Held under the theme: Temo Letlotlo: Ngwao Boswa, the event opened with a vibrant procession to the main kgotla on Thursday. 

Women dressed in cultural attire paraded in a meandering line with farm produce balanced on their heads. Men in their typical Motswana attire also joined the women who presented grain to the Kgosi. 

The men carried sticks, goads and knobkerries, a display that reflected traditional roles during ploughing and community work.The harvest was later handed over to traditional leadership in a symbolic gesture of respect.

Kgosi Bokamoso Radipitse of Tonota used the occasion to call on farmers to return to indigenous seeds as they were drought resistant and could be replanted. 

“Hybrid seeds are a one-time thing. With imminent drought due to climate change, we need seeds that can withstand harsh conditions,” he said. 

Kgosi Radipitse further urged residents to take care of their ploughing fields “as if they are taking care of a nursing mother.” 

He said agriculture remained key to sustaining livelihoods during trying times of financial crisis. 

He appealed to those with large unused fields to lend them to others, noting that many fields allocated long ago had turned into bush.Kgosi Joshua Joel of Mmandunyane said the day was not only to celebrate the harvest but also to preserve culture.

He expressed concern that despite good rains, many farmers did not plough as expected, but welcomed the grain donated saying it would assist those in need. 

Kgosi Joel highlighted lack of proper storage facilities such as silos in the village and challenged residents to find lasting solutions. 

He reminded the community of past practices where harvest was stored by the Kgosi for use during times of hunger, stressing that the harvest did not belong to the chief but to the people.

One of the organisers and wife to Kgosi Joel, Tholego Joel, said the purpose of the day was to preserve cultural identity and teach the upcoming generation the importance of keeping traditions alive. 

She said while women were on the forefront of the event, men also played an important role.

VDC chairperson, Foley Doctor, took the community down memory lane, stating that Mmandunyane was established in 1973 by Kgosi Kaisara with three wards and no school. 

He said residents later built two classrooms through the Ipelegeng programme. 

He described Mmandunyane as a village of all trades that hosted different tribes, including the Bazezuru, adding that although it was one of the oldest villages in the region, it still lagged in some developments such as a kgotla shelter.

The day was characterised by traditional music, choral performances, poetry and contemporary music as residents celebrated both their harvest and their culture. ENDS