THE NGWATO OF BECHUANALAND PROTECTORATE 59
Among the Ngwato proper, as contrasted with the foreigners, there are two main categories of wards, distinguished according to their mode of origin. In the days when polygamy was still practised, a chief would group his sons by one wife into a single body, under the authority of the eldest, and attach to them some people of common birth as servants. The present headmen of the wards thus created, all descendants of former chiefs, are accordingly known as dikgosana, croyal headmen' (sing, kgosana, 'prince, chieftain5).1 Each chief would also allocate the supervision of his own cattle among several faithful commoners; each of whom, with his immediate relatives and the cattle herds placed under him, thus became the nucleus of a new ward. The headman of such a ward is termed a motlhanka, 'common headman' (lit., 'servant'). Many wards, both Ngwato and foreign, have since their foundation become subdivided, one or more family-groups seceding because of internal disputes or some similar factor. Such offshoots might then be recognized by the chief as new wards, and given land on which to erect their own village or hamlet.
Within a ward each family-group manages its own affairs, under the leadership of its elder, and settles by arbitration disputes involving any of its people. But all members of the ward fall under the general control of their headman. He allocates land to them for residence, cultivation, and grazing, can freely command their services for all public purposes, is their official representative and spokesman, and supports and protects them in their dealings with outsiders. He must see that they carry out the commands of his political superiors, and formerly also collected the tribute they paid to the chief. He judges cases which the other elders of his ward have not been able to settle, or which are beyond their competence to try; and, unlike them, can impose fines and thrashings as punishments. He also conducts various religious and magical ceremonies on behalf of the ward as a whole, although with the spread of Christianity his functions in this direction are disappearing. His close paternal relatives, the elders of the remaining family-groups, and any other men of repute and ability
1 Thus, the headmen of the Tshosa, Kgope, and Mauba wards are descended from Chief Kesitilwe; the headmen of the Maeketso, Seetso, Mokomane, Sedihelo, Tshweu, and Seiswana wards from his son, Makgasana; the headmen of the Morwakwena and Rammala wards from the latter's son, Molete; and the headmen of the Ramere, Monageng, Mmualefe, Modimoeng, and Ramasuga wards from Molete's son, Mathiba.