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Words of Batswana: Letters to the Editor of Mahoko a Becwana, 1883–1896*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2014

Stephen Volz
Stephen Volz*
Affiliation:
Kenyon College
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Extract

During the last twenty years, in conjunction with rapid political changes in southern Africa, scholars of the region's history have become increasingly interested in studying the experiences of people whose stories, like their livelihoods, were previously often restricted or ignored by those in power. This scholarly interest initially focused on instances of conflict and oppression, disclosing the violence and injustice that accompanied colonialism and apartheid, but more recent studies have given greater attention to different local and personal histories that do not necessarily share the same preoccupation with broader political issues. Rather than define their lives primarily in terms of their relations with Europeans, Africans were often more concerned with affairs within their own families and communities over which they felt that they had some measure of control and responsibility. Those problems were certainly instigated to some extent by European institutions, but they were usually addressed and managed in African terms and along the lines of locally-established norms and practices. Such African-centered historical viewpoints and activities, previously overlooked by scholars, are achieving greater recognition, but there are still numerous important sources that have not yet been fully studied.

Type
Research Article
Information
History in Africa , Volume 34 , 2007 , pp. 349 - 366
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2007

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Footnotes

*

This paper is a modified version of the editorial introduction to the work cited in note 4.

References

1 Among numerous such works that have focused on particular local African perspectives during the colonial era, some leading examples are Delius, P., The Land Belongs to Us (Berkeley, 1984)Google Scholar; Peires, J., The Dead Will Arise (Bloomington, 1989)Google Scholar; Hofmeyr, I., We Spend Our Years as a Tale That is Told (Johannesburg, 1993)Google Scholar; Landau, P., The Realm of the Word (Portsmouth, 1995)Google Scholar; and Van Onselen, C., The Seed is Mine (New York, 1996)Google Scholar.

2 One leading exception is Webb, C. de B. and Wright, J., eds. and trans., The James Stuart Archive (5 vols.: Pietermaritzburg, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1986, 2001)Google Scholar.

3 J., and Comaroff, J., Of Revelation and Revolution (2 vols.: Chicago, 1991, 1997), 1:198–251Google Scholar; also Chidester, D., Savage Systems (Charlottesville, 1996)Google Scholar and De Kock, L., Civilising Barbarians (Johannesburg, 1996)Google Scholar.

4 Mgadla, P. and Volz, S., trans. and eds., Words of Batswana: Letters to Mahoko a Becwana, 1883-1896 (Cape Town, 2006)Google Scholar.

5 Jones, J. D., “‘Mahoko a Becwana’—the Second seTswana Newspaper,” Botswana Notes and Records 4(1972), 112–20Google Scholar.

6 Chirenje, J. M., Ethiopianism and Afro-Americans in Southern Africa, 1883-1916 (Baton Rouge, 1987), 26–28Google Scholar; Janson, T. and Tsonope, J., Birth of a National Language (Gaborone, 1991), 60–61Google Scholar.

7 Breutz, P. L., History of the Batswana and the Origins of Bophuthatswana (Margate, 1989), 196Google Scholar; Comaroff, , Revelation and Revolution, 2:74, 93Google Scholar; Peters, M. and Tabane, M., eds., Bibliography of the Tswana Language (Pretoria, 1982), xivGoogle Scholar.

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10 Opland, J., “The Drumbeat of the Cross: Christianity and Literature” in Elphick, R. and Davenport, R. (eds.), Christianity in South Africa (Claremont, 1997), 297–315Google Scholar.

11 Kunene, D., “Leselinyana la Lesotho and Sotho Historiography,” HA 4(1977), 149–61Google Scholar.

12 Most of the issues of these two newspapers, along with many other African-language materials from the mid-nineteenth century, can be found in the Grey Collection at the National Library of South Africa in Cape Town.

13 The debate was rather acrimonious, generating numerous letters from the missionaries to the home office of the London Missionary Society, found today in the Council for World Mission archives (CWM) at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, South Africa Incoming Correspondence (SAI), box 46/folder 1/jacket B.

