19 Feb 2019

Traditional song and dance were the order of the day at Moshupa Brigade recently as the school community celebrated various cultures in Botswana.

The day’s activities were part of government’s effort to promote culture in learning institutions as a way of preserving it.

 Speaking at the event, Kgosi Kebinatshwene Mosielele of Manyana called on Batswana to introspect and retrace their steps to the traditional values, which helped to mould a society in the olden days.

 He said some of the current social ills and moral decay could be addressed the traditional way.

“Culture is our backbone as Batswana but because we have chosen to follow foreign cultures we now find ourselves faced with moral degeneration such as teenage pregnancies and drug abuse, among others,” he said.

 Even though he acknowledged the dynamics of culture, he said there was need to resuscitate cultural practices such as initiation schools to help mould young people into responsible adults.

 He said through bojale and bogwera, young men and women were taught self-discipline and how to stand temptations and challenges encountered in adulthood.

Furthermore, Kgosi Mosielele noted that cultural practices such as polygamy could reduce the number of single parent households and give the children a sense of belonging.

He emphasised the need for children to be raised in stable homes with both parents, saying this would reduce social ills among young people.

He said cultural elements such as dikgafela were not only for thanksgiving and asking for more rain but also showed the compassionate nation that Batswana were known for.

“Culturally, part of the harvest is given to less-privileged members of the society and this shows how united and compassionate we are as Batswana.

In the olden days we used to have Mafisa as well, which was a way of empowering those who did not have much and ultimately eradicating poverty amongst our people,” he explained.

For his part, Moshupa Brigade deputy principal, Onalenna Phuthego said culture was the cornerstone of a human being and it helped in building families and ultimately the society.

He said they had incorporated demonstration of cultural customs such as patlo in their day’s activities as a way of showing their importance in building homes.ENDs