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At the heart of this compelling account of the Setswana-speaking people of North West Province lie three defining and interlinked issues: ethnicity, the ownership of land, and the impact of mineral wealth. Land, Chiefs, Mining traces the ways in which, over 300 years, the land has determined the relationships between the people who live on it, and how, in the 21st century, mining activity has added another layer to the complex of chiefly influence and commercial interests. This book sheds light on some of the defining issues, moments, and individuals in this lesser-known region of South Africa: an important Tswana kgosi (chief), Moiloa II of the baHurutshe; the South African War and its aftermath; land acquisition; economic and political conditions in the nature reserves; resistance to Mangope’s Bophuthatswana; the impact of game parks and the Sun City resort; rural resistance and the liberation struggle; and African reaction to the platinum mining revolution. Written in a direct and accessible style, the book not only provides the general reader with an understanding of the region, but also opens up avenues for further research.
