Mosu Village: A natural paradise

Source : Kutlwano

Author : Baleseng Batlotleng

Location : Letlhakane

Event : Village profile

 

Article: Baleseng Batlotleng

Photo: Phenyo Moalosi

MOSU

In his epic poem about the charming beauty of London and River Thames viewed upon Westminster Bridge, English romantic poet William Wordsworth said; “Earth has not anything to show more fair, dull would he be of soul who could possibly pass by a sight so touching in its majesty.”

Perhaps this could be a perfect depiction of the scenic village of Mosu, an absolutely unique landscape that forms part of the remains of what used to be one of the largest Paleolithic lakes in the world, the Makgadikgadi pans.

The village of Mosu sits right at the lap of this true African splendor. Mosu prides itself for being the birth place of the country`s greatest statesman Khama III, great grandfather to President Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama. And as a way of paying homage to the village of Mosu, at least according to the locals here, President Khama has a holiday home in Mosu just on the fringes of the salt pan.

The village according to oral traditions was named after the mosu tree, or rather mosunyana tree (umbrella tortillis acacia), known for its tolerance to harsh and arid environments. The tree species don`t appear in large numbers around the village and are seemingly outnumbered by the palm tree which occupies every inch in the village.

A visit to this part of the country is a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. The dry but mint condition makes it a perfect destination for getaways for those who enjoy the beauty of nature.

 According to those who lived to tell the story of this peaceful scenery, before it dried up about 20,000 years ago, this magnificent lake was fed by the waters of the Okavango Basin from the north and the Okwa River, which is now nothing more than a fossil river in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. This lake was home to many animal species like antelopes, elephants, buffalo and Africa's magnificent cats such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs.

And of course there were humans living around this ancient lake. Remains of Stone Age tools dating to about a million years ago litter most parts of the pans, bringing to life a fascinating imagination of how life there used to be. We took a trip to the small village to debunk the fascination.

 One could imagine how life here could possibly have been. As you enter the village after some two hours` drive from the mining village of Letlhakane, popularly known as Zowa in this part of the world you are greeted by a plethora of cultural and natural heritage sites that reflect how people have been living in this part of Botswana from time immemorial.

 People everywhere leave traces of activity and Mosu village was not left behind as history unfolded. A visit atop the Mosu hill leads to the historic Mmakgama ruins, a cultural heritage site characterized by a coursed stone enclosure built during the Great Zimbabwe period.

“Le bo nkuku-a-rona ba re ba fitlhetse marako ao a dirilwe hela jalo. Ke gone fa Kgosi le batho ba gagwe ba neng ba thibetse teng ba tshaba go kgokgontshiwa ke Matebele ka nako e eng ntwa ya Matebele e raletse borwa ka Aferika. Jaanong go ne go le botlhokwa thata gore ba palamele ko godimo gore ere Matebele batla b abo ba kgokolosetsa matlapa a mo go bone,” noted an ageing village elder Moakofi Batoseng explaining the origins of the hilly ruins.

 The 93 year old Batoseng was born in Xhumo but moved up northeast with his grandparent while still a young boy.  According to the old man the ruins could possibly have been built during the 14^th century as an extension to the historic empire into the Makgadikgadi pans region.

People who lived here about a thousand years ago managed not only to survive but to flourish in the unique environment around the pan. Archaeological remains are a clear indication that the lake around the pans offered glorious life.

A few minutes` drive from the main Kgotla, precisely 15kilometres north east of the village lies the Kaitshe escarpment, a multi-cultural site overlooking the southernmost edges of the magnificent Sowa Pan.

These are free standing stone walls built around AD 1000    by the well-known Kopje Farmers. There are large middens with scatters of stone tools animal bones, glass beads and pottery fragments suggesting that people who lived here were traders.

Just behind the Mosu Primary School lies the Unikae Spring, one of the few perennial springs found in this area. Honestly the spring is a scenic valley, although found in a generally salty area villagers consider the spring as one reliable source of fresh water and they also use it for watering their domesticated animals. Word around the village has it that some religious groups believe the ever flowing spring water is sacred.

Then there is the hilltop Iron Age village called Mosu escarpment. Probably the first stop of hunters and gathers who travelled to the area. The site is located just under a kilometer from Makgadikgadi Secondary School. Early farming communities are said to have preferred settling on the edges of the escarpment overlooking the picturesque Sua Pan. The site was occupied extensively between AD 800 and AD 1300 by farming people known archaeologically as Zhizo and Leopard Kopje.

Obonetse Maoto, the helpful site custodian at the ruins who took our team to Mmakgama site explained that the sites were identified by the National Museum and Art Gallery and hence were protected. “There is no littering, you don`t pick anything here and you don`t leave anything here but only your foot prints” he said as we walked towards the car back to our base. ENDS

Teaser:

"Earth has not anything to show more fair, dull would he be of sould who could pass by a sight so touching in its majesty"