Lebowa, 1974

On 1 June, a North Sotho National Unit was founded to be a homeland for the BaPedi and other Northern Sotho peoples living in South Africa, who were forcibly removed from their homes and relocated here. On 2 October 1972, it was granted internal self-governance and renamed Lebowa, the old spelling of “leboa”, meaning ‘north’ in North Sotho languages. Lebowa was made up of eleven parcels of land scattered in Northern Transvaal. Its capital was initially Seshego, but a new town, Lebowakgomo, was being built. Lebowa’s flag had horizontal stripes of light blue (alluding to the sky and the need for development and progress), white and green, representing the land. On the white bar, twice as wide as the others, was a rising sun with nine rays in gold, symbolising the dawning of a new day for the Sotho nation. The flag was formally taken into use on 5 July 1974.