Declarations

In Qwaqwa, the Makholokoe first settled at the foot of the mountain known today as Fika Patso before moving to settle at Mohlomong. Mohlomong was in the vicinity of where the government building and former Qwaqwa parliament is situated today. It was while residing in Mohlomong that Wetsi discovered a cave near Monontsha Village. The cave was first used as a cattle post during dry seasons and later as a hiding place when Makholokoe were attacked by Boers and fled to the neighbouring Lesotho and Natal. Witsie’s hideout was a horse shoeshaped cavern about 107m long, 35m deep and approximately 121m high with boulders at the entrance. Access to the site became difficult for his attackers. The commandos, therefore, surrounded the area with the object of starving Witsie and his subjects.

Witsie’s Cave has strong attachments to the Makholokoe as it makes their existence in the Qwaqwa area. There are also claims that the pile of stones found at the entrance of the cave symbolizes that during the attack some people were trapped inside the cave and left to die. According to Ntlhabo, such suspicions emanates from the knowledge of similar atrocities that happened elsewhere in the country, for example, at the cave in Makapan. Witsie was also known as a traditional healer and rainmaker. There is logic on the idea that the cave might have been used in the past for such purposes, therefore, to a certain extent possesses some spiritual powers.

Witsie’s Cave is an iconic site which can celebrate the achievements of the Makholokoe. As mentioned before, oral tradition and some written records attest to the fact that Witsie was a distinguished traditional healer during Difaqane. The cave has been referred to as a ‘fortress’ or ‘stronghold’ of the Makholokoe forefathers.