Violence and protest: A historical analysis of ‘violence’ and community protests in Bethanie, c. 1866 to 2018
Date
2022-10
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
The Bakwena ba Mogopa are a community in the North West Province of South Africa. The capital of this community is Bethanie. In 2018, residents of Bakwena ba Mogopa embarked on a protest. This protest highlighted issues of unemployment, lack of service delivery and underdevelopment. For many, in particular young people, this protest was surprisingly militant. However, for the elders in the community, this reignited memories of the war of Mabidibidi from the late 1920s. This war was about the split of the Lutheran church which resulted in two separate churches, one being the ELCSA and BLC. Moreover, other elders argued that in the 1960s, the conflict within the traditional leadership was also Mabidibidi. This dissertation explores various protests and moments of contention that have manifested in Bethanie and have shaped this rather peaceful community. To provide context for these events, this dissertation looks at the history of Bethanie from 1866 till 2018. For a community that refers to itself as peaceful, perhaps given the events of spectacular protests that have taken place throughout South Africa, this case of Bethanie complicates some of the common understandings of how violent protests manifests.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (by Thesis) in the Department of History, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022.
Keywords
Violence, Protest, Community, Bethanie, UCTD
Citation
Makena, Kefuoe Emmaculate. (2022). Violence and protest: A historical analysis of ‘violence’ and community protests in Bethanie, c. 1866 to 2018. [Master's dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WIReDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/39964