# Ga-Molepo

Ga-Molepo is a town in Capricorn District Municipality and Polokwane Local Municipality in the Limpopo province of South Africa.
Molepo means a place or a moment of relaxation. The language spoken by the majority in Ga Molepo is Sesotho sa Leboa. Ga Molepo is made up of over thirty villages, the main one is called Boshega where (Kgoshi ya Ditlou, literally king of elephants) Chief Molepo's palace is situated at the foot of the Lebopo mountains at Moshate.

## Historical background

The Molepo's are Kalanga (bakgalaka) who got separated from Makgoba people.They were moved from Tzaneen then settled at their current location by South African Republic Government. Upon their arrival they found the bashega clan ruled by sehlapelo sa boshega 'a moshoeshoe and Malone was a chief not king

## Geography

Ga-Molepo is surrounded by big Lebopo mountains (Lebopo means Border) and through it runs several rivers: Mphogodiba , Hlabashane, Mokgotla and Mmamatebele.

## Religion in Ga Molepo

Although the majority of people in Ga Molepo believe in African Traditional Religion, the town's leadership has always been open to people from different religions especially the Zion Christian Church which is the dominant and a church with a large following. Apart from welcoming the arrival of the Roman Catholic Church missionaries, who settled at Subiaco Mission in Ga Rampheri, the leadership of Ga Molepo has been in contact with missionaries from as far as the Kingdom of Lesotho as early as 1873.
The Dutch reformed church also established a mission station at Bethel village ,and the residents of the community are members of the church.
There are also three strong Pentecostal churches at Ga Molepo , Strong tower bible church established and founded by Bishop Phologa James Makgatho from Dihlopaneng village, Assemblies of Christ, established and founded by Bishop EM Molepo, and also the Assemblies of God, based in Laastehoop established under the leadership of Pastor Nyatlo.

## Tourist attractions

It is the home of the biggest Zion Christian Church (ZCC) church situated at one of the villages called Boyne, one of the villages is Ga-Rampheri where there is a Molepo dam in the Mphogodiba River. At Molepo dam , every festive season residents gather to celebrate the festivities with much entertainment, DJs playing and entertaining crowds.

## Notable residents

* John Mpe, incumbent mayor of Capricorn district municipality and Polokwane local municipality.
* Phaswane Mpe, author of Welcome to Our Hillbrow, a novel which deals with issues of xenophobia, AIDS, tradition, and inner city status in the Hillbrow neighborhood of post-apartheid Johannesburg. Mpe was also a lecturer of African Literature at the University of the Witwatersrand.
* Hoseah Kgadimonyane Tjale , He is a former Comrade marathon runner who participated in several races and has gold, silver and bronze medals,he hails from Ga Mogano, under Kgoshi Mogano, Bobirwa, Totomeng.He won the Two Oceans Marathon, an ultra-Marathon (56 km), in 1980. He came second in the Comrades Marathon, an ultra-Marathon (90 km), in 1985 and 1990 and came 3rd in 1986 and 1987. He participated in the London to Brighton ultra-marathon (56 Miles), which he won in 1985.http://results.ultimate.dk/comrades/resultshistory/front/index.php?profile=true&ProfileID=7083, http://admin.twooceansmarathon.org.za/HistoryList.aspx?RunnerCode=5262, http://kwese.espn.com/athletics/story/_/id/19520558/2017-comrades-marathon-preview,http://admin.twooceansmarathon.org.za/HistoryList.aspx?RunnerCode=5262
* Former Athletics South Africa (ASA) president Leonard Chuene comes from Ga Mmakata.