Travel Guide Mochudi

This large town, 42 km northeast of Gaborone, is one of the main settlements of the large Tswana tribe of the Bakgatla. According to legend, it is named after a member of the Kwena tribe, Motshodi, who was living there alone when Kgamanyane and his tribe arrived. This was in the 1870s and at that time the Bakgatla were fleeing South Africa to escape the Boers. Their exodus stopped at the foot of Mount Phuthadikobo, near the Notwane River, where they decided to establish their village. In the early 20th century, Mochudi was made famous by the work of the anthropologist Isaac Shapera, who took an interest in the Batswana culture. He particularly emphasized the changes that were rapidly taking place in their way of life and in their habitat, which can be seen in the architecture of today: a mixture of modernity and tradition in the kgotla style, with the mud rondavels topped by thatched roofs. This characteristic type of construction is rarely seen in other villages. The courtyards of the houses are also interesting, especially the low walls. The best way to appreciate the organization of the village is to go to the top of one of the surrounding hills. From there, the visitor can clearly discern the divisions of the traditional habitat into semicircular quarters, each with a kgotla, and surrounding, in the centre, the quarter of the village chief.