|
|
Botswana: Mogae Celebrates 'TNT'
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
17 March 2008
Posted to the web 17 March 2008
Dan Mosekaphofu
Tonota
It is a relatively quite and cool place except for the flowing traffic along the A1 Francistown to Gaborone Road. But today, suddenly, the village has come to life.
People are rushing towards the main Kgotla, which has suddenly become the hive of activities. Old men and women with their walking sticks are also visible among the multitudes that are littering almost all the roads and passages leading towards the Kgotla.
The presence of the security personnel that includes members of the disciplined forces such as the members of the police force and the Botswana Defence Force clearly punctuates the importance of this day and its activities in Tonota Village.
The village is celebrating the arrival of the number one citizen of our country. The villagers have come to say good-bye and thank you to the man who has been leading them for the past ten years.
School children are lining up the street that leads to the main Kgotla. They have temporarily halted their schoolwork to come and get a glimpse of the face that they usually see on television. Happiness is written all over their faces. It is temporarily disturbed by this lady teacher who shouts to remind them that they should be mindful of the fact that they are going to write an essay on what will happen on that day.
At the main kgotla 'busy' is the term that is suitable to describe the activities there. The smoke that bellows from under the three-legged black pots behind the kgotla buildings sum up the magnitude and/or importance of this occasion. The meat that is displayed in various containers and even on top of trees confirms the suspicion that a number of cattle might have been sacrificed.
We have now been waiting for some time for the arrival of His Excellency, the President. The old man who is sitting besides me is busy coughing, a sign that he is not well. "This coughing is not going to stop me from seeing mong a me - my boss," he consoles himself, as he wipes his mouth.
Other old men who do not want to be troubled descend on the Kgotla with chairs in their hands. The two tents that have been put up are growing small by the minute.
Suddenly a helicopter appears on the sky. A compulsory exercise in the form of looking up the sky begins. It is more of a competition between those who have good eyesight and those with a poor vision.
The old folks seem to be losing in this competition. They can be seen wiping away tears that are streaming down their faces as a result of their eyes' direct contact with the sunrays, as the temperatures are convincingly high now. Some are however not prepared to give up. They take off their spectacles and continue with the struggle.
In the midst of their struggle, the, chorus 'Ke ene' - It is he, becomes a temporary national anthem. They are convinced that the helicopter that is hovering above our heads is the one that is carrying the President.
We have to wait for a while before the presidential motorcade or convoy reaches the Kgotla. His Excellency finally arrives on this very nice BMW that has got a sunroof.
He is standing so that everybody can see him clearly. His arms are high in the air as he alights from his car to greet the multitudes. Everybody stands up to greet the President as a sign of respect and a welcoming gesture.
There are deafening sounds of ululations and clapping of hands. There is also a near stampede as people flock to try and shake the President's hand. Only a few emerge victorious. "Ke mo tshwere ka letsogo" - I touched his hand," one delighted old woman exclaims.
The President and his entourage have finally taken their seats and positions and the proceedings for the day immediately start.
People continue to arrive at the Kgoatla. Those who have attended to get a glimpse of the President, frequently ask the question when they arrive "Ke ofe gone fale?"- Which one is the president? After seeing the President, one boy screams, "I have seen him today, but unfortunately I cannot touch him. That is what I wanted to do," he discloses in a sad tone.
"This man has really helped us a lot, especially with the anti-retroviral drugs. People were dying like flies. We will always remember him for that," explains the 38-year-old Nchadi Letsosa of Maaloso.
|
For the 37 year old Kesaitse Tshekiso, "It is a blessing that Tonota was included in the list of the villages that the President has to visit. This shows that our village is recognised by the powers that be".
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 Mmegi/The Reporter. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
