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Focus/Fokus. Brokers and Agents in Transvaal History

Christoph Sonntag's Mmalebogo: The Missionary Diary as a Secular Source in the Reconstruction of Bagananwa History, 1892–1895

LIZÉ KRIEL University of Pretoria,
Pages 168-192 | Published online: 14 Jan 2009

  • Massie , R. H. 1905 . The Native Tribes of the Transvaal London (54;T.J. Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity in the North-Western Transvaal and the South African Republic, c.1836–1896’ (MA dissertation, University of the North West, 1993), 183
  • 1990 . 248 Following J.A. van Schalkwyk's example, the mountain is referred to as ‘Blouberg’ and the mission station as ‘Blauberg’: see J.A. van Schalkwyk, ‘Die Kultuurhistoriese Betekenis van die Sendingstasies in die Blouberg-Omgewing, Noord-Transvaal”, Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Kultuurgeskiedenis, 4, 4
  • Makhura. ‘The Bagananwa Polity’, 183
  • 1991 . 5 – 6 . M. van Faassen, ‘Het Dagboek: Een Bron als Alle Andere?’, Theoretische Geschiedenis, 18, 1
  • Dekker , R. 1988 . ‘Egodocumenten: Een Literatuuroverzicht’ . Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis , 101 : 183
  • 1984 . Sunday Times ‘New Light on an Old Mountain War’, (Extra), 19 Feb.
  • 1983 . C. Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, Chief of the Blue Mountains, edited by K. Sonntag (Pretoria
  • 1886 . Transvaal Archives Depot, Pretoria (hereafter TAB), A. 1281, Sendeling Christoph Sonntag,—1895. A transcription of this manuscript, commissioned by the late G. Sonntag and currently in the private ownership of I. Sonntag, was made available to the author
  • Rae , C. Malaboch, or Notes from my Diary on the Boer Campaign of 2009 against the Chief Malaboch of Blaauwberg, District Zoutpansberg, South African Republic (Cape Town, 1898)
  • Weidemann , N. C. 1894 . ‘Die Malaboch-Oorlog (’ (MA dissertation, University of Pretoria, 1944). This was also published in Historiese Studies, 7, 1 (1947), 1–48
  • Kotzé , A. E. 1987 . ‘Die Fonologiese Sisteem van Hananwa’ (MA dissertation, University of South Africa, In standard Northern Sotho orthography, Hananwa/Bahananwa has preference to Gananwa/Bagananwa.
  • A.P. van der Merwe is doing research on Bagananwa praise poems for her doctoral thesis ‘Linking the Past and the Present through Hananwa and Lobedu Literature’ (registered title, Department of African Languages, University of South Africa)
  • van Schalkwyk , J. A. 1995 . “ ‘Ideologic en die Konstruksie van ‘n Landelike Samelewing: ‘n Antropologiese Studie van die Hananwa van Blouberg’ ” . (DLitt et Phil thesis, University of South Africa
  • Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity’ T.J. Makhura, ‘The Role of Women in the Boer-Bagananwa war in the Northern Transvaal, 1894–1895’ (Paper presented at the Fifteenth Biennial Conference of the South African Historical Society, Rhodes University, 2–5 July 1995);T.J. Makhura, ‘Mercenaries and Missionaries in the Boer Subjugation of the Bagananwa in the Northern Transvaal’ (Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association, San Francisco, California, November 1996);T.J. Makhura, ‘“The softening of the Rock”: Political and Socio-Economic Changes in the Bagananwa Society, Northern Transvaal, 1895–1910’ (Paper presented at the Sixteenth Biennial Conference of the South African Historical Society, University of Pretoria, 6–9 July 1997)
  • Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity’, 135
  • Ibid, 95, 117
  • Majeke , N. 1952 . The Role of Missionaries in Conquest Alexandra (B. Hutchinson, ‘Some Social Consequences on Nineteenth Century Missionary Activity among the South African Bantu’, Africa, 27, 2 (1957), referred to and commented on by J. du Bruyn and N. Southey, ‘The Treatment of Christianity and Protestant Missionaries in South African Historiography’, in H. Bredekamp and R. Ross, eds, Missions dnd Christianity in South African History (Johannesburg, 1995), 36–8
