Polka reaches mainstream

Eleven polka troupes from Gantsi and Kgalagadi Districts participated in the inaugural Kalahari Polka Festival in Tsabong that was graced by among others President Ian Khama. PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES
Eleven polka troupes from Gantsi and Kgalagadi Districts participated in the inaugural Kalahari Polka Festival in Tsabong that was graced by among others President Ian Khama. PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES

’You are new to Polka. Polka is not new’. This is the message from the people of south west Kgalagadi to Batswana who think polka is the new craze in town.

“We have been dancing Polka for all the years,” says Margaret Bock from Streizendam, near Bokspits on the southwestern tip of Botswana in the Kgalagadi District.

Bock attests: “This is our culture. Our traditional dance. Every fun occasion; weddings, parties and family get-togethers we dance polka.  The elders and children dance to it.”

Editor's Comment
Micro-procurement maze demands urgent reform

Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...

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