KING KGOSI MOGALE MOGALE........ 

Kgosi Mogale wa Mogale was born between 1789 and 1799 at Wolhuterskop, between the BaPo Ba Mogale and BaKwena BaMogopa wars, which saw the death of his father. Raised by his grandparents, he grew to be a fine young man, heir to the throne of the BaPo BaMogale kingdom.
When Mzlikazi invaded in 1827, Mogale Mogale was in the process of founding his own military group. He was arrested by the Matabele and the story goes that he was forced to pierce his ears as a form of humiliation. After some years in captivity, he was rescued by a party of BaPo BaMogale and hid in the mountains until, in 1837, he settled in Magaliesberg and was inaugurated King. He had a vision to see his people rise, reconstruct, become unified and develop their kingdom to its former glory. He formed a good relationship with the Boers when he pursued Gozane, Ndebele’s Headman, and slayed him and took his men prisoners, but, in 1847, he was suspected of gunrunning and conspiracy and was forced to flee to ThabaNchu, Basotholand, leaving all his possessions behind, including 1000 head of cattle.
He remained there for almost 15 years, in the company of other kings of the Batswana who had fled, under the protection of Kgosi Moshoeshoe. In 1858, Kgosi Mogale Mogale participated in the Senekal war. In 1862/3 he invited his people to join him and purchased their sacred lands at the foot of Wolhuterskop from Orsmond, for 499 head of cattle. This is where many of his descendants live to this day. However, he had been declared a criminal, wanted dead or alive by Veldkornet Gert Kruger, and so returned to Basotholand where he remained between 1865 and 1868, and fought in the Battle of Siqiti. He was resolved to restore his kingdom and managed to reach consensus with the then President of the Zuid Afrikansche Republiek.
The remaining years of his life he spent in Wolhuterskop with his people, and in 1869 Kgosi Mogale Mogale passed away at the age of 70.In BaPo BaMogale’s history, Kgosi Mogale Mogale dominates their geneaology of kings. He rose to be a Black Star and Black Iron Pot of the BaPo BaMogale nation, beloved by his people and remembered for his bravery, diplomacy and leadership.

Treatment of the week........

Is your skin feeling dehydrated from the harshness of the cold winter? 

Treat yourself to a Shea Butter Full Body Massage Ritual - with a combination of essential oils and Shea Butter, this massage ritual calms the mind and balances the body.

(Shea Butter provides all the essential vitamins needed to make skin look and feel smoother, softer and most importantly, healthier. Its therapeutic properties protect the skin from wind, cold, sun and it helps heal wounds faster. Shea Butter stimulates cellular activity, fights the effects of aging and repairs rough, damaged skin.)

Save the date and join us in celebration......

Every year on 9 August we celebrate Women’s Day in South Africa, a public holiday that pays homage to the women of our nation.

Did you know Misty Hills has Botanical Status?

PAUL KRUGER COUNTRY HOUSE MUSEUM @ KEDAR.

It is often forgotten that, before becoming President of the old Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek, Paul Kruger was a successful farmer who owned and worked several farms in the Rustenburg district. On one of these - Boekenhoutfontein - stands the Paul Kruger Country Museum which encompasses a collection of unique historic buildings, offering a fascinating insight into Kruger's life and a time when South Africa was locked in a struggle for sovereignty with the British Empire. Declared a national monument in 1936, and preserved by the Simon van der Stel Foundation since 1971, it is now administered by Kedar Country Hotel, Conference Centre & Spa and has been restored to its former glory.The buildings were damaged by British forces during the Anglo Boer War, and after President Kruger's death in exile in 1904, the property passed to his descendants. "Boekenhoutfontein belongs to you - preserve it as your own" - Simon v.d. Stel Foundation.The main house, where Kruger lived with his 16 children and his second wife, Gezina, is a solid and stately building which portrays his invincible belief in the future of his country. Built in a neat row, the buildings bear witness to his sense of order and symmetry. Simple building methods and materials are evident, such as rough beechwood lintels, cow dung, peach pip and blood floors and roof beams fastened by dowels and leather thongs. Period furniture and authentic wallpaper have been recreated by craftsmen in Europe; Kruger's rifle is on show - possibly the one with which he killed a lion at the tender age of 14 - together with one of his many bibles and the bellows organ, played by his wife Gezina, plus many gifts given to him by visiting state dignitaries. The Bronkhorst House, dating back to the early 1840s, was occupied by Kruger while he was building his first house at Boekenhoutfontein. It is reportedly the oldest white owned dwelling in the then Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek. This property neighbours the Bafokeng nation whom Kruger befriended and persuaded to register their land rights, resulting in today's great Bafokeng wealth generated through its royalties from the platinum mines. In close proximity can be found family graves, the koppie where Kruger often sought religious guidance and the saddle in the hills where he hid his horses from the British forces. The old schoolhouse, which has served many purposes over the years, can be transformed into a simple chapel & conference room. The dams built by Kruger have also been restored and today serve as watering holes for the herds of game which can be viewed roaming the surrounding untouched bushveld.

