The Bakoni ba Dikgale seceded from the Bakoni ba Matlala
shortly after 1700 and established themselves in the
present tribal area, 50 km North-East of Pietersburg,
where they came into contact with Venda and Ndebele
groups .. The influence of these groups is clearly discerni=
ble in Dikgale culture.
Marriage among the Dikgale constitutes a relationship
between two lineages. The importance of these affinal
ties is of an accumulating nature and reaches its hight
through the birth of the first child. Adulthood is a
prerequisite for marriage, that is to say, marriage
partners must be initiated. The organizing of initiation
ceremonies today is a ward matter and is not done on a
tribal scale anymore. .Marriage is preferred in order of
preference with the maternal uncle's daughter, the fa=
ther's sisterts daughter, a ba rangwane and a ba ramogolo
relative. A man may, however, not marry his direct
descendant or ascendant. Secondary conjugal relations
such as the sororate and levirate are also to be found.
Sororal supplementation is possible where a man claims
his deceased wife's sister as a substitute; where a man
claims his barren wife's sister as an ancillary and
where a marriage is concluded for the maintenance of the
lwapa. Post-marital settlement is patrilocal. Among the Dikgale monogamous (nuclear) and polygynous
families arc dislinguishcd. A separate lwapa must be
provided for each wife that is married. Some malwapa may
accommodate female relatives, not married by the head of
the malwapa. The family may be regarded as a procreatio=
nal, educational, economic, religious, judicial and po=
litical unit. The important role fulfilled by a person's
kgadi in the establishment of his lwapa and also in re=
ligious matters pertaining to the the family, may be
ascribed to Venda influence. Relationship patterns in
the family are based on patrilineal descent and the form
of marriage.
Patrilineal relatives dominate the functioning of society
because status is lineally determined and patrilineal
descendants usually reside together. Matrilineal rela=
tives provide a sanctuary in times of threat. Conduct
towards them is at all times spontaneous. This is par=
ticularly the case in respect of the mother's brother.
The formal relations with affinal relatives are normally
tempered by the reciprocal presentation of gifts. The
leloko concept among the Dikgale embraces all three of
these categories of relatives. The key to kinship re=
lations and the concomitant behaviour patterns is to be
found in the reciprocal terms used by siblings in addres=
sing each other.
Three residential units based on descent, may be <listing=
uished among the Dikgale, namely the motse, the mmoto
and the tribe. The traditional settlement pattern in
motse context has today been disturbed by the delimitation
of residential plots. A few semi-traditional metse are,
however, still to be found on tribal farms. Within the
mmoto different metse of which most of the inhabitants
are related to one another, can be distinguished. The
tribe comprises a nucleus of patrilineal relatives with
various groups of extra tribal extraction added onto it. Some of these foreign groups are, due to kinship obligations, related to the nucleus. Most of the foreign
groups have adopted the culture of the nucleus. Some,
however, have maintained their own identity.
Afrikaans: Die Dikgale het net na 1700 van die Bakoni ba Matlala
afgesplits en hulle in die huidige stamgebied, 50 km
noordoos van Pietersburg, gevestig, waar hulle met Vendaen
Ndebele-elemente in aanraking gekom het. Die invloed
van hierdie groepe is duidelik in die Dikgalekultuur
waarneembaar.
Die huwelik by die Dikgale is 'n verbintenis tussen twee
liniere groepe. Die verbintenis is van 'n aangroeiende
aard wat eers met die geboorte van 'n kind finaal bestendig word. Albei die deelgenote in 'n huwelik moet
volwasse wees, d.w.s. die inisiasieseremonies deurloop
het. Hierdie seremonies vind vandag op 'n wyksbasis
plaas. Daar word van 'n man verwag om in orde van voor=
keur met sy matrilaterale kruisniggie, patrilaterale
kruisniggie, 'n ba rangwane- en ba ramogolo-verwant te
trou. 'n Man moet egter nie met 'n direkte afkomsgenoot
trou nie. Sekondere verbintenisse soos sororale aanvul=
ling en lwapa-instandhouding dien enersyds as waarborg
dat bestaande egverbintenisse nie ontbind nie en andersyds dat daar 'n erfgenaam in 'n lwapa gebore sal word.
Inwoning na die huwelik is patrilokaal.
Die Dikgale onderskei monogame gesinne en poliginiese
gesinne-eenhede. Vir elke vrou in so 'n eenheid word 'n lwapa voorsien. Sommige malwapa huisves egter ook vrouens
wat nie deur die gesagvoerder oor die lwapa getrou is nie.
Die gesin kan beskou word as 'n voortplantings-, opvoedings-, ekonomiese-, religieuse- en regs- en regeringseenheid. Die belangrike rol wat 'n persoon se kgadi
byvoorbeeld in die aanleg van sy lwapa en in religieuse
aangeleenthede speel, kan aan Venda-invloed toegeskryf
word. Die verhoudingspatrone in die gesin word deur die
stelsel van patriliniere afkomsrekening en die vorm van
die huwelik bepaal.
Patriliniere verwante speel 'n dominante rol in die samelewing omdat rang binne liniere-(lesika-)verband bepaal word en afkomsgenote gewoonlik saamwoon. Moedersverwante is 'n toevlugsoot'd in moeilike omstandighede en
die verhouding met hulle is besonder spontaan. Dit geld
veral die verhouding met die moedersbroer. Die formele
verhouding met aanverwante word deur wedersydse geskenk=
lewering gekenmerk. Al drie kategoriee verwante by die
Dikgale word deur die leloko-begrip omvat. Die sleutel
tot die verwantskapsverhoudinge en gedragspatrone word,
afgesien van ander kriteria, veral gevind in die wedersydse terme wat 'n kroosgroep teenoor mekaar gebruik.
Drie samewonenede eenhede wat op afkoms gebaseer is, kan
by die Dikgale onderskei word, nl. die motse, die mmoto
en die starn. Die tradisionele vestigingspatroon in
rnotse-verband word deur perseelafbakening in die huidige
tyd versteur. Enkele semi-tradisionele rnetse word egter
nog op stamplase aangetref. Binne 'n rnmoto, wat territoriaal afgebaken is, word veskillende rnetse, waarvan
die meeste aan mekaar verwant is, onderskei. Die stam
bestaan uit 'n kerngroep van verwante en verskillende
vreemdelinggroepe. Sommige vreemdelinggroepe is deur
verwantskapsverpligtinge deegliker as ander aan die kerngroep verbind. Die rneeste vreerndelinggroepe het die kultuur van die kerngroep oorgeneern. Daar is egter ook diesulkes wat hulle eie identiteit behou het.
