An Exhibition With A Soul

Correspondent | Monday September 26, 2016 14:35

The BDP members gave the occasion a sense of place and soul with their high presence adorned in the party crimson regalia in an exhibition opened by His Excellency the President Seretse Khama Ian Khama.

The presence of old timers such as former minister Gaositwe Chiepe gave the exhibition a living and spicy feel. For the first time after an elapse of 15 years, I also met my old time friend, Ditiro Majadibodu.

He has since become a BDP politician, and was gracing the exhibition after travelling all night from the launch of some ‘big catch’ in the Okavango.

I asked him many questions, from his candidacy in the 2014 elections, his recent and current political home to his theatrics at political rallies. Every answer left me in stitches.

He is still the same old time Dt. The exhibition is worth a visit and has a few old pictures of Seretse Khama which are not common. It uses the tenures of former presidents to illustrate various themed accomplishments of the BDP in the last 50 years.

However, there should have been more crowd-pulling surprises. For instance, how about pictures from the first elections or better still one of the actual suits of Seretse Khama or a microphone he or others used. Even more mind-blowing and crowd-pulling, how about a provocative exhibition of the 1984 Tshiamo ballot box?

I always think the Tshiamo Ballot is to the BDP and the opposition what Abraham is to Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The materiality of the Tshiamo ballot box is venerated by BDP rivals as a demonstration of a history of rigged elections, but the BDP could present it as evidence of an impartial judiciary and democracy at work under their custodianship.

Unfortunately, this exhibition is another of pictures and words with no catching tangibles and objects. Further, the exhibition, as with most traditional authorised versions, is anchored more on the leaders and is not told from perspectives, actions or stories of the common man and the masses which the BDP must have in abundance.

The order of the exhibition is professional even though it is too formal, if frozen, as the content could have been more creatively presented even with limited space.

The BDP adage “Ya Rona le Bana ba rona”, The Jack, Therisanyo newsletter, BDP choirs and women’s wing are conspicuously missing. For instance, being a 50 year catalogue, the generational stride was not exploited either; It would have made a good exhibition corner that could present the youth in the party in contrasting representation - such as the youth of the time then and now. I am not a museum public relations officer, but a friend asked if the same space would have been offered to the opposition. I don’t see why not.

The museum is a mirror of the society in its multiple representations, cultures, opinions and tensions. A few years ago the museum hosted a controversial presentation entitled the V Monologues that - despite the perceived vulgarity allowed a reflection on our society’s treatment of the female person. Already the National Museum has been professional enough to list several national monuments that elevate individuals of esteem who were established opposition activists. For instance BNF’s Fish Keitseng and his safe house as well as BPP’s KT Motsete and his Old Tati school at Nyewele are listed monuments. The same Motsete adorns the P20 note and we all sing from his page in the National Anthem.

So, then this exhibition is a landmark in that it demonstrates that the museum space is available to the public. However, future political and other exhibitions could do with more creativity and, like all best stories, should think outside the box and provoke discussion. Yes, for once, the exhibition also brought a political party under my radar and thus allowed a civil servant to make review of a political exhibition, albeit with restraint. As for my friend, Majadibodu, he can wait a bit on recruiting, I remain non aligned to serve all and it’s never an easy task.

*Phillip Segadika is Head of the Archaeology and Monuments Division, Botswana National Museum