Mccarthy's rust: cross between modern and traditional Botswana

| Thursday August 4, 2011 00:00

 

McCarthy's Rust: 'My cellular phone is being charged in Tsabong,' says Kgosi Petrus Engleren of McCarthy's Rust to his son. The statement does not elicit a degree of consternation from the addressee, nor other kinsmen in earshot.  This depicts the fact that the settlement is struggling with developments. Though they have technologically advanced tools like cellular phones, they still have no electricity to power them. Kgosi Engleren and others have to travel 25 kilometres to have their phone batteries charged. It is however, a life that they are used to.

McCarthy's Rust is a remote village bordering the Botswana-South Africa border, on the southwestern part of Botswana. One of the striking features of the settlement, is the mud houses found in the yards. They are made of the deep red sandy soil that define the soil surface of the settlement. But what is interesting about the houses is that sticks, normally used in erecting goat kraals have been used as reinforcement material for the walls, then mud mixed with cow dung used to join the sticks together thereby forming a wall.

This wall, Kgosi Engleren says is useful in that it guards against elements, especially wind and water, during rainfall. He also explains that the sticks make it more tough hence the walls can withstand tough weather over long periods of time. They are so durable, such that the one that he sleeps in built 44 years ago when they settled in the place, is still intact and in good condition.

Telling the tale of how the settlement came to be, Kgosi Engleren said he was among the first group of people to arrive in McCarthy's Rust in 1967. As a young boy he came with his parents from Tsabong, where he was born.

Then others trickled in and as he puts it 'mbichanambichana (in trickles)'.

Most of the people were coming from Tsabong and they were of Griqua extract. However they speak Sekgothu, which he says is linguistically close to some Sesarwa dialect.

'It has a lot of click sounds in it just like Sesarwa,' Engleren says.

Relating the story of their migration to Tsabong, the chief said they left Tsabong for McCarthy's Rust in search of water, which was in large supply on the South African side of the border, where the Molopo River was always full of water. Water was very important, especially for the settlers, who were livestock farmers.

They used to herd their cattle into South Africa, where they would graze their cattle and water them. Reminiscing about those olden days, the 72-year-old chief says in the 60s there was no border fence demarcating the two countries.

They would just go over to the South African side where they also did shopping. Some of the young men opted out of cattle herding to go and work in South African mines. Some of their favourite foods include kabu (dried maize) with fresh goat or cattle milk. At times they would substitute the milk with meat, the chief reveals, adding that this is one of the most tasty dishes that they used to indulge in.

'Back then there was no rice. Our grandparents were great farmers who grew sorghum and maize, ' he says.

But now they concentrate largely on rearing cattle and some have as much as 600 herds, he says.

'There is one rich man. Tsa gagwe di dintsi. Ga dina palo. Ke ene hela foromane mo kgaolong e. (His herd of cattle are innumerable),' says the chief.  

Interestingly since back in the days khadi brew drinking was a favourite past time in McCarthy's Rust. Instead of berries they used seretse, a root plant, to make the brew.

Some of the challenges that they are grappling with include crime, especially cattle rustling. Kgosi Engleren says what saddens him is that the culprits are a syndicate of Batswana young men who are thriving out of this illicit trade, cutting the border fence and selling the cattle and small stock in South Africa.

However he is happy that the South African police is cooperative and works well with their Botswana counterparts to arrest the culprits. When this reporter asks him about the situation he says, 'Ijo! O seka wa bua ka joo. Bogodu jo bo ko godimo. These young Batswana men, steal and sell our livestock to purchase fancy cars and cellular phones. O ka tsaya gore motho ke tichara o bona a kgabile a phatsima, mme ntswa a sa bereke. But a go ikgantshetsa ko bareng ka nte o ja madi a kgomo ya gago,' he says.

Other concerns are the fights between men and women especially after drinking alcohol. Because he is not empowered to listen to these cases, he relies mostly on more senior chiefs in Tsabong to come and adjudicate, but this takes time, and 'nna ke ja ka moretlwa.

Ke bone gore go letela bogosi kaha batho ba tsweletsa ka go betsana ga se gone (instead of waiting for more senior chiefs to come and address the matters, I simply offer swift justice and flog the culprits),' he says.

The people of McCarthy's main concern as Piet Ritz coins it, is education. Their children travel 25 kilometers to go to school and logistically it is impossible especially on a daily basis. So they have asked some relatives and friends to accommodate their children in Tsabong, so that they can be closer to the schools.

He is however happy that a small primary school is opening and will be offering classes to Standard one and two pupils. He is optimistic that the school will be extended and have more facilities to cater for all students at primary level, that is up to Standard Seven.