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Silas Thelensho Molema and Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje Papers sub-subsubseries
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Legal papers

Leases.

An unusual system of land tenure was devised by Chief Montsioa in the hope that the tribe would be able to prevent Whites from seizing tribal lands. Grants of land were given to important individual members of the tribe. Originally this land was inalienable except to other Barolong, but by 1896 the land could be hired or leased to Whites. Rights could be transferred from one member of the tribe to anether, but there was a strict prohibition against the mortgaging of holdings. For the most part this system known as the Barolong Farms was effective, although in 1914 there was some consternation amongst government official when it appeared that White lessees were treating Blacks living on the land as squatters.

Pitsani siding business correspondence

Correspondents:

Beukes, G.

Burger, B J.

Dickerson, D T.

Fincham, Phoebus M.

Higgs, James.

Oosthuizen, J.

Ruthenberg, A W.

van Rensburg, G.

Subjects:

Pitsani is a trading post on the railway line to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) which lies 45 km north of Mafeking, on the western border of the Transvaal. It is famous for being the assembly point for Dr L S Jameson's followers prior to the raid in December 1895. Silas Molema owned a farm, Mabeti, in the area which he leased to white traders and farmers. His chief correspondent is P M Fincham. The correspondence deals with disputes between the farmers over farm boundaries and trading rights; the building of a school house at Pitsani in 1913; sinking of wells and disputes over rights to water cattle; trespassing and damage caused by cattle; fencing of farms.