Bakwena urged to use culture to fight poverty

MAUREEN ODUBENG
Staff Writer | Friday October 3, 2008 00:00

The day saw a number of speakers who were unanimous that culture has every potential to improve people's lives, and help in combating the ever growing unemployment, giving individuals opportunities for self employment and creating employment for others.

Kgosi Sechele I Museum chairperson, Basiamang Garebakwena, started off by briefly explaining to the audience what the festival was all about. Among other things, he said, the festival was a platform aimed at reviving culture. He added that the festival also aims to promote cultural activities by hosting competitions, and encouraging people to treat cultural festivals as a way of entertainment. He urged the gathering to support the annual cultural festival, so Kweneng culture does not disappear. He noted that the museum intends to move the celebration to Dithubaruba, where Molepolole village started. Garebakwena told the gathering that reviving and preserving culture would not only instil pride in Bakwena, but that it can also be used as a means of sustenance. He said Kweneng District has a number of monuments (historical cultural cites), which, if used well, could attract tourists to the district, and thus help improve the lives of the communities. The growth of tourism can upgrade the lives of the people in various ways, as it will create a bigger market for traders from different sectors, including those who trade in handcrafts, which have proven to be popular globally. Garebakwena mentioned a number of monuments, including Legaga la ga Kobokwe, also known as Kobokwe's cave. The cave is also sometimes referred to as Livingstone's cave, named after 19th Century Scottish explorer and missionary, David Livingstone. Livingstone once visited the cave, despite the local myth that the cave was inhabited by evil spirits, and actually spent the night in the cave with Kgosi Sechele I of Bakwena to prove that spirits could not harm them. The myth about the cave however still continues, as some people still believe that the cave is a place of evil, with the believe that those who visit the cave are doomed and never return. The cave is believed to have creatures like 'Bokgala potsane', which are supposed to be big snakes with human features, which supposedly engulf visitors. Locals have reported seeing snakes crossing from one hill to another at night, with the base of the story being the fact that big snakes such as pythons and several other creatures live in the cave. Legend also says Bakwena chiefs in the olden days used to throw witches into the cave, which is why the cave is believed to be haunted by evil spirits. It is still widely believed that the cave can only be visited by spiritual leaders and Sangomas to consult divine powers, and chiefs to talk to ancestors on behalf of their tribes.

Despite all the myths surrounding the cave, many curious individuals have visited the cave and actually returned unharmed. The cave continues to be popular, especially with foreigners. A nearby place known as the Execution Rock has in recent years become popular as a spot for illicit parties, weddings and taking wedding pictures, the very place which was believed to be a place where witches were overthrown from the cliffs to kill them.  Modern historians have dismissed such myths, especially the one of using the cave for killing witches; they believe that it is only a legend to keep people away. The cave, with proper development has the potential of becoming one of the most popular tourist attraction spots in the country. Amongst the monuments mentioned by Garebakwena is Dithubaruba, from which the name of the festival is derived, a place where the village of Molepolole started.

Paramount Chief of Bakwena, Kgosi Kgari Sechele III, reiterated Garebakwena's words, urging Bakwena to use culture for economic diversification. He noted that every culture when used properly has the potential of improving people's lives, and alleviating poverty. He said Kweneng District is one of the districts hardest hit by unemployment, urging the gathering to look into using culture to end poverty.

He noted that handcrafts are including wood carving, hive tanning, and cultural singing, dancing and poetry can also help alleviate poverty, urging relevant bodies to help communities in marketing their products outside the country. A representative from the Department of Culture and Youth, Dineo Phuti, took the opportunity to enlighten the audience on the different government programmes aimed at promoting culture, and encouraging individuals to use culture as a way of sustaining oneself. She noted that government is doing a lot to support arts, but encouraged individuals to also do their part. People who attended the festival had the opportunity to hear testimony from Constance Nagafela, who trades in leather products. Nagafela told the gathering that engaging in crafts is not a thing of past time, saying that it is a business just like any other business.

 She applauded Kgari Sechele 1 Museum for helping her realise her goals giving testimony that after the museum saw her works at an exhibition at the Botswana National Museum in Gaborone, they invited her to supply the museum with some of her works to help market her products. Nagafela now operates her own shop in Molepolole.

The festival had a number of exhibitors, showcasing diphate tsa letalo (hive mats), handbags, kika le motshe (mortar and pestle respectively), and some other decorative items made from wood and other local raw materials.