28 Mar 2017

Kgosi Malope II of Bangwaketse recently cycled from Kanye main kgotla to Mmalekwa royal cemetery and further down to Lodubeng village park as a way of creating momentum for the bicycle challenge scheduled for April 2.
Speaking after the activation exercise, he urged Bangwaketse to support the initiative dubbed Kgosi Malope II bicycle challenge.
Kgosi Malope said the first phase of the project would entail fencing the yard and later building the prayer room and creating pathways across the burial site.
Kgosi Malope said it was crucial to develop the area and conserve it for future generations.
He said the cemetery had a rich History of Bangwaketse. He said the late Queen Mother, Mrs Retse Gaseitsewe, his brother Kgosi Leema Gaseitsewe and many royals were laid to rest in the area.
Kgosi Malope has thus commended Security Systems for support and urged the business community to throw their weight behind the bicycle challenge, which would become an annual event. Giving the overview, project chairperson Mr Edward Dibeela said the initiative to develop the cemetery started in 2014 with a concern from the United Congregational Church Of Southern Africa (UCCSA).
Mr Dibeela said the church was concerned that the rich history, which included missionaries who were buried in the place, was fast going to waste.  He said developing the area could create employment for the youth and become a sustainable income generator for the village.
Mr Dibeela said they would avail all the information on every tomb for public consumption.
Mr Dibeela further shared that Mr Tom Brown, who once translated the English dictionary into Setswana, missionaries, travellers, mercenaries, British and Rhodesian soldiers were buried in the area.
Another committee member and headman, Mr Morulaganyi Lenong said they started the project with no budget and had to dig into their pockets to open a bank account.
He also thanked Police College officers for having de-bushed the yard as a part of community service.
 Tsosamotse Society representative, Mr Moanamisi Gadiile said they would do their best to ensure the project becomes successful.
He said the organisation, which comprised Kanye youth, partnered with the project committee to organise fund-raising activities to develop the plot. Mr Gadiile explained that the partnership was an expression of a desire to plough back into the community that had raised them to become the best they could be. He said they wished to connect the cemetery to the internet to create an enabling environment for Kanye youth to do business.
Mr Gadiile further shared that the organisation drilled children from 7-15 years on vital entrepreneurial and financial literacy skills with the intention to inspire them to become entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, Mr Gadiile said the bicycle challenge would be categorised into 110 km (main race), 60km and 30km fun race.
He said participants would register with P200, P150 and P75 respectively.
For his part, Security Systems managing director, Mr Gabriel Nkgetse said his company would support the initiative.
He said he was optimistic that the project would create employment for the youth during construction stage and after completion.
“Our company believes the more we assist Batswana, the more we grow our brand,” he said.
From a security stand point, Mr Nkgetse said criminals usually used neglected places like cemeteries as a safe haven, therefore developing the yard would make the area safer.
Area councillor, Mr Kabelo Lemme commended Kgosi Malope for leading by example.
He noted that during his inaugural speech, Kgosi Malope had promised to revive the spirit of self- reliance among his subjects. ENDS