In the Kgatleng district, residents of Mabalane village are known as Makuntwane. The name is derived from the wars they fought with the Ndebele of Mzilikazi and The Boers during the 1800’s.

These were the commandos who were always at the forefront of the Bakgatla battles with other tribes.

The name started in 1821 when Kgosi Pilane fled to the Bagalaka tribe after his war with the Ndebele. The name is an Ndebele name which means rats, because of the way Makuntwane escaped their raids.

History tells that they were not normally visible, but after their departure their enemy could only see rats.

It has been observed from researched data that most of the villages in Botswana happened to have derived their names from incidents that occurred in the past.

Investigations have proved that a certain Motlotle who was a cruel chief of Bakgatla killed all his brothers and headsmen who opposed him.

Speaking in an interview, Dr Isaac Morobe, a Medical Micro Biologist in the Department of Biological Sciences at The University of Botswana (UB) said in the war between Bakgatla and Bakwena, which took place in 1820, the royal headman Molefi and Segale escaped with some Bakgatla men to the Bangwato in northern part of the then Bechuanaland.

He says Molefi and others fled east while some of his followers were killed and others surrendered to Bakwena. They came to a pan called Sediba-sa-ditlou and found Pilane there with the Batlhako.

After Pilane left the Batlhako, none of the Bakgatla knew his whereabouts and he became a servant of one of Mokwena hunter called Ngwako Sekgotlela, he observed.

“They dug pitfalls for games all along the Marico River until they came to Sikwane going west wards to Sediba-sa-Ditlou. An old woman named Mma-Mojadife recognized Pilane and they revealed his identity to the other Bakgatla,” Dr Morobe says.

He further adds that they informed him that some of their people were living at Letlhakeng and asked him to accompany them as their chief.

Pilane did not go immediately, but however later joined Bakgatla at Letlhakeng and began to rule over them building his village near Monamaneng.

Dr Morobe went on to say in 1825, the Ndebele of Mzilikazi attacked again Bakgatla of Kgosi Pilane at Manamaneng and other tribes forced them to pay tax in the form of ivory and sorghum.

Since Bakgatla were too weak to resist, they submitted to them and paid tribute in form of skins, corns and ivory.

In 1831 Pilane appealed to the Griqua leader, who then sent commandos against the Ndebele, the commandos were killed and the Ndebele raided the Bakgatla, destroying villages taking away cattle and incorporating young men into the army.

Pilane then left to seek refuge under the Bakgatla of Chief Mapela in the Zoutpanberg and among the Bakgala left behind was Molefi a half-brother of Pilane’s father Pheto.

Dr Morobe noted that Molefi had become very friendly with the Ndebele who trusted him. He explains that Molefi went to the Bagalaka to call Pilane back and on their return they found that Kgotlamaswe, Pilane’s brother from the third house had taken over the chieftainship.

Pilane and Molefi attacked him and drove him away. After Kgotlamaswe left, Pilane lived in peace with the Ndebele and they even gave him cattle.

However history tells that upon learning that Mzilikazi plans to assassinate him, Pilane fled to the Bagalaka in 1835 for the second time leaving Molefi Ra-Mosalasopeng with the tribe.

The name Mosalasopeng means one who remained in a place when people migrated to another area.

In 1836, the Boers (Voortrekkers) attacked Mzilikazi and Pilane returned to take the chieftainship from Molefi and in 1842 the Boers raided part of the Ndebele from North Transvaal.

Three of Pilane’s sons, Kgamanyane, Mantirisi and Moselekatse were captured but Molefi was able to secure their release and there after Pilane never had any trouble with the Ndebele until his death in 1850.

Historical information also tells that Kgamanyane of Bakgatla sent his commandos, Makuntwane to look for land in the western Transvaal across Eland and Marico rivers.

The commandos found the Bakwena ethnic group called Basiko at Sikwane and intermarried with them.

In 1868 the headmen saw a man with 12 fingers heading towards the hills and they followed him until he disappeared in an area with rocks, which had different colours and from the colours the name Mbalane was derived.

The regiments that were present at that time were Matlakana, Majanko, Makoba and Mantwane.