17 Aug 2025

The community of Kang came together to celebrate their heritage during the inaugural Swaabe Cultural Day on August 16.

The event was marked by display of traditional cuisine and song with women dressed in their finest Leteisi attire.

Speaking at the occasion, Hukuntsi District Commissioner, Veronica Rabakane, commended Kang community for recognising the importance of celebrating and reviving their culture.

“As a nation, we need to uphold and safeguard our culture as it is our source of pride,” she said.

Rabakane said it was through culture that people unite during both happy and sad times.

She warned that Botswana’s cultural identity could gradually erode if communities do not actively preserve it.

Rabakane expressed concern that many children lacked knowledge of Setswana culture.

“As we copy other cultures, we must hold tightly to our own. Nigerians, Americans, and others may learn our language, but they never abandon theirs. We should do the same,” she said.

Held under the theme: Culture: A Cornerstone for Unity and Economy, the celebration also highlighted the economic potential of cultural heritage.

The District Commissioner therefore, noted that Botswana’s cultural assets, music, dance, and oral traditions could be marketed internationally, citing the example of KTM Choir, which had at one point graced the international stage.

She further underscored the need to document cultural practices in libraries to ensure preservation for present and future generations.

Rabakane noted that traditional games as well as oral traditions should also be preserved, adding that they should be taught to children to enrich play and heritage.

She further emphasised the importance of reviving Setswana customs which guided children on moral conduct and respect.

She hailed the community for the maiden Swaabe Cultural Day and called for action for the community to reclaim, preserve, and pass on their heritage to future generations.

Sharing the historical background, she said the people of Kang, called Bashaga ba Batlhaping, were originally Batlhaping from Taung in South Africa.

She indicated that, they settled in the area under Kgosi Kathu during the Mfecane wars. The name Kang emerged from the tribe’s struggles to defend the land from the Bakwena, who sought its rich wildlife resources.

Kgosi Kathu, she noted, was the first Motlhaping to be buried in Kang after being fatally attacked by Bakwena for refusing to sign a hut tax.

“His sons Seipone and Phori later led the tribe, with Batlhaping-ba-ga-Phuduhudu and ba-ga-Phuduhutswana intermarrying to strengthen their community,” she said.

For her part, Kgosi Basadi Seipone III of Kang said the objective of the Swaabe Cultural Day was to showcase practices of the past and retain those that continued to serve the community well.

Kgosi Seipone noted that Setswana culture was rooted in peace and harmony, stressing that preserving cultural values was key to ensuring that peace continued to prevail.

She reflected on traditional practices, recalling that in the past, the Kgosi had full authority over the village.

“During the ploughing season, farmers would plough first for the Kgosi as a token of respect. Such customs instilled discipline and encouraged mutual respect within the community,” she said.

Explaining how her tribe came to be called Bashaga, she revealed that the name was adopted after they defeated the Bakwena, who had attempted to take over Kang.

Kgosi Seipone explained that it was through the merging of some tribes who resisted and overcame the Bakwena, after which the latter nicknamed them Bashaga, likening them to the sharp and aggressive edge of a saw. ENDS