It was pomp and fanfare for staff of the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) on Thursday as choral and traditional dance fused in a celebratory mood to push forward the theme of ‘A United and Proud Nation’ ahead of the 50th anniversary commemorations.
To mark the first day of the independence month, HRDC kicked off the countdown in style by recounting highlights of past celebrations to trigger enthusiasm for the golden jubilee commemorations. For the younger generation that might not treat the celebrations with strong national sentiments ÔÇô they got insight into the meaning of independence. The event was punctuated with the use of Setswana in the place of English as an official language to deliver speeches, while song and dance were rooted in the idiomatic diction of the mother-tongue to showcase the idiosyncrasies of a united Botswana. The younger generation benefitted from translation of important messages embedded in the lyrics, or uncommon expressions employed by their seniors. Dipapisa-puo (figurative speech) was favoured over common speech to display the pride of mastering Setswana as a national language.
Masego Mokubung ÔÇô director for Statistics, Research and Innovation reminisced her teenage days during the tenth-anniversary celebrations that were characterised with song and dance.
“In Setswana ÔÇô the poetic licence enjoyed by composers is something to marvel. If the singer or poet had an important message to convey to the leader ÔÇô be it the traditional chief or politician, the admonishment was best encapsulated in the song or poem. Leboko ga le na bosekelo (there is no offence in artistic composition). Nowadays, our praise-poets and singers are restrained by laws that govern freedom of speech and expression. Radio stations no longer play lyrics deemed to be obscene, whereas the artist would have done nothing but to employ the rich language to convey an important message to the larger society. During independence celebrations back then, these were things to look forward to. I did my part as a teenager ÔÇô if they wanted a watered-down ‘Sebodu-ke-nnenekwane’, the national stadium had me as the centre of attention for the rendition of Speech Madimabe’s folk-song,” She fondly remembered.
Ralph Maganu, acting Chief Operations Officer said the twentieth-anniversary was a poignant milestone that he has cherished the rest of his life.
“I haven’t celebrated and enjoyed independence greater than this time. The torch of unity truly stitched this nation together. I guess it was the creative manner in which it was thought out ÔÇô you had the young and elderly alike running with the torch along our highways, short and long distances just to participate and pass it on to the next person to show that we are united. I hope the golden jubilee can achieve some excitement as the 1986 celebrations,” he recalled with nostalgia.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Raphael Dingalo ÔÇô recollected the rare moment of seeing world leaders at close range as school children lined up the streets in a march to the national stadium for a beehive of activities.
“I saw Dr Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, and many others. Vividly, I remember the football match between Botswana and China for the tenth-anniversary celebrations. Unfortunately, we lost two-zero to the giant nation, but consolation was convenient as they looked the same and we justified our loss on the assumption that they [likely] kept substituting players without us noticing each time there was a throw-in, thus running down our boys to clinch a victory,” Dingalo said, amid cheers.
Dingalo reminded the gathering of the relevance of the theme for the 50th commemorations ÔÇô a ‘United and Proud Nation’ as signifying the diversity in the many languages and cultures across the country, yet bonded into oneness as Botswana.
“The colourful tapestry of our nation is what we are celebrating. It does not mean that we will always agree on everything, but in our disagreements, we must recognize that what unites us is far greater than what can divide us as a nation called Botswana. Let us join together in commemorating this year’s independence with the understanding ÔÇô celebration of diversity in unity,” he underscored the theme.
The BOT50 Representative, Kagiso Seloma who was the guest of honour reminded the gathering that it was significant for each citizen to uphold national symbols that define us as Batswana. Seloma was mesmerized by the national colours upon entry ÔÇô a gesture that suggested HRDC had pitched the bar high for creating hype around the celebrations.
“It felt like walking into a Government Ministry and the ambiance was just perfect. I applaud you for the efforts. However, I need to also implore you that in prepping up for the golden jubilee, we must watch out for the correct symbols that define and represent Botswana. The royal blue of the flag is not the national colour ÔÇô ours is sky-blue. Similarly, I noticed people were walking up and down as the national anthem was sung. We must be in absolute attentive mode. It is sacred. Our national symbols are the coat of arms, national anthem, and the flag ÔÇô we must give them respect and honour,” he emphasized.
