Old Palapye (Phalatswe) in south-eastern Botswana is named as such to differentiate it from the modern town of Palapye located approximately 20 kilometres north of the site. Old Palapye, originally spelled Phalatswe in Setswana dialect, is a significant multicultural heritage site characterised by material from the Stone Age, the Farming Community Period, and the Historical era. In 1889, the Bamangwato community under the rule of Khama III established its capital there after relocating from Shoshong due to water shortage.
Still visible at Old Palapye are the remains of several structures including trading stores, churches, an elementary school and a prison, all of which are of European architectural design. A number of graves both of European and Batswana origin are also found there. The most unique structure, however, is a Gothic-style London Missionary Society church that was completed in 1894. The grand church was constructed using locally quarried red burnt mud bricks and remains one of Botswana’s most prominent historical sites. By the decree of Khama III, after thirteen years of occupation, the Bamangwato people were told to dismantle and torch the church and other dwellings when the capital relocated. However, the church remained standing. The site was then left to the devices of nature where a slow process of structural deterioration took place. It was in 1938 that the site was gazetted as a national monument, and it has been protected and preserved ever since.
Click on the images to enlarge.
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Remains of the Old Palapye London Missionary Society Church
© DNMM, 2006 -
Historical image of Old Palapye London Missionary Society Church taken during the 1890s
© Botswana National Archives and Records Services (BNARS)
The name Palapye was originally spelled as ‘Phalatswe’. “Phala” means impala, suggesting that the area was once teeming with thousands of such herds, signifying the ‘place of impalas’.
Sources
- Borjeson, L. and Lane, P. (1996). Preliminary archaeological investigations at Phalatswe (Old Palapye), Central District, Botswana: The 1995 Season. Nyame Akuma, 45, 2-10.
- Nkomazana, F. (1999). London Missionary Society, Church and State in a Colonial Bechuanaland: The case of BaNgwato 1857-1923. Scriptura, 71, 303-312.
- Thebe, P. and Manatsha, B. (2023). Archaeology in Botswana’s history. History Compass, 21, 1-16 [Link]