Tati Lodge cultural festival evokes old memories

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Wednesday July 9, 2008 00:00

 

It was a fun-filled day characterised by traditional cuisine, music and dance. African culture and particularly that depicting Botswana's own were abundantly on display.

Perhaps, it was the dress code that said it all.

As if in competition, the womenfolk in particular were kitted out in their very best German print dresses. For a country without a national dress, the German print dresses came in handy and rescued the situation. The many women in the German print dresses appeared very glamorous and colourful in blue, red, brown and other colours.

There were also a few who were attired in fabrics reflecting the national dresses of other nationalities from West Africa, Nigeria's and Ghana's in particular. The event had challenged men and women to open up their wardrobes to display their 'Sunday best'.

From the entrance of the Tati River Lodge campsite where the event was held, revellers were treated to traditional dishes like phane, diphaphatha, digwapa, bojalwa-jwa-Setswana, Chibuku and a variety of others.

It was also at the entrance of the event where employees of the lodge attired on some traditional uniform were busy preparing mouth-watering traditional dishes ranging from the sumptuous pounded beef and goat meat. The smell and taste of home reared chicken meat and a variety of traditional vegetables made the day special.

Another traditional dish, which has become a must at traditional functions-bogobe-jwa lerotse (a meal whose ingredients include sorghum meal, sour milk and a melon that is not of the sweet species) and mokganyane or sorghum meal or mealile meal cooked with milk.

Traditional music and dance was galore with groups, such as Selepa Junior Secondary School and other local groups, pounding the ground, leaving the revellers asking for 'some more'.

Just behind where members of the BDF band belted out their songs, there was a cultural expo going on where women producing some traditional fashionable goods had displayed their wares. Shady Accessories had displayed women fashionable apparel and accessories, Chisala Tabengwa Nkhwa of Ethnix had displayed arts and culture wares, accessories, necklaces, customised watches, earrings, bracelets, anklets, home dcor, cane chairs, cane baskets and beadworks amongst others.

Other wares on display included wedding gowns; brides maids dresses and promotional wear including jewellery on the fashion Tips stall.

The Department of Sports and Recreation (DSR) corner attracted much, more attention with its indigenous games of morabaraba, mmele, diketo and the modern chess game. In particular, it was mhele or native chess game, which saw a lot of attention heaping on it with many people wanting to play the game. Generally, mmele is played as a pastime and in towns and cities, it is commonly known as a game for jobseekers.

Sorghum beer commonly known as Chibuku changed hands heavily as there were no modern beers served except at a cash bar that served a variety of drinks. Newshounds and some who's who that thronged the event sipped the beer. Some town dwellers generally consider the traditional beer to be a beverage for the low-income locations or generally the poor, but not last Saturday.

If I were to mention names of those who emptied the pints, then it would be clear that Chibuku is not necessarily associated with the poor. Tati River Lodge sales and Marketing Manager Shasha Radinoga, said the event had been a huge success as they met their target. The target was to attract 300 people to the event, which he said they were able to meet with ease.

'We wanted to give the people a cultural feel on the day and we are satisfied we gave people what they had bargained for,' said Radinoga. Through the traditional food and entertainment, Radinoga is confident that those who attended the event have a story to tell.

He hailed stakeholders like DSR, who were really committed to imparting their knowledge through the Masunga office. Women's Affairs Department was also available to sensitise people on the operations of the office. Tebelopele and BOCAIP were also there for HIV/AIDS counselling and testing services.

Part of the proceeds from the weekend event will be donated to a needy family in Tonota. The struggling woman is taking care of nine grandchildren after their parents  all 9 died.

'This woman lives in a one-roomed hut and it is through our social responsibility that we have put our energies together to rescue this family from their plight.'

To Radinoga and his team, they simply wanted to make a double impact through the weekend event-treating locals to a cultural event and raising funds for the needy people.

'Incidentally, the cultural event called Zhizha in Ikalanga, or Letlhafula in Setswana fell on a nationally declared month of culture,' said Radinoga. He added that the cultural event will be an annual event and would improve over time.

This week Tati River Lodge will donate two cheques worth P6,000 to Lephoi Centre for the deaf and another one to a destitute identified by the Office of the District Commissioner in Francistown.

The day's events were wrapped up by the BDF band, which took the revellers down memory lane with old African jazz hits. It left men and women kicking the dried lawn as they reminisced the years of yore.