Barolong is a tribe of

Tswana people The Tswana ( tn, Batswana, singular ''Motswana'') are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Tswana language is a principal member of the Sotho-Tswana language group. Ethnic Tswana made up approximately 85% of the pop ...

from

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. Their King, Tau was the descendant of King Morolong who is the founder of Barolong tribe. He reigned around 1240 and adopted ''Tholo'' (the Kudu) as the Barolong totem. King Tau was a warrior king who reigned around 1660. He fought many battles and consolidated the Barolong tribe to become a very strong kingdom. He had many wives and begot many sons and daughters. The prominent four sons are Ratlou, Tshidi, Seleka and Rapulana. The Barolong tribe later used the names of the warrior King Tau's sons as their clan names. The Barolong tribe spread across the regions covering Botswana (erstwhile Bechuanaland), through to Transvaal, Northern Cape and Free State. Its important to note that King Tau’s heir to the throne was Ratlou. After the death of King Tau in Taung, to which Taung is named after, Barolong left Taung under Nthua, the younger brother of Tau. They settled in Dithakwaneng, and later, Dithakong, where Nthua died and was buried. Ratlou and the tribe left Dithakong for Mamusa, and later settled in their former capital I.e. Setlagole. This is the place where the kingship of Barolong disintegrated into a number of clans, after Tau's sons. This is after the death of Ratlou. He (Ratlou) had four sons i.e. Mariba, Seitshiro, Mokalake and Moirwagale. Two of these sons fought for the throne, with Mokalake supporting Mariba while Moirwagale supported Seitshiro. Moirwagale became the Regent for Seitshiro while Mokalake became one for Mariba. Finally Barolong disintegrated into four clans, and later five. Their final settlements are as follows; Ratlou; Mariba (Ganyesa); Seitshiro ( Khunwana); Tshidi and Makgetla-Mahikeng; Seleka-Thaba nchu; Rapulana-Bodibe. The fierce battle between Mariba and Seitshiro ended up splitting Ratlou further into two sub-clans. The clan under Mariba resolved to reside in Bothithong, later Morokweng and finally established their capital in

Ganyesa Ganyesa is a town of about 19,000 people in the North West province of South Africa. It is located north-west of Vryburg and about south-west of the provincial capital Mafikeng. It is an administrative centre for the far north-western area of t ...

. They reigned over vast area in

Vryburg Vryburg () is a large agricultural town with a population of 48,400 situated in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality of the North West Province of South Africa. It is the seat and the industrial and agricultural heartland of the di ...

and surrounding areas through kgosikgolo (paramount chiefs) Mariba, Moamogwa, Kegakilwe, Nchelang, Letlhogile and Thibogang. The Seitshiro clan was ruled by Seitshiro, Moshewa, Matlakoe, Gontse, Moshwete ..., in that order. The second son Tshidi resided in

Mahikeng Mafikeng, officially known as Mahikeng and previously Mafeking (, ), is the capital city of the North West Province (South Africa), North West province of South Africa. Close to South Africa's border with Botswana, Mafikeng is northeast of Cape ...

(the ''Barolong boo rra Tshidi'') with their chiefs being Thutlwa, KING Tawana, Montshiwa, Kebalepile and W. Montshiwa ..., in that order. The other clan (''Barolong ba ga Seleka'') resided in

Thaba Nchu Thaba 'Nchu is a town in Free State, South Africa, 63 km east of Bloemfontein and 17 km east of Botshabelo. The population is largely made up of Tswana and Sotho people. The town was settled in December 1833 and officially established ...

and their chiefs were Seleka, Koikoi/Mpolokang, Modimogale-a-Mpolokang, Moroka (Regent), Sefunelo (Regent), Moroka (Regent had issue with Phutiagae) Samuel (with Issue vs Tshipinare), Molekana ..., in that order. It is important to note that Moroka was not the son of Koikoi/Mpolokang but his younger brother and therefore actual Regent for a much younger, Modimogale-a-Mpolokang. This is noted by Dr Silas Molema ‘Chief Moroka, The Life and Times’. It is important to note that Samuel Moroka was banished to British Bechuanaland after the death/murder of co-claimant to the throne Tshipinare (1884). Samuel Moroka and his followers eventually settled in Matsiloje, British Bechuanaland, where currently his descendants are settled with their leader Moipolai. The followers and descendants of Tshipinare remain in Thaba Nchu and reside with their leader a descendant of Tshipinare, Kgosi Moroka. The other clan (Barolong ba ga Rapulana), resided in

Lotlhakane Lotlhakane is a large village located in the Southern District of Botswana. It had 4,828 inhabitants at the 2011 census. See also * List of cities in Botswana The following is a list of cities and towns in Botswana with population of o ...

and Bodibe. Their chiefs were Rapulana, Molekana, Makhowe , Matlaba, Shuduntlhe, Ramolekane in that order. The Barolong chiefs, Moroka (

James Moroka James Sebe Moroka, OLG (16 March 1891 – 10 November 1985) was a medical doctor and a politician, who was the president of the African National Congress 1949–1952.

) and Dr

Silas Molema Dr Silas Modiri Molema (c. 1891 – 13 August 1965) was a South African doctor, politician, activist, and historian. Life Silas Modiri Molema was born around 1891 in Mafeking, South Africa. His father was an important Barolong tribal chief, ...

(Molema's are the uncles of the Barolong boo rra Tshidi), played a key role in formation of the liberation movement (

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...

). The first Morolong chief was Morolong, who lived many years ago around 1240, from whom the tribe derives its name and as he was laid to rest many of his sons never reconciled. Seleka is the first son of King Morolong. Rulers of the Rolong tribe: *1240 Morolong *1270 Noto *1300 Morara *1330 Mabe *1360 mabudi *1390 Moloto *1420 Mabeo *1450 Modiboa *1480 Tshesebe *1510 Monnyane *1540 Setlhare *1570 Masepa *1600 Mokgopha *1630 Thibela *1660 King Tau *1690 Ratlou, Tshidi, Seleka, Rapulana *1720 Seitshiro, Thutlwa, Koikoi, Molekane *1750 Moshewa, KING Tawana, Moroka, Makhowe *1780 Matlakoe, Montshioa Tawana, Sehunelo, Matlaba *1810 Gontsi, Kebalepile, Moroka, Shuduntlhe *1840 Moshwete, W. Montshioa, Samuele, Ramolekana *1870 Molekana In Botswana the Rolong tribe is found in the Southern part of Botswana in Goodhope and villages surrounding it.

External links

Sotho-Tswana peoples in South Africa {{Africa-ethno-group-stub