Bahurutshe Cultural Lodge: The custodians of Setswana culture

GASEBALWE SERETSE
Staff Writer | Friday August 17, 2007 00:00

 

The place, which is the brainchild of Mmankudu Glickman and Victoria Massey, was primarily set up to preserve the culture of the Bahurutshe in 2005.

A tour through the idyllic place takes one at least a century back and gives the visitor a glimpse into the kind of life Batswana led before everything was spoiled by the coming of the colonialists.

One of the best places to visit in the Cultural Lodge at the 'cultural village' where the Setswana traditional life is showcased. The first visit to the lodge takes the visitor to Ntlo Ya Mathibelelo where a 'traditional wedding' is staged out by the staff. The well-ventilated Ntlo Ya Mathibelelo is a makeshift structure made of mainly dry branches and poles.

Glickman says that Ntlo Ya Mathibelelo is the typical hut that young newly-weds first lodged in before they built a permanent home. According to the culturist, in the olden days, girls were betrothed at around the age of 15 and married off soon after the betrothal.

Early on the day of the wedding, there would be patlo where the dowry will be paid in form of live cattle to the in-laws just before the wedding party begins.  Soon after there will go laya mosadi, counselling of the bride, where the woman is counselled by elderly women on how to be prudent as a future daughter-in-law. During the counselling session, the newly married woman would be advised on how to perform her responsibilities as a wife and a mother. A married woman's responsibilities included cooking for the family, cleaning and decorating the yard, stamping grains and nursing the children.

In the evening of the wedding, soon after the celebrations, a witchdoctor would be called into Ntlo Ya Mathibelelo to 'bind' the marriage and 'sniff out' those who were against it. More often than not, the 'doctor' would sniff out the paternal aunt of one of the newlyweds as the one who was against the marriage.

'Ngaka one a laola ka bola go bona gore a ga ba ise ba go tabole dinao,' explained Glickman.

According to Glickman, a traditional doctor was an important person in the lives of Bahurutshe as he was the one who protected the family from enemies. The doctor was expected to exorcise all evil spirits cast on the family. Whenever there was sickness in the family the doctor was the one who would prescribe the right herbs for the patient. Not far from the Ntlo Ya Mathibelelo, there is the common Ntlo Ya Setswana, which is a permanent structure made up of clay bricks, grass and wooden poles. When the couple become more established and financially sound, they can build Ntlo Ya Setswana and graduate to it.

The next stop is the Kgotla, which according to the culturist, was the hallowed ground among the Batswana. The Kgotla, Glickman explains, was the political seat of the kgosi as that was from where he controlled his morafe. Since the Botswana society used to be patriarchal, only men were allowed in the Kgotla. On the other hand women were allowed to attend a Kgotla meeting only when the case involved them.

'The Kgotla must always have a fire burning in it because fire is a symbol of life in the Setswana culture,' the host explains.

For culture enthusiasts, Bahurutshe Cultural Lodge is a place to visit. A mentioned before, apart from giving the visitor a taste of typical Setswana life it offers the visitor peace and serenity, which are rare elements in the lives of urban dwellers.

The place hosts traditional festivals such as letlhafula and dikgafela annually. Letlhafula is held early April while dikgafela is held in the first week of August.

According to Glickman, the place hosts stag parties (which include go laya monna), wedding ceremonies in Setswana themes, patlo, team-building initiatives and bogadi. Culture and nature lovers can stay in tented-accommodation for P 75 per person, Setswana huts for P50 per person and en-suites for P 150 per person.