Elandskop Museum

03/04/2026

Following the introduction of Charles “Chas” Makamole to our followers and readers here is the second of several writings on the history and culture of the clans of the eastern Free State. You will read about a particular brutal battle as described by an elderly man in the 1930’s whom was a witness to the event. You will also, we hope, see why we believe it so important that these volumes be made available to young learners in our schools. For the very first time they will be able to read about events that took place in the areas in which they live down to the very villages they live in or originate from and may well read about their own direct ancestors.

We hope that this will be read by senior officials in Education and Arts and Culture in the Free State so they consider to building a memorial to those who died in this most brutal battle between local clans to preserve their memory and began to create an expanded heritage route.

If you disagree with the aspects of this writing consider first whether your information came from someone who was alive in the 1800’s.

History of Batlokwa of Modingwana of bo-hlasabo- hlasitse Tseleng. Makamole C 1939.
FIRST EXTRACT.

Batlokwa are the descendants of Motlokwa:

Motlokwa fathered Motho, Motho fathered Kgwadi, Kgwadi fathered Mokgobohedi, Mokgobohedi fathered Mohwabadi, Mohwabadi fathered Mmediwane, Mmediwane fathered Kuena, Kuena fathered Letjaha, Letjaha fathered Kgwadi wa bobedi II, Kgwadi II fathered Swaswane, Swaswane fathered, Modingwana, Modingwana fathered Masilo, Masilo fathered Malope, Malope fathered Molatodi, Molatodi fathered Lebaka, Lebaka fathered Nkgahle, Nkgahle fathered Tumisi, Tumisi fathered, Leteka, Leteka fathered Tafa kapa Dafa, Tafa fathered Mokgalo, Mokgalo fathered Lebaka II (wa bobedi).

All those chiefs passed on, only Lebaka the second is still alive and he is eight and half years old. He is in care of his uncle (from his father’s family) chief Pokosho or Pokotsho, and they reside near Vrede O.F.S. on a farm which belongs to J. Heermane Esq., called Kwaggakop.

When Masilo the son of Modingwana moved out of his birthplace, the land of his grandfather Motlokwa of Motho of Kgwadi of Mokgobohedi of Mohwabadi of Mmediwane of Kuena of Letjaha of Kgwadi the second of Swaswane, he left with his five sons, namely Mmalope, Malotjane, Kutlane, Kotedi and Sethathi.

Masilo left with only those five sons when he moved out of Bopedi. He was accompanied by the small nations of Morajane and Malakeng and Mahlasi (of Molefe) and Maotlela and Batloung and those of Ha Kgene. That is how Masilo left Bopedi and he made a brief stopover at Tshwane (Pretoria), and then went to a place called Gauteng today and stopped at Tebang, known as Heidelberg today. That is where he established his kingdom for many years and his rulership extended until it reached Mountains of Nthoraane, his rulership was strong. After Malope the son of Masilo fathered Molatodi at Tebang, when
Molatodi reigned he moved out and crossed Lekwa (Vaal River) with all the nation and established his kingdom in a land called Free State today, and he chose the following places: - (1) Qhalo or Lemapane (Witkoppies) all the way to (2) Ntswanatsatsi (Tafelkop) and (3) Peme (Leeukop) kaofela lena la pitse.

While Molatodi was residing in these places he fathered Lebaka and after chief Molatodi’s death, Lebaka took over the chieftainship. Molatodi died in Lemapane, in the district of Vrede, O.F.S. Lebaka was an upright chief just like his father and he ruled until old age. He died in Peme, Leeukop in the district of Vrede, he was killed together with his mother in their old age when there was a war with Bahlakwana of Ramoosi who were of Nkokoto of Sotho, who resided in the west, near Ntswanatsatsi. His mother was Mmamohlahlo of Malotjana. Lebaka was a great warrior at the battle; he attacked many Basotho nations here in the Free State.

