Mochudi floggings: When modernity clashes with culture

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Friday January 8, 2010 00:00

The use of the cultural institution of Bogosi to restore what is seen as order and curb alcohol abuse and other social vices associated with alcohol abuse has caused a furore between the royal leadership and ordinary people in Kgatleng. Some Bakgatla accuse the newly initiated Madibelankwe regiment, which is being used to enforce Kgafela's reforms of behaving like a law unto themselves. They are said to be causing havoc and whipping up people, claiming to be on the orders of the paramount chief.

Kgafela was crowned at a highly publicised ceremony that saw multitudes of people from all corners of Botswana, including the president of Botswana Ian Khama who performed the coronation by draping the king with a leopard skin.

In his speech, Kgafela promised to bring reforms aimed at resuscitating the Bakgatla culture. Top on his list was the reintroduction of initiation schools of bogwera and bojale.

He also declared that as chief, he is in charge of calling tribal regiments to duty. 'Let's take the tribe back to its culture' he said, adding 'we need to revive our culture that binds our people together.'

Thereafter, he lived to his promise when he mobilised members of regiments to initiate a new group, later to be known as Madibelankwe whilst their female counterparts called Madisakgosi graduated from traditional schools of bogwera and bojale respectively. Many of young and middle aged Bakgatla sons and daughters including some of the highly respected professionals took part in the initiation. 

The regiments he said, would not only be there to protect the tribe, but also to defend its culture.

'I believe that this regiment will show the tribe the right way. It will also help in reviving our culture and protect it. They will also help in reviving the respect that used to be accorded the chieftainship, hence I have named them Madibelankwe,' he said of the male initiates.

Kgafela was set to restore the culture of his people and make them proud to identify with the Bakgatla culture. Here was a contemporary leader who held fast to the valued traditions at a time when Botswana like many African countries was grappling with social ills brought up by modernisation.  Bakgatla saw Kgafela as a chief who would bring an end to alcohol abuse, delinquent behaviour and other social vices.

However, now that the regiments are in place and operating it seems the optimism that came with the young ruler's ascendance to power is fading. Some Bakgatla are complaining that the regiments, especially Madibelankwe are behaving like unruly gangs creating havoc in the village, where they go around whipping people, especially those whom they see as guilty of not observing set traditional rules and regulations. Slowly they are viewed more like vigilantes.

Stories abound of the regiment whipping up people for not observing the times set for drinking alcohol. In Mochudi, unlike in other parts of the country, alcohol is not supposed to be sold nor drunk before midday. This is an order that has been made by the Kgafela-led royal leadership. Those found breaking the law are speedily punished by Bakgatla regiments. Recently a tribesman was apparently whipped by members of Madibelankwe regiment for drinking alcohol before the time allowed for drinking.

Explaining the time schedules for operating drinking spots, shebeen owner Lesego Kwape said that last year November, Kgosi Kgafela called them to a Chibuku and traditional beer-sellers' meeting whereupon they were told to open shop at 12 noon and close at 10 at night during the week. For Friday and Saturday they were told to operate from 12 noon to 12 midnight.

'We tried to reason with him that our businesses would be affected. This change means that after getting my Chibuku in the morning from distributors, I would have to keep it until 12 when we open. This affects the state and consequently, taste of the brew. We end up having to throw some pints away,' she said.

The situation in Mochudi is largely a result of the uneasy relationship between the tradition and modern cultures where the latter is largely influenced by Western cultures, which are at variance with the Bakgatla (and Batswana in general) traditions. Kgafela wants to restore the culture and traditions whilst on the other hand, some Bakgatla see his reforms as an impediment to their means of life. They want to drink as and when they please, without adhering to schedules whilst the shebeen owners want to continue enjoying that freedom to make profits selling alcohol as they have been doing before Kgafela's ascendance to power. The feeling that their rights are being undermined by Kgafela, especially that his 'decree' is not found within the perimeters of the laws of the country. Why should they be held back from selling from early morning to evening, whereas some Batswana outside Kgatleng district are doing so, they wonder?

Kwape said that for the past 20 years she has largely benefited from selling Chibuku, especially that then she would open any time in the morning. With the proceeds, she has been able to take her children to school, build a modern house, with a sitting room and the like and a security wall. Kwape said that she agrees with Kgafela that people should not spend all their time at shebeens drinking alcohol, but at the same time, ' I think setting the time at 12 was unfair. At least he should have said 10 to give us more time to sell,' she said.

The regiment, as Kwape later reveals, is rapidly becoming a law unto themselves, having the power to arrest, prosecute, judge and sentence those found to be on the wrong.

She says they even beat up female shebeen owners for failing to observe these operating times. This is where we see Kgafela's reforms aimed at using the bogosi institution to maintain law and order in his community failing to do exactly what they were set out to achieve. 

Another Mokgatla in Mochudi, Samuel who did not want to give his surname said that they live in terror of the Madibelankwe who even whip people for drinking in their homes.

He said during the festive season Madibelankwe men beat up people in their homes. He said the home place is unlike the streets where drinking should be discouraged as it 'is bad behaviour'.

'But not in my house. No one should tell me what to drink at what time in my house,' he said.

An elderly woman, in her 50's, Keagile Mmaleng said that it is true that alcohol is a nuisance as 'some of them (alcohol drinkers) make a lot of noise whilst we are asleep. It is also good to regulate the times for operating drinking spots. But I have a problem with the whipping of people who drink in their homes. Why should you regulate when people should drink in their own homes? That for me is harassment and should not be allowed at all,' she said.

Mmaleng said that she is getting fed up at the way things are shaping up in Kgatleng and said that the harassment should stop.

'Ga e le gore ke ntwa, a go lowe re swe (If it's war let us just go to war and die),' she said.

In the times of Kgosi Molefi's reign, according to Joseph Kgakole's The career of Chief Molefi Kgafela Pilane of Bakgatla ba Kgafela at Mochudi, the monarch (Molefi) like Kgafela II also wanted to assert Bakgatla pride in their culture and tradition. He had a powerful regiment, the Machana, whom he often used to enforce his rule. One time when he was riled by opposition from the Dutch reformed Church, he is said to have together with 'Machana regiment beat up people in a church concert...The chief and his group of supporters continued to harass people in the village people were afraid of attending church services anymore,' says Kgakole.   

However,Kgosi Kgafela has denied sending regiments to harass people. He said that 'we don't whip people in their homes. We whip those found drinking before the allowed times at the shebeens. That is, if there is anyone who has been beaten for drinking in their homes then they should come forward and report. We will take strict action against those who whipped them,' he said.

When told that people expressed anger and disappointment at his reforms on alcohol he said: 'Ga ke rapele ope. I have made a law and those who break it we would enforce it by force.' For his part, former Kgatleng District Council chairman, Mpho Moruakgomo said it was good to regulate the time for drinking alcohol. It is sad, he said, that some people spent a lot of time at drinking spots instead of working or doing something useful.

When contacted for comment, attorney Gabriel Kanjabanga said that Kgafela's reforms are well-intended and would help in arresting issues like crime and indiscipline. However, he added, it would be a problem if the reforms were made arbitrarily by the chief without consulting those concerned. He has expressed reservations over the whipping of people by mephato (regiments).

'Due process of the law should be followed. Suspects should be taken to the kgotla and their case tried. We should not have people going around whipping suspects. It should be done within the confines of the law. Someone should be tried and if found guilty, whipped properly in a kgotla,' he said.

There are others who have termed the floggings as extra-judicial floggings, a language they say Kgosi Kgafela who is in addition to being Kgosi is a human rights activist at Ditshwanelo and they want this to be reflected in his public life.