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Kgoši Sekhukhune’s long and bitter struggle against the Boers between 1876 and 1878, distinguished him to be one of the brave and shrewd Black leaders of the same class as Shaka, Moshweshwe and many others. During that protracted war, the Boers were humiliated by the Bapedi, particularly at Thaba Mosego, but were later defeated by the British in 1879 with a powerful force under Sir Garnet Wolseley, which included their Swazi allies.

The Bapedi originated from the Bahurutse branch of the Bakgatla in the present day Botswana, but they broke away and eventually settled in the eastern Transvaal around the Tubatse (Steelpoort) River and LeoloMountains. In their new settlement, the Bapedi prominent leaders included Thobele, Thulare, Sekwati, and Sekhukhune.

The first missionary to visit Sekwati was a Lutheran of the Berlin Missionary Society, Alexander Merensky, in 1860. Merensky was later followed by other missionaries, Grutzner, Nachtigal and Endemann. The first mission station to be built was Gerlarchschoop and later Kgalatlou was built.

After Sekwati’s death, a succession dispute ensued between his sons, Mampuru and Sekhukhune. Sekhukhune forcefully took over the crown whereupon Mampuru fled. The relationship between the missionaries and Sekhukhune began to deteriorate until the missionaries were ousted together with the chief’s half-brother, Johannes Dinkwanyane, as well as many Christian converts. They settled at Botšhabelo (a place of refuge).