Compromising botsetsi for the joy of new life
Friday, February 22, 2019
In Setswana culture when norms and taboos were respected, practices like botsetsi epitomised the way of life. Confinement had its own strict rules and regulations and batsetsi (mothers) would not dare disregard them, as that was seen as taboo.
For instance newborns were only seen by a handful of people. Even the child’s father found it difficult to see his own creation until after a certain period of time after birth. The community, whether neighbours or relatives, were expected to stay away from the newborn for as long as it takes until the umbilical stump of the baby fall offs after three months.
The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...