16 Aug 2015

Preparations for the annual Bamalate Cultural Day are proceeding according to plan.

The day, which entails celebrating the Balete culture and marking the end of the traditional initiation school season, is set for 29 August at the main kgotla in Ramotswa.

Addressing the organising committee recently, Balete deputy Kgosi Tsimane Mokgosi said the tribe was ready to welcome the second female regiment.
The female regiments are expected to grace the event to mark their graduation from the month long training session.

Kgosi Mokgosi advised the committee to ensure that somebody explains the purpose of all the traditional artefacts exhibited to avoid a repeat of last year where attendants and guests could not be attended to.

He also urged the committee to encourage the youth to display their art and crafts, adding that those using modern technology such as DVDs and CDs could only be allowed to display about Balete culture.

A member of the committee, Simon Molebatsi said the Selete dialect was an important component of the day and has to be adhered to. He regretted that the dialect was losing meaning and infiltrated by other languages.

For instance, he noted that Balete do not have bogobe jwa lerotse, but instead they have bogobe jwa lekatane and they do not have seswaa but tshwaio. The committee is expecting various performers for entertainment during the day which will be celebrated under the theme: Ngwana wa kgosi, ithute molodi malata a sale teng. ENDS