Hammanskraal

The historical roots of the region trace back to the 13th century, the area around Gauteng province was initially occupied by the Batswana. The Batswana Chief Mokgatla dominated the area to the north of what is today the Gauteng province and his descendants are known as the Bakgatla. To this day, nearly half of the population of the Hammanskraal region are descendants of the Batswana nation. According to oral narration, the Amandebele A Lebello settled the area around Hammanskaal close to Ramotse in the 1800s. The Amandebele originated in the eastern part of the country and now form an integral part of the region's community. The Great Trek that took place in the first half of the 19th century saw the inward movement of Dutch settlers from the cape into the interior of South Africa. The Dutch settled the area to the north of what is today Pretoria in 1855. As time went by, the Dutch settlers forcefully occupied land, dispossessing the indigenous tribes in the process.