Microsoft Word - PhD Thesis Final.pdf - University of Limpopo ...

In the Makgabeng area, the recruitment centre for potential migrant
labourers was situated at Senwabarwana 538 on the eastern end of the
Makgabeng mountains. Senwabarwana 539 , became a recruitment centre
mainly because of the White character it had acquired over time. The name
Bochum is German, and the settlement got this name from the Berlin
missionaries who established and expanded their religious, medical and
educational activities from that base. The Franz family were the ones who
were mostly responsible for the expansion of those activities in that area. As
a result, Senwabarwana became a small settlement with a European face
with modern buildings of a hospital, a church, trading stores, residential
houses and so on. This European outlook greatly shaped identities around
the Makgabeng-Hananwa vicinity. Interaction – which has been discussed
and shown that it is important in identity creation – manifested itself between
the local Black communities European inhabitants at Senwabarwana.
With this emerging European-like infrastructure, Senwabarwana attracted
various White governments which turned it into their administrative centre.
The offices of the Commissioners, the magistrates, the police and such
related government functionaries were then housed in Senwabarwana. No
wonder Senwabarwana also came to be a labour recruiting centre. Various
sectors, particularly the mines, used Senwabarwana base to acquire cheap
labourers in Makgabeng and the surrounding areas. In addition to travelling
538 Literally meaning “where the San people drink water”.
539 Was formerly known as Bochum.
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