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with its scenic beauty 276 . One of the missionaries at Ga-Matlala station,
Moschutz, travelled to Makgabeng in 1865 and spoke to Kgoši Radira
Monyebodi about starting a new mission station in the area. Although
Moschutz’s attempt failed because of misunderstandings with community
leaders, it nevertheless paved the way for his colleague, Beyer, to travel to
the neighbouring Blouberg, to meet Kgoši Matsiokwane of the
Bahananwa 277 . All these developments marked the arrival of the
missionaries who would extensively shape identities in the Makgabeng and
the surrounding areas.
The Bahananwa reached the height of their power as they fed on refugees
of small groups of the Mfecane/ Difaqane, including the Monyebodi people
who later became their most important subjects on the foot of the
Makgabeng mountains. The Monyebodi people, who were of the Bakone
origin, became one of the trusted component of the Bahananwa ruling class
after the former voluntarily submitted under the latter’s authority 278 . One of
the Monyebodis, Lerapela, even moved to Blouberg to become one of the
principal advisers of Kgoši Malebogo (Ratšhatšha) during the 1894
Bahananwa-Boer War 279 . Lerapela was killed during that bloody war 280 .
276 Ibid, p. 4.
277 M. Jackel, Gananoa, p. 4.
278 Interview, Robert Manaka, Inveraan village, 29 December 2004.
279 Ibid.
280 Ibid.
165