The statue of the great Kgosi Bathoen II was unveiled prematurely recently due to lack of funds to complete a planned project at the site.
According to the curator of Kgosi Bathoen II (BKII) Museum, Mika Morima, the unveiling of the statue had to be done because it was 'high timee'. “We wanted to give the community the opportunity to see him,” he said.
Morima said they had experienced difficulties obtaining money and that they still owed the creator of the statue, Masilonyana Radinoga. He however said that they were calling for sponsors to come forth through the 'Adopt a Monument' strategy, whereby companies could advertise themselves at the site and in turn take care of of the site and develop it.
“We also encourage the community to help. We can complete the site and transform it into a landmark with a lot of significance. We also plan to build a shopping complex with a curio shop, library and even bedding,” Morima said and added that the project was community based and would put the resources back to the community.
The Curator however said he was haunted by the attitude of Bangwaketse towards their museum. “Bangwaketse should understand that they have an instrument for education which is vital to the community.
“The VDC and others should network and take pride in their museum. They don't visit it but it is a bureau of information. Even artists don't use the museum,” he lamented.
Other speakers at the unveiling ceremony told of the difficulties the project faced with the first committee set up early 1993 collapsing because the expected contributions of cow from each member and money were not forth coming and only a little over P44 000 was raised even though the statue was to be worth P500 000. A new committee was however set up with new ways to raise funds in two years.
Bathoen was hailed as the man to have united the tribe when he came into power. According to Moruti Malau, who narrated the works of Bathoen, “people stayed at cattle posts and masimos.” Among other legacies, Bathoen who was a member of the 'London' church banned initiation(Bogwera le Bojale) ceremonies.
Malau described Bathoen as a gifted man said the chief also forbid young men to marry unless they had built homes where they could take the wives and the offering of sheep as bride price and replaced them with eight cows.
“He was lucky and had foresight,” said Malau. “He improved farming, improved cattle breeds and initiated the digging of Mmakgodumo dam and started a garden and the morogo was eaten in schools.”
The guest of honour at the occasion, Barolong Paramount Chief, Kgosi Lotlaamoreng said the statue was a historic monument for the whole country. “We should respect our chiefs because of what they did for us. They united us and ensured we were protected,” he said.
He called for chiefs to be given power saying if the chiefs' powers had not been reduced they would have done better for their people. Furthermore, the chief appealed to the tribe to look after the statue so that their descendants and tourists know that there was a great chief.
Lotlaamoreng also discouraged chiefs from politics. “These are all your people, but if you join politic it means you have to choose between your tribe members,” he said.
According to the curator of Kgosi Bathoen II (BKII) Museum, Mika Morima, the unveiling of the statue had to be done because it was 'high timee'. “We wanted to give the community the opportunity to see him,” he said.
Morima said they had experienced difficulties obtaining money and that they still owed the creator of the statue, Masilonyana Radinoga. He however said that they were calling for sponsors to come forth through the 'Adopt a Monument' strategy, whereby companies could advertise themselves at the site and in turn take care of of the site and develop it.
“We also encourage the community to help. We can complete the site and transform it into a landmark with a lot of significance. We also plan to build a shopping complex with a curio shop, library and even bedding,” Morima said and added that the project was community based and would put the resources back to the community.
The Curator however said he was haunted by the attitude of Bangwaketse towards their museum. “Bangwaketse should understand that they have an instrument for education which is vital to the community.
“The VDC and others should network and take pride in their museum. They don't visit it but it is a bureau of information. Even artists don't use the museum,” he lamented.
Other speakers at the unveiling ceremony told of the difficulties the project faced with the first committee set up early 1993 collapsing because the expected contributions of cow from each member and money were not forth coming and only a little over P44 000 was raised even though the statue was to be worth P500 000. A new committee was however set up with new ways to raise funds in two years.
Bathoen was hailed as the man to have united the tribe when he came into power. According to Moruti Malau, who narrated the works of Bathoen, “people stayed at cattle posts and masimos.” Among other legacies, Bathoen who was a member of the 'London' church banned initiation(Bogwera le Bojale) ceremonies.
Malau described Bathoen as a gifted man said the chief also forbid young men to marry unless they had built homes where they could take the wives and the offering of sheep as bride price and replaced them with eight cows.
“He was lucky and had foresight,” said Malau. “He improved farming, improved cattle breeds and initiated the digging of Mmakgodumo dam and started a garden and the morogo was eaten in schools.”
The guest of honour at the occasion, Barolong Paramount Chief, Kgosi Lotlaamoreng said the statue was a historic monument for the whole country. “We should respect our chiefs because of what they did for us. They united us and ensured we were protected,” he said.
He called for chiefs to be given power saying if the chiefs' powers had not been reduced they would have done better for their people. Furthermore, the chief appealed to the tribe to look after the statue so that their descendants and tourists know that there was a great chief.
Lotlaamoreng also discouraged chiefs from politics. “These are all your people, but if you join politic it means you have to choose between your tribe members,” he said.
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