Ha Kome Cave Dwellings And Thaba Bosiu Tour

The Kome Cave Dwellings were built in the 19th century and are still inhabited by the descendants of the original families. The caves have been carefully restored, and a visitors’ center has been added to the site. They have been declared a National Heritage Site.

Upon arrival at Kome, Basotho ponies will be on standby to take visitors to the Kome Caves to experience the local culture. Malimong Caves will also be visited, where Moshoeshoe I’s (founder of the Basotho nation) grandfather was reportedly torn apart and eaten by cannibals while they were on their way to Thaba Bosiu.

The Kome Caves are a group of cave dwellings made of mud in the Berea District of Lesotho, about 25 km east of Teyateyaneng. The caves are still inhabited by descendants of the original people who built them. The site has been classified as a National Heritage Site.

History

The Kome Cave Dwellings were built and protected by Chief Teleka of the Basia (Cat) Clan in the early 19th century. The main purpose of the cave dwellings was to serve as a hideout from adversaries during the droughts and conflicts of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The name Ha Kome comes from the Kome family of the Basia tribe, the first inhabitants of the caves.

Location

The Kome Cave Dwellings are located in the Berea District, about half an hour’s drive from Teyateyaneng, the capital of the Berea District, and about an hour’s drive from Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. The site is approximately 21 km from Blue Mountain Inn, a three-star hotel in Teyateyaneng.

Thaba Bosiu

Thaba Bosiu is a constituency and sandstone plateau with an area of approximately 2 km² (0.77 sq mi) and a height of 1,804 meters above sea level. It is located between the Orange and Caledon Rivers in the Maseru District of Lesotho, about 24 km east of Maseru, the country’s capital. It was once the capital of Lesotho and served as the stronghold of King Moshoeshoe I.

Moshoeshoe

Thaba Bosiu was used as a hideout by Moshoeshoe I and his followers after they migrated from Butha-Buthe in 1824, escaping the devastation of the Difaqane/Mfecane Wars. The plateau formed a natural fortress that protected the Basotho people during times of war. Moshoeshoe I and his people settled on the mountain in July 1824.

He named it Thaba Bosiu (loosely translated as “Mountain at Night”) because he and his people arrived there at night. To intimidate his enemies, he spread the story that the mountain grew larger at night.

Moshoeshoe offered cattle and protection to those fleeing the devastation of the Mfecane/Difaqane wars. When he settled at Thaba Bosiu, he sent his regiments to gather displaced people. They were provided with food and shelter. The plateau’s large area allowed it to hold enough livestock and provisions to sustain the people during a lengthy siege.

Once people felt safe, many chose to remain under his rule. This led to the formation of the Basotho nation, with Thaba Bosiu serving as the capital of the new kingdom. It also became the center of organized resistance against European encroachment into the central plateau region of southern Africa.

Physical Description

The mountain has eight springs and six passes, the main one being Khubelu Pass. The other passes are known as Ramaseli, Maebeng, Mokachane, Makara, and Rahebe.

The mountain is flat-topped and lies in the valley of the Phuthiatsana River. It is approximately 24 km east of the Caledon River, which separates Lesotho from the Free State in South Africa. The mountain rises about 106 meters above the surrounding valley, and its summit is surrounded by a belt of perpendicular cliffs averaging about 12 meters in height. Nearby, there is also San rock art.

In 1837, Private David Webber of the 72nd Seaforth Highlanders reached Thaba Bosiu, where he was granted refuge. As a skilled mason and carpenter, he built Moshoeshoe I a stone house. The rectangular structure measured 10 meters by 5 meters and was divided internally into two rooms. Moshoeshoe later had four additional stone buildings constructed as part of his compound—three rectangular and one cylindrical.

Beliefs

Many Basotho believe the mountain possesses magical properties. One belief is that if someone takes soil from the mountain, it will mysteriously disappear by morning, having returned to the mountain. Moshoeshoe also spread the story that the mountain grew larger at night as a way of intimidating his enemies.

Attacks

Mzilikazi attempted to attack Moshoeshoe I at Thaba Bosiu after escaping the rule of Shaka Zulu, but he was unsuccessful.

European invaders in 1852 and the Boers of the Orange Free State were also unable to capture the mountain. During the siege of Thaba Bosiu on 18 August 1865, Louw Wepener and 6,000 armed Boers attempted to storm the mountain.

Their strategy involved bombarding the summit with artillery from the Free State Artillery (Vrystaatse Artillery Regiment). As they advanced, only about 100 Boers remained with Wepener by 5 p.m., as many had retreated. Wepener managed to reach the top of Khubelu Pass, but was killed when a bullet struck his head.

He remains the only enemy known to have reached the mountaintop, and the pass is sometimes referred to as Wepener’s Pass. The siege continued until January 1866, when General Jan Fick and his men returned to the Free State to reorganize.

Treaty of Thaba Bosiu

Following the siege and severe starvation, the Basotho signed a treaty in April 1866, agreeing to surrender 3,000 cattle and more than two-thirds of their arable land to the Orange Free State.

The land lost included territories west of the Caledon River and the Orange River, leaving the Basotho with a significantly reduced area of fertile land near Thaba Bosiu, including 32 km of arable land on the eastern bank of the Caledon River.

Many villagers refused to leave the surrendered territory. As a result, in March 1867, Orange Free State President Johannes Henricus Brand ordered renewed and intensified military action.

In 1867, after the Third Free State–Basotho War, when the Free State captured the entire Lowlands, Moshoeshoe I requested British protection. This protection was granted in March 1868, just before another Boer attack on Thaba Bosiu. As a result, Lesotho became a British protectorate, and Thaba Bosiu remained the only territory that had never been conquered.

Thaba Bosiu Affair

On 27 December 1966, Moshoeshoe II organized protest meetings that culminated in a prayer gathering at Thaba Bosiu. The protests were directed against the governance of Prime Minister Chief Leabua Jonathan, leader of the Basotho National Party (BNP).

Moshoeshoe II challenged the legitimacy of the BNP government and the lack of executive power granted to the monarchy. When the prayer meeting was planned, Chief Jonathan viewed it as an act of defiance and banned the gathering.

A confrontation between security forces and demonstrators followed, resulting in 10 deaths and the arrest of several opposition leaders. Moshoeshoe II was later placed under house arrest and forced to sign a document promising not to address public gatherings without government approval.

National Monument

In 1967, the Lesotho government declared the mountain a national monument. During the 1990s, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Basotho government, initiated the Preservation and Presentation of Thaba Bosiu Project to conserve this historic site.

Today, the mountain is a major tourist attraction, featuring a conference center, cultural village, and traditional rondavel-style accommodations.

In 1996, Moshoeshoe II was buried on the mountain, joining Moshoeshoe I. Because of its cultural and historical significance, many political organizations have held meetings and rallies at Thaba Bosiu.

For example, Lekhotla la Bafo, a political organization, frequently held meetings on the mountain. In 1957, it hosted a joint meeting with the Basutoland Congress Party (BCP).

In 2017, the relationship between the site and its local communities was studied by Nthabiseng Mokoena.