Setswana So Corrupted Yet So Sweet Batswana Love it

GALE NGAKANE
Correspondent | Monday June 28, 2010 00:00

 

Millions must have seen 'Ke Nako' emblazoned across a skyscraper in New York and other world-class cities when the ongoing World Cup was being promoted and some wondered, 'Hey, what language is that?'

It is highly possible the multitudes who came to South Africa to support their teams went home, or are still to depart for their countries knowing that 'Ke Nako' means 'it's time'.

Setswana, the language that is predominantly spoken in Botswana, and is one of the 11 official languages in South Africa, is dialectically interesting.

For instance in the Maun area, where besides Batawana overlords, there are tribes like Wayeyi, Hambukushu, Subiya and even Sarwa. The result is that the language has become so corrupted sometimes it becomes incomprehensible to the ear of a southerner who speaks a more refined version of the language.

Take the case of a Mokgatla man who was attending a seminar in Maun. He had in mind never to waste time to visit a long lost Moyei friend once he arrived in Maun. And, as soon as he had checked in and asked around, he was directed to the pal's place.

Two children were playing by the gate and he approached them:Mokgatla man: 'Where is your father?' One of the children (boldly): 'He is not my father'

The Mokgatla man thought the child had misunderstood him and he repeated the question, this time mentioning the friend by his name.

But the boy stood his ground saying: 'He is not my father.'

The Mokgatla man was a mystified individual when he bid the boys goodbye and the response from the boys certainly ruined his day so much that, his appetite was compromised during lunch.

He did not know whether to feel embarrassed for his friend's sake or to gleefully laugh at what must have been a joke. After all how can someone be so hated by children to the extent of them denying so vehemently that they were his children, he wondered.

In the evening, he was sitting in the bar seeping from a can of beer when the Maun friend bounded in, apparently after he was informed by the children that a stranger had come by looking for him.

They had known each other while working in Gaborone, but things appeared a bit tough for the Moyei man, he decided to go home. The Mokgatla man remained in Gaborone as it was nearer his home in Mochudi.

The Maun friend had not finished his greetings when the Mokgatla man went at him.

'How is it possible that a man can go around calling himself the father of children who would not touch him with a long spoon? I found children at a house I was told were yours and they vehemently denied you were their father.

'How is that possible?' he asked with a conviction that one swine has definitely jumped over the fence.The Maun friend, too, became a bit uncomfortable, but it was only in the initial stages as he put his medulla oblongata (brains) into gear, temporarily forgetting he was still awaiting a reply to his greetings from his friend.

Soon it dawned on him that his Mokgatla friend must have misunderstood the children because from his (the Mokgatla friend) description, the boy he had been talkiing to was his son, and there was no way the boy could have disowned him. He (the Maun friend) asked his Mokgatla friend to be verbatim with what the boy said, only to find out that the boy was actually saying, 'He was not home yet.' (Ha si ntate)

When the Mokgatla realised he had been fooled by his mother tongue, they laughed about it and hence kept the bar attendant on her toes with rounds and rounds of liquor.

At one point, former president Sir Ketumile Masire is said to have misunderstood a Mokalanga tribesman who wanted to know when they, too, were going to have their own chief.

But the tribesman's request somehow sounded like he was complaining of lack of academic courses in his area.

Hence Sir Ketumile, known for his eloquence in Setswana, started tabulating the number of academic institutions the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) government has established in the country. On top of that, said Sir Ketumile, there were private schools that offered courses that could see the tribesman becoming just as marketable as other Batswana.

But come what may Batswana love their language, hence it would not be surprising for those who are in New York to have seen 'Ke Nako' and wanted to walk in and ask for 'thopi'. When Batswana started going abroad for further education in large numbers, two of them landed in London, England. It was only after a month that they started feeling home sick. They were so homesick that whenever there was a chance between their lessons, they would sit outside and watch as people passed by. In fact, whenever they saw a black face they would shout : 'Dumela Rra,' if it was a man, or 'Dumela Mma,' if it was a woman. But all they got were stony faces and quizzical expressions.

So, one day after this fruitless exercise, they started dragging their feet along the pavement, heavy at heart. Suddenly, one of them nearly tumbled when a clumsy walker stepped on his heel. 'M---t a motho!' he hissed the expletive.

'Jaanong Rra o thogelang ka kene ke sa go bone? (Now Sir, why are you insulting me as I did not see you?) ' came  the response from the exasperated offender.

It took seconds for the two Batswana students to realise that they have just been spoken to in their mother tongue and their ennui turned dramatically into orgasmic joy as they kissed and embraced the stranger.