An alibi for Mantatisi

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Abstract
Most historians are mistaken in saying that ‘Ma Nthatisi and her Batlokoa ever crossed the Vaal River. The wars and plundering attributed to her and her tribe, the Batlokoa, were carried out by four other Basuto tribes who invaded the country north of the Vaal River. These four tribes, as well as many others, had been driven from their homes by the Zulu invasions of 1822, and as their movements are interwoven and confusing a brief introductory statement of six points may make them clearer. (1) Because the Batlokoa under'Ma Nthatisi were a fierce marauding tribe, their name Mantatees was misapplied to any marauding tribe. Although the name referred to her originally, this misapplication, very often, was not found out until a long time afterwards. (2) The Batlokoa of’ Ma Nthatisi did not go as far north‐west as Dithakong, and they never crossed the Vaal at all. Fleeing from the Zulu invasions the movements of this tribe followed the southward line of the Caledon River. (3) Later evidence now shows that only one continuous battle took place at Dithakong, and that the Griquas and Koranas, coming to help the Batlhaping against the invading tribes, only intervened at one battle at Dithakong, not in two battles as described by Ellenberger and Macgregor, firstly on pages 137 and 307 and secondly on page 139. This battle apparently began about the 24th June 1823 between the Ma‐phuting of Tsooane and Sebetoane's Bafokeng, after which the Bahlakoana arrived. Finally it became a four cornered fight on the 26th June when a force arrived on the scene to repulse all the above invaders and to prevent them from reaching Kuruman. This force was composed of Griquas, Koranas and Batlhaping with whom were Moffat and Melville. (4) An attempt will be made to reconstruct the invasion by these four Basuto tribes of what is now Bechuanaland Protectorate and the Transvaal, and (5) to show what was the relationship of Sebetoane to the Maphuting and to the Bahlakoana at the battle of Dithakong. (6) At the end will be found a copy of extracts of a long letter from René Ellenberger, and finally extracts written by Dr. Edwin Smith about the battle of Dithakong. Another point stressed by René Ellenberger is that ‘Ma Nthatisi's eldest daughter was called Nthatisi, which means someone with self respect. Therefore, the correct spelling for her mother's name is ‘Ma Nthatisi.

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