THE KHOAPA ROYAL FAMILY
FAMILY HISTORY
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Chief/Morena C.A. Khoapa
The Khoapa Royal Family comes from the fourth branch of the BaTaung Clan and are descendants of Chief Ramokhele or Moletsane (Montueli) who was made famous by his strategic marriage to the daughter of Chief Ntsane, thereby becoming an ally of the Bakuena of Monyane.
Ramokhele – a descendant of Tsukulu had two sons by his first wife - Mosololi and Mosolotsana. His second marriage was to the sister of Mokhachane, King Moshoeshoe’s father (now Kingdom of Lesotho). By this marriage he begot many sons, of which Mathews Monaheng[1]was one.
The Khoapas descend from Chief Mosolotsana, whose son Motsoasele begot two sons - Leballo and Maqalika. Maqalika begot two sons - Abisai Lesaoana and Bethuel Mamphi Khoapa Maqalika, better known as "RaKhoapa".
The descendants of Bethuel Mamphi adopted his “third name” KHOAPA as their second name instead of their original name of Maqalika[2]. Mamphi’s first born son Julius Khoapa (1848-1912) later Chief Julius Khoapa I, upon completing his military service to Queen Victoria was given land as payment instead of a monetary payout. He then settled in an area known as Khoapa’s Location which included the existing Matatiele Municipal District all the way to Umzimvubu River in Cedarville. This land was settled in 1882 and soon after his father Bethuel Mamphi traveled from what is currently known as Lesotho -upon Julius’s invitation to settle with his three brothers - Caiphus, Thekiso and George.
Today the Khoapa clan, under the leadership of Chief Charles Talija Khoapa continues to live in an area known as “ha Khoapa", Matatiele in the Eastern Cape Province. Most of the original settlement area has been lost due to government displacement in the late 1890s, early 1900s and during the Native's Land Act of 1913. The current area is bounded on the south by what “the previous colonial and apartheid governments” confiscated as settler farms; and on the north and east by the presently known town of Matatiele. The town is actually named after a member clan who was placed there by Chief Julius Khoapa I upon his first settlement in 1882. During this period Chief Adam Kok had already settled in the area that was known as East Griqualand. Today his footprint still exist in Kokstad (named after Adam Kok).
[1] Note: There are various spellings to Mathews’s name, i.e. Matheus, Matthews, etc. Mathews is a famous BaSotho scholar who contributed a great deal to the documentation of the History of the BaSotho and worked closely with King Moshoeshoe I.
[2] The place where most of the clan originated from and some continue to reside in Lesotho can be traced to Maqalika River in Maseru (Kingdom of Lesotho).
Ramokhele – a descendant of Tsukulu had two sons by his first wife - Mosololi and Mosolotsana. His second marriage was to the sister of Mokhachane, King Moshoeshoe’s father (now Kingdom of Lesotho). By this marriage he begot many sons, of which Mathews Monaheng[1]was one.
The Khoapas descend from Chief Mosolotsana, whose son Motsoasele begot two sons - Leballo and Maqalika. Maqalika begot two sons - Abisai Lesaoana and Bethuel Mamphi Khoapa Maqalika, better known as "RaKhoapa".
The descendants of Bethuel Mamphi adopted his “third name” KHOAPA as their second name instead of their original name of Maqalika[2]. Mamphi’s first born son Julius Khoapa (1848-1912) later Chief Julius Khoapa I, upon completing his military service to Queen Victoria was given land as payment instead of a monetary payout. He then settled in an area known as Khoapa’s Location which included the existing Matatiele Municipal District all the way to Umzimvubu River in Cedarville. This land was settled in 1882 and soon after his father Bethuel Mamphi traveled from what is currently known as Lesotho -upon Julius’s invitation to settle with his three brothers - Caiphus, Thekiso and George.
Today the Khoapa clan, under the leadership of Chief Charles Talija Khoapa continues to live in an area known as “ha Khoapa", Matatiele in the Eastern Cape Province. Most of the original settlement area has been lost due to government displacement in the late 1890s, early 1900s and during the Native's Land Act of 1913. The current area is bounded on the south by what “the previous colonial and apartheid governments” confiscated as settler farms; and on the north and east by the presently known town of Matatiele. The town is actually named after a member clan who was placed there by Chief Julius Khoapa I upon his first settlement in 1882. During this period Chief Adam Kok had already settled in the area that was known as East Griqualand. Today his footprint still exist in Kokstad (named after Adam Kok).
[1] Note: There are various spellings to Mathews’s name, i.e. Matheus, Matthews, etc. Mathews is a famous BaSotho scholar who contributed a great deal to the documentation of the History of the BaSotho and worked closely with King Moshoeshoe I.
[2] The place where most of the clan originated from and some continue to reside in Lesotho can be traced to Maqalika River in Maseru (Kingdom of Lesotho).