ASSIGNMENT 02

MOSHOESHOE – SOTHO CHIEF

Explain how Moshoeshoe succeeded to survive in ‘two worlds’.

Moshoeshoe is considered one of the greatest African Diplomats of his time.

During a period of extreme tension and war in the Southern African interior he
not only managed to secure relative safety for his people but also managed to
increase the strength, wealth and size of his population. He played his enemies,
both African and Colonial off against each other, made use of bribery to secure
loyalty and even went as far as inviting the French Missionary Society to set up a
mission station at Morija, and work almost unimpeded with his tribe in return for
immunity from Boer and colonial aggression.

Moshoeshoe was the epitome of diplomacy. Every move or decision was made
after careful consideration and calculated risk evaluation, including his choice of
settlement. If it was at all possible to avoid war and alleviate conflict by means
of negation, this would be his first course of action. However should negation
fail; his armies were always on the ready to make use of their superior position
on top of the mountain stronghold at Thaba Bosiu.

Moshoeshoe encouraged smaller tribes to settle in the land surrounding his

state, his reasoning being that the smaller tribes would act as a buffer zone
between the Sotho and other larger tribes like Mzilikazi’s Ndebele and Shaka’s
Zulu impies who might decide to attack. The smaller tribes and dispossessed
members of decimated tribes who suffered under the difiquane like the Nguni,
San, Kor and Gruiqua groups were included into the Sotho nation, but unlike
Shaka who ruled over conquered tribes with an iron fist, Moshoeshoe allowed the
immigrant groups to live together under a fair amount of autonomy. He
maintained control by delegating authority for the outlying areas to kinsmen,
while he maintained a strong hold on the core population.

Moshoeshoe made use of his extensive wealth, particularly cattle to bata and
bribe neighbouring tribes and secure loyalty. He often played the tribes off
against each other; a case in point would be Matawane of the Ngwaneni whom
Moshoeshoe claimed to be greedy in the taking of cattle for Shaka. When this
news reached the Zulu kingdom, Shaka took exception to Matawane’s
presumption and send his army to punish the Ngwaneni.

Moshoeshoe’s army became one of the first African Mounted armies after his
defeat of the Griquas. The Griqua’s and Kora caused mayhem in many of
Moshoeshoe’s villages because the Sotho had no experience of horses or guns.
Moshoeshoe was however a quick study and soon began to barta for guns and
asking his subjects to steal them from the farms where they worked. When the
Griquas were finally defeated the Sotho annexed the Griqua horses and used
them to breed their own national stock called the ‘Basotho Pony’.
In 1833 Moshoeshoe sent an invitation to the French Missionary Society to
establish a mission station within the confines of his state. This was not done for
religious reasons but in an effort to secure missionary help. The missionaries
were used as intermediaries between the Sotho and the British government in
the Cape and Natal. The missionaries were allowed to set up the mission station
at Morija, they also established a training centre and a school and helped by
teaching and promoting efficient agricultural procedures and trades. By
establishing a new Sotho Christian culture they helped to unify the Sotho and the
immigrant tribes. Casilis became Moshoeshoe’s negotiator and scribe in his
communication with the British; the missionaries were also able to prevent the
British from attacking the Sotho and provide the Sotho with guns and
ammunition. Moshoeshoe went so far as to change some of the Sotho traditions
to accommodate the missionaries; in 1840 he repudiated the initiation rites. In
1843 he agreed to stop witch-killing, he did however not agree to end polygamy,
one could say he was willing to change small things that did not affect him
directly in exchange for the missionaries help. It could also be argued that the
reason Moshoeshoe declined to end polygamy was due to his ‘Solomon’ like take
on marriage. He managed to forge peace with a number of tribes by marrying
members of their chiefly families. As more missionaries arrived Moshoeshoe
cleverly placed them on exposed frontiers Bethulie, Beerseba and Mekautling.

During the 1930’s the Boers became a serious threat to the Sotho, the
Voortrekkers began to encroach on Sotho land. Moshoeshoe approached the
British for help; despite their claimed to be impartial they recognised the
sovereignty of the Orange Free State, on the edges of the Sotho State, thus
allowing the continued skirmishes between the Sotho and the Boers. Eventually
in a bid to secure peace Moshoeshoe asked the British to annex Basotho land
and incorporate it into the British colony, by doing this he ensured that the Boers
were not able to take the land, because if they tried it would mean having to
deal with the British.

Moshoeshoe was truly a great politician and diplomat. He harnessed whatever

was at his disposal to ensure the survival and growth of his people. His
reputation for fairness and compassion ensured that he was able to build a great
nation with ties and loyalties to both African and Colonial powers. In this way he
survived and prospered in ‘two worlds’, gaining respect from traditional as well
as ‘civilized’ society.
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