Old Palapye: That equally famous 'Other Palapye'

| Friday October 12, 2012 00:00

 

PALAPYE: While all eyes are on the town of Palapye as a hub of economic activity, there is another Palapye, Old Palapye, which is famous as a tourist destination.

Situated a few kilometres from the village of Malaka, Old Palapye, is most certainly one of the country's hidden treasure coves because of the picturesque beauty of its natural landscape.

According to historians, Old Palapye is an important multi-cultural site containing artefacts from the Middle Stone Age, the Late Stone Age and the Early Iron Age. It was the 19th Century capital of Bangwato between 1889 and 1902 under Khama III.

It is apparent that on leaving his old capital at Shoshong and settling in the area, the celebrated Bangwato leader was attracted by the beauty of the place and its breathtaking waterfalls. It has been mentioned that the main reason why Khama left Shoshong was the depletion of natural resources there.

At one point, there were 30,000 people living at Old Palapye, among them Europeans who were mainly traders, missionaries and their families. It is widely believed that the old Ngwato capital played a significant role in hampering the penetration of the Ndebeles into the then Rhodesia. Apart from the popular ruins of the London Missionary Society (LMS) church there, tourists can see stone walls, middens (stone remains of roundavels), rock paintings, the remains of a prison, a market centre and European and African grave sites.

Completed in 1894, the church - which was built with red bricks - was one of only a few buildings that were left standing when Bangwato relocated to Serowe. The impressive gables of the church still stand today, making them the main attraction of Old Palapye.

In the olden days, certain Batswana tribes burnt down their settlements when they relocated. Some historians believe that Khama left the church standing because he did not want to burn down a place of worship while others believe he had hoped to set up an industrial college in the building.

But what should also be a good attraction is the grave of Khama III's wife, Mma Bessie, the great-grandmother of President Ian Khama. Sadly, this grave is neglected, though that should soon end because a man from Malaka has offered to become the custodian of the place.

It has been suggested by historians that Photophoto Valley and its waterfalls was one of the initial attractions for Khama and his followers to settle in the area because it provided water for people and their livestock, as well as for religious purposes.

On the trail to the gorge, there are terraces where, until the 1970s, Batswapong grew tobacco mainly for export. Along a path that winds uphill to Motetane Gorge, there are at least two shrines where people can appease the ancestors by doing libation and throwing a few coins into the place.

When one finally reaches Motetane, one cannot help gaping at the beauty of the gorge.  According to experts, gorges such as Motetane are the result of water flowing through a normal fault before reaching the hard and resistant quartzite rock. To the people of Malaka and surrounding areas, the gorge is important as it has proven to be a constant source of water throughout the ages.The water is also believed to wash away bad luck, so the sight of people washing in the water or collecting it is not unusual. Not far from the waterfall on the rock above are some San rock paintings. Some of the wild animals that inhabit the area include vervet monkeys, rock dassies, porcupines, leopards, baboons, brown hyenas and kudus. 

It is believed that there are almost 350 bird species in the area. Alongside the Cape vulture, there is the black eagle, black stork, rock bunting, Meyer's parrot and the red-winged starling. There are two Cape vulture breeding colonies in the area, the bigger one in neighbouring Goo Tau.

Now with improved signage and a professional tour guide at Old Palapye, there is no excuse not to visit this beautiful place that is an important part of the history of Batswana. But as with other cultural places in Botswana, it is wise for visitors to inform the Kgosi of their presence.

According to Botswana Tourism officials, Old Palapye has been earmarked for further tourism development through a Malaka-based community tourism project. The site was gazetted as a National Monument in 1938 and falls under the jurisdiction of the National Museum and Monuments.