The Life of Morena Moshoeshoe

Writes Ratokelo Nkoka

The Life of the Great King Moshoeshoe I, born Lepoqo is a fascinating one. His father, Mokhachane was the chief of the small Bamokoleli clan numbering around 4 000 at the time. His mother was Kholu, the daughter of Ntsukunyane of the Bafokeng clan. Lepoqo was born like any other ordinary boy at Menkhoaneng in the north of modern-day Lesotho. He tended sheep and goats as a young boy, but later became larger than life to be a great statesman and the unifier. The story of his life is a full circle of the once ruthless man to an extraordinary chief and visionary who, despite all the odds, was able to build a people we call Basotho today. We celebrate the life of a legend and a forefather who was like no other. A visionary who was head and shoulders above his peers.

When he died on 11 March 1870 at the age of 84, King Moshoeshoe I had left behind a nation he founded and ruled for almost half a century. He had built a nation made up of many tribes that he left under the protection of the British government. Despite the many odds that were heavily stacked against him, he left a legacy that is called Lesotho today. One of the few nations that still enjoys its sovereignty in Southern Africa.

He rested, leaving behind a uniquely placed kingdom ordained by God, while many kingdoms of his contemporaries had vanished from the face of the Earth. Moshoeshoe had listened to the word of the prophet and implemented the word of the prophet, and the word of the prophet became a kingdom.

As a testament to his bravery, wisdom and tenacity, the Kingdom of Lesotho today is an independent country surrounded by the Republic of South Africa, However, free and democratic today, the borders of the two countries still remain a mirror that reflects the voracity of white domination and the resilience of Basotho led by King Moshoeshoe I in Southern Africa at the time.

 

Lepoqo was born in 1786 at Menkhoaneng in Leribe into a polygamous family of Mokhachane. Mokhachane had many wives and some of them were Kholu, Mabela, ‘Mamopedi and ‘Malelosa. Kholu begot ‘Mats’oeunyane, Lepoqo (Moshoeshoe), Makhabane, Posholi and ‘Mantoetsi. ‘Mamohale begot Mohale and Mpepuoa. ‘Mamopeli begot Mopeli while ‘Malelosa begot Lelosa and Ts’iame.

Moshoeshoe’s birth name was Lepoqo, which means dispute. It is said that there was a commotion in his father’s village when he was born. A witch was caught in the village and historians can only predict that the commotion was about the witch who had brought an evil spell to the village. Nothing seemed strange about this situation, even today, it is still common for parents to name their children after the events of the day in which they were born. Lepoqo grew up like other boys, looking after his father’s sheep and goats. When the time came, he underwent initiation school in 1804 with his peers, Makoanyane, Matekane, Shakhane and Toloane among others. He was groomed like other boys to take up his responsibilities in the society. At initiation, he was given the name of Letlama (the binder), his destiny was to bring together and bind or unite those people “who were falling apart” or whose tendencies were to live off into a multitude of groups when he was born.

Lepoqo graduated from the initiation school and began to assert his authority as a young man. He developed in him, a restless and uncompromising character, one which demanded absolute obedience from boys of his age and even those older than him. He forced others into submission, and he engendered fear in his people as a way of commanding or extracting respect from them. This basic flow in his orientation caused him to be blind to the fact that true respect cannot come from coercion, but through persuasion.

Lepoqo, operating on his “principle “of extracting obedience, also fought those who would not conform to his way of doing things. He is said to have gone to the extent of killing five men at different times, the last one for milking his favorite cow without his permission. He was such a ferocious fighter that nobody dared to stop him whenever he victimised his subjects. The villagers in the neighborhood and villages adjacent to Lepoqo’s family were convinced that he was seriously sick and needed medicine to be healed. It was only Lepoqo’s grandfather, Peete whom he sometimes listened to. Therefore, Mokhachane asked Peete to make Lepoqo see the wisdom of consulting a herbalist and seer, Mohlomi, to “confirm” that which Lepoqo was longing for.

Peete succeeded in persuading Lepoqo to consult Mohlomi, a renowned healer, prophet and a wise man. In 1806 Peete took Lepoqo to Mohlomi specifically so that Mohlomi could give him medicine to drive away the evil that was in him. When Mohlomi met Lepoqo for the first time, he looked straight into his eyes and kept quiet. He then went close to Lepoqo and rubbed his forehead against his and said; someday, in all probability, thou shall be called to govern men. When thou shall sit in judgment let their decision be just. The law knows no one as a poor man.

By this act of rubbing his forehead against that of Lepoqo, Mohlomi blessed him. Again, as a prophet, he told Lepoqo what was in store for him. This prophecy `came as a shock to Peete, for, on the contrary, Peete did not expect a person of Mohlomi’s stature and reputation to see any potential in Lepoqo, a young man whose errant behavior was far from praiseworthy. Peete had expected that Mohlomi would reprimand his grandson for what he had done, and that his grandson would be subjected to drinking a concoction of medicine to ‘’ reclaim him’’ or bring him to his senses. Still taken aback, Peete heard   Mohlomi telling Lepoqo that the only true medicine was his own heart. In his book… Ntsu Mokhehle captures this moment by saying “There is no herb, no medicine and no form of talism my son, which can be used that the king who judges the poor without truth, his throne will be established forever. This indeed became true of Moshoeshoe’s kingdom. The word of the prophet was fulfilled. The word was spoken to a man who, because of his obedience to the guidance of Mohlomi was anointed to found and lead Basotho, God’s people. When Moshoeshoe applied these teachings of the prophet, God never forsook him. God gave him protection, power and wisdom throughout his life. Lepoqo even professed, “U ka nketsang ha e ahe motse Thesele, motse ho ahoa oa morapeli.” Loosely translated to say aggression does not build a nation, but rather the serenity and humility of the supplicant.

