Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe's Matebeleland might have a claim in Botswana's Tati concession
9 hrs ago | Views
The government of Botswana, through the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, acquitted 45,000 hectares of land from the Tati company under the willing buyer and willing seller arrangement. The Botswana government paid P1.5 billion for the land. The story of the Tati concession dates back to 18000 when King Mzilikazi of the Ndebele and Khama of the Bamagwato used to rule the areas. (I think Zimbabwe can also claim this land because it once belonged to the Matebeleland.
Before the arrival of the railway towards the end of the nineteenth century, Tati District was a hunter's paradise. Untamed with all sorts of wildlife. The semi-arid triangular-shaped area between the Shashi and Ramokgwebane Rivers ( dotted with the occasional hill or range of kopjes on an otherwise flat landscape (Baines 1968:6; Baxter 1970:458) was mostly untamed with all sorts of wildlife. The semi-arid triangular area between the Shashi and Ramokgwebane Rivers (dotted with the occasional hill or range of kopjes on an otherwise flat landscape (Baines 1968:6; Baxter 1970:458) was mostly inhabited by the Kalanga by the Kalanga.
In the 1830s, the northeast of Botswana was controlled by Mzilikazi and his Matabele after retreating from the Transvaal under pressure from Boers (Boggie 1940:9; Tabler 1980:16). The Matebele settled beyond the Matopos Mountains in present-day Zimbabwe.
The Ndebele land by Mzilikazi and the Bamangwato led by Khama claimed the Tati area. The Ndebele used to hunt in this area. In the later years, the Europeans took advantage of the dispute over this land to secure mining rights. If the prospective concession hunter was unsuccessful in obtaining mining rights in the Disputed Territory from Chief Khama, he would inevitably succeed with a similar request to the Ndebeles (Baxter 1970:235, 302; Van Waarden 1999:6.)
A missionary, Thomas Morgan Thomas (1828-84) described the Tati area as being inhabited by immense numbers of elephants, rhinos, and a multitude of other wildlife (Thomas 1970:396). William Finaughty (1843-1917), reported an abundant variety of game that extended as far as the eye could see south of the Tati River (Tabler 1955:51,53).
Because of persistent rumours that Tati contained a treasure of gold, a German self-taught miner called Karl Mauch (1837-75) went to Tati to confirm the story.
Around 1867, there was a gold rush in the Tati area. In 1868, Pretorius of the Transvaal sent his emissary, Jan Wilem Viljoen, who had previously hunted in the area, persuaded Mzilikazi to accept a Transvaal protectorate and sell the Tati Gold Fields (Boggie 1940: 148, 186). Mzilikazi refused. Lots of groups started to move into the area, looking for gold.
In November 1869 thirty whites led by Daniel Francis (1840-1921), who later held directorships with the Tati Concession Mining & Exploration Company and De Beers and after whom Francistown is named, also arrived. It is estimated that over 300 kalangas worked on the site ( No wonder they were on the first groups to go to Wenela).
There was no mining machinery until the arrival of the London & Limpopo Mining Company, headed by Sir John Swinburne . Early in 1870, the company also introduced a stamp mill connected to the steam engine. It was reportedly the first mechanically driven crushing machine in southern Africa (Baines 1968:3; Tabler 1966:97. Swinburne also wanted to dominate the Northern Gold Fields in Mashonaland (Tabler 1966: 158). In October 1869 the London & Limpopo Company did try to move their steam engine north, but the Ndebele refused permission.
John Lee ( had been friends with the Ndebeles for a number of years and spoke isiNdebele, had settled on a farm given to him in 1866 by Mzilikazi in the Mangwe River Valley of Southern Matabeleland (Boggie 1940: 155; Subsequently, Mzilikazi appointed Lee as governor of the Tati Gold Fields, making it his task to interview diggers and see to the marking of claims. Lee continued to hold this appointment following Mzilikazi's death when the Matabele king was succeeded by his son Lobengula.
