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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:A Case of Ambiguous Indentity: Oral Tradition and the Ba ga Seleka of Lephalala
Authors:De Jongh, MichaelISNI
De Beer, F.C.ISNI
Year:1992
Periodical:South African Journal of Ethnology
Volume:15
Issue:4
Period:December
Pages:101-108
Language:English
Geographic term:South Africa
Subjects:Seleka-Rolong
ethnicity
oral traditions
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
Education and Oral Traditions
Abstract:The Ba ga Seleka live in the semiarid Lephalala valley between the mainly Northern Sotho and Northern Ndebele-speaking people in the northern Transvaal (South Africa) on the one hand and the Tswana-speaking people in Botswana on the other. Although they are often regarded as 'Tswana' in language and culture, there is still a consciousness of identity which pertains more to a Northern Ndebele origin than a Tswana way of life. During their migrations in southern Africa they incorporated various Sotho elements, but especially Tswana into their ranks so that the Ba ga Seleka nucleus forms but a small minority of the total tribal population. An analysis of their oral traditions shows that their totem ('phuthi'/duiker), which differs from the 'tlou' totem of the other Northern Ndebele, was adopted from the Phuthi during their sojourn in Lesotho in the late 17th or early 18th century. The study is based on intensive interviewing during a number of visits to the Lephalala valley from 1989 onwards. Bibliogr., sum. in Afrikaans and English.
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