Bobirwa

The Bobirwa Sub District in Botswana is an area populated by the Babirwa (Ba-Birwa) people who came from Transvaal in present day South Africa. Sebirwa which is spoken by Babirwa is one of the dialects of Northern Sotho like Selobedu, Sehananwa, Sepedi, Sepulana etc. Northern Sesotho and Western Sesotho (Setswana) are part of Sesotho and Sesotho speakers, Basotho came from Ntswanatsatsi and Masilo is the founding father of seSotho speakers, Basotho. After moving away from the rest of the Basotho in Ntswanatsatsi, like other Basotho clans including Bapedi, Batlokwa, the Babirwa settled in Nareng in Letswalo area near Tzaneen in present day South Africa and from there they tracked up North and ended up in Bobirwa in Botswana, in the Bochum area of the Limpopo Province of South Africa and Southern Matebeleland of Zimbabwe around the district of [[Kwanda]. Kwanda was a place for Jahunda speaking people which is a dialect of Kalanga. People in Zimbabwe brandish all Basotho of Zimbabwe as Babirwa. They are two types of Basotho in Zimbabwe, the Babirwa and the other Basothos who left Transvaal around 1890s and early 1900 because they were displaced by the Boers and most of those Basothos came from Polokwane area, places like Moletse, Potgieterrus. Others were Venda's, others were Batsongas but they all adopted one language, the Sesotho which is spoken in Messina and surrounding area, a corrupted seKobo language. From the above it is clear that the babirwa people originate from the confluence of the Limpopo River and the Shashi River, the area that today includes the Mapungubjwe Ruins. The Babirwa in South Africa Reside in areas north of the Bochum area, north of Polokwane. There are more than 40 Babirwa surnames in South Africa which include Malema, Makhura, Maphala, Nare, Tau,Choshi, Mmamadi, Legong (Lehong), Mangale, Taueatswala, Molefe, Mogano, Jibula (Tjibula) (Muhanu), Machete, Lehomo, Raphahlelo, Raseokgo (Sebola), Phooko, Ramalepe, Boikanyo, Selema, Morerwa (Murerwa) Makgatho ,Maruatona, Monekwe (Monengwe) and many more. The word Bobirwa therefore means the land of (Babirwa) Ba-Birwa people live.

Bobirwa
Sub-district
Bobirwa
Coordinates: 21°58′14″S 28°25′24″E / 21.97043°S 28.423335°E / -21.97043; 28.423335Coordinates: 21°58′14″S 28°25′24″E / 21.97043°S 28.423335°E / -21.97043; 28.423335
Country Botswana
District Central District

The Bobirwa Sub District is an administrative region in eastern Botswana, part of the Central District. Bobonong is the largest town and the headquarters of the sub-district. The sub-district is bounded by Zimbabwe to the northeast and South Africa to the southeast. The Limpopo River forms the boundary with South Africa.

The Bobirwa Sub-district has an average annual rainfall of 300 to 400 millimetres (12 to 16 in). Soils are mainly loams to sandy clay loams. Bobirwa is the lowest part of Botswana, varying from 590 to 886 metres (1,936 to 2,907 ft) above sea level. It is intersected by a network of channels that drain into the Limpopo. Villages include Mathathane, Motlhabaneng, Tsetsebjwe, Kobojango, Bobonong, Molalatau, Tobane, Mabolwe, Semolale, Lepokole, Zanzibar, Moletemane,Sefophe] and Lentswelemoriti.[1]

The sub-district has been heavily degraded by agricultural activities and is susceptible to drought. Large areas in and around the villages are bare earth, due in part to clearing of grasses to keep away snakes and insects, in part to overgrazing by sheep, goats, donkeys and even cattle kept by the villagers.[1] A study showed a substantial reduction in natural land cover between 1970 and 2010, combined with a significant increase in population.[2] In addition to livestock, the sub-district is home to abundant livestock. In 2000 there was a herd of around 200 elephants.[3]

In 2011 it was reported that the government had approved establishment of service centres in Tsetsebjwe, Mathathane and Gobojango as well as other large infrastructure development projects such as road improvements, bridges and electrification. This followed rapid economic growth in the previous three years. The local people could now shop and bank in Bobonong, rather than having to travel to Selebi-Phikwe, and the new centers were expected to further improve access to services.[4] In 2012 there was a sharp increase in stock theft. This may have been caused in part by drought, which was forcing livestock to travel long distances to find grazing and water, making them vulnerable to rustlers.[5]

References

Citations

Sources

  • Botswana College of Agriculture (4 August 2004). "BOTSWANA REPORT Contract No. 4500010375". UNESCO Crosscutting Project. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  • Mazwiduma, Takongwa (8 June 2012). "Stocktheft on the rise in Bobirwa". Mmegi. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  • Modikwa, Onalenna (9 January 2009). "Massive infrastructural projects underway in Bobirwa". Mmegi. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
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