Go! Drive & Camp – September 2019

M

amphokuMakgobawasthechiefof

theBaTlouwhoopposedtheeffortsof

theboerZuid-AfrikaanscheRepubliek

(ZAR)torelocatethemandconvert

thegorgesintoa bufferzonebetweenwhite

farmersandblacktribes.

Commandant-generalPietJoubertwastasked

bytheZARin 1895 todriveMakgobaout.Heled

about 800 boercommandosandanimpiofmore

thana thousandSwaziwarriorstothevalleywhere

ChiefMakgobahidwith 500 ofhisTlouwarriors–

andwheretheMagoebaskloofMountainLodge

standstoday.

A battleerupted,Makgobawasdefeatedand

beheadedbytheSwazi,andhisheadwasbrought

toJoubertasevidence.Thegruesometrophy

wasondisplayfora longtimeandtheskullwas

eventuallylost– presumablystolen.

A bustofchiefMamphokuMakgoba(pictured

here)wasunveiledattheMagoebaskloofHotel

on3 September 1999 aspartofa marketing

campaign,buta fewmonthslater,it toowasstolen.

Thebustwaslaterfoundata nearbyroad-sidestall

whena hawkertriedtosellit.

Makgoba’sbustwasunveiledfora secondtime

attheMagoebaskloofHotelon4 September2004,

andthistimetheceremonywasattendedbyoneof

Makgoba’sdescendants,chiefMokopaMakgoba.

Thebustis stillheretoday.

AnofficialbustofMakgobawascommisionedin

2004 byLimpopo’sDepartmentofSport,Artsand

Culture,butthissculpturewasneverunveileddue

toa disputeamongMakgoba’sdescendantsandit

is cratedupina statewarehousesomewhere.

A fewyearsthereafter,a skullinPretoria’s

NationalCulturalHistoryMuseumwasdiscovered

thatis believedtobeMakgoba’s.Scientistswere

askedin 2011 toexaminetheskullanddetermine

whetherit is therealdeal,butsofarit hasn’tbeen

confirmedduetoreticentdescendants.

Makgoba’s woes

SOURCE

TIMES LIVE (2011) AND CONSTRUCTING A COLLECTIVE MEMORY (2014) BY DR. MAHUNELE THOTSE.