Khama sheds his 'enigma image' in Serowe

PATRICIA MAGANU
Staff Writer | Friday February 1, 2008 00:00

One praise poet, Radithobane Mokane, even went to the extent of saying 'Tshetlha ya dikgwa, Kgosi ya me le ha o bua le ene ha nke a tshega,' prompting a tumult of laughter from the crowd and tickling even Khama himself.

Some of the things that he and Mogae said and the way they generally handled the meeting had the effect of reassuring BaNgwato that Khama is  not the enigma that many Batswana have come to consider him to be. The people were essentially appealing to Khama, as their Kgosi and next President of the republic, to be more open and affable with them. Their plaintive efforts were well rewarded when Khama took to the podium to present his mentor with gifts. He had the audience in stitches, prompting a journalist in attendance to remark that he could give a good stand-up comedian a run for his money.

But it was Mogae's 'salutations' that kicked-off the jam session: 'Dumelang Ba-ga-MmaNgwato ba-ga-Mmabesi-a-Kgama, le kile la biletsa Sekgoma ntwa; Sekgoma ka le ene ele ngwana wa monna a le e biletsa; mme nna gompieno ga ke a tla go le biletsa ntwa, ke tsile go le laela; gape ke kopa go thibelela. 'As the two most eminent men in the country quipped back and forth, the crowd could not seem to stop laughing. Someone said he wondered if the people were laughing at the jokes or because the jokes were being told by those particular men.

Right before he ended his farewell speech, Mogae told the people that it was no secret that he was going to be succeeded by Khama:

'Bagaetsho, nna ke a tsamaya. Mme ga se sephiri go re ke tlhatlhamiwa ke morwa Khama, mongame. O gape e leng mong wa bogosi jwa BaNgawto.' (It is no secret that I leave office to be succeded by Khama's son, my chief, who is also the rightful chief of BaNgwato).

These few words resulted in what seemed to be endless ululation from the BaNgwato gathered in Kgotla. Maintaining the light-hearted mood, Mogae said BaTalaote, of whom he is one, had emerged from their minority status and become one with BaNgwato. 'When we BaTalaote first came to Serowe, we were given land to settle far from BaNgwato. But things have changed. I was talking to a MoTalaote one day, asking him if he saw what I saw, which was that people had come together regardless of whether they were BaTalaote or BaNgwato,' Mogae said to much nodding in the audience.

But the time had come for Khama to present the presidential gifts, taking the opportunity that he also had a considerable sense of humour: 'Ke dumedisa Tautona Rre Mogae, ke bo ke dumedisa le Mme Venson-Moitoi, ke bo ke dumedisa le Rre Venson-Moitoi, ke bo ke dumedisa le makhanselara a me otlhe a kgaolo kwanteng ga wa Malatswai, a reference to the only ward in Serowe held by an opposition councillor.

The reference to 'Mr' Venson-Moitoi is a joke on the double-barrelled surname of the MP for Serowe South. Khama said a man had asked him a funny question that showed that some people could not distinguish between he as Kgosi Ya BaNgwato and he as Vice President of the republic.

'This man (also) asked me how it felt to be President, to which I laughed, telling him I had no way of knowing since I had never been President.'