Makapan

Makapan (or Mokopane) was a tribal chief Ndebele 19th alive century in South Africa.

Chief of the tribe ndébélé of Tlous in north Transvaal, Makapan had also the row of wizard sangoma and maker of rain.

In September 1854, it claimed with its warriors the intestines of a large white hunter in order to prepare a medicinal mixture for the hunters of the tribe. In September, it directed itself the attack against 23 Boers in Moorddrift whereas those took part in a forwarding of hunting. It made kill the women, the children and the men except for their chief, Hermanus Potgieter which it makes later skin sharp.

Hermanus Potgieter was the brother of the chief Voortrekker Hendrik Potgieter and the uncle de Piet Potgieter, a person in charge of district.

Boers of the area were called to form then Commando S under the command of Marthinus Wessel Pretorius and Piet Potgieter. They pursued Makapan and 3000 of its men. Taken refuge in a cave, the latter were besieged October 25th with the November 21st 1854. More than 700 of the men of Makapan were killed whereas they tried to be extracted from the cave. Piet Potgieter itself was killed whereas it directed an attack. Its body was extracted from the places by the young person Paul Kruger, the young person ordering district of Rustenburg. At the end of almost 30 days of seat, ndébélés the weapons returned. Boers penetrated then in the cave where he discovered the bodies of more than 1500 warriors of Makapan, died of thirst and hunger. During the seat, the Tlou chief and several of his men had thus managed to escape with the favor of the darkness of the night.

The cave became a national monument in 1936.

In 2002, the name of Makapan is given to the town of Potgietersrus by the provincial authorities (ANC) of the province of the Limpopo.

External bonds

Commemoration of the battle of Moordrift

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