The Balete people are a Southern African ethnic group.
In
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...
they have occupied a permanent territory since around 1780, officially recognized as a civilisation reserve in 1909.
They are the only one of eight major tribes that do not belong to the related
Tswana people
The Batswana (, singular ''Motswana'') are a Bantu peoples, Bantu Ethnic groups in South Africa, ethnic group native to Southern Africa that are descendants of King Looe (Lowe) who established the Hurutshi tribe in Southern Africa (linguistic ...
. They still have a traditional King, or ''
Kgosi
A (; ) is the title for a hereditary leader of a Batswana and South Africa peoples tribe.
Usage
The word "kgosi" is a Setswana term for "king" or "chief". Various affixes can be added to the word to change its meaning: adding the prefix ''di- ...
kgolo''. Balete are settled in Southern Botswana villages that include
Ramotswa,
Gabane
Gabane is a village in Kweneng District of Botswana. It is located 15 km (10 mi) west of Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. The population was 10,399 in 2001 census, making it the fourth largest settlement in Kweneng. Its population wa ...
,
Otse
Otse is a village in the South-East District of Botswana. It is located 60 km south of Gaborone, along the Gaborone–Lobatse road and close to the border with South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Af ...
,
Metsimotlhabe,
Mogobane
Mogobane
References
South-East District (Botswana)
Villages in Botswana
{{botswana-geo-stub ...
and
Modipane.
List of chiefs/Kings
Phatlê (Wa ko Tlhôgô ya Tlou)
Malete
Maphalaolê
Mongatane
Maio
Kgomo
Mokgwê
Marumô
Pôwê I a Marumo
1805 Mokgôjwe a Pôwê (acting)
1805–1830 Pôwê II a Mokgôjwe (died c. 1830)
1830–1886 Mokgôsi I a Pôwê
1886–1896 Ikaneng a Mokgôsi
1896–1906 Mokgôsi II
1906–1917 Baitlotle (acting)
1917–1937 Seboko I a Mokgôsi
1937–1945 Ketswerebothata a Mokgôsi (acting)
1945–1966 Mokgôsi III a Seboko
1966–1996 Kelemogile a Seboko (Kelemogile Mokgosi) acting
1996–2001 Seboko II a Mokgôsi
2001–2002 Tumelo a Seboko (acting)
2002–present
Mosadi Seboko
Leboko la Balete (The Balete Poem)
September 1, 2012 saw the beginning of a new era for the Balete tribe, as it revived its dormant tradition of male initiation, Bogwera, under the guidance of its first ever female Paramount Chief Mosadi Seboko. Among initiates were five councilors from the South East District Council – two from the Botswana Congress Party, another two from the ruling Botswana Democratic party and one from the Botswana Movement for Democracy. The naming of the new regiment ‘Matsosa ngwao’ (Cultural revivers) by Kgosi Seboko coincided with the annual national cultural day celebrations. The event attracted members of the diplomatic corps from Mozambique, Nigeria, the United States of America, the UK and the Chinese Women's Association.
Sources and referencesWorld Statesmen website on political and administrative entities
References
{{Reflist
Sotho-Tswana peoples in South Africa