Do poets have a free hand in their vocation?

Poet, Sani Mafote (78) recited the poem with evocative words as Bangwato welcomed their rightful kgosi to the kgotla after 99 years. The poem was initially met with enthusiastic applause. But his words have been interpreted by other people, especially the Bakgalagadi community to be offensive and somehow continue to perpetuate stereotypes and trivialise their past struggles. Mafote now finds himself in the heat of controversy. ‘Mong-arona o tsile rea leboga, hare ne o seo maloba re atholwa Sekgalagadi, re atholwa ke bo Masisi le bo Tsogwane.... ...Bana ba monna esi bagana go bidiwa Makgalagadi goroga ka pula phuthi’. These are some excerpts from Mafote’s poem.

The poem has, however, irked some quarters whose view is that the poem has far-reaching implications for the minority tribes. As such, they believe the poem was insensitive and offensive. From time immemorial, the Bakgalagadi tribe has been considered one of the minority tribes in Botswana. But now in the wake of ‘me2 movements’ and ‘I wear what I want’ the woke generation is having none of it.