On Saturday 29th January 2011 we saw history of a new Botswana unfold before our eyes.
At a kgotla meeting of Bakgatla held at the Mochudi kgotla by kgosi kgolo Kgafela II, Bakgatla unanimously passed a historic resolution that they demand a new constitution for Botswana by Batswana.
The purpose of the kgotla meeting was to start the New Year of 2011 in celebration before God. The celebration was in grand style. Present were several of the churches of kgatleng.
We had interesting visitors- The Muslim society. This brotherhood in Islam received a hearty welcome.
The opening prayer was led by Sheik Hassan of the Muslim brotherhood followed by a truly inspiring sermon by moruti Lephogole of Ekyalame Apostlic Church.
In his opening remark moruti Lephogole stated: “truth hurts, but the truth shall set us free thus it must be spoken.” The next priest to speak after him was moruti Radikgomo of Dutch Reform Church who spoke about ridding ourselves of the yokes of life – morwalo.
At a later point during the meeting Kgosi Segale Linchwe was requested by Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela II to read a passage from the bible in the book of Dikhutsafalo (lamentations) chapter 5 verse 8 onwards. The essence of the message of Dikhutsafalo was this that we are living under Governance by our servants (mmuso wa batlhanka), which has usurped authority from our Kings and Queens and is causing unlimited suffering amongst the people of God.
Some members of the public in attendance gasped in awe at the striking resemblance of modern day Botswana to what was read out of Dikhutsafalo book of the Bible.
One priests read the book of John where it speaks of the truth as the source of freedom whilst another read out the book of Ephesians chapter 6: “stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armour of Gods righteousness.”
All these beautiful speeches by our noble men of God condensed into a powerful message that set the tone for the meeting of Saturday. In his powerful speech Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela, followed by morena Mmusi, each reminded the public of the imperative need for all of us to face and speak the truth about our false reality called Botswana.
Botswana was born on a false foundation of colonial laws and customs. Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela II in particular made it clear that changing the constitution of Botswana was a condition precedent to solving all our problems (Dikhutsafalo) in Botswana. He emphatically made it clear to all that Botswana cannot progress to any future at all for so long as Dikgosi were batlhanka and for so long as we continued under “mmuso wa batlhanka” as narrated in Dikhutsafalo.
I am one of the people who spoke at the meeting to reaffirm the strong message of our dikgosi.
In August, 2010 I wrote an article in this paper titled “The false republic”.
I urge the reader to visit that. In the last paragraph of the article I stated the following, which I quote:
“We need to become aware and accept that our Republic is an illusion before we can walk the path to finding a true Republic. Our blind faith to present authority in the face of hypocrisy shall be the final nudge to set us as a nation tumbling down the cliff of damnation. “A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth“ (Albert Einstein).”
This statement I made several months ago is well captured in the resolute message of our Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela II and morena Mmusi: Botswana needs a new constitution which reflects the values of Batswana in their diverse tribal and ethnic groupings.
The present colonial constitution was imposed upon Batswana (Seretse Kgama and the colonial master colluded in tricking Dikgosi to sign the constitution go sena morero le Merafe). Batswana have suffered enough. Enough is enough now!
Such false constitution is the source of all our problems. It is the source of Dikhutsafalo (lamentations) as Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela put it at the meeting. It is the yoke (morwalo) that we all need to rid ourselves of. “if there is any course which Batswana must unite for and rally behind, it is the movement to have a new constitution of Botswana by Batswana,” said kgosi Kgafela II. It is my sincere belief that the end is inevitable for the present false government.
The writing is on the wall for all to see. All that it takes is just a little nudge by true leaders and those Dikgosi who have not traded their souls and their leopard skins for momentary material comfort. It also takes honesty and courage on the part of the ordinary citizens.
If we can all be honest people, live by truth as Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela encouraged, and do the right thing, we can have a new Botswana in less than 24 months. It is doable, if the media does not betray the course of the people by suppressing news.
The media has a critical role in the revolution underway in Botswana. They must recognise their responsibility and duty to the people by refusing to suppress news, refusing to publish lies which kill attention on the course whilst encouraging the chasing of unimportant issues. Botswana television was present at the Kgotla meeting but they have not published a single clip of the meeting.
They are suppressing news as they usually do for the sake of those who abuse the people. Their conduct will be short-lived. Those at BTV, and the rest of the civil service who cannot stand up for truth have no place in the new Botswana about to be born. As the awakening of the masses gains momentum, the people are reminded of their duty towards truth. This duty entails that they must refuse to obey orders which offend truth and therefore betray the struggle for liberation of Botswana from pseudo colonialism.
The opposition parties must stop right away from playing their political games which have served to divide the people. They must recognise urgently the benefit of playing politics under a new constitution which shall provide a much friendlier playing field. All attention of Batswana must focus on this course.
The trade unions must direct all their efforts here as well as the churches and civil society in general. Dikgosi must stand to be counted. We the public expect each Kgosi to call similar kgotla meetings to get his people to pass a similar resolution as that passed by Bakgatla on 29th January 2011 (i.e resolution to have a new constitution for Botswana for Batswana).
Any Kgosi who does not stand to be counted will not have a place in the new Botswana. He will remain as obscure or as significant as he makes himself in the struggle. Everybody will reap what they have sown. Dikgosi must decide now whether they will remain batlhanka or Dikgosi. Our academics at the University of Botswana must wake up out of their false sense of worthiness and do what their parents in the rural areas took them to school for.
Batswana must decide NOW whether they want to be makgowanyana or Batswana .We can’t be both. We are black and will remain black no matter how much some of us may desire to be white. The whites will forever see us for what we are- Black.
The end is here for false rule. United we stand divided we fall and remain oppressed. The truth and nothing else but the truth shall set us free.
Let us all join hands to sign the song of truth ÔÇô WE WANT A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR BOTSWANA BY BATSWANA! “LETSWAO KEMO/FULL STOP.”
Ke nako!