How Batswana respected botsetsi :: Mmegi Online

Various African societies have unique ways of celebrating the birth of a baby, but in Botswana, although there might be some slight variations, depending on ethnicity, most Batswana tribes have a similar way of welcoming a new life into the family.

After a baby is born traditionally the mother and her baby go into semi-compulsory confinement for a certain period of time - ranging from one month to six months.This process commonly called botsetsi used to be respected by both the young and old until modernity was either used as an excuse or the dawn of the new era made change inevitable.

The traditional botsetsi would have its strict rules and regulations and batsetsi would not dare disrespect them.For instance, it was taboo for the father of the new born to see the baby before a certain period after birth and when the time arrived for dad to make contact with his spouse, certain rituals had to performed before he could be allowed any closer to the motsetsi.

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