Palapye P61 million cultural village on drawing board
EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer
The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture is working on building a cultural village next to Toutswe-Mogala Hill, in Maope Village, about 48km north of Palapye to the tune of P61 million.
The village, according to ministry spokesperson Boniface Mabeo, will be a set of multi-purpose traditional and modern structures depicting all facets of Botswana's social and cultural life. "The village will provide samples of various traditional types of houses from different ethnic groups in Botswana, depicting different fencing, walling and decorations of buildings," he said.
He added that the project, which will be implemented in phases, is currently at the design stage.
He said the village components will also include places for craftsmen with a view to teaching visitors how they carry out their works. Other components will include a Kgotla, consulting rooms for traditional doctors, and a cattle-post.
The other range of buildings will focus on performance and cultural education, he said.
These would include a theatre, an amphitheatre, rehearsal rooms, recording and teaching, accommodation and catering, shops, management facilities, and a camping and caravan area. "The complex is to be complimented with a museum and art gallery and a wildlife park. The park will mainly raise public awareness and appreciation of Botswana's unique wildlife resources. Toutswe-Mogala Hill will also provide an ideal site for cultural tourism with its abundant archaeological material, as well as a bird's eye viewing of the area from the summit of the hill," he said.
