30 Aug 2020

MP for Kanye South, Dr Lemogang Kwape, recently  set in motion, development of Mmalekwa royal cemetery in Kanye.

Distinguished individuals, among them, Bangwaketse royals, London Missionary Society clergy, British/Rhodesian soldiers and administrators were laid to rest in this area.

Speaking during a ground breaking ceremony, Dr Kwape said the project would unlock rare opportunities offered by the area’s rich past.

Dr Kwape, also Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, expressed wish that all historical artefacts in GaNgwaketse could be centred around the area to derive maximum benefit and preserve them for posterity.

For his part, Kgosi Malope II said development of the area was a dream-come-true for him.

He said the ambitious project would be done in phases, the first being construction of a boundary wall. For many years, he said, his constant fear was that the rich history could get defaced by people or animals.

Kgosi Malope said the second phase would entail creation of walk paths, chapel and digital library among others.

He thanked sponsors and everybody who contributed towards the project especially during the first days.

Meanwhile, as part of his community outreach project, Dr Thato Selepeng from BIUST surveyed for unapparent graves using an underground exploration technique in 2019.

He said the system sent electromagnetic signals into the ground and picked whatever appeared underground be it a coffin or any disturbance.

The Ground Penetrating Radar(GPR), he said, enabled them to map the graves.

The technique was new in the country but widely used worldwide to detect graves.

Dr Selepeng said they located a lot of graves especially towards the eastern side where the ground was flat.

Based on the discoveries, he said the place made a good case to become a national heritage site. Having different races of people buried in one place ticked all the boxes for the village.

He said it signified that Kanye was a pathway for missionaries, Boer trekkers, among others.

 “That’s why we are here. We believe in this project and will really vouch for it to become a national monument. Guys are passionate about this place, if you hear them talk about it and the history attached to it you’d be astonished,” he said.

Dr Selepeng thanked Mmalekwa community for giving him an opportunity to give out his science to the public. He recommended that the place be fenced to avert desecration.

Mmalekwa Cemetery Project Committee (MCPC) chairperson, Mr Edward Dibeela, was also concerned that a lot of history was lost.

He said the graves dated as way back as the early 1860s, adding however that many were unmarked.

He said they engaged BIUST to help explore for unclear graves and guide the development process. Mr Dibeela said they brought in the science of geophysics to avoid leaving out some graves which were now flat land outside the boundary.

Culture enthusiast and youthful MCPC member, Mr Taolo Mogobe, described the project as a point where archaeological, historical, social and geophysical research met. Ends