ABSTRACT
The Scottish born John Mackenzie had lived and worked among the Batswana since 1858 as a missionary of the London Missionary Society, famous or notorious in South Africa for its advocacy by individuals such as John Philip and David Livingstone of indigenous African rights against white settler encroachment. During his years in charge of the prime mission of the London Missionary Society. At Kuruman, John Mackenzie personally witnessed the deleterious effects of land dispossession on local people during and after the Griqua Rebellion in 1878. John Mackenzie arrived at Mankurwane’s capital at Taung in May 1884. It was not hard to convince the embattled Batlhaping leader to accept the offer of British imperial protection. Mackenzie and Mankurwane were old acquaintances. He then moved on to the Ratshidi-Barolong at Mafikeng on 20 May 1884, where he was met with ‘great demonstrations of respect and joy on the part of the Barolong people’.