14 A. Gould, 31 December 1893, to R. W. Thompson, CWM, South Africa Reports (SAR), box 2/folder 28.

15 Mahoko a Becwana 1(01 1883), 1Google Scholar. This and all other quotes from Mahoko are translations from the original Setswana, done in collaboration with Part T. Mgadla.

16 J. Brown, 12 August 1889, to R. W. Thompson, CWM SAI 46/2/B. See also A. Gould, 1 April 1889, to R. W. Thompson, CWM SAI 46/1/C.

17 A. Gould, 31 December 1895, to R. W. Thompson, CWM SAR 2/30.

18 Lloyd, January 1893, CWM SAI 50/1/B, as noted by Chirenje in Ethiopianism, 28. The article about Rhodes was published in Mahoko 91(January 1893), of which there do not appear to be any surviving copies.

19 Plaatje, , Sechuana Proverbs, 5Google Scholar.

20 Mahoko 24(12 1884), 1Google Scholar.

21 Gould, A., Mahoko 106(04 1894), 88Google Scholar, and 119(May 1895), 117-18. See also Price, , Mahoko 28(04 1885), 26–27Google Scholar.

22 Cases of missionaries imposing linguistic unity—or diversity—elsewhere in southern Africa are described in Harries, P., “The Roots of Ethnicity: Discourse and the Politics of Language Construction in South-east Africa,” African Affairs 87(1988), 25–52CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Chimhundu, H., “Early Missionaries and the Ethnolinguistic Factor during the ‘Invention of Tribalism’ in Zimbabwe,” JAH 33(1992), 87–101CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Guy, J., “Making Words Visible: Aspects of Orality, Literacy, Illiteracy and History in Southern Africa,” South African Historical Journal 31(1994), 3–27CrossRefGoogle Scholar; and Prah, K., ed., Between Distinction and Extinction (Johannesburg, 1998)Google Scholar.

23 Anonymous, Mahoko 1(01 1883), 2–3Google Scholar.

24 See for example anonymous, Mahoko 3(03 1883), 6Google Scholar; Brown, , anonymous and Tebele, Kgabo in Mahoko 6(06 1883), 5–7Google Scholar; Wookey, and Morolong, in Mahoko 8(08 1883), 4–6Google Scholar; anonymous, Mahoko 10(10 1883) 3Google Scholar; and Moitsedilo, , Mahoko 12(12 1883), 5Google Scholar.

25 See for example, Gaboutlwelwe, D., Mahoko 58(11 1889), 22Google Scholar; Hatlhabe, M., Gomotsegang, , Magonaring, , and Piti, Sekaelo in Mahoko 59(12 1889), 29–30Google Scholar; Sebotseng, , Bannani, and Mothowagae, in Mahoko 60(01 1890), 3–4Google Scholar; and Gaboutlwelwe, K., Moroka, Michael T. and Moshwela, Molema J. in Mahoko 62(03 1890), 22–24Google Scholar.

26 Magonaring, Thelesho, Mahoko 59 (12 1889), 29Google Scholar.

27 The topic is first raised by the missionary Wookey, Alfred in Mahoko 10(10 1883), 5Google Scholar, with a succession of Tswana responses published in Mahoko during the following year.

28 Makgolokwe, Morobi Totwe, Mahoko 68(09 1890) 70Google Scholar. See also the numerous letters and articles that followed in issues 69 to 73.

29 Morolong, Molaolwe, Mahoko 64(05 1890) 37Google Scholar; Masigo, A. J., Mahoko 115(01 1895), 23Google Scholar.

30 Missionary editorials and articles regarding alcoholic beverages, mostly discussing the pros and cons of prohibition, appeared in Mahoko issues 14, 30, 59, 62, 70, 82, 90, 98, and 108.