  • 1991 . J. and J. Comaroff, Of Revelation and Revolution: Christianity, Colonialism and Consciousness in South Africa, vol. 1 (Chicago, xi
  • Ibid, 311
  • Ibid, xii
  • Ibid, 309
  • Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity’, 29, 36
  • Bergh , J. S. 1840 . ‘Die Veranderende Grense van “Transvaal”—1994’, Historia, 41, 2 (1996), 15
  • The Bagananwa royal family is called by the name Lebogo/Mmalebogo. In all further references, for the purposes of this article, the title Mmalebogo will only be used for Matsiokwane's son, Kgalusi Lebogo (Ratshatsha). His brother and rival, Ramatho (Kibi) Lebogo, who had a smaller following than Kgalusi, will be referred to as Kibi. See also Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity’, i-ii
  • 1860 . D.W. van der Merwe, ‘Die Geskiedenis van die Berlynse Sendinggenootskap in Transvaal,—1900’, Argiejfiaarboek vir Suid-Afrikaanse Geskiedenis, 46, 1 (Pretoria, 1984), 115–20;Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity’, ii;Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 1
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, xiii;Notizen aus dem tdglichen Leben. Missionar Christoph Sonntag, 1886–1895 (transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag), 1
  • Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, pp. 62–123;Van der Merwe, ‘Berlynse Sendinggenootskap in Transvaal’, 40
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, xiii
  • Makhura, ‘Mercenaries and Missionaries’, 13;Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, p. 161
  • Massie . Native Tribes of the Transvaal 52–4;Director of Military Operations, Native Strongholds and Locations of the Transvaal (London, 1907), 18
  • See Makhura, ‘The Role of Women’, 1–2;G.H. Franz, ‘Mmalebogo’, Die Huisgenoot, 23, 881 (10 Feb. 1939), 89
  • Van der Merwe, ‘Berlynse Sendinggenootskap in Transvaal’, 118, 160;Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, pp. 130, 131, 136, 146
  • 1886 . See J.W.N. Tempelhoff, ‘Die Okkupasiestelsel in die Distrik Soutpansberg,—1899’ (DLitt et Phil thesis, University of South Africa, 1989), 3–13, 36–40, 492;Makhura, “The Bagananwa Polity’, 67, 80, 84;TAB, SS. 4208, R. 3863/94, Rapport van den Superintendent van Naturellen over het jaar 1893, p. 19
  • For an application of the Comaroffs' dual interpretation of the concept ‘state’ to the Bagananwa experience, see Van Schalkwyk, ‘Ideologic en Konstruksie van ‘n Landelike Samelewing’, 97–8;J. and J. Comaroff, Ethnography and the Historical Imagination (Boulder, 1992), 235–6
  • Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity’, 143
  • 1890 . TAB, SS. 4140, R. 17552/90, B.J. Vorster—Superintendent van Naturellen, 5 Dec., pp. 78–9
  • 1894 . The Press, 8 June;Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity’, 154
  • 1890 . TAB, SS. 4140, R. 17552/90, B.J. Vorster—Superintendent van Naturellen, 5 Dec., pp. 78–9 (my translation)
  • 1891 . TAB, SS. 4140, R. 594/91, B.J. Vorster—Superintendent van Naturellen, 1 June, p. 95 (my translation)
  • 1894 . TAB, SS. 4209, R. 3863/94, B.J. Vorster—Superintendent van Naturellen, 15 Jan., pp. 17–18 (my translation)
  • 1894 . TAB, Landdrost ZAR, Argief Zoutpansberg 15, BB. 726 and BB. 846, Waarnemende Landdrost Pietersburg—Commandant Generaal, 12 May, 21 May 1894 and 22 May 1894, pp. 715, 761 and 780 (my translation)
  • 1894 . TAB, SS. 4413, R. 8813/94, Commandant Generaal—President Krugeren Uitvoerende Raad, 9 May, pp. 62–3 (my translation)
  • 1975 . S.P.E. Trichard, Geschiedenis, Werken en Streven van … Luitenant-Kolonel der Vroegere Staats-Artillerie ZAR door hemzelve Beschreven, edited by O.J.O. Ferreira (Pretoria, 59 (my translation)
  • 1894 . The Press, 11 June and 28 May 1894
  • 1894 . The Press, 6 Aug.