In 1870 Lobengula signed the Tati concession with John Swinburne’s London and Limpopo Mining Company. In 1880 the concession was revoked for failure to pay the annual fee, and the concession was granted instead to the Northern Light Mining Company, a syndicate formed by Danial Francis, Samuel Howard Edwards and others. The Northern Light Company was later renamed the Tati Concessions Ltd.
Before the arrival of the railway towards the end of the nineteenth century, Tati District was a hunter's paradise. Untamed with all sorts of wildlife. The semi-arid triangular-shaped area between the Shashi and Ramokgwebane Rivers ( dotted with the occasional hill or range of kopjes on an otherwise flat landscape (Baines 1968:6; Baxter 1970:458) was mostly untamed with all sorts of wildlife. The semi-arid triangular area between the Shashi and Ramokgwebane Rivers (dotted with the occasional hill or range of kopjes on an otherwise flat landscape (Baines 1968:6; Baxter 1970:458) was mostly inhabited by the Kalanga by the Kalanga.
In the 1830s, the northeast of Botswana was controlled by Mzilikazi and his Matabele after retreating from the Transvaal under pressure from Boers (Boggie 1940:9; Tabler 1980:16). The Matebele settled beyond the Matopos Mountains in present-day Zimbabwe.
The Ndebele land by Mzilikazi and the Bamangwato led by Khama claimed the Tati area. The Ndebele used to hunt in this area. In the later years, the Europeans took advantage of the dispute over this land to secure mining rights. If the prospective concession hunter was unsuccessful in obtaining mining rights in the Disputed Territory from Chief Khama, he would inevitably succeed with a similar request to the Ndebeles (Baxter 1970:235, 302; Van Waarden 1999:6.)
A missionary, Thomas Morgan Thomas (1828-84) described the Tati area as being inhabited by immense numbers of elephants, rhinos, and a multitude of other wildlife (Thomas 1970:396). William Finaughty (1843-1917), reported an abundant variety of game that extended as far as the eye could see south of the Tati River (Tabler 1955:51,53).
Because of persistent rumours that Tati contained a treasure of gold, a German self-taught miner called Karl Mauch (1837-75) went to Tati to confirm the story.
Around 1867, there was a gold rush in the Tati area. In 1868, Pretorius of the Transvaal sent his emissary, Jan Wilem Viljoen, who had previously hunted in the area, persuaded Mzilikazi to accept a Transvaal protectorate and sell the Tati Gold Fields (Boggie 1940: 148, 186). Mzilikazi refused. Lots of groups started to move into the area, looking for gold.
In November 1869 thirty whites led by Daniel Francis (1840-1921), who later held directorships with the Tati Concession Mining & Exploration Company and De Beers and after whom Francistown is named, also arrived. It is estimated that over 300 kalangas worked on the site ( No wonder they were on the first groups to go to Wenela).
There was no mining machinery until the arrival of the London & Limpopo Mining Company, headed by Sir John Swinburne . Early in 1870, the company also introduced a stamp mill connected to the steam engine. It was reportedly the first mechanically driven crushing machine in southern Africa (Baines 1968:3; Tabler 1966:97. Swinburne also wanted to dominate the Northern Gold Fields in Mashonaland (Tabler 1966: 158). In October 1869 the London & Limpopo Company did try to move their steam engine north, but the Ndebele refused permission.
John Lee ( had been friends with the Ndebeles for a number of years and spoke isiNdebele, had settled on a farm given to him in 1866 by Mzilikazi in the Mangwe River Valley of Southern Matabeleland (Boggie 1940: 155; Subsequently, Mzilikazi appointed Lee as governor of the Tati Gold Fields, making it his task to interview diggers and see to the marking of claims. Lee continued to hold this appointment following Mzilikazi's death when the Matabele king was succeeded by his son Lobengula.
In 1870 Lobengula signed the Tati concession with John Swinburne’s London and Limpopo Mining Company. In 1880 the concession was revoked for failure to pay the annual fee, and the concession was granted instead to the Northern Light Mining Company, a syndicate formed by Danial Francis, Samuel Howard Edwards and others. The Northern Light Company was later renamed the Tati Concessions Ltd.
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