Let’s Say No To Stow

“Modimo wa borara, Ke letse ke sa ja, Ke letse le tlala, Ba bangwe be jele, Ba letse ba kgotse, Leha ele montsho, Le sekomenyana, Nka itumela, Ke bitsa Modimo, Borraronamogola.”

There is a tendency in any oral culture for traditions to compress events and personalities over time. What the folk memory does preserve is an enduring appreciation of common roots. In this context, the royal genealogies of many Sotho-Tswana merafe claim common descent from an ancient ruler named Masilo. Beyond common kinship through putative descent from Masilo and such other ancient forbears as Thobega, Malope, Napo, and Tau, many merafe share an even deeper genesis myth about an ancestor named Matsieng. It is Matsieng who is said to have come into this world through Lowe's cave, which is adjacent to Rasesa.

Throughout Southern Africa, Sotho-Tswana traditions generally agree that the first ancestors emerged from the ground through sacred caves. While several reputed "caves of life" exist throughout the region, merafe that trace their descent from Matsieng are consistent in focusing on Lowe’s as their place of origin. The rock formation is named after a one-sided medimo who appeared in the form of a single-legged giant. Legend has it that Matsieng once lived without a care in the underground realm of Tintibane.

Editor's Comment
Doctor's orders can't be overemphasised

The walk serves to raise awareness of the prevalence and impact of using treatment to manage seizure attacks.While many are aware that epilepsy is a medical condition that requires specialised care by health practitioners, there are those who, unfortunately, have other ideas about the condition and often deny their children medical care.These individuals usually associate the medical condition with witchcraft and demonic attacks, and choose to...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up