm a tio n o n the H ig h v e ld : The T sw a n a a n d
S o u th e rn S o th o . Cape Town: David Philip.
M O L E M A , S .M n.d. (1 9 5 2 ? ) C h ie f M o ro k a : H is Life, H is Tim es. H is C o u n try a n d
H is P eo p le Cape Tow n. M e th o d is t Publishing House and Book Depot
W IL S O N , M . & T H O M P S O N , L. 1 9 8 2 . A H is to ry o f S o u th A fr ic a to 1 87 0. Cape Tow n David Phi J ip.
