Description Kimberley Bk 1: Hill to Hole A story of Kimberley which covers the impact of the discovery of diamonds on all South Africa’s people. Both those who lived in the area at the time – the Batlhaping and their leaders Galeshewe, Toto and Jantjie the Korana and Griqua – as well those who travelled long distances on foot to earn money for their clans and themselves. Before Johannesburg existed, the Vhavenda would walk from Vhembe to Kimberley – a distance of about 1000km – and would rest for a period at a halfway point. A resting place in Tshivenda is “chiawelo”. Later the area became part of Soweto and is now one of its suburbs. The root of the Bafokeng’s wealth and money for the purchase of guns by Kumkani Langalibalele of the amaHlubi are some of the less known consequences of the discovery of diamonds. Three heroic Dikgosi ‘Nkuku,’ said Katlego, ‘thanks for the tour of the township. I enjoyed seeing the mining equipment and can’t wait to learn more. But when we were at the monument to the three dikgosi, you said you’d tell us about them later. You said that a Kgosi Galeshewe was awarded a gold medal for bravery for what he did over a hundred years ago. Is that true?’ He looked across the stoep at his grandmother, who sat in her usual chair in the shade. Naledi smiled at the two eager faces that looked expectantly at her. Her grandchildren, fifteen-year-old Katlego and twelve-year-old Bontle, were visiting her during the Easter school holidays from their home in Pretoria. They often visited their grandmother at her house in Galeshewe, the huge township outside Kimberley, during the school holidays. Naledi had lived in Galeshewe for many years, and so had her mother and her mother’s mother, right down to their earliest ancestors who had first settled in the area long before Galeshewe was given that name. ‘My dears,’ said Naledi, ‘Galeshewe, this township, is named after Kgosi Galeshewe. Kgosi simply means a hereditary leader. Galeshewe was a Kgosi of the Batlhaping and he lived in this area a long time ago. This township was only named after him much later. He was not the only famous Kgosi to be associated with Kimberley. There are two others, Kgosi Luka Jantjie and Kgosi Toto Makgolokwe, and together with Galeshewe the trio are honoured at the monument you saw during our tour this afternoon. ‘I’ve been thinking about where to start the story, I know that you both want to hear about the brave Kgosi Galeshewe. I think, though, that we should start at the very beginning, so I’m going to tell you about Galeshewe’s people – the Batlhaping.’
