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Section 2 The Legend of the Heavenly Task After the death of Matlebjane II around AD1450, there was a contest for the throne by the king's sons. This contest divided the people until it was clear to everybody that the days of Batau as a united people under one king were numbered. From then on, men stood divided. Notable among the king's sons was Masemola, a bloodthirsty and ruthless man. He was undisciplined, ambitious, and violent. His behavior dealt a terrible blow to the unity of Batau. Mogashoa, the second son, enjoyed eating. He had built himself a vomitorium, where he would go after eating so that he could eat and drink even more. It is hard to imagine how a person can enjoy eating and drinking like Mogashoa. Phaahla sacrificed many wild animals to the gods. He kept a harem. And his behavior alternate from brutish efficiency to absolute madness. The virtues of Matlejane II were not passed on to his sons. Honor, moderation, and respect for all laws, human and divine, were abandoned in favor of recklessness, intemperance and arrogance. This was a dark period in the history of Batau. The Batau along the Mokwena River were divided amongst Seloane, Mogashoa, Phaahla and Masemola. Photo did not have followers; he was despised by everyone because he had killed his father. Moving from Mokwena River to Greater Sekhukhune, they had to march 1000 miles to the Tshwane area (Pretoria). From there, they marched 300 miles across rough terrain . This epic march of the Batau took place between 1450 and 1460. Matlebjane II’s sons did not have the discipline for complicated administrative maneuvers. The Batau comprised several ethnic groups – Swazis, Mapulana, and Manoge. In the east, the Batau inherited what remained of the Basotho. In the west, the Batau conquered and assimilated the Bakgaditsi. Although there was a common culture, the unity of these people was merely superficial. Seloane wanted to unify the people, but Mogashoa, Phaahla, Masemola and their followers rejected this citing that his mother comes from Batswako tribe. This friction erupted into a bloody civil war. Seloane, Mogashoa, Phaahla and Masemola and their armies fought for control of the Batau.
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