View source for Lebowa

{{short description|Former bantustan in South Africa}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use South African English|date=April 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2009}}
{{Infobox country
|native_name = Lebowa
|conventional_long_name = 
|common_name = Lebowa
|status = [[Bantustan]]
|p1 = Republic of South Africa
|flag_p1 = Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg
|s1 = Republic of South Africa
|flag_s1 = Flag of South Africa.svg
|image_flag = Flag of Lebowa.svg
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Lebowa.svg
|image_map = Lebowa in South Africa.svg
|image_map_caption = Location of Lebowa (red) within South Africa (yellow).
|national_motto = 
|national_anthem  = 
|common_languages = [[Northern Sotho language|Pedi]]<br />[[English language|English]]<br />[[Afrikaans language|Afrikaans]]
|capital = [[Lebowakgomo]]
|title_leader = Chief Minister
|leader1 = MM Matlala (1972{{ndash}}73)
|leader2 = Dr.CN Phatudi (1973{{ndash}}87)
|leader3 = ZT Seleka (1987)
|leader4 = MN Ramodike (1987{{ndash}}1994)
|event_start = Self-government
|date_start = 2 October
|year_start = 1972
|event_end = Re-integrated into South Africa
|date_end = 27 April
|year_end = 1994
|currency = South African rand 
|stat_year1             = 1980<ref name="FrankentalSichone2005">{{cite book|author1=Sally Frankental|author2=Owen Sichone|title=South Africa's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2G9vI6NEjgYC&pg=PA187|access-date=18 September 2013|date=1 January 2005|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-674-3|page=187}}</ref>
|stat_area1             = 24540
|stat_pop1              = 1,700,000
|stat_year2             = 1991<ref name=RSAdist/>
|stat_area2             = 
|stat_pop2              = 2,740,587
}}

'''Lebowa''' was a [[bantustan]] ("homeland") located in the [[Transvaal Province|Transvaal]] in northeastern [[South Africa]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebowa|title=Lebowa &#124; historical region, South Africa &#124; Britannica|website=www.britannica.com}}</ref>  [[Seshego]] initially acted as Lebowa's capital while the purpose-built [[Lebowakgomo]] was being constructed.  Granted internal [[self-government]] on 2 October 1972 and ruled for much of its existence by [[Cedric Phatudi]], Lebowa was reincorporated into South Africa in 1994. It became part of the [[Limpopo]] province. The territory was not contiguous, being divided into two major and several minor portions.<ref name="auto"/>

Even though Lebowa included large swathes of [[Sekukuniland]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gregmarinovich.photoshelter.com/gallery/G0000n9e3ORmGmbw|title=Sekhukhuneland - Images &#124; Greg Marinovich Photography|website=gregmarinovich.photoshelter.com}}</ref> and was seen as a home for the [[Northern Sotho]] speaking ethnic groups such as the [[Pedi people]], it was also home to various non-Northern Sotho speaking tribes, including the [[Northern Ndebele people|Northern Ndebele]], [[Batswana]] and [[Tsonga people|VaTsonga]].

==Etymology==
The name "Lebowa" is an archaic spelling of the Sesotho sa Lebowa word "Lebowa" which means "where you come from ". The name was chosen as a compromise between the various [[ Sotho Sa Lebowa ]] groups for which it was designed.

==History==
The North Sotho National Unit was founded on 1 June 1960 in pursuance of separate development. It was created to be a homeland for [[Northern Sotho]] peoples such as [[Bapedi]], [[Batlokwa]], Babirwa, Banareng, Bahananwa, [[Balobedu]], Bakone, Baroka, Bakgakga, Bahlaloga, [[Batau tribe|Batau]], [[Bakwena]], Baphuthi, Batlou and many others. On 2 October 1972 it was granted internal self-governance and renamed Lebowa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/South_African_homelands.html|title = South African Homelands}}</ref> Beginning in the 1950s through to the 1970s, thousands of people were forcibly removed from their communities and relocated to Lebowa.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mokgoatšana |first1=Sekgothe |last2=Mashego |first2=Goodenough |date=2020-11-17 |title=Why our ancestors never invented telescopes |url=http://www.hts.org.za/index.php/HTS/article/view/6116 |journal=HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies |language=en |volume=76 |issue=4 |doi=10.4102/hts.v76i4.6116 |s2cid=228866373 |issn=2072-8050|doi-access=free }}</ref>

