People of the Dew

"The Bafokeng have become an established and well known community in South Africa, attracting the interest of the general public, as well as the academic community. Their reputation can be attributed to their considerable wealth, derived in turn from royalties earned from platinum mining and direct investment in mining ventures. The Bafokeng nation as they call themselves today, are administered by the Royal Bafokeng Administration, headed by the current King, Leruo Molotlegi. Employing written, oral and archaeological sources, this book traces the emergence of the Bafokeng, their settlement in the western highveld, and their consolidation under various capable leaders, in particular Kgosi Mokgatle Thethe, during the period of white (Boer and later British) rule, from the 1830s to the early C20th. It examines their relationship with missionaries, and the means by which they acquired land, which was later to provide the foundation for material prosperity. It traces the problems and disputes resulting from the concentration of power in the hands of a white minority, and from competition among the Bafokeng themselves. The book also describes how the Bafokeng leadership took on the mining industry, in league with the Bophuthatswana homeland, to ensure a fair share of royalties from minerals located in the land they controlled and owned. It also points to some of the demands now facing the Bafokeng."--Publisher's website.