Surprisingly, Lepoqo was receptive to Mohlomi’s teaching. No doubt he had experienced some self–doubt with regard to his violence towards others. Mohlomi strongly warned Lepoqo that a ruler avoids revolt and assassination and he sees to the needs of the aged, the crippled, the widows, orphans and the society as a whole. As a follow up of this worrying, Mohlomi  advised  Lepoqo to choose peace rather than war; not to listen to the words or use the medicine of the evil doctors; and to judge quarrels fairly. He encouraged him to marry many wives to establish alliances with many and different heads of families for the sake of peace and unity.

With these judicious words, Mohlomi was attesting to King Solomon’s words of wisdom that the king who judged the poor without truth, his throne will be established forever (Proverbs 29;14). This indeed became true Moshoeshoe’s kingdom. The word of the prophet was fulfilled. The word was spoken to a man who became of his obedience to its guiding principle, was anointed to found and lead the Basotho. God’s people. When Moshoeshoe applied these teachings of the prophet, God never forsook him. God gave him protection, power and wisdom throughout his life.

At this point, Mohlomi presented Lepoqo with an earring as a sign of power, a shield and knobkerrie for protection and an ox for the wealth of his kingdom. He was now a firm believer in honest listening and genuine consultation. Doing unto others, what one wants done unto them, and knowing more about the will and the power of God.

Having rejoined his father’s people, Lepoqo maintained a low profile and was rather subdued at the beginning. He sat in the chief’s court with his elders listening to the councilor’s deliberations. But given his ambitions, he also started to accumulate wealth, without which, he would not have followers. On one occasion, he raided the cattle of Ramonaheng and defeated him. In keeping with the tradition of self-praise after combat, Moshoeshoe referred to himself as “Moshoeshoe oa ha Rakali Lebeola, ea neng a beole Ramonaheng Litelu,” likening himself to the sound of the razor that makes the ‘shoe…shoe’ sound as he cut Ramonaheng’s beard. Lepoqo now came to be known as Moshoeshoe. His new name earned popularity and remained with him until his death.

Later, Moshoeshoe established himself and took over the reins of the Ba-Mokoteli tribe in the early 1820s. He took his people from the Menkhoaneng valley and settled at the top of Botha-Bothe mountain using it as a defence mechanism. He explained that the warriors were going to hurl rocks from the top of the mountain down onto the enemy when attacked, in addition to using their traditional weapons. With the growing insecurity, the tactic paid off.

This insecurity was the result of forces unleashed far away in northern Natal by Shaka where new kingdoms were being amalgamated, and others dispersed with a domino effect of upheaval as one group attacked the next until much of the region was destabilised. This process overflowed onto the Highveld and into the Mohokare River valley. This was the time of Lifaqane wars. The Hlubi attacked Batlokoa, who in return, attacked Moshoeshoe and his followers. During the battle with Batlokoa in 1823, Moshoeshoe was to hold his own on Botha-Bothe Mountain, but the situation was still unacceptable. The imperative of finding a safer mountain fortress was no longer in doubt. This led to him taking his people to Thaba-Bosiu, where he lived successfully and ruled his people for over 50 years.

In his life, Moshoeshoe had an estimated 140 wives. These included those that he married, those that were captured (basali ba thebe), and others who were his servants. He married his first wife, Mabela, the daughter of the Bafokeng Chief, Seephephe in 1810. Mabela was given the name of ‘Mamohato and bore him four sons, Letsie, Molapo, Masupha and Majara as well as a daughter, Mathe. One of his wives, ‘Mantsane had measles, a disease not known at the time. It is said that ‘Mantsane committed suicide Thaba-Bosiu by jumping off a cliff. She was the first person to be given a Christian funeral, leaving behind a young child, Ntsane. Her son would later become one of the pioneers in the establishment of the then Basuto Mounted Police on 11 October 1872.

Among his many wives was ‘Masekhonyana, who was the first to convert to Christianity. She was christened Rachel. The other was ‘Mamosebetsi, who was captured during the war with Shekeshe. ‘Mamosebetsi was the queen of the Basia tribe. Both women divorced Moshoeshoe due to their Christian beliefs. It is also said that most of Moshoeshoe’s children born after 1833 did not go for initiation. These included Majara, Nehemia Sekhonyana, Ntsane and John Tlali to name  a few. These boys were given Western education by the missionaries. They went on to help Moshoeshoe on issues of governance and coordinated his affairs with the Cape Colonial government and were also instrumental in translating for him during meetings with white settlers.

At the age of 84, Moshoeshoe retired. Sick and exhausted, he handed over the scepter of power to his eldest son, Letsie, then 57 on 18 January 1870. On 11 March the same year, the great King Moshoeshoe retired to his ancestors, he died of natural causes and old age. It is also reported that at the time of his death, he had a fever. On his deathbed was his son Sofonea, his priest Mareka Nchakala and the daughter of a missionary, Adel Ellenberger.

Never baptised, Moshoeshoe was laid to rest at Thaba-Bosiu on 12 March 1870. He rested leaving behind a uniquely placed kingdom ordained by God, while  many kingdoms of his contemporaries had vanished from the face of the earth. The greatest legacy that he left is the nation and country that we call we call Lesotho today.