What is "tiyani"

Tiyani is a village situated on the banks of the Middle Letaba Dam in the Hlanganani District of the former Gazankulu homeland and currently form part of the Vhembe District Municipality in the Limpopo province of South Africa.

Before Waterval, next to Elim Hospital was developed, Tiyani used to house the Hlanganani Regional court and the Hlanganani Police station. Now it is a site of Tiyani branch court, an outpost of Hlanganani Regional Court in Waterval, Elim. The Hlanganani Police station has remained at Tiyani, while the new Waterval Police Station was established by the Gazankulu Administration at Waterval township, next to Elim Hospital.

Officially the place is known as Tiyani, but the area is popularly known (by both the Venda and Shangaan people) as Magoro and was named after a Venda Chief Magoro, who occupied the area before the Tsonga people arrived. The Tsonga people arrived here as refugees from Mozambique during the wars of Manukosi, also known as Soshangane. Forced removal of Venda people took place during the 1960s when Tiyani was declared a Tsonga area and incorporated into Gazankulu homeland. Magoro was also a site where a group of 60 Boer commandos, directed by Joao Albasini and General Nwa-Manugu (the Commander in chief of Joao Albasini's Tsonga Army), attacked its people, massacred more than 300 people and killed Chief Magoro's son. The military campaign was carried out because chief Magoro had refused to pay tax levied by Joao Albasini and his continued support for King Makhado.