Batlokwa have blamed colonialists for grabbing their land that the tribe could have used productively to feed itself.
During Batlokwa Culture Day, Kgosi Moshe Ezekiel Mabe, a visiting Batlokwa chief from South Africa’s North West Province, says the land grabbing by colonialists has resulted in most of African countries importing food from western countries.
Mabe added that colonialists knew very well that taking away land would leave them in poverty.
He said that, currently, African countries are unable to grow crops and feed themselves because of the land that was taken away from them, adding that colonialists took over fields that were used by Africans to grow crops to feed the families.
“Currently, I can ask you what you are benefiting from our land. There is nothing. We remain slaves but we used to use our culture and lifestyle to feed our families,” added Mabe.
He advised that Batlokwa should not allow the commercialization of their culture in the absence of patent rights.
“We should refuse to commercialize our culture. They are targeting our cultures; if we commercialise it they are going to take it away,” said Mabe.
