Makoma Modjadji IV (19051980) was the fourth

Rain Queen Queen Modjadji, or the Rain Queen, is the hereditary queen of Balobedu, a people of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The Rain Queen is believed to have special powers, including the ability to control the clouds and rainfall. She is know ...

of the

Balobedu The Lobedu or Balobedu ''(''also known as the BaLozwi or Bathobolo'')'' are a southern African ethnic group that speak a Northern Sotho dialect. Their area is called Bolobedu. The name "balobedu" means "the mineral miners", lobela or go loba � ...

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

of the

Limpopo Province 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 term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, succeeding her mother, Queen Khesetoane Modjadji III, in 1959 and reigning until her death. She married Andreas Maake, with whom she had several children. In 1960 Balobedu Royal Council appointed a Male Regent who died in 1962. After the regent died they brought Makoma as the Queen. Mokoto royal family opposed the installation of Makoma as the Monarch by claiming she is a commoner and don't have royal blood of King Mokoto. In 1972, the apartheid regime reduced Makoma Modjadji's title to that of chieftainess, and incorporated the villages and indunas under her jurisdiction into the

Lebowa Lebowa was a Bantustan ("homeland") located in the Transvaal Province, Transvaal in northeastern South Africa. Seshego initially acted as Lebowa's capital while the purpose-built Lebowakgomo was being constructed. Granted internal self-gover ...

and

Gazankulu Gazankulu was a Bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Tsonga people. It was located in both the Northern Transvaal, now Limpopo province and Eastern Transvaal, now Mpumalang ...

homelands. She was succeeded by her eldest daughter, Mokope Modjadji.

References

1905 births 1980 deaths Rain Queens Female heirs apparent 20th-century women monarchs {{SouthAfrica-bio-stub