Botshabelo : The Symbiosis Between the Land and the People

Abstract

Hidden, 12 km from Middelburg, lies the historic mission village Botshabelo. Named Botshabelo, meaning “place of refuge” in the Pedi language as a symbol of a place that became a refuge for the people who fled from Sekhukhune land because of their faith. Within 10 years of its establishment, Botshabelo was self sustainable and it served as a trading post throughout the surrounding farmlands. Education was also seen as one of the driving factors behind the success of Botshabelo, however, the education system was severely affected by the Bantu Education Act, implemented in the 1950s. The apartheid legislation had many negative effects on Botshabelo, whose population predominantly consisted of Bapedi and Bakopa people, and eventually led to the forced removal of 100 families from the site. The site was then turned into an open air museum. In 2005 the families who were forcibly removed won a land claim in relation to Botshabelo and since then the site has been unused and its future is still uncertain. This dissertation addresses the reintroduction of the Botshabelo Community Trust1 to the site, thereby creating a new narrative for the site, while evoking memories of the past. The intention of this project is to protect Botshabelo’s value for the future, while creating continuity of experience between the past, present and future by using its narrative as a research method.

Versteek 12km buite Middelburg lê die historiese sendingdorpie Botshabelo. Benoem “Botshabelo, plek van toevlug” ‘n simbool van ‘n plek van toevlug vir die mense wat van Sekhukhune-land gevlug het weens hul geloof oortuiging. Binne 10 jaar van sy vestiging was Botshabelo selfonderhoudend en het dit ‘n soort handelspos geword in die omliggende omgewing. Onderwys was ook gesien as een van die bestuursfaktore wat die sukses van Botshabelo behels, maar die onderwysstelsel is ernstig benadeel deur die Wet op Bantoe-onderwys, wat in die 1950’s geïmplementeer is. Die apartheidswetgewing het baie negatiewe gevolge vir Botshabelo gehad, waarvan die bevolking oorwegend bestaan uit die Bapedi- en Bakopa-mense, wat uiteindelik gelei het tot die gedwonge verwydering van 100 gesinne van die terrein. Die werf is daarna in ‘n opelugmuseum omskep, maar in 2005 het die gesinne wat tydens die Apartheid era verwyder is, ‘n grondeis in verband met Botshabelo gewen. Sedertdien is die terrein ongebruik en die toekoms daarvan is nog onseker. Hierdie proefskrif handel oor die hervestiging van die Botshabelo gemeenskap na die terrein, met die skep van ‘n nuwe narratief vir die terrein, wat herinneringe uit die verlede terugroep. Die bedoeling van hierdie projek is om Botshabelo se toekomstige waarde te beskerm. Deur gebruik te maak van n narratief navorsings metode is kontinuïteit van ervaring tussen die verlede, hede en toekoms geskep.