Mohlomi

Mohlomi [ moˈɬomi ] (* around 1720 in Fothane, today in the Province of Free State , South Africa ; † 1816 in Ngoliloe, today Free State) was a head ( Sesotho morena, English chief ) of a group of Bakoena who later formed the Basotho with other ethnic groups and now live mainly in Lesotho . He is described as a wise philosopher and is still received today.

Life

Mohlomi was born around 1720 in Fothane near what is now Fouriesburg . His name means "planter". He was the second son that Morena Mothane had with his first wife , so that he was also called Mohlomi mor'a Monyane ("Mohlomi, Monyne's son"). His grandfather was Monaheng, also called Kali, who led the Bakoena into the valley of the Caledon . An experience during his initiation , when he was allegedly carried through the open roof by an eagle and had spoken to his ancestors on a mountain peak, confirmed him that he should rule with a will for peace and devotion.

Mohlomi was morena of the Bamonaheng group of the Bakoena. He lived in Ngoliloe north of the Caledon near today's Clocolan and was a well-known healer and rainmaker , so that he had a high income. As the first morena in the region, he used his wealth as bride money and married around 40 to 50 daughters of other barena, so that he gained influence. However, when he was about 50 he began to live ascetically . He was known for his righteous verdicts, judged people regardless of their wealth, opposed widespread cattle theft, and stopped the persecution of alleged witches . The phrase A chief is a chief by the grace of his people (for example: "A leader is a leader by the grace of his people") is ascribed to him. He is also said to have used the saying Khotso ke khaitseli ("Peace is [like] one's own sister"). He also carried the greeting Khotso! ("Peace!"), Which Basotho still uses today. He ensured that ambassadors enjoyed immunity when visiting other peoples - the warlike Zulu also obeyed this rule. His philosophy is referred to as botho , German about "being human". Mohlomi made long trips on foot, as he was known to many peoples as a healer and rainmaker. He crossed the Limpopo and came to what is now Zimbabwe . His travels also took him to the Kalahari and Delagoa Bay . On the way, he often succeeded in making peace in divided communities or learning from other people.

Peete, the grandfather of the young, violent Lepoqo , led him to Mohlomi. Lepoqo belonged to the Bakoena group Mokoteli and was supposed to become their morena . Peete wanted Lepoqo to be strengthened with traditional medicine, but Mohlomi taught Lepoqo to rule on his model. He also advised him to increase his influence through the clever choice of his wives. The instruction lasted several days. Finally, Mohlomi equipped Lepoqo with an earring, shield and spear as the insignia of a great ruler. Shortly before his death, Mohlomi is said to have predicted the suffering of Mfecane , which he described as a "red storm from the east", that is, from the area of the Zulu.

Sources

There is no direct evidence of Mohlomi's work. Maliepollo, Mohlomi's former favorite wife, told missionary Thomas Arbousset of the Société des Missions Evangéliques de Paris about the life of her deceased husband in 1833 at the earliest. Arbousset wrote down their reports. From 1941 the future Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle researched Mohlomi by interviewing several old Basotho who knew Mohlomi from hearsay.

aftermath

From then on Lepoqo called himself Moshoeshoe and later went down in history as the wise and diplomatically skilled founding father of the Basotho nation.
The Most Meritorious Order of Mohlomi , introduced by King Moshoeshoe II in 1972, is an Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Lesotho. It is awarded for services “in the field of community and social services”.

The South African author Max du Preez described Mohlomi in his book Pale native: Memories of a renegade reporter in 2003 and in Warriors, lovers and prophets - unusual stories from South Africa's past in 2009 . Another book by du Preez about Mohlomi and other African historical leaders, published in 2012, is called A chief is a chief by the grace of his people - Once we had leaders.

Since 2008 the Mohlomi Memorial Lecture has been held annually in the Lesothic town of Morija on the occasion of the Morija Festival (“Memorial Lecture for Mohlomi”). Intellectuals from Lesotho and South Africa have their say, such as the writer Zakes Mda . Regarding the goals it says: [The lecture] intends to encourage and elicit a spirit of broad understanding, of honest inquiry and a generous heart, of healing, and of his 'counter-intuitive' logic (for example: “should have a spirit of comprehensive Encourage and evoke understanding, honest inquiry and a generous heart, healing and its 'anti-intuitive' logic ”).

A South African IT company called itself Mohlomi and referred to Mohlomi.

The psychiatric hospital in Lesotho's capital Maseru is called Mohlomi Mental Hospital.

literature

Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weisfelder, Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , pp. 262-263.
Samson Mbizo Guma: Morena Mohlomi, mora Monyane. Novel. Shuter & Shooter, Pietermaritzburg 1960.
Max du Preez : The African Socrates. In: Warriors, lovers and prophets - unusual stories from South Africa's past. Random House Struik, Cape Town / Johannesburg 2009, ISBN 978-1868729012 , pp. 43–56. Digitized

Web links

Text of the Mohlomi Memorial Lecture 2008 Mohlomi's philosophy of peace by LBBJ Machobane (English, PDF for download, 41 kB)

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Description of the Mohlomi Memorial Lectures (English), accessed on January 17, 2014.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Max du Preez: Pale Native: Memories of a Renegade Reporter. Zebra Press, Cape Town 2003, ISBN 978-1-86872-913-5 , pp. 15-19. Digitized
^ A. Mabille, H. Dieterlen: Sesuto-English Dictionary. Morija Sesuto Book Depot, Morija 1985, p. 257.
^ ^A ^b ^c Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weisfelder, Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , p. 262.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weisfelder, Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , p. 263.
↑ ^a ^b Text of the Mohlomi Memorial Lecture 2008 by LBBJ Machobane (English, PDF for download, 41 kB)
↑ David Ambrose : The Guide to Lesotho . Winchester Press, Johannesburg / Maseru 1976, ISBN 0-620-02190-X , p. 71.
^ Max du Preez: Warriors, lovers and prophets - unusual stories from South Africa's past. P. 44.Digitized version , accessed on January 18, 2014.
^ Website of the company ( Memento from February 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on July 24, 2016. The actual link with the reference to Mohlomi was not archived.

personal data
SURNAME	Mohlomi
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Head of a Bakoena group and advisor
DATE OF BIRTH	around 1720
PLACE OF BIRTH	Fothane
DATE OF DEATH	1816
Place of death	Ngoliloe

[morija-1] Description of the Mohlomi Memorial Lectures (English), accessed on January 17, 2014.

[max-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Max du Preez: Pale Native: Memories of a Renegade Reporter. Zebra Press, Cape Town 2003, ISBN 978-1-86872-913-5 , pp. 15-19. Digitized

[3] A. Mabille, H. Dieterlen: Sesuto-English Dictionary. Morija Sesuto Book Depot, Morija 1985, p. 257.

[scott262-4] A ^b ^c Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weisfelder, Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , p. 262.

[scott263-5] Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weisfelder, Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , p. 263.

[macho-6] Text of the Mohlomi Memorial Lecture 2008 by LBBJ Machobane (English, PDF for download, 41 kB)

[7] David Ambrose : The Guide to Lesotho . Winchester Press, Johannesburg / Maseru 1976, ISBN 0-620-02190-X , p. 71.

[8] Max du Preez: Warriors, lovers and prophets - unusual stories from South Africa's past. P. 44.Digitized version , accessed on January 18, 2014.

[9] Website of the company ( Memento from February 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on July 24, 2016. The actual link with the reference to Mohlomi was not archived.