Phenomena that is poorly understood by Batswana whose happening is considered a bad omen is called botlhodi.
The term botlhodi is a derivative of the verb tlhola, meaning create, make or cause to happen.
The occurrence of botlhodi is ominous enough to bring to pass an unspecified but dark and catastrophic occurrence.
Like the Oedipus Rex tale, it signals that there is an unclean thing amongst the people which must be removed ÔÇô a thing so obvious and yet so illusive. A related element in the feared and the portentous is the bird of the night, the owl, known in the local tongue as lerubisi or morubisi.
Because of its nocturnal nature, its activities remain largely unknown, for like Nichodemus it moves under the cover of the night. Because of its rarity, it is feared and associated with witchcraft. It is a strange bird with massive eyes and a haunting cry.
However, it is not so much the owl’s massive eyes which set it apart from other birds. It is neither its nocturnal tendencies. Rather it is its ability to turn.
The owl has an incredible neck which allows it to turn its head a full 135 degrees to fix its eyes in an opposite direction to that of its body ÔÇô with the ability to look behind its own shoulders, with a total 270-degree field of view. So the tale of the two turncoats may be understood within the context of botlhodi and lerubisi.
There is nothing wrong with Mr. Makgalemele and Mr. Masimolole’s return to the BDP having stopped for a glass of water at BMD. That’s what democracy is all about.
What is worrying, however, is the undeniable fact that the reasons for their departure from the BDP in the first place haven’t changed. Second, stories surrounding their departure and return also signal that there are numerous individuals within the BDP who wish they were wearing orange if it were not because of their debts, sins or families.
I don’t remember a time when the country was so polarised to the level where a husband was pitted against his wife and a daughter against her dad. Se ke botlhodi jwa lerubisi!
Amongst the Batawana, we hear of mohumagadi who had purchased for herself BMD regalia just for pressure to be brought to bear on her from a female minister to keep it in the closet. A choice was put sharply ÔÇô what shall it be ÔÇô marriage or BMD?
The same minister had, we hear, made the same argument against her own husband who had frequented the BMD gatherings. The wayward husband has since stopped attending such gatherings. Botlhodi!
Are mohumagadi and the wayward husband BMD or BDP? Where their hearts are, seems unambiguous although their feet are facing a different direction.
So moving, however, is the Makgalemela singing baby that I have decided to search for this kid and listen to her three-bar BDP blues. To think that the songs that she hums may have been composed by Motswaledi during his BDP bright days is terribly ironic.
Mr. Makgalemela says mowa wa gagwe o ne o kgarakgatshega o sa iketla. No one should ever take for granted this thing we call mowa ÔÇô when it has found no rest, a man is tormented day in and day out. Add to such torment the torturous songs of an eight year old daughter ÔÇô you have a life of extreme anguish. So like lerubisi, Makgalemela re-turned ÔÇô not because of the 1.5 million price tag that is bounced around in the media by gossipers, but he tells us, because mowa wa gagwe o ne o sa bone boikhutso. Makgalemela remains silent on the reasons he advanced for his departure from the BDP in the first place. Have things changed since? He is right to be silent on those issues ÔÇô for nothing has changed.
The dominant approach as the prodigal son returns is let bygones be bygones. Let us translate that into simple English: let us ignore the current problem and move forward.
The trouble is this: ignoring a cancer doesn’t heal it ÔÇô you will have to deal with it someday. What about Patrick? Rumour has it that Makgalemela was cheap at 1.5 million ÔÇô Patrick got 5.
I think this may be a new way of making money in BDP politics: “Nna ke a tsamaya!” “No wait, let’s negotiate, what about two-teners?” Selo se ke botlhodi jwa lerubisi, not just because of the two step dance we are seeing playing out before our eyes, but also because mayaaboa a, a tlholela BDP, a e digela sefifi.
The matter is not that they leave and then return to the party. That has been there in opposition parties as well as in the BDP previously. What is unique about Mr Makgalemela & Masimolole is that within a month they had left and return to the BDP.
Se ke botlhodi since both men wish to be taken seriously. Something tells me that we must keep our eyes open for indeed a great misfortune will befall us because of what we are seeing. It will be of an unexpected magnitude and will hurt those who least expect it.
When there was concern over a P46, 000 fridge, a P11, 000 mirror, at the time I wrote that we may be worried about small change when other people were dealing with millions.
Little did I know that a tale of millions to purchase men’s souls would soon break. I have met a man from Mmutlane who has given up hope on the BDP. What has angered him most is that: Ba itatola dilo then tomorrow you realise that these things were the entire time true after all. To me there is something that smells like botlhodi about all these events.
An evil thing may be upon us. Ke botlhodi jwa lerubisi.