31 Moroka, Michael Tshabadira, 28 04 1891, Mahoko 77(July 1891), 143Google Scholar.

32 Monnaakanye, Morolong, 13 10 1883, Mahoko 13(January 1884), 5Google Scholar and Keaokopa, Oganne, 30 01 1884, Mahoko 15(March 1884), 5Google Scholar, with letters in successive issues by other Batswana. Wookey's article “Bridewealth” appeared in Mahoko 10(October 1883), 5, and the newspaper editor published a cover story on the subject in Mahoko 17(05 1884)Google Scholar.

33 Sechele, , 11 01 1884, Mahoko 16(April 1884), 5–6Google Scholar, in response to “The Flood” in Mahoko 12(12 1883) 3, 6Google Scholar. See also Mapalatsebe, H., 23 02 1884, Mahoko 16(April 1884), 6Google Scholar and “The Flood,” Mahoko 16(04 1884), 3Google Scholar.

34 Kalaota, Mahume, 22 02 1892, Mahoko 87(April 1892) 31–32Google Scholar and Tlhalogang, B. D., 21 01 1893, Mahoko 93(March 1893) 55Google Scholar, in response to earlier letters and articles regarding a lunar eclipse in issues 83 and 85.

35 Mahoko 62(03 1890) 22–23Google Scholar.

36 10 December 1883, Mahoko 14(02 1884) 5–6Google Scholar. Dibokoloding was the site at that time of the congregation originally founded by the first Tlhaping evangelists in the 1830s.

37 Mosimanyane, , Mahoko, 68 (09 1890) 70Google Scholar.

38 1 May 1883, Mahoko 7(06 1883) 6Google Scholar and 8 (August 1883) 5. The evangelist Matsau would later be dismissed by the LMS for siding with Mankurwane against the British.

39 Gaesirwe, Ntau, 5 03 1894, Mahoko 107(May 1894) 112Google Scholar; Mosaise, Tshipe, 27 04 1894, Mahoko 108(June 1894) 139–140Google Scholar and 8 March 1895, Mahoko 121(07 1895) 151Google Scholar.

40 Mahoko 60(01 1890) 7–8Google Scholar. Mothowagae would later become a central figure in Ngwaketse factional disputes involving the LMS, British colonial authorities and rivals to Gaseitsiwe's heir Bathoen, as described, for example, in Ngcongco, L., “Aspects of the history of the Bangwaketse to 1910” (Ph.D. thesis, Dalhousie University, 1977) 327–361Google Scholar.

41 Mmonadilo, , 23 08 1893, Mahoko 101(November 1893) 248Google Scholar. See also Modisapodi, Mokalake, Mahoko, 99 (09 1893) 200Google Scholar.

42 Sechele, , Mahoko 9(09 1883) 5Google Scholar, in response to an anonymous accuser in Mahoko 5(05 1883) 5Google Scholar; Makgolokwe, Morobi Totwe, 19 07, 1890, Mahoko 68(September 1890) 70Google Scholar and 5 October 1890, Mahoko 71(12 1890) 91Google Scholar; Montshiwa, , 20 12 1890, Mahoko 73(February 1891) 110Google Scholar; Molehabangwe, Mankurwane, Mahoko 73(02 1891) 109Google Scholar.

43 E. Lloyd, 13 May 1892, to R. W. Thompson, CWM SAI 49/1/C. See also J. Brown, 13 March 1891, to R. W. Thompson, CWM SAI 48/1/B and 11 May 1892, to R. W. Thompson, CWM SAI 49/1/C.

44 A. Gould, 25 May 1892, to R. W. Thompson, CWM SAI 49/2/A.

45 Khama, 11 April 1890, to R. W. Thompson, CWM SAI 47/1/C, apparently translated into English by the missionary James Hepburn. The article in question was published in Mahoko 62(03 1890) 18Google Scholar.

46 Wookey, 5 August 1890, to R. W. Thompson, CWM SAI 47/2/B and an article in Mahoko 64(05 1890)Google Scholar.