11 Jul 2016

Culture is a diverse activity which needs to be revisited time again, so that people can understand the essence of their culture, says the Ambassador of Japan to Botswana Masahiro Onishi.

He said this during the Kalamare Cultural celebration in Kalamare on Saturday.

He said culture was an important part of the human nature, adding that the purpose of celebrating was to think over and share amongst themselves what they have and what they have achieved in regard to the principles of culture.

Onishi said as a representative of Japan in Botswana, he learnt a lot from them, their way of living and the way they govern themselves, the methods of economic sustenance and also the way they interact with other foreign nationalities in their country.

He noted that the activity depicts them as villagers who understand their co-existence and self-development.

He said Botswana was a blessed country, that when it got independence it had a foresighted leader who led his people according to their cultural domains.

Onishi said the event also depicts Batswana as people who respect their culture as they would have been no better way to identify themselves, if they had no culture or follow certain cultural patterns, adding that their pride today had been inspired by the past and the current leadership.

He said Batswana have never isolated themselves from their previous cultural background and this was why they were enjoying themselves with their cultural dances and songs.

The Japan Ambassador said the democratic principles that they were enjoying had been strengthened by them by reviewing their cultural festivals.

He said the respect the Batswana have for their culture have earned them a trade mark ‘Botswana a proud Nation’.

He said as Vision 2016 upholds the principle of Botho, which was in their cultural background and the tolerance of the Kgotla, it was their heart and of their communities.

Onishi said Kalamare was an old village, with the succession of leadership being maintained according to the genealogies of the village leadership, and with thus he applauded them.

Further, he said Botswana and Japan have established constant friendly relations and real friendship was not only nurtured only in political and economic areas but also in cultural areas such as music, art, sport to name a few.

He said this year marks the 50th anniversary of Botswana’s independence as well as that of diplomatic tie between Botswana and Japan, and to celebrate this commemorative year, Japan would hold a Japanese traditional craft exhibition and Japanese drum performances in addition to the annual events like the Japanese movie festival and the exhibition of paintings drawn by Japanese pupils.

The theme of the day was ‘Be proud of your tradition, conserve culture’.

For his part, MP for Shoshong constituency Dikgang Makgalemele applauded the people of Kalamare for organising such a wonderful day, full of activities, songs and dance.

Makgalemele said culture forms the umbilical cord that binds people, a common thread that runs through families, wards and villages uniting all into a single people.

He noted that the activity was not only about Batswana but more especially about the people of Lesoso, adding that this celebration provides lessons to younger generations, to learn their history of origin, norms and the practices of their people and ultimately to take responsibility of the future.

Makgalemele said for the younger generation, such an event should become a rite of passage for them, where the older generation passes on knowledge as it had been since the beginning of time. ENDS