22 Sep 2013

Maru-a-Pula School in Gaborone on September 20 hosted its annual Setswana week with a play titled Bana Ba Metsi.

Setswana Week was part of the school’s efforts to preserve the country’s cultural heritage, hence the play was deeply rooted in Setswana culture. The fictional, Bana Ba Metsi, focused on an outstanding woman who led the country to independence.

The play director, Jessica Legowa, said Bana Ba Metsi was meant to pay tribute to the women of Botswana, to acknowledge and encourage their leadership in different capacities.

The play was a result of a large scale of collaboration between students, educators, carpenters, volunteers, private individuals, cleaners, parents, writers, Maru-a-Pula, administrators and security staff. To make the play more exciting, Bana Ba Metsi featured renowned KTM Choir who did background music as the play was underway.

The cultural event was exciting as there was also entertainment by Mogwana traditional song and dance group and Bana Bantogwa-a Kalanga traditional troupe. Traditional Setswana cuisine was also on sale at the event. Meanwhile, the first Setswana Week was hosted in 2008 initiated by the Setswana department at Maru-a-Pula with the support of all Batswana members of staff, both teaching and non-teaching. ENDS