The first black leader of the territory was Mokgoma Maurice Matlala who was handpicked by the apartheid authorities. He first led the North Sotho National Unit as its Executive Chief Councillor from August 1969 to 2 October 1972 at which point he became the Executive Chief Minister of Lebowa. The following year of 1973 on 3 May Mokgoma's Lebowa National Party lost the first elections of the homeland to the Lebowa People's Party and Dr. [[Cedric Phatudi]] took over. He went on to win two more re-elections in 1978 and 1973 but died in his third term in 1987.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/places/lebowa|title=Lebowa|date=16 March 2011|website=South African History Online|language=en|access-date=19 June 2019}}</ref> ZT Seleka was announced as the interim leader of the homeland. After elections, Mogoboya Nelson Ramodike became the Executive Chief Minister until 1989 when the office became the Prime Ministry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rsa/bantustans.htm|title=South Africa - Bantustans|website=www.globalsecurity.org|access-date=19 June 2019}}</ref>

On 24 April 1994 Nelson Ramodike resigned and the homeland had no active administration until 27 April when it was reintegrated into South Africa.

The overwhelming majority of its territory became part of the newly formed province of the [[Northern Transvaal]] (now Limpopo) and a smaller portion formed the newly created [[Eastern Transvaal]] province (now [[Mpumalanga]]).

==Institutions of Higher Education==
*[[University of the North]]

==Districts in 1991==
Districts of the province and population at the 1991 census.<ref name=RSAdist>{{cite web|title=Census > 1991 > RSA > Variable Description > Person file > District code|url=http://interactive.statssa.gov.za:8282/webview/|publisher=Statistics South Africa - Nesstar WebView|accessdate=18 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160619202856/http://interactive.statssa.gov.za:8282/webview/|archive-date=19 June 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
{{Image frame 
 | caption= {{legend|darkgreen|Population from the 1991 census}}
 | pos=top 
 | content = {{Graph:Chart
 | width=400
 | height=200
 | xAxisTitle=Region
 | yAxisTitle=Total Population
 | type=rect
 | showSymbols=
 | colors=darkgreen, gold
 | xAxisAngle=-45
 | showValues=offset:5, fontcolor:silver
 | x=Namakgale,Bolobedu, Sekgosese, Bochum, Mokerong, Seshego, Thabamoopo, Nebo, Sekhukhuneland, Naphuno, Mapulaneng
 | y=55441, 196669, 124425, 149869, 446155, 302676, 353193, 324909, 404335, 167665, 215250
}}
}}
* [[Namakgale]]: 55,441 (LEB-13)
* Bolobedu: 196,669 (LEB-7)
* Sekgosese: 124,425 (LEB-10)
* [[Senwabarwana|Bochum]]: 149,869 (LEB-11)
* Mokerong: 446,155 (LEB-3)
* [[Seshego]]: 302,676 (LEB-4)
* Thabamoopo: 353,193 (LEB-1)
* [[Nebo, Limpopo|Nebo]]: 324,909 (LEB-5)
* [[Sekhukhuneland]]: 404,335 (LEB-2)
* Naphuno: 167,665 (LEB-8)
* [[Mapulaneng]]: 215,250 (LEB-12)
* Botlokwa (LEB-10)
* Moutse District (LEB-9?)
* Gaseleka (LEB-3)
* [[Praktiseer]] (LEB-6)

Moutse district was seized from Lebowa in 1980 and was, despite violent resistance, officially integrated into [[KwaNdebele]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zEQ-Km_KShAC&q=kwandebele+war&pg=PA189|title=War and Society: The Militarisation of South Africa|last1=Cock|first1=Jacklyn|last2=Nathan|first2=Laurie|date=1989|publisher=New Africa Books|isbn=9780864861153|language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Chief Ministers of Lebowa]]
*[[Sekukuniland]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{SA-Bantustans}}
{{South African Governments|state=collapsed}}

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[[Category:Lebowa| ]]
[[Category:1994 disestablishments in South Africa]]
[[Category:Bantustans in South Africa]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1972]]
[[Category:Former enclaves]]
[[Category:1972 establishments in South Africa]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1994]]