Description Manthatisi and Sekonyela Bk 2 In this second of two books on Manthatisi and Sekonyela, we pick up the story from the time the Batlokwa settle on their twin mountain strongholds of Yoalaboholo and Marabeng. Even after Sekonyela took over leadership of the Batlokwa, Manthatisi remained a strong influence for the remainder of her life and was much loved by her people. Sekonyela, on the other hand, was less popular. Under his leadership the Batlokwa enjoyed fluctuating fortunes, partly because of Sekonyela’s love of war and raiding. His ongoing feud with Moshoeshoe was ultimately to be his downfall and he would take the Batlokwa down with him. Sekonyela takes charge Once again the days grow shorter and quickly become cold when darkness slides across our valley. I settle myself here beneath the stars and the sharp sickle moon, ready with stories told by my grandmother and my great-grandmother before her. Now, surrounded by mountains and with the creatures of the night beginning to stir, let me tell you more about Manthatisi and Sekonyela and the trials of the Batlokwa. In the first story about Manthatisi and Sekonyela, we saw how Manthatisi became known as the Queen of the Wild Cat People, the Batlokwa. Manthatisi served as regent when her son, Sekonyela, was too young to step into his father’s footsteps. Leading the Batlokwa through difficult times, she gradually handed control over to Sekonyela as he grew older. Since Manthatisi is often called Queen, Sekonyela is referred to as King. The idea of a queen or king is a Western one, though, and does not truly reflect the hierarchy of the Batlokwa. The commonly used English word ‘chief’ is also not an accurate translation of how the Batlokwa referred to their leader. When he took over leadership from Manthatisi, Sekonyela became the Kgosi of the Batlokwa and that is how we will speak of him in this story. Kgosi Sekonyela’s people considered him a rather difficult person to deal with. He sometimes fought because he had to, but the truth is, he also fought because he was a quarrelsome man. He started many fights by taking someone else’s cattle. Of course, he was not the only one to raid another clan for cattle and goods. People from many different groups did that in those days of the 1820s and 1830s. The problem was that his bad decisions made him enemies where he could have made friends. Not only was he disagreeable and inclined to argue, he was also miserly. This made him a poor host and his wives grumbled that they struggled to put out a decent meal for guests. We will find out more about how these personality traits ultimately caused a great deal of trouble for Kgosi Sekonyela and worked to the detriment of the Batlokwa he led. First, let me take you back to 1823, when the troubled times referred to as the Difaqane, or Mfecane, were coming to an end. The Batlokwa of Manthatisi and Sekonyela emerged from years of upheaval and bloodshed as one of three dominant forces in the region of the Caledon River valley. The other two were Mpangazitha and his amaHlubi, and Moshoeshoe’s Bamokoteli. Under the leadership of Manthatisi, the Batlokwa had moved through the region between the rivers of the Caledon and the Vaal, enjoying more victories in battle than defeats. This part of our story finds Manthatisi, Sekonyela and the Batlokwa resting for a while at Bocheletsana. It was time for Mota, Sekonyela’s younger brother, to be circumcised. At the same time, they were joined by the Basia of Letlala and their close relatives the Batlokwa of Nkhahle, both driven from their homes by Matiwane’s amaNgwane.
