Sekgoma�s House, Serowe (3)

The house had long been unused and was severely dilapidated.  Its re-emergence into public life opens up a number of previously unconsidered topics, not least its design for which there appears to be no obvious precedent. For me, it seems improbable that the house could have been designed by someone without formal architectural skills.

But who might he have been and why would Sekgoma have wanted a house which was clearly intended to be used during the day and not, as per tradition, at night.  The traditional lelapa, both front and back, acted as living room and kitchen, the rondavel, singular or plural, provided the bedroom.  A pit latrine, if there was one, provided for other needs, otherwise recourse was to the adjacent bush or nearby riverbed. Sekgoma’s house was designed for a completely different way of life. It had two verandahs which had a notional connection with the lelapa, larger in front and miniscule at the back.