Kudu Schnitzel Recipe!

Serves 4-6, 1 Kudu loin, about 1,5kg (Kudu can be replaced with any other antelope species) 120g Seasoned cake flour, 4 eggs beaten, 150g bread crumbs, oil for frying, lemon wedges, Cut the loin into +- 250g steaks, place steak in a thick plastic bag and gently beat with a meat mallet on each side until steak is +- 1cm thick. The plastic bag prevents the mallet from tearing the meat. Do this to all the steaks. Dip the steaks into flour, then into the beaten egg then coat with bread crumbs. Place in fridge for +- 45 min , keep the schnitzels separate from one another. Heat oil in frying pan and fry schnitzels until golden brown on both sides. Serve immediately with French fries or starch of your choice. A lemon butter, cheese or mushroom sauce will enhance the dish.

Hall of Kings Series: 
QUEEN MODJADJI V
The Rain Queen, Queen of the Lovedu people, which her dynasty has ruled for two hundred years. Even among the convoluted and very often bizarre histories of African royal succession, Queen Modjadji’s story is unique. For a start she has thirty three wives! The Lovedu Queen is forbidden by custom to marry men and must choose her wives from among the eldest daughters of her people. Then there is the fact that her lineage was generated by incest! It all began on the Northern banks of the Limpopo river, when a certain Princess Dzuguzini, daughter of the sacred King of Mambo, potentate of the Empire of Monomotapa, indulged in an illicit affair and was impregnated as a result. Dzuguzini steadfastly refused to reveal the name of the perpetrator to her outraged father and was banished from the kingdom. Departing into exile and an uncertain future in a hostile and war torn land, with an infant child to support, Princess Dzuguzini was in desperate need of a measure of security, a situation she resolved by taking with her the sacred rainmaking beads of Mambo, with their attendant power to control the elements. In the fullness of time, the father of her son was revealed to be her own brother, the Prince of Mambo, which made her son heir to the throne, to which he ascended upon the death of the King. Having established something of a family tradition, the dynasty continued to perpetuate itself by incest, with the consequence that the fifth king, Mugado, was completely paranoid, and, in an African version of the Oedipus myth, became convinced that he would be murdered by his own son. His terror of patricide lead him to take the drastic measure of having his male heirs asphyxiated at birth. This gruesome practice resulted in the propagation of a line of female succession, redoubtable Queens who defended their people by controlling the storms and inflicting flood or drought upon their enemies. This power over the clouds and the rain was passed down from mother to daughter, along with the throne. Not surprisingly, the surrounding tribes came to view the Lovedu with some trepidation, in particular the otherwise dauntless Zulus, who believed the Mambo Queens to be fearsome predatory witches, with four lungs, who lurked in the swamps waiting to ambush hapless travellers Whatever their reputation may have been, the Mambo Queens were certainly fierce and successful survivors, embodied today by the present Queen, Her Majesty Modjadji V. Call it superstition if you will, but within one hour of the unveiling of the statue on the evening of Sunday October 29th , a violent thunderstorm assailed the misty hills of Muldersdrift, and it rained heavily for five consecutive days. Draw your own conclusions! Heraldry was first taken to southern Africa in1488, with the Portuguese adventurer, Bartholomew Diaz, who had stone crosses erected bearing the arms of Portugal. The Portuguese were probably the first to grant arms to an indigenous king in this area. The Emperor Monomatapa was given his coat of arms by the King of Portugal in 1569. The Rain Queen descends from the house of Monomatapa