Magaliesberg Association for Cultural & Heritage  : MACH

The Peoples of the Magaliesberg, Episode 3: KGOSI KGASWANE AND THE BAKWENA BA MODIMOSANA BA  MMATAU BRANCH OF THE TSWANA PEOPLE   by Andre Weddepohl 

Drawing primarily on careful analysis of oral traditions, scholars are in general agreement that most Tswana communities are offshoots of the Bahurutshe, who moved southwards through what is today Botswana and established themselves along the Madikwe (Marico) River, probably in about 1500 AD (see Carruthers 2014, p. 213). The Bakwena were one of the most prominent offshoots from the Bahurutshe. By the late 17th century, there were several branches of the Bakwena, and one of their chiefs named Modimosana moved eastwards with his people into the area west of the Magaliesberg (see Breutz 1953, p. 108). Oral tradition indicates that Kgosi Modimosana had four sons: Ramanamela, Mmatau, Maake and Mmatlhaku (Breutz 1987, p. 268). By the beginning of the 18th century, Mmatau’s son Sekano had become kgosi of the community (now known as the Bakwena ba Modimosana ba Mmatau), and they had settled at Molokwane along the upper reaches of the Selons River (Breutz 1953, p. 108).

caption to photograph: A small section of the stone walling at Molokwane, as seen on Google Earth. The longest diameter of the large cattle kraal at top centre is about 50 metres.