The following is his clan praise:
Morena Mabaka Lebaka mpa ya mmusa motsheare O moholo
Mora wa Mmamohlahlo wa Makganyeng
Seisa batho isaisane-a-banna ba batho
O isa ba bang a be a ba llele
O isa bokang ngwana o ka mong
Kgapo Mmamohlahlo o ya tseba e sale a e qhobela Malakeng
Morena ke sesha mora Molatodi
Sesha Madimo a tsohang lenaleng
A tshoha Makhubo a ha Tswana
Sesha o eme ka mmoho wa banna
Ka mmoho wa basadi ho eme mang?
Ho eme sesha mora Molatodi!

03/04/2026

We are trying to trace the descendants of Charles “Chas” Makamole. He wrote several valuable histories on the people of Free State and Lesotho. The first paragraph below is an archival record which highlights him as an early activist on the land issue.

"Between 1936 and 1939 Charles Makamole, acting on behalf of (five) Batlokwa chieftains in the Vrede district, demanded of the Native Affairs Department 'a resting place' for his people on 'farms next to Eva Mota which is a part of Witsieshoek released under the Native Land 1936'.4 The Kgolokwe chiefs settled in the Harrismith district made similar claims to land, but on the other side of the reserve. In fact they even went so far as to encourage white farmers to offer their land to the Native Trust for incorporation into the reserve. The trust declined the farmers' offer told the Makgolokwe chiefs that if additional land became available would be the first to be considered.

4 BOV 1/211, 61, Letter from Charles Makamole to the Native Commissioner in Vrede, January 1938, Bloemfontein Archives.

5 BOV 1/211, 58, Petition by the Stanton, Schultz, George, Milton families to the Minister Native Affairs, 1939, Bloemfontein

Over the next two or three days we will post the complete writing below and will follow it with another work he wrote recording quite extraordinary information on a major land issue in the eastern Free State.

Makgolokwe History, C Makamole, 1940

Makgolokwe are the descendants of Kgetsi. Just like the Batlokwa, they took out three thousand head of cattle to buy land from Masoothwanyana (Mr. de Villiers). It’s a nation from Magaliesberg. After moving out of Magaliesberg, they chose land where they could stay in a place called Thaba-Kgolokwe, in the Transvaal area, Standerton (Serotwe) District.

While in Thaba Kgolokwe, they were once attacked by King Mzilikazi but after the war, they went back to rebuild their home. The Boers are the ones who drove the Makgolokwe out and they went far away, finally settling in the Free State, not far from Thaba-Ntsho (Harrismith) Village. There they chose a place that they named after Wetsi, the grandson of Chief Polane.
Chief Molope, the son of Poka (Phoka), the grandson of Chief Mokete, was left behind when Makgolokwe moved out of Thaba-Kgolokwe. He is the one who was driven out by the Boers and went to to seek refuge in Wetsi. The Makgolokwe who were at Wetsi’s were dispersed by the Free State war led by Commander F. Orpen and they ran away to Lesotho.

Commander Orpan burned Wetsi’s land, huts and the land’s grass, and he also captured all their cows. Even though the Makgolokwe sought refuge in Lesotho when they were driven out of the Free State, they were later called back by the Boers. Chief Hlomisi was the one who was sent by the Boers to fetch his father to come back home after the war stopped. But Wetsi adamantly refused, stating that the Boers would kill him. He even advised his son, Hlomisi, not to return back to the Boers because they would kill him; but Hloimisi did not want to settle in Kgalahadi (Basutoland). He did not like the way he was treated when he was given meat to eat and was told to hold it with his hands while still hot. He also realised that it was his father’s cattle that were the most slaughtered here by the Kgalagadi royals, even the piece of meat that he was given to eat was of his father’s cattle.

When Hlomisi’s father realised that his son did not want to settle in Lesotho, he sent some men to go with his son so as to bury him should the Boers kill him. Hlomisi went back home and on his arrival, told the Boers that Chief Wetsi was afraid to come back home in fear of being killed. As for Hlomisi, he even gave the commander, Mr. de Villiers, a visit after the Free State wars stopped. Lord de Villiers settled in Kerrom, in the district of Thaba-Ntsho (Harrismith) with Mmolwane in the farmstead. It is there in Kerrom where the Batlokwa and the Makgolokwe cattle were handed over as a price for land, and from that place they were taken to Mangaung (Bloemfontein) to Lord Jan Brand, who was the head and ruler of the Free State.

