12/12/2021
BaLobedu History...
Balobedu (BaLobedu ba gaModjadji) affectionately known as Balodzwi, is a southern African tribe of the Northern Sotho group.Balobedu have their own kingdom (sic Queendom) within the Limpopo Province of South Africa with a female ruler, the Rain Queen Modjadji.
Their language is known as Khelobedu, which is a "non-Pedi" dialect of Northern Sotho. Khelobedu is grammatically common to other Sotho–Tswana languages and Tshivenda.Nowadays the Khelobedu is becoming more similar to Sepedi,which is used as the standard in education. There are more Tsonga and Sepedi-speaking people around Balobedu around small towns of Tzaneen,Modjadjiskloof(formerly known as Duiwelskloof),Phalaborwa,and Giyani in the northern Limpopo province in South Africa. Khelobedu has become more and more similar to Sepedi, since the language of the schools in the region is Sepedi. However, the Balobedu culture originated in the far north, in the country of Zimbabwe, and their language contains sounds that do not exist in Sepedi.
Origins
The Balobedu originally migrated south from Zimbabwe to their present location,Bolobedu in South Africa. The central tribal village is Khehlakone in the district of Bolobedu.
The BaLobedu/BaLodzwi are more closely related to the Rozwi Kingdom started by Changamire D***o, rather than Mwene Mutapa as has been widely believed. They have the praise lines Sai/Shai and Dewa, and call themselves the people of Thobela, which is the same as the Rozvi/Kalanga. The rainmaking powers of Queen Modjadji are also synonymous with the Njelele Shrine in BuLozvi/SiLozvi (in present day Matabeleland, Zimbabwe) and it is therefore accepted that there is an intertwining of their history with the rest of the Rozvi. Linguists have listed Lobedu together with Kalanga, Nambya (a dialect of Kalanga), Venda, Lemba, Shankwe, Nyubi (an extinct Shona dialect) and Karanga, as a language of the Rozvi, and consequently connects them to their history. Their rainmaking history is tied by some to the claimed Jewish connections of the Rozvi. Khelobedu and Sepedi sound more familiar despite their tones, as both are traditional derivation.The khelobedu language was introduced by the Racheku lineage during Apartheid times.
Traditions
Balobedu have their own traditional dances greetings called khekhapa for women and dinaka for men.A man will greet any subject by "Thobela", and be reciprocated by " Thobela";and the usual household greeting "ntahu" and welcoming back as "Thobela or Ntahu".Dinaka is a traditional dance of all the Sepedi-speaking people covering such areas as gaSekhukhune, gaDikgale and Bolobedu.
Balobedu have their own way of praising and talking to their ancestors.They sit next to a traditionally designed circle in their homes and start calling their clan names of their ancestors.
Traditional rulers
They have female rulers known as the " Modjadji,Monesapula" as the"Modjadji,The Rain Queen". The Queen is believed to have powers to make rain. The Balobedu Kingdom consists of a number of small groups tied together by their queen. On 12 June 2005, Queen Mmakobo Modjadji died, leaving no clear successor acceptable to all members of the Queen's Council. The late queen's brother has served as regent since then.
The area of Balobedu consists of many villages and every village has a male or female ruler "Ntuna,nduna" who represents Modjadji, the Rain Queen.
The Rain Queen was historically known as an extremely powerful magician who was able to bring rain to her friends and drought to her enemies. Visitors to the area always brought her gifts and tribute, including cattle and their daughters as wives (more accurately thought of in the West as ladies-in-waiting), to appease her so that she would bring rain to their regions. The name Lobedu is thought to derive from this practice, referring to the daughters or sisters who were lost to their families. The rain queen extends her influence through her wives, because they link her politically to other families or villages.
The Rain Queen was referenced in literature as a basis for H. Rider Haggard's novel She.
Previous BaLobedu Monarchs
1.Queen Maselekwane Modjadji I (1800-1854)
2.Queen Masalanabo Modjadji II (1854-1894)
3.Queen Khesethoane Modjadji III (1895-1959)
4.Queen Makoma Modjadji IV (1959-1980)
5.Queen Mokope Modjadji V (1981-2001)
6.Queen Makobo Modjadji VI (2003-2005)
7.Regent Mpapada Modjadji (2007-)
8.Queen Mmakheala Modjadji (Not yet Crowned), Recognised by South African Government in 2017
