A spectacle of culture
Chippa Legodimo | Friday May 30, 2014 12:00
Throngs of people converged at the village Kgotla for a culture spectacle that took many back into history.
Men and women from different wards offered the crowd a synopsis of how life was in the olden days. Each ward walked into the open space carrying traditional foods and utensils and other tools used in the olden days like the hand plough.
To make it even more spectacular each group came up with its own song as they marched towards the front of the kgotla to put all the accessories in one place, bearing similarities to Dikgafela celebrations.
Ululations, cheering and whistling accompanied the displays as both the young and old excitedly stared in great anticipation. Dignitaries, among them officials from diplomatic missions, applauded the beautiful cultural displays. The village leadership had been informed late to prepare for the commemoration, but managed to deliver a commendable job. Traditional foods such as melons, maize, beans, groundnuts and legodu were in abundance, and so was traditional music and poetry.
Various speakers at the event underscored the importance of ‘retracing our footsteps’ and ensuring that Botswana’s rich culture is carried from one generation to the other.
Kgosi Tau Manthe of Mmopane informed the gathering on how the village came into being and how upholding various traditional practices played a big role in getting it where it is today. Manthe noted that his grandfather Kgosi Tau, who he described as a very strict disciplinarian, had laid a good foundation for the new generation. “He had three wives but never stayed at their houses. He had his own house right here. He used to wake up very early in the morning to go and do different chores. That made us grow up to be responsible citizens,” he said.
Manthe noted that entrenching cultural identity in children could save the country from the dangers of immorality, which are slowly corroding the society.
He also emphasised that resorting to the traditional way of life could save citizens from abject poverty.
Practices such as mafisa and majako, which were dominant in the past, helped the poor survive and in some instances alleviated them from abject poverty.
Mafisa is the process whereby a person without cattle voluntarily opts to keep guard of another’s for a certain period, at the end of which the owner would give him a few cattle as a token of appreciation.
In the Majako arrangement a farmer who had made a hamper harvest would invite a person (normally with less) to help and be rewarded later. The reward was not viewed as payment.
“Kgosi Tau encouraged these practices because he had a vision to see his people improve their own standard of living. It is unfortunate that these days when you call people for majako they think you want to turn them into slaves, they even say it,” Manthe said.
Guest speaker acting minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Vincent Seretse, also noted that Botswana’s strong beliefs in culture has played a big role in advancing its image and economy.
He said that the peace and tranquillity that the nation enjoys is as a result of beliefs such as Ntwa kgolo keya molomo and Molemo wa kgang ke go buiwa. Seretse also said that while it was important to recognise various tribes’ different cultural practices, such differences should not be left to divide the nation.