Historical, the Bakoni Tribe (Baputhing) under the Chief Makopole Makunyane was one of the biggest tribe that was situated in the Eastern part of Transvaal with the other tribes of Bakone and Bapedi. Bapedi resided in the Steelpoort and surrounding area dominated southern part of Lydenburg. The other main group were the koni who’s mostly lived at the far East and South Lydenburg and Also on the South of the Leolo Mountains.these Koni are traditionally associated with stonewalled Settlements. It is well known fact that the Badfontein area was traditionally associated with Koni (Rasmussen 1975). Koni is a Sotho-Tswana word for Nguni” (van Warmelo 1930) but the use of the term is more complex. Most importantly, the koni have been living in the Badfontein area in about 1740 AD. Archaeological evidence available for the distribution of stone walled sites Mpumalanga corresponds with historical descriptions of the Bokoni sphere of influence. Stone walled sites are located in a north to south running belt stretching between Lydenburg/Ohrigstad in the north to Carolina in the south. These settlements tend to cluster around rivers such as the Komati, Elands, Crocodile, Sabi, Spekboom and Dwars Rivers. The archaeological identity used to describe this region including pottery and the architectural styles of the stone walled settlements was called the Marateng tradition
The Makunyane represents the “Bakoni Tribe” that adopted the Phuti (Duiker) as their emblem or simple of identification. The Makunyane tribe first settled in Lydenburg area district of Eastern Transvaal called Mashishing 1600. Bakoni tribe under the leadership of Makopole 1st acquiring the superiority over the other surrounding Tribes, to whom he gave the name of Bakoni ba babina Phuti (Baphuting). Bokoni sites are found almost continuously between Orighstad, Badfontein and Carolina, usually along the various rivers branching out to the east and west along this 150 kilometer stretch. Bokoni communities generally consisted of centralized, large villages, found on valley hills; with smaller settlements bearing similarities surrounding them. The largest of the villages associated with Bokoni have been measured at over 150 kilometers across Mpumalanga province. Some 150 years before the Trekkers entered the area of Lydenburg, some battles took place between the Koni (Bakoni under Chief Makopole) and Swazi (under Umzilikastzi or Moselekatse). The Bakoni was attacked and defeated by the Matabele and their chief Makopole1st, was killed together with a large number of his Bakoni tribe including his elder son Mashifane. Umzilikatzi “the Matabele”, not yet satisfied with their victory, followed the fleeing Bakoni and encountered the Bapedi at in Oliphatspoort, on the Steelpoort River. At Olifantspoortje the bloody war was fought in which the Bapedi regiment was wiped out, as well as all the sons of Tulare, the Bapedi chief (except for Sekwati who managed to escape).
The rest of the Bakone tribe partly surrendered to the Matebele, others fled to Petedi and the few remained in Lydenburg area. His other son Chief Sekgothe Makunyane, who survived the war, organize the remaining family and tribe members went and settled at Witklip, Reitfontein, Rustenburg and Goedehoope. Chief Sekgothe Makunyane had three wives, sons and daughters. One of his sons was Chief Mathibelele Makunyane who lived and died at the farm Witklip in 1926. His graveside it’s still visible there. While others where force to leave the area by settlers, and government when they refuse to work for them in Makunyane land, the move to others areas, Motsetladi, Maseven, Greater tubatse and Nebo District.
Chief Sekgothe married three wives, Mathibane, Mankake and Manaile, Chief Sekgothe has several children who where born in 18 centuary, Chief Mathibelele Jonas Makunyane was born in 1826 in Witklip and his other brothers Mabasa from Mankake and Mohweletsane and Naile Makunyane from Manaile. Naile Makunyane passed on in Lesotho, where he was the advise of the King Moshweshwe I. Mohweletsane died in the area called Motsetladi Tubatse area.
The Makunyane Tribe were dispossessed the land in Withklip area and lydenburg distric. Their dispossession started 100 yera before the Introduction of the Native Land Act of 1913, The Makunyane tribe has suffer a lot during the trival wars with Ndebeles, Swazi and Boer war.