It is not humour; it is hate, dear reader!
Those RENT a Mourner jokes are not funny, they are tribal and tribalism is bigotry.
The fact that the CAT has apologized should not just be enough to say its now water under the bridge.
In the last three weeks we have witnessed rising impunity and lawlessness within the political arena which led to social media going into overdrive after the Molepolole UDC political rally saga with memes poking fun at people from Tswapong in particular and Kalanga areas in general. The underlying messages behind some of them are that these groups of people are primitive, backward and unrefined and only good to serve as RENTED Mourners. Protesting this characterization is normally rebutted with high degree of denialism.
Bigoted jokes are as old as ignorance itself. They are crude but even witty at times. When the victim complains they are told to chill out as it’s just banter. Those protesting are treated as some uptight killjoy. If they still refuse to take it then they are treated as if they are the ignorant bigots themselves who are refusing to conform to an accepted social norm. But every type of discriminatory abuse is underpinned by some kind of stereotype and prejudice. The so-called “banter’ is the most covert but still brazen form of bigoted abuse that’s out there. Banter is fun but bigotry is not. It is ignorance.
Political vigilantism and machismo have become a part of our body politic. We have become a nation whose citizens no longer care for one another. Clearly what is happening in Botswana is very scary. So many mind-boggling and bizarre things are happening within the country which demand a pause and reflection as the nation traverses the crossroads.
In the 2016 US presidential election for example, aspirant Hillary Clinton was in the eye of a racist storm. She had made a joke to the effect that someone was running on CP time. This is a long-standing racist stereotype which means “Colored People’s time”. The normalized suggestion is that black people are not time conscious and their time keeping is suggestive of people that have their own time zones.
While this may sound true or a lot might actually identify with the notion, the more sinister suggestion is that black people are irresponsible. This is the basis of the outrage and umbrage expressed by many over this scripted joke. On the face of it, it sounded innocuous and some might even suggest, endearing, but there is an underlying deliberate demeaning of black people which betrayed Mrs Clinton’s innermost views of this sub-group of Americans.
It is these worrying trends that compel me to ask, about the missing voices of the Traditional Leaders (Dikgosi) and Senior Citizen in this sordid state of affairs. In all of these, it will be prudent to hear the views of Dikgosi and the political leaders who contributed in building the Botswana nation state ÔÇô Unfortunately Kgosi Kgolo Seepapitso is no more, so is Kgosi Kgolo Linchwe II. Sir Marquette Masire is no more, however, Festus Gontebanye Mogae is still here, Michael Dingake is still there, Matlapeng Ray Molomo is still there, David Magang is still here, and Gaositwe Chiepe is still here so is Archibald Mogwe and Patrick Balopi as well as the likes of Gil Saleshando. Of course Kgosi Lotlamoreng and Kgosi Tawana are lost to politics.
And we are all aware about the unfortunate situation that befell the Bakgatla Ba Kgafela King, Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela Kgafela II, whose agenda for change was viewed with great suspicion.
Batswapong ARE JUST TOO KIND and well mannered to tolerate the hurl of insults at their tribe in silence. None of what is reported to have been said and transpired at the UDC political rally in Molepolole on the 10th October could ever takes place in Mochudi or in Kgatleng. Ask Lebonamang Mokalake, when he jumped around at the Oodi Kgotla, Bakgatla could not take any of his acts. Peter Siele knows it too, so does the late Sebogodi Mompati Merafhe as well as vintage Lesedi Mothibamele. Those in the know often talk about how former cabinet Minister Lesedi Mothibamele once fled the Mochudi Kgotla in full swing with Bakgatla tribesmen wanting to give him a dose of medicine.
When one Alec Seametso displayed the same kind of disrespect at a BDP political rally held on 10th October 2014, attacking and throwing insults at the Batawana King, Kgosi Kgolo Tawana Moremi II, I talked to some Batawana close friends that the chap needed to be Bleksmed. I am making the same call to Batswapong. That cat needs to be Bleksmed. He must be made to taste the same sauce of inflicting inferiority on others He must be made to have personal romantic injuries that can be traced directly to his diatribe. He must just be bleksmed for derogatory stereotyping.
Ethnocentrism is an issue that has been gradually silenced into the taboo topic category in conversations in Botswana’s public sphere. Many people have experienced ethnic bigotry because they do not belong to a dominant group within a particular socio-cultural context. The enslavement and colonization of African societies further complicated issues on ethnicity. Many African countries have struggled to build a comprehensive national identity that is inclusive of the many ethnic groups that constitute a nation. As such ethnic allegiance has always been stronger than national identity within the social and political reality of the nation-state.
Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s culture or ethnic group is superior to the other. Such beliefs destroy the cultural cohesion of people. Botswana like countries across Africa has struggled to project a national identity that includes the many ethnic identities in the country otherwise we will not have Batswapong being castigated at and only matter as hired mourners in ‘ Ga Mmabesi” funerals. It is even more irritating to learn that the statement was made by a man you would think he is a seasoned opposition politician and is thus matured. If folks had returned the fire against his tribe he would have cried foul. Certainly you can tell that he grew up with a strong sense of self and belief in his superiority over others because o tswa Kwa ga Mmabesi. While he might submit claims that his was only just a joke and that everyone feels discriminated against and in reality, tribalism is done by all tribes. Uno Nyepa!!!!
There is therefore, an urgent need to blatantly speak on and confront bigotry in all its manifestations as many people experience it daily in workplaces, political parties, churches, schools etc.
Ethnocentrism is still rampant in Botswana. It takes a conscious effort to appreciate the richness of our cultural diversity. Let’s not allow one bad experience with someone ruin the opportunity to build good relations with others. More disappointing is when such comments are championed by the so- called matured political giant.
It cannot be fashionable to show disdain against a section of our society just because they speak differently or they have different customs and cultural nuances. It is disgusting and those that are trying to justify this are peddlers of hate who are trying to legitimise ignorance. It is discriminatory and goes against everything that makes us a nation of diverse groups.
Should we simply ignore or even laugh at these disguised expressions of prejudice?
These seemingly playful attacks have a tendency to breed extreme group loyalty. But when packed as meme and a joke, this ignorance is given a context in which to manifest as a harmless part of human interaction.
So please, dear reader, don’t ask anyone offended to cheer up. Even if you are a member of the targeted sub-group under this attack, don’t ask everyone else to suck it in or have a sense of humour.
Thabo Lucas Seleke, writes from Seleme Farm, Rasesa