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 128
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 4;Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, pp. 126–7, 132
  • Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, pp. 126–8
  • 1891 . TAB, SS. 4140, R. 17552/90, C. Stech—B.J. Vorster, 1 Feb., pp. 88–92 (my translation)
  • 1891 . TAB, SS. 4140, R. 17552/90, C. Stech—B.J. Vorster, 1 Feb., pp. 88–92
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, I;Van der Merwe, ‘Berlynse Sendinggenootskap in Transvaal’, 118
  • 1939 . 89 Franz, ‘Mmalebogo’, Die Huisgenoot, 23, 881 (10 Feb.
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 1
  • Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, p. 126
  • 1899 . See Van der Merwe, ‘Berlynse Sendinggenootskap in Transvaal’, 12–14 for a discussion of TAB, SS. 74., R. 77/66: ‘Voorlopig reglement ter regeling van de verkondiging des Evangelies onder de heidensche bevolking der ZAR’ (‘Provisional regulations regarding the preaching of the Gospel to the heathen population of the ZAR’), 28 Jan. and ZAR 25: ‘De Locale Wetten der ZAR, 1849–1885, Maatregelen van voorzorg tegen bedrog en misleiding by de uitbreiding van het Evangelium onder de Heidenen’ (‘Measures to prevent deceit and deception in the spreading of the Gospel amongst the Heathens’)
  • Van der Merwe, ‘Berlynse Sendinggenootskap in Transvaal’, 12–14
  • 1886 . TAB, A. 1281, pp. 538–9: Sendeling Christoph Sonntag,—1895 (my translation)
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 11;transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, p. 133 (my italics)
  • Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, p. 172
  • Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, p. 110
  • 1886 . TAB, A. 1281, p. 536: Sendeling Christoph Sonntag,—1895
  • 1886 . TAB, A. 1281, p. 480: Sendeling Christoph Sonntag,—1895. The translator of the English version preferred to add the description ‘Maleboch's greatest rival' to the text. See Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 10
  • The published English translation of the diary contains many examples of Sonntag's admiration for Mmalebogo (see pp. 7–8;119). For the various occasions on which Sonntag took Kibi the medicine he had requested, or helped him with his reading and writing, however, one has to refer back to the original German text. See the transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, pp. 139, 142, 146–9
  • Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, p. 156 (my translation)
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 2.
  • Ibid., 3
  • Ibid, 4
  • Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, p. 131
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 4–5
  • Ibid, 5–9
  • Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity’, 37–8
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 9–10
  • Ibid., 9.
  • TAB , A. , Sonntag , G. and Davenport , T. R. H. 1991 . South Africa: A Modern History 170 – 60 . London Transcription of (157
  • 1886 . Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 9. The translation corresponds with the original diary: TAB, A. 1281, pp. 537–538: Sendeling Christoph Sonntag,—1895
  • Franz, ‘Mmalebogo’, 89. According to Franz, Beyer was an enthusiastic hunter and Stech was suspected of having participated in the illegal trade in guns. Sonntag was similarly suspicious: transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, p. 162
  • 1886 . TAB, A. 1281, pp. 537–538: Sendeling Christoph Sonntag.—1895;Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 10
  • 1894 . The Press, 2, 21 and 28 July
  • Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity”, 156
  • Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, pp. 157, 161. These events were included in a typed, revised and considerably enlarged version of My Friend Maleboch, a copy of which was made available to the University of Pretoria by its editor, K. Sonntag
  • Ibid., p. 161 (my translation)
  • Inid., p. 161 (my translation)
  • Ibid., p. 164
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 44: ‘They were friendly and modest, as the Bahananoa [sic] always are.’
