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Lebowa was a
bantustan A Bantustan (also known as Bantu homeland, black homeland, black state or simply homeland; ) was a territory that the National Party administration of South Africa set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (n ...
("homeland") located in the Transvaal in northeastern
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
.
Seshego Seshego is a township in the Polokwane Local Municipality of the Capricorn District Municipality of the Limpopo province of the Republic of South Africa. The township lies directly northwest of the city of Polokwane. History Between 1972 and 197 ...
initially acted as Lebowa's capital while the purpose-built
Lebowakgomo Lebowakgomo is the seat of the Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality and was the capital of the former Bantustan of Lebowa. Lebowakgomo lies 45 km southeast of the Limpopo capital of Polokwane. The majority of Lebowakgomo's inhabitants speak Se ...
was being constructed. Granted internal self-government on 2 October 1972 and ruled for much of its existence by
Cedric Phatudi Dr Cedric Namedi Phatudi (27 May 1912 – 7 October 1987) was the Chief Minister of Lebowa, one of the South African bantustans. Early life Born in Ga-Mphahlele, the son of the chief of the Mphahlele tribe. He earned his basic education in m ...
, Lebowa was reincorporated into South Africa in 1994. It became part of the
Limpopo Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature ...
province. The territory was not contiguous, being divided into two major and several minor portions. Even though Lebowa included large swathes of
Sekukuniland Sekhukhuneland or Sekukuniland ( af, Sekoekoeniland) is a natural region in north-east South Africa, located in the historical Transvaal zone, former Transvaal Province, also known as Bopedi (meaning “land of Bapedi”). The region is named a ...
and was seen as a home for the Northern Sotho speaking ethnic groups such as the Pedi people, it was also home to various non-Northern Sotho speaking tribes, including the Northern Ndebele, Batswana and VaTsonga.


Etymology

The name "Lebowa" is an archaic spelling of the Northern Sotho word "leboa" which means "north". The name was chosen as a compromise between the various Northern Sotho groups for which it was designed.


History

The North Sotho National Unit was founded on 1 June 1960 in pursuance of separate development. It was created to be a homeland for Northern Sotho peoples such as Bapedi, Batlokwa, Babirwa, Banareng, Bahananwa,
Balobedu The Lobedu or Balobedu ''(''also known as the BaLozwi or Bathobolo'')'' are a southern African ethnic group. Their area is called Bolobedu. They are initially known as Bakwebo (wild pigs). The name "balobedu" means "the mineral miners" lobela ...
, Bakone, Baroka, Bakgakga, Bahlaloga, Batau,
Bakwena The Bakoena or Bakwena ("those who venerate the crocodile") are a large clan in Southern Africa. They form part of the Sotho-Tswana Bantu people and can be found in different countries such as Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Eswatini ...
, Baphuthi, Batlou and many others. On 2 October 1972 it was granted internal self-governance and renamed Lebowa. Beginning in the 1950s through to the 1970s, thousands of people were forcibly removed from their communities and relocated to Lebowa. The first black leader of the territory was Mokgoma Maurice Matlala who was handpicked by the apartheid authorities. He first led the North Sotho National Unit as its Executive Chief Councillor from August 1969 to 2 October 1972 at which point he became the Executive Chief Minister of Lebowa. The following year of 1973 on 3 May Mokgoma's Lebowa National Party lost the first elections of the homeland to the Lebowa People's Party and Dr.
Cedric Phatudi Dr Cedric Namedi Phatudi (27 May 1912 – 7 October 1987) was the Chief Minister of Lebowa, one of the South African bantustans. Early life Born in Ga-Mphahlele, the son of the chief of the Mphahlele tribe. He earned his basic education in m ...
took over. He went on to win two more re-elections in 1978 and 1973 but died in his third term in 1987. ZT Seleka was announced as the interim leader of the homeland. After elections, Mogoboya Nelson Ramodike became the Executive Chief Minister until 1989 when the office became the Prime Ministry. On 24 April 1994 Nelson Ramodike resigned and the homeland had no active administration until 27 April when it was reintegrated into South Africa. The overwhelming majority of its territory became part of the newly formed province of the Northern Transvaal (now Limpopo) and a smaller portion formed the newly created
Eastern Transvaal Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique ...
province (now
Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. ...
).


Institutions of Higher Education

* University of the North


Districts in 1991

Districts of the province and population at the 1991 census. * Namakgale: 55,441 (LEB-13) * Bolobedu: 196,669 (LEB-7) * Sekgosese: 124,425 (LEB-10) * Bochum: 149,869 (LEB-11) * Mokerong: 446,155 (LEB-3) * Seshego: 302,676 (LEB-4) * Thabamoopo: 353,193 (LEB-1) * Nebo: 324,909 (LEB-5) * Sekhukhuneland: 404,335 (LEB-2) * Naphuno: 167,665 (LEB-8) * Mapulaneng: 215,250 (LEB-12) * Botlokwa (LEB-10) * Moutse District (LEB-9?) * GASELEKA (LEB-3) * PRAKTISEER (LEB-6) Moutse district was seized from Lebowa in 1980 and was, despite violent resistance, officially integrated into
KwaNdebele KwaNdebele was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government as a semi-independent homeland for the Ndebele people. The homeland was created when the South African government purchased nineteen white-owned farms and install ...
.


See also

*
Chief Ministers of Lebowa Leaders of Lebowa (Dates in italics indicate ''de facto ''continuation of office) {, class="wikitable sortable" , - align=left !Tenure !Name !Role !Affiliation , - valign=top , colspan="4", Lebowa , - , August 1969 to ''2 October 1972'' , Mo ...
*
Sekukuniland Sekhukhuneland or Sekukuniland ( af, Sekoekoeniland) is a natural region in north-east South Africa, located in the historical Transvaal zone, former Transvaal Province, also known as Bopedi (meaning “land of Bapedi”). The region is named a ...


References

{{coord, 24, 18, 26, S, 29, 34, 45, E, display=title 1994 disestablishments in South Africa Bantustans in South Africa States and territories established in 1972 Former enclaves 1972 establishments in South Africa States and territories disestablished in 1994