Mokopane
Encyclopedia
Mokopane is a town in the Limpopo
province of South Africa
. The town was established by the Voortrekkers and named Potgietersrus after the slain Voortrekker leader Piet Potgieter. The name was changed to Mokopane in 2003 in honour of King Mgombane Kekana who resided on the land and ruled the area before he was over-thrown and killed by the Voortrekkers. It is home to the Northern Ndebele speaking people, English, Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, and XiTsonga speakers. Five kingdoms in the vicinity of the town are Kekana (Moshate), Langa (Mapela), Lebelo (Garasvlei) and Langa (Bakenburg).
There is an interest from the Northern Ndebele (SeNdrebele in the language itself) locals to revive their language, many want to read and write their language. The SeNdrebele language is spoken by over half of the community members in Moshate and Mosesetjane
Village
Two hours from Gauteng, the town acts as a getaway destination and as a stop-over for travelers en route to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Kruger National Park
. The area is typical bushveld
with many acacia
trees and aloe
s, which are at their best in June and July.
The Mokopane area is one of South Africa's richest agricultural areas producing wheat, tobacco, cotton, beef, maize
, peanuts and citrus. The Zebediela
Citrus Estate, 55 km to the southeast, is one of the largest citrus farms in the southern hemisphere.
The area is rich in minerals with the mining of platinum
, diamonds and granite as chief mineral resources.
Caves are situated 15 km north of the town. Recovery of Homo habilis
habitation has been made at these caves. Remains of Australopithecus africanus
have also been found at the caves.
The Arend Dieperink Museum portrays the history of the town, from the ape-man at Makapansgat, bushman
drawings and early activities in the area up to the Anglo Boer War and recent times.
(dried meat) and mampoer (a potent drink), tropical gardens and traditional dancing.
In the adjacent township of Mahwelereng
traditional lifestyles, set against the spectacular Waterberg
, can be observed. Mokopane also offers a selection of outdoor activities ranging from hiking, camping and 4x4 trails to birding, angling and game viewing.
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal...
province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The town was established by the Voortrekkers and named Potgietersrus after the slain Voortrekker leader Piet Potgieter. The name was changed to Mokopane in 2003 in honour of King Mgombane Kekana who resided on the land and ruled the area before he was over-thrown and killed by the Voortrekkers. It is home to the Northern Ndebele speaking people, English, Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, and XiTsonga speakers. Five kingdoms in the vicinity of the town are Kekana (Moshate), Langa (Mapela), Lebelo (Garasvlei) and Langa (Bakenburg).
There is an interest from the Northern Ndebele (SeNdrebele in the language itself) locals to revive their language, many want to read and write their language. The SeNdrebele language is spoken by over half of the community members in Moshate and Mosesetjane
Mosesetjane
Mosesetjane village is situated northwest of the town of Mokopane in the Waterberg District of the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is divided into three sections under three chiefs: Chief Kekana of the Kgobudi section, Chief Frans Ledwaba of the Sekgoboko section, and Chief N Lebelo of the...
Village
Two hours from Gauteng, the town acts as a getaway destination and as a stop-over for travelers en route to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
. The area is typical bushveld
Bushveld
The Bushveld is a sub-tropical woodland ecoregion of Southern Africa that encompasses most of Limpopo Province and a small part of the North West Province of South Africa, the Central and North-East Districts of Botswana and the Matabeleland South and part of th Matabeleland North provinces of...
with many acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
trees and aloe
Aloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
s, which are at their best in June and July.
The Mokopane area is one of South Africa's richest agricultural areas producing wheat, tobacco, cotton, beef, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, peanuts and citrus. The Zebediela
Zebediela
Zebediela is a group of villages in Capricorn District Municipality of Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is situated south-east of Polokwane next to Lebowakgomo. It is well known for the production of citrus fruits....
Citrus Estate, 55 km to the southeast, is one of the largest citrus farms in the southern hemisphere.
The area is rich in minerals with the mining of platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
, diamonds and granite as chief mineral resources.
Prehistory and history
The historic and archaeologically significant MakapansgatMakapansgat
Makapansgat is an archeological location within the Makapansgat and Zwartkrans Valleys, northeast of Mokopane in Limpopo province, South Africa. It is an important paleontological site, with the local limeworks containing Australopithecus-bearing deposits dating to between 3.0 and 2.6 million years...
Caves are situated 15 km north of the town. Recovery of Homo habilis
Homo habilis
Homo habilis is a species of the genus Homo, which lived from approximately at the beginning of the Pleistocene period. The discovery and description of this species is credited to both Mary and Louis Leakey, who found fossils in Tanzania, East Africa, between 1962 and 1964. Homo habilis Homo...
habitation has been made at these caves. Remains of Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus africanus was an early hominid, an australopithecine, who lived between 2–3 million years ago in the Pliocene. In common with the older Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus was slenderly built, or gracile, and was thought to have been a direct ancestor of modern humans. Fossil...
have also been found at the caves.
The Arend Dieperink Museum portrays the history of the town, from the ape-man at Makapansgat, bushman
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
drawings and early activities in the area up to the Anglo Boer War and recent times.
Culture
The stunning bushveld environment and influences from Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, SeSotho, Afrikaans and English cultures give Mokopane a unique character. There are also ancient caves, the "Big Five", San rock paintings, curios, bushveld food and drinks such as biltongBiltong
Biltong is a kind of cured meat that originated in South Africa. Many different types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef through game meats to fillets of ostrich from commercial farms. It is typically made from raw fillets of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or...
(dried meat) and mampoer (a potent drink), tropical gardens and traditional dancing.
In the adjacent township of Mahwelereng
Mahwelereng
Mahwelereng is a township in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is about 2 km from Mokopane, formerly known as Potgietersrus. It was one of the creations of the South African Apartheid policies in the former homeland of Lebowa. Most of the original residents of Mahwelereng were from an area...
traditional lifestyles, set against the spectacular Waterberg
Waterberg
Waterberg can refer to two articles about an area in Namibia:* Waterberg Biosphere* Waterberg National Park...
, can be observed. Mokopane also offers a selection of outdoor activities ranging from hiking, camping and 4x4 trails to birding, angling and game viewing.