Gradings

In the late 18th century as the San presence was fading and before the arrival of the Anglican missionaries, Modderpoort was settled by the Bataung, a tribe of the Basotho, who named this piece of land, wedged between the Platberg and Viervoet mountains, Lekhalong-la-bo-Tau (the Pass of the Lions). The Bataung separated from the Bahurutse tribe around 1640, adopted the lion as their tribal totem, and migrated towards the Free State and Lesotho from the north-west. They mingled more than most tribes with others, intermarrying with the Barolong, Batlhaping and Lihoya tribes, as well as the Griqua, Korannas and Bushmen.

At some point after the 1865-1866 war fought with the Boer settlers in the Free State, Lekhalong-la-bo-Tau was ceded to the Free State government as victors of the battle. After the Peace of Sorghum (Khotso-ea-Mabele) in 1866, the ‘Conquered Territory’ as it came to be known, was surveyed and parcelled into farms. Lekhalong-la-bo-Tau was included in this exercise. Two of the farms, Modderpoort and Modderpoortspruit (collectively known as Modderpoort) were offered to a man called Green, as a reward for fighting against the Basotho, but he was not keen to embark on a farming enterprise. Instead they were purchased in 1867 by Bishop Edward Twells of the Anglican Diocese of Bloemfontein, for development of a mission station

Mantsopa was married to a guy known as Lekote Makhetha. Unfortunately, Lekote died before they could have children. Lekote’s elder brother Selatile Makhetha took her as his sixth wife. Their first born child was Ntsopa. The second was Setsieledi, the third being Seisilane. When she crossed with her husband they settled at Lehlajweng which was a place next to Lekhalongla-bo-Tau.

In the late 19th century, Mantsopa, the Basotho prophet and a contemporary of King Moshoeshoe I arrived at Modderpoort. She was widespread renown for her accurate prediction of the outcome of battles fought by the Basotho against a range of enemies. At first she was a strong critic of the missionaries, but later eventually converted to Christianity, practicing a mix of traditional and new beliefs. Living the full duration of the 19th century, Mantsopa died at Modderpoort at the estimated age of 111 and was buried in the small cemetery outside the sandstone church, somewhat unusually in the section reserved for whites, alongside the Anglican Brothers. Revered as one of the great ancestors of the Basotho, she inspired a pilgrimage movement, and to this day her followers travel from far and wide to visit her grave, in quest of her favourable intercession in their fate and fortune.

There was another cave opposite the spring which is believed could have been the original one where she settled and continued working and healing people there. It is believed that she occupied the cave situated next to the cemetery through the instructions of the Anglican priests. She did not heal people there, but made use of her cave situated opposite the spring. At this place, Mantsopa used to pray for people and heal them.