Khesetoane Modjadji III (1869 – 1959) became the third Rain Queen from the South African Balobedu tribe of the South African Limpopo Province.^[1] Khesetoane reigned from 1895 to 1959. She was preceded by Rain Queen Masalanabo Modjadji II and succeeded by Rain Queen Makoma Modjadji IV.

Life

Khesetoane was born in the 1869 and died in 1959 age 89 or 90. In 1894 her predecessor, Masalanabo Modjadji, committed ritual suicide by ingesting a poison, Maselekwane had done the same to pass her spirit and power to the next rain queen. Khesetoane was the daughter of Masalanabo's sister and great wife, Princess Leakhali, and became the heir because Masalanabo's council had already designated it before Masalanabo's death because Masalababo was childless or without any daughters. She was the longest reigning Rain Queen for being on the throne for 64 years. She chose her daughter Makoma to become her successor. Khesetoane is believed to have cursed the rest of the Rain Queen lineage because of her refusal to commit ritual suicide when the time came upon nearing her death.

The late Queen Makobo Modjadji VI and Princess Tebogo Modjadji (Now Modjadji-Kekana) were very close family members and confidantes who gave birth to their children Masalababo and Mohau (Khesetoane) days apart.

Both Royal members chose education first before Royal duties.

Princess Tebogo Modjadji (Modjadji-Kekana) progressed to being a Dr. of Philosophy, and founded the Rain Queen Modjadji Foundation and Awards and the Royal Princesses Association in South Africa to pursue her dreams of instilling the Balobedu Culture after completing her 1st PhD degree.

She (Tebogo Modjadji) married Amandebele a Moletlane Prince Makera Kekana, appointed as the Bakoena Royal Council.

References