Mmakgodumo Festival showcases Ngwaketse traditional home set up
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Thursday October 17, 2024 09:42
It was a stunning return of the event, which has gotten bigger and better over the years. It was not just the musical performances and Dikgafela as a myriad of cultural activities caught the patrons' attention. The organisers, Bathoen II Trust built some tribal homes where they showcased Sengwaketse home set-up. They included different wards that also represented different tribes living within Kanye. The first home belonged to the kgosi and according to the Ngwaketse culture, the home was called by the queen’s name while the kgotla took the husband’s name. The first home set up was ‘kwa ga MmaLeema’ (Kgosi Malope II’s mother). The place was used for the first Dikgafela whereby the first harvest is presented before kgosi and his headmen. The next home represented the culture of Kgwatlheng ward.
According to one of the headmen representing the ward, their totem was an elephant. Together with other elders from the ward, they showcased how they used to live ko masimong (lands) where they relied on agriculture for survival. Just at the back of the kgotla they built setlaagana. According to one of the women, they had setlhamelo where they hanged lengangale (dried melon). Setlaagana was used to store and beat the sorghum before pounding it into porridge. They also had a fireplace where they cooked just not far from the hut. Furthermore, the last home represented the Mahikana ward belonging to Bakgatla. The home was built with a kgotla and mogwaafatshe at the back showcasing their old traditional houses, which were used during that time. According to the headman representing the ward, they could not display some of the things they used in the past such as sleigh cars due to time.
He added that they would like to bring more tools and implements they used in the past so that the younger generation could appreciate their culture. Most of those homes had houses neatly built with straws and the malwapana neatly done and decorated with clay soil that looked so smooth. They were also clean. At each home, men and women were playing different roles. Some women were making traditional beer while some grinded sorghum using stones (ditshilwana).