we all know that minorities are persecuted and oppressed across the world, especially in Africa, but the royal Bafokeng Nation of south africa, are a shining beacon to sustainable self determination!
understanding the difficulties involved in militarily confronting their oppressors, which ranged from the passing Khumalo's of Mzilikazi, other dominant tswana raiders to the brutal apartheid regime, they decided to shut up and play by their rules! they sweat to buy land which was stolen from them, repelling invaders and imperialists as they did so. after the discovery of precious minerals on their land, which they had initially bought for agricultural purposes, they invested royalities and dividends from mining companies to establish their own civic administration and social services!just 50 years ago they were in the same league as the likes of NDEBELE's, VENDA's, JUBA's, KALAKA's, NIGER DELTAN's!! now they are in the league of DUBAI's and ASIAN TIGERS!!
they had vision, backed by action,focus,energy,logic,sacrifice; which are lacking amongst neglected tribes of which Ndebele's are no exception! i think its time to copy tactics of the successful lest 50 years from now we will still be bitter that the world is not fair on us!!

Very commendable success indeed for the Bafokeng.However I find that the sustainability of such a strategy is fraught with hazards in not only that it revolves around humility, patience and luck, traits which the Ndebele have less of given their rather well documented martial and wandering history.I mean how often does one tribe find the means to raise enough capital to repossess their own forefathers land by purely 'legal' commercial exchange and go on to discover minerals on the very lands, never mind the patience and time involved?

The other weakness is the tendency to have a localised vision which views the national government at large as an enemy or undesirable since this leads to lack of, or under-represenatation of the minorities at that level.This restarts the cycle of struggles since the actions and or policies resulting in the inequalities neccessitating these minorities' struggles originate therefrom or through the people with most members therein.

It is folly to ignore the insecurity of minority wealth gotten this way if not backed up by equally aggressive national representation at all levels since bullies are a fact of life.

Ngiyezwa impela nsizwa.
Although some might say luck had a lot do with their success (discovering minerals), but the fact that they decided to actively buy back their ancestral land should be commended.
This shows foresight, planing and determination, while most of the other clans/tribes waited for a savior (freedom/liberation movements and eventually government). They took the initiative to create a future that they wanted for themselves and their descendants.

in the case yamaNdebele, which land can be sold to them njalo kuliphi ilizwe. the shonas new that an economically empowered people can not be oppressed thats why they made sure ukuthi they economically sabotage the Ndebele people, (i.e ukuswela imisebenzi as early as ama 80's.

so talking economics as a way to inkululeko kaMthwakazi ezimbabwe angiboni. ngingazi njalo??

i might be wrong but i understand ZAPU+MQABUKO bought ama plaas in the early 1980's which were then seized by zanu+mugabe! i don't know what happened of them, maybe ahlala abo obert mpofu+ other zanu condoms etc.