RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CHIEF
MOROKA OF THABA NCHU AND
OTHER CHIEFS IN THE AREA
A lm o s t from the start of the Rolong settlem ent at Thaba Nchu in 1833, chief M oroka of the Rolong had to contend w it h border proble m s and w ith the fact th a t other parties w h o became involved in the land and pow er struggle in the area did not recognise him as the a u to n o m o u s chief he claim ed to be.
Sandra Bishop
C hief M oroka o f the Seleka Rolong.
I n i t i a l l y M o r o k a ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h M o s h w e s h w e w a s very good, so m uch so that M o s h w e s h w e came to M o ro k a 's aid w h e n the Rolong were attacked by the Kora (K oranna) in 1836. However, ca ttle -raidin g w a s a tra dition a l pastim e of young S o th o -T sw a na men and co n s ta n t c a ttle -raidin g between the Sotho of M o s h w e s h w e and the Rolong at Thaba Nchu began very early in th e ir relationship. A lready in 183 5 M o s h w e s h w e com plained that the sons of T a w ana, the Tshidi Rolong chief, were a band of cattle thieves.
However, the seeds of the serious trouble between M o s h w e s h w e and M oroka, w h ic h w o u ld e v e n t u a lly e m b r o il all the black, " c o lo u r e d ” and w h ite c o m m u n itie s in the area, were already s o w n at the very firs t contact between M o s h w e s h w e and the Rolong. W hen M o s h w e s h w e 's kingdom , w h ic h w a s still very
young, w as constructed out of scattered and broken tribes, m a in ly Sotho, w h ic h he had taken under his protection. M o s h w e s h w e w as the m ost in flu en tia l chief in the v ic in ity of the Caledon River, w h ile Sekonyela w a s the other p o w e rfu l S otho chief in the area.
C hief M o sh w e sh w e o f the Sotho, sketched in 1833.
the Rolong delegation were looking for land to settle in 1 833, Moseme, chief of the sm all S otho c o m m u n ity at Thaba Nchu and a vassal of M o s h w e s h w e , arranged for them to meet M o s h w e s h w e and Sekonyela. The land deal took place w it h the Wesleyan M e th o d is t m issionaries acting on behalf of the Rolong and 'p a ying ' M o s h w e s h w e eight head of cattle, t h i r ty - fo u r sheep and five goats for the te rrito ry of Thaba Nchu. Later, in 1834, M o s h w e s h w e signed a d o cu m e n t o ffic ia lly ceding the te rrito ry to the m issionaries.
M o s h w e s h w e considered the 'p a y m e nt' of stock to have been a 'present' to settle the agreement. The m issionaries, however, considered th a t the land had been sold to them, w h ile M oroka m a in tain e d that he w a s an independent chief and had never paid tribute to M o s h w e s h w e . Sekonyela and M o s h w e s h w e , as the tw o most p ow erfu l chiefs in the area, were rivals of long standin g, so it w a s n atural that Moroka, in his struggle w it h M o s h w e s h w e , should w in the support of Sekonyela. In 1 8 3 7 chief M oletsane of
C hief Sekonyela o f the Tlokwa, p a in te d by Charles Bell. C hief M oletsane o f the Taung, as sketched in o ld age.
M o s h w e s h w e apparently did not realise the im p lic a tio n s of w h a t he had signed. A m o n g the tribes of southern A fric a there w a s no such th in g as la n d o w n e rs h ip or the buying or selling of land. A chief held the land in tru s t fo r his people and o n l y s u p e r v is e d its use. M o s h w e s h w e apparently considered th a t he had o nly given the Rolong and their m issionaries the rig h t to settle in territo ry under his p aram ou n tcy, as w a s the custom am ong the S o th o -T sw a na tribes, and th a t the te rrito ry th u s remained under his ju ris d ic tio n w it h M oroka becom ing his vassal.
B IB L IO G R A P H Y
the Taung, w h o had been an enem y of M oroka in the earlier years north of the Vaal river, settled w ith his people at M e k w a lle n y am i allied h im self w i t h M o s h w e s h w e a g a in s t M o ro k a and Sekonyela. The rivalry of the chiefs w a s fu r th e r intensified by the a n im o s ity between the French m i s s i o n a r i e s s e r v in g M o s h w e s h w e a n d M oletsane and the English m ission a rie s serving M oroka and Sekonyela. The Griqua, Boers and B ritish were also soon to add to the tu r m o il in t h e territory, as w ill be discussed in the next M u s e u m News.
KOTZE, C. 1 9 3 8 . D ie G e s kie d e n is va n d ie B a ro /o n g , v e ra ! die B ase le ka B a ro lo n g , to t 1 8 5 1 UN IS A , M .A th e s is
LE ROUX, C .J.P n.d M o ro k a I I e n d ie B a ro lo n g va n Thaba N c h u . V o o rtre k k e r M u s e u m , V ry s ta a i N o 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 th e 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 T o w n - D a vid P h ilip .
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 L ife, H is Tim es. H is C o u n try a n d H is People. Cape T o w n . M e th o d is t P u b lis h in g H ouse a n d b oo k 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 8 7 0 Cape
T o w n - D a vid P h ilip .
