A past lost, a heritage forgotten
Sharon Mathala | Friday September 5, 2014 14:18
I recently had the opportunity to travel through GaaMmaNgwato and returned with more questions than answers at the manner in which we appear to have neglected our heritage. Growing up outside the country, I never really had the opportunity to learn much about Botswana history and hoped to learn history lessons from the trip into Serowe, the country’s cultural hub – at least in terms of royalty and the governing dynasty. Although I had been to Serowe before, I had never had the chance to explore GaaMmaBesi is it is affectionately called. Upon arrival, my colleague, who hails from Serowe, took me to Seretse Khama’s residence at Palamaokue, located on the far end of the village. This is the house that President Ian Khama occupies when he is in the village. I also saw former president, Festus Mogae’s new house on the hilltop at Botalaute ward. It was however at the main Kgotla, (Kgotla-Kgolo-Yaga-Mmangwato) where I got the shock of my life on how we treat our historical monuments. As one would assume at that time of day, the Kgotla was empty. Sunset was drawing near and on the foothills of Serowe Hill, I spied an abandoned and eerie house. To my horror, I am informed that the house is actually where patriarch and founding president, the late Sir Seretse Khama, was born.
I could not believe my ears!
Inside the house, one could see it needed a few helpers my age to run about with broomsticks and paint to restore its lustre. Looking around, all I could think was: This is literally where the “Father of the Nation” and Kgosi Kgolo Ya Bangwato was born”. To the far left of the house is Khama’s gravesite, which I did not visit because of the time and the fact that it remains private Bangwato property. One would expect the Department of Museum and National Monuments to lobby for the gravesite to become a national heritage site that anyone can lay a wreath on it at any time.
Even from far off, the Bangwato Royal cemetery appeared prim and taken care of, begging the question why Sekgoma II’s house, located just a stone’s throw away, is abandoned. The next day, we left Serowe and continued in the direction of Makgadikgadi Pans to the village of Mosu. Yet another heritage shock awaited me here. As we exited Mosu via Mmatshumu road, I came across another cultural landmark: the gravesite of Khama III’s mother, known in popular yore as MmaKgama. Khama III, immortalised as one of the three Chiefs at the Gaborone CBD monument, was born at Mosu and his mother is buried there. I was interested in finding the gravesite of the Bangwato Queen Mother, as people in the area have conflicting reports of exactly where the burial site is. Khama III is the father of Sekgoma II and grandfather of Seretse Khama. After a long and illustrious reign over Bangwato, Khama III died and left the throne to Sekgoma II.
Sekgoma II was however unpopular as kgosi of Bangwato and only ruled for two years before dying in mysterious circumstances, leaving Seretse Khama the legitimate heir. As Khama was too young to rule at the time, Tshekedi Khama was chosen as the heir’s custodian.
Locating the gravesite of MmaKgama at Mosu is a challenge. There is no tombstone or rocks indicating where the Queen Mother’s remains lie. We reached a homestead a few kilometres from Mosu and asked where the gravesite is. “Tsamaela golo gongwe ka kwa, go bapile le sesana sengwe hale,” was the response as the man who answered our queries pointed to an old tree stump. So MmaKgama’s grave is a just a Motswere tree stump which could be harvested as firewood anytime soon! Again I could not believe my ears. It’s not that I expected hundreds of thousands of Pula to be spent on the gravesite, but at least there should be some form of preservation and insignia to identify a key piece of our history.
Had my colleague not known what a “sesana” was, we probably would not have found the place. Who would have guessed that the final resting place of the Bangwato matriarch lies in a bushy patch next to a tree stump?
We say My Botswana, My Pride. We say Our Pride, Your Destination. However, we seem unwilling to recognise and highlight our own heritage to the world.
“A nation without a past is a lost nation, and a people without a past is a people without a soul,” – Sir Seretse Khama, 1970