Mochudi is one of the larger villages in
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...
with a population of 44,815 people in 2011. It is situated in the
Bakgatla tribal region, in
Kgatleng District
Kgatleng is one of the districts of Botswana, coterminous with the homeland of the Bakgatla people. Its capital is Mochudi, the hometown of protagonist Precious Ramotswe in Alexander McCall Smith's popular ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'' ...
, about northeast of
Gaborone
Gaborone ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census.
Gaboron ...
. The village lies several kilometres from the main Gaborone–
Francistown
Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 103,417 and 147,122 inhabitants for its agglomeration at the 2022 census. and often described as the "''Capital of the North''" or as the natives would have it “''T ...
road, and can be accessed through a short turn at
Pilane. Mochudi was settled by the
Tswana people
The Tswana ( tn, Batswana, singular ''Motswana'') are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Tswana language is a principal member of the Sotho-Tswana language group. Ethnic Tswana made up approximately 85% of the pop ...
in 1871. The main attraction in Mochudi is the Phuthadikobo Museum which is perched at the top of a hill and holds a rich history of Bakgatla tribe and Batswana in general.
History
Mochudi was established as a result of people movements. Under pressure from Boer encroachment on their historic lands, the Bakgatla tribe migrated from what is now South Africa, settling in 1871 at the foot of Phuthadikobo Hill and beside the
Notwane River
The Notwane River (or Ngotwane River) is a river in southeastern Botswana.
Certain sections of its course form the international boundary with South Africa. Its mouth is at the head of the Limpopo River. It has a catchment area of 18,053 square k ...
. At this time, the Rev Pieter Brink of the
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...
founded a mission station at Mochudi.
Tourism
The tourist destinations of note inside Mochudi are the
Phuthadikobo Museum
The Phuthadikobo Museum is a historic building of architectural interest and the museum has a range of displays, a craft shop and a silkscreen printing workshop which are unique to Africa. It is a museum, cultural centre and silkscreen workshop a ...
at the top of the hill, which contains old photographs and historical texts relating to Mochudi and the history of the
Bakgatla people. It is housed in a building that was originally the first school of Mochudi. Nearby is the hulk of the first tractor owned by a Motswana and huge footprints that legend says belongs to "Matsieng", a giant and ancestor of the Tswana, who led his people and the animals from the centre of the earth to inhabit the world.
Mochudi is known for its traditional painted houses and still has a traditional
kgotla
A ''kgotla'' (English pronunciation or ) is a public meeting, community council, or traditional law court of a Botswana village. It is usually headed by the village chief or headman, and community decisions are always arrived at by consensus. H ...
(tribal meeting place).
More information about the Bakgatla people can be found in David Suggs' ethnography entitled "A Bagful of Locusts and the Baboon Woman: Constructions of Gender, Change, and Continuity in Botswana."
Mochudi was the home of Mma Ramotswe, the heroine of the ''
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'' series of books. Michelle Obama visited the village during U.S. President Obama's African tour in 2011.
[Gaotlhobogwe, M]
''Michelle Obama shows Botho with magwinya and chips''
Mmegi Online, Retrieved March 3, 2013.
Education
Mochudi has several public Junior Secondary Schools and one public high school, Molefi Senior Secondary School. Several junior schools are Linchwe II JSS, Kgamanyane JSS, Radikolo JSS, Bakgatle JSS, Sedibelo JSS, and Ithuteng JSS. There is also Podulogong Rehabilitation Centre that offers hands on training courses to blind or vision impaired individuals.
Sports
Mochudi is home to
Botswana Premier League
The Botswana Premier League, currently known as the BTC Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level football league in Botswana. Organised by the Botswana Football Association, the league was formed in 1978 to replace the pre-inde ...
soccer club
Mochudi Centre Chiefs
Mochudi Centre Chiefs Sporting Club are a professional football club based in Gaborone, Botswana, who play in the Botswana first division following their relegation from the Premier League in 2019. Centre Chiefs have won the Botswana Premier Leag ...
.
Mochudi Rugby Club
Mochudi is one of the larger villages in Botswana with a population of 44,815 people in 2011. It is situated in the Bakgatla tribal region, in Kgatleng District, about northeast of Gaborone. The village lies several kilometres from the main G ...
is a local rugby team based in the village.
Twin cities
References
External links
* Botswana Tourism homepag
The Government of Botswana - Homehttps://www.britannica.com/place/Mochudi
{{Coord, 24, 25, S, 26, 09, E, region:BW_type:city, display=title
Populated places in Botswana
District capitals in Botswana
Kgatleng District
Populated places established in 1871