Mmadinare goes modern holding on to tradition

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Friday April 23, 2010 00:00

 

This is in view of development projects that continue to stream into the village; a senior secondary school, police station and the Letsibogo Dam, which is expected to help in the diversification of the Selebi-Phikwe economy.

Mmadinare, situated some 15 kilometres north of Selebi-Phikwe, is a place where the residents prefer a low profile lifestyle strongly attached to their traditions and customs.

Donkey carts in the village competing for road use with cars as they ferry goods to and from the lands is not a surprising view.  The curious visitor is also likely to catch a glimpse of people clad in old-fashioned clothes that are suitable for masimo laden with goods that are also of use only there, hitchhiking along the road.

Like any other village, Mmadinare has got its own peculiar features for which it is best known for; it is believed the women here are very lucky with marriage. 'You cannot just fall in love with a girl from Mmadinare and not marry her after or you cannot compete for a man with a girl from Mmadinare and win the race'. At least this is a belief, unconfirmed though, that is common in reference to the village.

Though keeping up with modern developments, Mmadinare has a good geographical location in the centre of hills, a feature that hides beneath it, a cream of history that also earned the village its name.  Like other villages established during the civil wars, the hills were believed to provide an excellent view of the enemy at a distance.

And in defence, villagers may roll down the stones to crush the enemies before the enemy destroys their villages.Perhaps this is the main reason why the first settlers of modern Mmadinare chose the beautiful site that is now the envy of their great grandsons and daughters. Four hills at either cardinal point embrace the village and envelope it as if to guard it against the cruel Ndebele clans who used to raid them a long time ago. There is Maretemagolo hill on the western side of the village, Makome on the east, Mapefho on the south upon entry into the village and Matshwakwe on the northern side if the village.  The village consists of diverse tribes who settled here in search of animals to hunt and sufficient water for animals and domestic use. It was established around the late 1800 by a group of people from Senyawe in the North East and some from Seleka in South Africa.

Those from Senyawe settled on top of Makome that is visible on the eastern side of the village and currently occupy the Kelele and Seboo wards. Those from Seleka who presently occupy Manga and Matabi wards settled on top of Maretemagolo hill, accord to the village elder, Gabriel Mabengano.

Apparently Kelele and Seboo, as well as Manga and Matabi, were brothers and each of them was a headman of their respective hilltops. The interesting thing was that they held equal customary positions so none of them would summon others to a meeting.

Khama sent Pastor Motimedi of the UCCSA to convene a meeting when there was an issue of interest to discuss.He would ring a bell to summon the four diKgosi and their people to a meeting. As the settlements expand some people continued to stream in. Others from Palapye who were on a hunting spree also settled upon the discovery of a perennial stream which provided drinking water for the buffaloe that were found in large numbers around the area.

They went back to inform Kgosi Khama of their discovery and their intention to settle there permanently as there was sufficient water. They drank from the same stream with the buffaloe hence the name Mmadinare. Since the villagers led independent lives at each hilltop Khama, assigned his daughter, Mele who was married to Phetlhu - her nephew - to unite the four independent groups hence the village descended to the current location. 

Eventually, the Mmadinare central Kgotla was born, initially called Mosokola Ward. Phetlhu then became kgosi before handing the baton to his brother, Oteng Mphoeng, who ruled for a long time. Then Seeletso Letsholathebe was roped in as a regent before Kebuileng Mphoeng assumed the seat. Kakabalo followed from Mahalapye as an uncle to the heir.  Then the current Phokontsi Seeletso took over the seat on behalf of Kebuileng Mphoeng's son who is still studying in South Africa. About two years ago Seeletso converged a kgotla meeting to show the rightful heir to the community. 'During our school days we were taught that Mmadinare is surrounded by four hills.

A long time ago it was taboo to climb Matshwakwe and Makome hills. We respected that and nobody ever dared to climb yet we did not know the reason why. What we only knew was that a strong whirlwind would push you away'. What Mabengano can confirm is that not long that the Botswana Power Corporation at some point had to consider another route to install electricity poles after the poles that were initially erected across Matshwakwe hills were found lying on the ground the following day.

This happened several times. It was also considered taboo to pass through the Tekabanna thicket from the lands at night.

The thicket is situated on the eastern side of the village. If night fell before one passed through it he or she had to spend the night right there until the break of the new day.  'We believed that it was a sacred ancestral place and if one dared cross it at night, the oxen would just dislodge from the ox-wagon leaving you stranded until the next morning'.

Though the villagers have since moved down from the hills, the hill tops still have historical sites as proof that people used to live there. Pieces of broken traditional clay pots and calabashes and ruins are visible. Though they have not yet been preserved as a historical site, Mabengano believes that the country's law protects the sites.

'People do go there to see but if anybody wants to do something there has to be an environmental impact assessment before hand, he says'.