The Balete people are a Southern African ethnic group. 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 Kal ...

they have occupied a permanent territory since around 1780, officially recognized as a tribal reserve in 1909. They are the only one of eight major tribes that do not belong to the related

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 ...

. They still have a traditional Paramount Chief, or ''Kgôsikgolo''. Balete are settled in Southern Botswana villages that include

Ramotswa Ramotswa is a village in South-East District of Botswana, southwest of the capital of Gaborone. The population was 27,760 in 2011 census. It is the tribal capital of the BaLete, an ethnic majority springing from the Nguni tribe. Ramotswa's m ...

Gabane Gabane is a village in Kweneng District of Botswana. It is located 15 km (10 mi) west of Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. The population was 10,399 in 2001 census, making it the fourth largest settlement in Kweneng. Its population was ...

Otse Otse is a village in the South-East District of Botswana. It is located 60 km south of Gaborone, along the Gaborone–Lobatse road and close to the border with South Africa. This village is home to the Balete people who are related ...

Metsimotlhabe Metsimotlhabe is a village in Kweneng District of Botswana. The village is located 20 km north-west of Gaborone, along the Gaborone–Molepolole Molepolole is a large village in Kweneng District, Botswana. The people who reside in Mo ...

and

Mogobane Mogobane References South-East District (Botswana) Villages in Botswana {{botswana-geo-stub ...

List of chiefs/Kings

Phatlê (Wa ko Tlhôgô ya Tlou)Ditirafalo tsa merafe ya Batswana Malete Maphalaolê Mongatane Maio Kgomo Mokgwê Marumô Pôwê I a Marumo 1805 Mokgôjwe a Pôwê (acting) 1805–1830 Pôwê II a Mokgôjwe (died c. 1830) 1830–1886 Mokgôsi I a Pôwê 1886–1896 Ikaneng a Mokgôsi 1896–1906 Mokgôsi II 1906–1917 Baitlotle (acting) 1917–1937 Seboko I a Mokgôsi 1937–1945 Ketswerebothata a Mokgôsi (acting) 1945–1966 Mokgôsi III a Seboko 1966–1996 Kelemogile a Seboko (Kelemogile Mokgosi) acting 1996–2001 Seboko II a Mokgôsi 2001–2002 Tumelo a Seboko (acting) 2002 - present

Mosadi Seboko Mosadi Seboko (born 7 June 1950) is the Kgosikgolo of the Balete people in Botswana. She is the first female kgosikgolo in the history of Botswana. Early life Mosadi Seboko was born on 7 June 1950 in Ramotswa, south of Gaborone. Her name ''Mos ...

Leboko la Balete (The Balete Poem)

September 1, 2012 saw the beginning of a new era for the Balete tribe, as it revived its dormant tradition of male initiation, Bogwera, under the guidance of its first ever female Paramount Chief Mosadi Seboko. Among initiates were five councilors from the South East District Council – two from the Botswana Congress Party, another two from the ruling Botswana Democratic party and one from the Botswana Movement for Democracy. The naming of the new regiment ‘Matsosa ngwao’ (Cultural revivers) by Kgosi Seboko coincided with the annual national cultural day celebrations. The event attracted members of the diplomatic corps from Mozambique, Nigeria, the United States of America, the UK and the Chinese Women's Association

Sources and references

World Statesmen website on political and administrative entities

References

{{Reflist Sotho-Tswana peoples in South Africa