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With their first copies of the book are, standing from left to right, Thovhele Gole Mphaphuli, King Modjadji, Premier Stan Mathabatha, King Toni Mphephu-Ramabulana, Kgoshi Pontsho Maubane of the National House of Traditional Leaders and the Nemudzivhadi family
News - Date: 27 March 2017
The life and times of Warrior King Makhado came to life in a book that was described as a masterpiece of history by those who attended the launch.
During the launch, calls were made for the history of warrior king Makhado Ramabulana to be taught at school. This was during the launch of the book, King Makhado Ramabulana, The Lion of the North, 1864 - 1895, held at the Vhembe District Hall on Friday.
The book was written by one of the country’s finest historians, Dr Mphaya Nemudzivhadi, and was launched during an event attended by the who's who in politics, traditional leadership, business, church and academia. Among the guests were King Toni Mphephu-Ramabulana, a descendant of the warrior king, and several political and traditional leaders.
The Premier, Mr Stan Mathabatha, said it was only through research, reading and writing that the story of an African could be told from an honest perspective. “In those rare instances where the story of an African was told, it was told with deliberate omissions and distortions. The story of an African was told in such a manner that undermined the talents and heroism of the African people. For many years, ours has been the story of the hunter and the hunted,” he said.
According to him, the book will refresh memories and provide valued lessons for the future. “This book will also fill in the missing pages in our national memory,” he said.
Mathabatha further indicated that what had impressed him about the book was the fact that it was a well-researched project and not a cut-and-paste job like some on-line articles from questionable sources. He added that they should perhaps take seriously the calls that history be made a compulsory learning area for children at school, so that they would know where they came from.
King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana said it was a great day for them as a remembrance of his forefather and the good he had done in fighting for the whole nation. “We are where we are because of the selfless struggles by this brave man. He and other kings fought battles, but things have changed today. We do not fight each other, we sit around the table and settle matters.”
He echoed the request that learners should not study foreign history “while well-researched history by our own is not studied at school.” He called on other researchers to follow in the footsteps of Nemudzivhadi and write about other royal families.
The book, which is published by Remani Mulangaphuma, traces the life and the times of Makhado and his refusal to carry the colonial and imperial yoke from 1864-1895. The research was mainly done in 2008.
Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019. He currently writes on a freelance basis, covering human rights issues, court news and entertainment.
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