Domkrag means 'stupid power' - Morake

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Friday February 4, 2011 00:00

 

Speaking at a public lecture to celebrate the BDP's 49th anniversary this week, the first Executive Secretary of the ruling party, Kebatlamang Morake, said the jack was very strong and could lift a heavy truck. The jack was called Domkrag in the vernacular. 'So the name Domkrag, which in Afrikaans literally translates to a fool's strength, was used to characterise the BDP, mostly by our detractors in the opposition who were making fun of us,' Morake said. ''Dom' means seeleele (a fool), while 'krag' means strength. They said we were like fools.

As you know, to stop people tormenting you with funny names, you have to accept them (the names). 'We even went further to use Domkrag as our nickname. On top of that, because the elderly had a problem pronouncing the word 'democracy', they said 'domkrag'. We liked the name because it implied that we, the BDP, were like that jack, lifting Botswana to independence.'

Regarding the popular iconic Morula tree next the American Embassy in Gaborone, Morake said that was where they met after realising that it would be hard to meet in the tribal territories of the then Bechuanaland because they feared that magosi would not welcome politicians.

So Gaborone provided a neutral location where political leaders met and formed a party that was to dominate Botswana politics as the ruling party to-date. 'I think it was in 1962 when we decided to meet in Mochudi,' he said.

'That was during Kgosi Mmusi Pilane's reign. Some people told him, 'These people will take over your land; don't allow them to meet in your territory.' 'When we came, he (Kgosi Mmusi) said: 'E seng ha. Tswaang! (Not here.

Leave!).' It was then decided that to avoid being turned away by other tribal chiefs, we chose Gaborone, which was not under any tribal authority.

'We approached the District Commissioner, who gave us permission to meet. So it was there at the Morula tree ko party e, e neng ya tsalwa teng (where the BDP was born). Then the party message was spread all over the country.' Morake said the road infrastructure was poor back then. Because of that, it once took him four days to travel from Francistown to Maun as education minister.