13 Aug 2017

Masisi has pledged to donate a pregnant female cow to Kgosi Nkosiyabo Mngibisa of Bikwe near Manyana village during his installation as headman of arbitration.

Mr Masisi said the donation was to encourage Kgosi Mngibisa, the first to be officially installed as headman for Bikwe to have cattle which he said was congruent with the latter’s Xhosa culture and traditions for a man to have livestock.

Mr Masisi also pledged a female cow for the guest speaker and King of the Amahlubi tribe from South Africa Inkosi Luthozini Zibi, affectionately known by his subjects as Aa! Zanodumo or Vision enabler. A female, pregnant cow across many African cultures signifies life. Mr Masisi said arrangements would be made for the two leaders to receive the gifts.

In his remarks, Kgosi Zanodumo first thanked government and Batswana for their benevolence to the local Xhosa people by giving them equal opportunities like any other Motswana since they arrived here in 1904 from the Eastern Cape.

Kgosi Zanodumo also thanked the local Xhosa people for maintaining their culture, heritage and identity within a predominantly Tswana community and encouraged them to keep transmitting the same to their progeny particularly through language and traditions.

“I am happy that you still maintain your identity, with support and recognition from government, you are able to foster and practice your culture with a visionary leader like Kgosi Kebinatshwene Mosielele. We must see ourselves not as foreign partners because of the fence that separates us, but each as a representation despite geographics,” he said.

Kgosi Zanodumo said it was important for the relationship to be nurtured to become organic, adding there was a lot of potential for cultural tourism in the area. He said the language in terms of dialect might evolve since locals were not in a purely Xhosa community, but was particularly pleased that they still performed similar practices they also observed in Khaya-khulu or capital in South Africa.

He further  advised Bikwe residents to keep celebrating culture every year.Such platforms would give them more opportunities to strengthen their ties. 

Meanwhile, Kgosi Mosielele has advised Kgosi Mngibisa to provide leadership for his people and dispense justice without fear or favour.

For his part, Kgosi Mngibisa promised to follow the foot path of elders who came before him and pick up where they had left off.ENDS