The Bakgatla-baga-Kgafela's initiates' rites and the modern society

CHRISTIAN JOHN MAKGALA
(University of Botswana) | Friday June 5, 2009 00:00

Chieftaincy among the Bakgatla is hereditary as it is inherited by the eldest son of the Chief's great wife. Initiation rites (bogwera for males and bojale for females) were very important agencies of socialisation among the Bakgatla. However, Christianity, colonial rule and modernity led to erosion of many cultural practices of the Bakgatla and other ethnic groups in Botswana and sub-Saharan Africa in general. For instance the Bakgatla-baga-Kgafela last practised fully-fledged initiation rites in 1902. Thereafter, a largely watered-down version was followed and later the practice was abandoned until the 1970s. In the 1970s the Bakgatla under Kgosi Linchwe II revived the initiate rites owing to social problems among the youth. This development continued until 1990 when the last initiation rites were performed. Today social problems and challenges brought by globalisation has led to Kgosi Kgafela II reviving the initiation rites, the process of which started in late May 2009.    

Traditionally all adults in the Bakgatla community were divided into mephato (age-regiments) after undergoing bogwera for males and bojale for females, normally held during their adolescence. Male regiments were utilised for hunting expeditions, rounding up matimela (stray cattle), work on a Kgosi's fields, building cattle-kraals for him and other tasks. The male age-regiments functioned as a tribal army during war time. Female regiments worked in his home and his wives' fields, and also helped in the execution of tribal ceremonies. The mephato also tilled communal masotla or maphasha fields, whose produce was kept by the Kgosi for consumption by the morafe when disaster such as drought struck.

Now we turn to go rupa or the initiation ceremonies themselves which were elaborate rites but here we provide just a brief general description. The bogwera was very important and only the Kgosi could arrange for its undertaking. Should any Kgosana (subordinate chief), particularly one from an immigrant group, engage his people in a bogwera this was a very serious crime which was treated as secession. The bogwera and bojale were a transitional period from boyhood or girlhood into manhood and womanhood.

Any man who had not gone through the rigours of bogwera was treated as a minor and subjected to ridicule by everybody else. He could not participate in the public kgotla meetings and was also not allowed to marry. In other words not having a mophato was social death.  The bogwera was carried out far away in the bush for three months during winter. The winter season was chosen because people would have returned to the main village from their masimo. The bogwera was not an annual event but held after about six years mostly when a Kgosi's son was old enough to undergo the exercise and he usually led his mophato after graduation. Women and the uninitiated were not allowed to visit a bogwera camp and could be assaulted very severely if they flouted this order. Moreover, they were never told of what happens at the bogwera. The ceremony began with circumcision of the boys after which they were taught mores and values of their merafe (ethnic group), loyalty to the Kgosi, dikoma (tribal songs), tribal history and traditions, discipline, hard-work, bravery, the value of cattle and how to take proper care of them.

They were also taught about the importance of the kgotla forum and to attend its meetings regularly.  Instructions were made on sexual relations with members of the opposite sex as well as the role of a man in a marriage. They were also taught about the dangers of promiscuity. The boys also went on hunting expeditions and undertook many other strenuous activities including starvation which was meant to harden them. They could also be sent on a military raid or to hunt a lion. When the training was over they went back to the tribal capital to be given their mophato name in a big celebration at the Kgosi's kgotla. This meant that they were now grown up and could marry and participate in kgotla discussion.

The women's bojale was less rigorous than the bogwera. The bojale took place immediately after the bogwera got underway and the two mephato were given the same name. Whenever a new Kgosi was coronated a custom called go kgakolla kgosi ('to wipe clean the chief') had to be performed by ensuring that the first mophato of his reign was that of women. The purpose of this was to bring the new Kgosi good fortune.

Furthermore, whenever, the morafe relocated to a new capital the first mophato formed also had to be that of women for purposes of good fortune. As a result there were more women mephato than those of men.

The bojale was held in the village with members of the public denied view. After necessary rituals were conducted on the initiates they were given instructions on domestic matters, marriage life, parenting, agricultural tasks and sex. They were also taught various important taboos. The non-performance of the initiation rites led to numerous social problems. In the early 1970s the tribal elders requested Kgosi Linchwe II to revive the initiation rites in order to deal with the deteriorating social problems.

Kgosi Linchwe responded to pressure from the Bakgatla and pursued the revival of the bogwera and bojale rites which the Bakgatla supported overwhelmingly despite severe and open criticism by President Sir Seretse Khama. The revival of bogwera in Kgatleng in 1975 became a controversial issue in the country. No new mophato had been instituted in Kgatleng since 1963 when Linchwe's Mathulwa mophato was formed after just one night process. Therefore, in 1975, after consulting widely with his advisors and Bakgatla, Kgosi Linchwe decided to form a new mophato.

The Bakgatla embraced modern medical facilities as circumcision was conducted at the Deborah Retief Memorial Hospital in Mochudi. This was a prudent undertaking because any death resulting from circumcision or even any other cause at the bogwera camp would have provided its opponents with powerful ammunition to justify their position against bogwera. The number of graduates (Masoso) of the 1975 bogwera was 200. 

Some people who took part in this exercise were non-Bakgatla from other parts of the country. So popular was bogwera that in 1976 Kgosi Linchwe bowed to another popular demand for the exercise. The graduates of 1976 were named Madingwana and their number exceeded 300. However, it was not until 1980 that another bogwera was undertaken with graduates (Malomakgomo) numbering over 600.  

With the country's hospitals in dire need of blood donations in 1981 Kgosi Linchwe requested the Malomakgomo to donate blood to the Deborah Retief Memorial Hospital.

This was a revolutionary undertaking and a very important one.  In 1982 the Masoso, Madingwana and Malomakgomo were tasked with building a new leobo (kgotla shelter) at Mochudi. This was part of the preparation for the 20th anniversary celebrations of Linchwe's coronation held in 1983. The 1982 bogwera included Kgosi Linchwe's son and heir apparent, Kgafela (the current Kgosi). Since the hospital was understaffed and could not handle a large number of initiates medical students from the Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA) in Pretoria helped in the circumcision operations. The number of the 1982 bogwera graduates was the largest ever in the history of the Bakgatla and included outsiders such as a son of the Kgosi of the neighbouring Bangwato tribe.

Moreover, a white young man on a visit from Cape Town also took part. Subsequent bogwera camps also attracted large numbers of entrants. For instance, the bojale held in 1990 was reported to have attracted about 1250 initiates. Today the society faced with hosts of problems related to globalisation and the decline of traditional control mechanisms.  The spread and devastation of diseases such as AIDS, loose morals, teenage pregnancy, 'passion-killings', high divorce rates, poor work ethic, reckless consumerism and lack of respect for elders, among others, there is need for revival of traditional rites such as bogwera and bojale in order to social stability and prosperity.

Such practices can contribute to what other agencies such as schools and churches are doing.