Jonas Raubaas Mohaaschwa and the introduction of Christianity to Mamabololand in the late nineteenth century

Abstract

ENGLISH : This study investigates the role of indigenous agents in spreading Christianity in the former northern Transvaal (today Limpopo Province) by tracing the life story of Jonas Raubaas Mohaaschwa (Mogashwa), also known as the Master of Kratzenstein. Mohaaschwa’s biography was not only published by the Berlin Mission Society in 1920, but in the late twentieth century his legacy as it had lived on orally in the popular memory of the Mamabolo community was also recorded as part of a historical investigation. By extrapolating from Alan Kirkaldy’s findings on Black Christian evangelisation of fellow Africans in Vendaland, Mohaaschwa’s legacy in the history of the Berlin Missionary Society and in the history of the Mamabolo community is investigated. This is done by following Mohaaschwa’s journey from childhood to old age. His lifelong accumulation of indigenous and foreign experience is portrayed and his acceptance of and negotiation with the institutions representing and facilitating African agency in the colonial Transvaal.AFRIKAANS : Hierdie studie ondersoek die rol van inheemse verteenwoordigers in die verspreiding van die Christelike godsdiens in die toenmalige Noord-Transvaal (vandag Limpopoprovinsie) deur die naspeuring van die lewensverhaal van Jonas Raubaas Mohaaschwa (Mogashwa), ook bekend as die Meester van Kratzenstein. Mohaaschwa se biografi e is in 1920 deur die Berlynse Sendinggenootskap gepubliseer, en in die laat twintigste eeu is sy nalatenskap soos wat dit mondelings in die gewilde herinneringe van die Mamabolo-gemeenskap voortgeleef het, as deel van ’n historiese ondersoek opgeteken. Deur afl eidings te maak uit Alan Kirkaldy se bevindinge oor swart Christene se evangelisering van mede-Afrikane in Vendaland, word Mohaaschwa se nalatenskap in die geskiedenis van die Berlynse Sendinggenootskap en in die geskiedenis van die Mamabolo-gemeenskap ondersoek. Dit word gedoen aan die hand van Mohaaschwa se lewensreis van sy kinderjare tot sy oudag. Sy lewenslange versameling van inheemse en vreemde ervarings word weergegee en sy aanvaarding van en interaksie met instellings wat die swart agentskap in die koloniale Transvaal verteenwoordig en gefasiliteer het.