To Be Continued

03/04/2026

30/03/2026

Our sincere commendations to Mafahlaneng Heritage for your persistent efforts to preserve and protect this site. Profound thanks to the National Museum, Bloemfontein,for undertaking the initiative to record and disseminate knowledge. It is through such support that Mafahlaneng Heritage and other museums within the Free State and throughout the country will establish their prominence, thrive, and motivate local communities to begin acknowledging and respecting their heritage. In an era when unemployment poses a substantial challenge in South Africa, heri-tourism ought to be investigated and utilized, rather than defacing sites with the names of useless political parties.

30/03/2026

21/03/2026

The National Arts Council of South Africa would like to wish all arts practitioners a Happy Human Rights Day!

17/03/2026

12/03/2026

Hosting the upcoming National Language Summit signifies a profound commitment by the government to elevate the status and use of indigenous African languages. This obligation not only targets the official languages but also aims to include Khoe and San languages, which are vital components of our diverse linguistic heritage and history.

The Constitution distinctly states that all official languages must be treated equally and with respect, ensuring that they enjoy parity of esteem in education, legislation, government and media.

It is in this context that we invite you to join us on 16-17 March 2026, as we explore a progressive national language framework that integrates Artificial Intelligence to ensure that indigenous African languages are technologically advanced and accessible.

The two-day Summit will be broadcast live, so stay tuned for details on this.

12/03/2026

South Africa is commemorating Human Rights Month under the theme: “Bill of Rights at 30: Making Human Dignity Real.” South Africa’s Human Rights Month is rooted in the tragic events of the Sharpeville massacre on 21 March 1960, where the apartheid regime killed 69 peaceful protestors, exposing the state's grave human rights violations.

Stay tuned to our socials for NHC events during this Human Rights month.

12/03/2026

Dr. Jacob Mfaniselwa Nhlapho was born in 1902 in Reitz and completed his primary education at Besonvale Institution as well as in Lovedale Institution near Alice in the Eastern Cape.
In 1928 he completed his Junior Certificate (Grade 10) and few years later his senior certificate (Grade 12) with the University of South Africa. He played an important role in the founding of Moroka Training Institution in Thaba Nchu where he was based for a decade.

In 1936, he obtained a B.A degree in journalism,becoming the first Black person in the Orange Free State to do so.
Among his other qualifications was a UNISA Bantu Diploma ,Psychology doctorate from the University of Chicago as well as the LLB from the American Extension School of Law.

Nhlapo was at some point the Vice President of the Orange Free State African Teachers Association,which is today known as SADTU.

A propagandist for the National Executive of the ANC led by Dr. AB Xuma,Nhlapo first joined the ANC Youth league where he was involved in organizasing the youth structures .

In his lifetime, Nhlapo travelled extensively to Germany,USA, France, Netherlands, Egypt,Kenya, Switzerland,Uganda amongst others to give lectures as well as to attend meetings and conferences.

In his later years,he took the reigns as an editor of the The Bantu World,which is now known as The Sowetan.

He wrote four books, and is known for his "Bantu Babel: Will The Bantu Language Live? " in which he argued that all major African languages in South Africa be systemitacally combined into one language.

Nhlapo died on 25 March 1957 and is buried in Evaton, Vaal Triangle.

One if his descendants, Mr Nhlapo, is a Municipality Manager at Nketoana Local Municipality,in Reitz.

Tjheseho Community Skills and Development Centre in Reitz,needs to be named after this influencial person who loved education. Our museum will be putting an exhibition together to celebrate Dr Nhlapo.

-The end.

"Much is being said and written today about the disintegrating forces which are at work among the Bantu as a consequence of the advent of Western civilisation. The loss of some of the good Bantu customs is being justifiably deplored and the resentment by the black man of the white man's ways is receiving daily expression. But the present state of affairs amongst our people demands more from our Native leaders than a mere recital of the fact that Western civilization is the fount of the whole trouble. There are two enemies rampant among the Bantu today: there is religious indifference and there is also drunkenness which has given genesis to the present low moral standard of our people. I am firmly convinced that if these two evils are eradicated the Bantu future will be brighter."

- Dr Jacob M. Nhlapo, 'The Bantu Future' , Umteteli wa Bantu, September 3, 1927.