Peleng: The Heartbeat Of Lobatse

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Friday March 12, 2010 00:00

 

Peleng is commonly known as 'Kasi'. It is the home of popular Premier League side, Extension Gunners and captains of industry like the chief executive officer of the Botswana Insurance Fund Management (BIFM), Victor Senye, the managing director of the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC), Maria Nthebolan and the chief executive officer of the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), Thapelo Matsheka. Senye is proud of his roots in Peleng.

'I am proud of where I come from.  I still associate myself very much with Peleng.  That's where my roots and siblings are.  I go there on a regular basis to check on my folks.  You shouldn't run away from where you come from,' said Senye in a previous interview.

During the 1970 and 1980s, Peleng was a crime infested area notorious for its gangsters. Gangsters from Peleng pulled one of the first bank heists in the country in Lobatse in the late 1970s.

Some of the landmarks of Peleng include the old London Missionary Society (LMS) church, now known as United Congregational Church of Southern African Africa (UCCSA). Another historic buildings in Peleng is the community hall which has been refurbished.  

Both former presidents, the late Samora Machel of Mozambique and Nelson Mandela of South Africa were hosted by Peleng families during their countries' liberation struggles in the 1960s.  Mandela has noted this in his autobiography, 'The Long Walk To Freedom'. The Mozambique government recently built a house for the Kgaboesele family to thank them for looking after their leader during a difficult time. It is not documented as to when Peleng was established.  A resident, Dichaba Seleka who has been doing research on the township, said according to the information that he has gathered, Peleng could have been in existence as early as 1910. He said the name Peleng could have been derived from the rock rabbits which used to inhabit the hills. He said there is a valley which is known as Peleng in the township. 

Seleka said initially Peleng was a squatter camp and the first settlers were railway workers and immigrants from as far as Nyasaland (modern Malawi). He that in the 1950s, the Bahurutshi from South Africa migrated to Peleng to escape the pass book riots which had erupted in their country. Most of the Peleng East residents were from Lehurutshe. Seleka said initially, the land where the township is located was used for grazing by Bangwaketsi and Bahurutshi. 

Peleng township experienced a population boom in the 1950s and 1960s and became politically vibrant. Seleka said there are old shops in middle of township and this shows that people were cosmopolitan even in the early days.  Even at the Peleng Kgotla, he said, there were some ancient telephone booths. The young historian said there was a hall in Peleng where people used to go for entertainment during the old days.  This information is supported by material from the government archives. 

The archives show that there was a hall in Peleng in the 1940s owned by one Dikgang. He used to rent the hall to members of the community for social events.  In 1947, he came up with a proposal to sell the hall to the colonial government. Even though Peleng has a rich history, Seleka said that these days, there is nothing to celebrate about the township especially for the youth.  He said most of the youth from Peleng flee from poverty once they complete their schooling.  Most of them migrate to Gaborone.  He said this is due to the fact that it is not easy to find a job in Lobatse. 

Seleka said even though the government has put up infrastructure in Peleng, most of the residents remain poor.Many of them could not afford to pay for the services provided by the government.  

An old resident of Lobatse, Moses Monakwe said he was born in Peleng in 1928.  He said his parents came from Moshupa to settle in Peleng. 

Monakwe attended the LMS school up to Standard Four.  He recalled that Peleng started to expand after the Second World War. He said the first people to settle in Peleng were Bahurutshi, Bankgwetsi and Barolong.

Monakwe recalled that some of the Peleng residents were working for the Cold Storage Commission abattoir.  He said other residents were working for the surrounding farms.  Monakwe served as a councillor for Peleng during the early days of independence. 

Another old Peleng resident, Lizzy Masala said she came from South Africa to settle in the township with her late Motswana husband in 1962.  During the time, Peleng was the only location in Lobatse. She said Peleng gave birth to other locations like Thema and Woodhall. 

Masala said Peleng was the name of a river which cut across town. She said another name that was used to refer to the township is Kanyane because Peleng is on the outskirts of Kanye.

She stated that the first residents of Peleng were from Kanye but later the township became cosmopolitan. 

Masala said some of the first churches in Peleng were built by the UCCSA and Seventh Day Adventists. Masala was one of the people involved in the development of Peleng as a volunteer worker. 

Meanwhile, the Station Commander for Lobatse Police, Superintendent Paul Molapisi said Peleng is no longer a no go area for his officers.  He said the crime rate in Peleng has reduced drastically. 'Peleng has clearly changed its image as compared to the old days.  There is a vast difference in terms of the behaviour and character of the youth,' he said.

He said during the old days, Peleng was a dangerous place even for the police who could not patrol the township's streets at night because they could be attacked. But these days they are able to conduct patrols and some parts of the township have street lights.  'It makes it easier for patrols.  Peleng is just like a traditional village.  It is densely populated.'

Molapisi said Peleng is divided into four wards - Peleng East (Beirut), Peleng Central, Peleng West and New Stance. 

The police chief said assault common and grievous bodily harm are the most prevalent crimes in the township. But generally, crime has declined in Peleng.

Molapisi attributes the reduction of crime to the fact that the police are working with members of the community.  'I have a good working relationship with councillors.

The councillors brief us about the well being of the community.  We don't deal with crime only but even with the well being of the society,' he said. In development, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Lobatse Town Council, Kushatha Phindela said they are currently undertaking a P120 million upgrading of the Peleng township.

The project include construction of internal roads, sewerage lines and street lights.  Phindela said a water reservoir has been constructed to supplement the existing one.   She added that Peleng residents are encouraged to reticulate water into their homes. She said the upgrading project is expected to be complete this year.