  • Makhura, ‘The Bagananwa Polity’, 173
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 23, 32–3 and 49–50
  • 1894 . TAB, SSA. 2, RA. 14/94, ‘RSsume’ re. Houding van Magato en Andere Kapiteins’, 20 June, pp. 23–8;‘Kort Verslag ontrent den Oorlog tegen Malaboch’, 26 June 1894, pp. 28–31
  • 1894 . Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 3 (9 May
  • 1894 . Ibid, 28 (4 May and 49 (6 June 1894)
  • 1894 . Ibid, 26 (2 and 3 May, 30 (8 May 1894), 35 (11 May 1894), 43 (25 May 1894), 44 (1 June 1894), 45 (3 and 5 June 1894), 50 (8 June 1894) and 58 (13 June 1894)
  • Ibid, 24–5
  • 1894 . Ibid, 28–9 (4 May
  • Ibid, 26, 35
  • Transcription of TAB, A. 1281, commissioned by G. Sonntag, p. 218: ‘Mynheer, ich weiss, du meinst es gut.’
  • 1894 . TAB, KG. 631: Commandant Generaal—Untenant Wolmarans, 07:00, 28 July
  • 1894 . Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 30–2 (8 and 9 May
  • 1894 . Ibid, 26–7 (3 May
  • 1894 . Ibid, 49–50 (6 June
  • Ibid, 32;see also pp. 26, 37–8 and 49
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 50;TAB, SS. 4314, R. 6197/94, Landdrost Pietersburg—Commandant Generaals Kantoor, Pretoria, 12 June 1894, pp. 37–8
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 58–9 and 64–70
  • Ibid, 72
  • 1894 . Ibid, 50. The last visit, before the hostilities broke out in full scale, was recorded by Sonntag on 8 June
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 87 and 92
  • 1894 . Ibid, 80 (27 June
  • 1849 . Z.A.R. 25: pp. 143–144: De Locale Wetten der Z.A.R.,—1885, ‘Maatregelen van voorzorg tegen bedrog en misleiding by de uitbreiding van het Evangelium onder de Heidenen’, artikels 5–7, discussed in Van der Merwe, ‘Berlynse Sendinggenootskap in Transvaal’, 12–14
  • 1894 . Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 41 (23 May
  • Ibid.
  • 1894 . The Press, 1 June and 13 July 1894
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 67
  • Ibid, 79
  • Ibid, 67–8
  • Ibid., 70
  • Ibid, 61.
  • Mouton , J. A. 1957 . Generaal Piet Joubert in die Transvaalse Geskiedenis . Argiejjaarboek vir Suid-Afrikaanse Geskiedenis , 20 : 270 , I (Pretoria
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 47
  • Ibid, 56
  • Ibid, 11.
  • Ibid., 88, 93, 101
  • Ibid., 93–5 and 101;The Press, 27 July 1894;TAB, KG 630, Commandant Malan—Commandant Generaal, 7:30, Commandant Generaal—Commandant Malan, 09:00;Commandant Malan—Commandant Generaal, 11:00, 7 July 1894
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 95, 96, 100–1
  • 1894 . TAB, KG. 631: Commandant Malan—Commandant Generaal, 16:00, 27 July (my own free translation)
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 109
  • Ibid., 115
  • Ibid., 116–17
  • Ibid., 117
  • Mmalebogo had presumably, over a long time, been collecting tribute from the Bagananwa who had earned cash incomes on the Kimberley and Johannesburg mines: Franz, ‘Mmalebogo’, 89
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 118 and 122
  • 1894 . TAB, KG. 631: Commandant Malan—Commandant Generaal, 08:20, 31 July
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 129
  • 1895 . TAB, SS. 4681, R. 1581/95, C. Sonntag—Commandant Generaal, 26 Jan., pp. 42–53
  • 1894 . TAB, SS. 4403, R. 8527/94. Commandant Generaal—C. Sonntag, 4 Sep., p. 104;AH. Duminy and W.R. Guest, eds, Filzpalrick: South African Politician. Selected Papers, 1888–1906 (Johannesburg, 1976), 47 and 57
  • Sonntag, My Friend Maleboch, 35
  • Ibid., 45

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