MODULE TWO

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION IN BOTSWANA

The concept of ATR (what is African Traditional Religion)

 it is a way of life of the Africans

 it is a religion of the indigenous people of Africa which embraces the
tradition and culture of the African people, it is mostly concerned with
the life of Africans as they interact with one another and their supreme
spirit.
 It a religion that is transmitted through word of mouth from
generation to generation through various learning processes, e.g.
initiation schools

Ways in which ATR expresses itself

1. Rituals, ceremonies and festivals of the people

Africans celebrate events in the life of an individual and the community and
these includes rites of passages (rituals performed at different stages of life
ie birth, puberty, marriage and death) for example: child outdooring
(mantsho a ngwana), circumcision, initiation ceremonies, patlo, bogadi,
wedding celebration, mogoga, burial riuals , dikgafela, rainmaking
ceremonies, chief installation ( peo ya kgosi) etc

2. Sacred places and objects

These are places and tangible items which are considered to be holy and
associated to the Modimo and ancestors, these places includes ancestral
shrines where ancestral veneration is conducted ( kgotla, hills, river, caves,
trees or a spot in the backyard).
They are used for offerings and sacrifices eg pouring of libation ( go
phekola)
They can be used as places of worship and as a place where new babies are
introduced to badimo.
Religious objects includes items like a horn for storing medicine and
extracting foreign objects from the body (go dupa), fly whisk for sprinkling
medicine, divine bones for detecting the cause of illnesses and identify a
solution or cure

3. Proverbs, riddles and sayings

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 Proverbs and wise sayings and are a source of rich African wisdom; they are
religious which contain religious beliefs, ideas, morals and warnings, they
speak about Modimo, the world, man, human relationships, the nature of
things etc. as they are short and easy to remember they are used for the right
moment for the right purpose eg “disela mmapa ga di ratane” which talks
about business people... Riddles are used mainly for entertainment and
stimulating peoples thinking eg monna yo moleele rahiho, sa re nyedi sa re
tseke.

4. Myths and legends

Myths are stories which are used to explain things beyond human
understanding, they provide answers to things that human beings cannot
understand on their own, they are crucial source of information and are
passed from one generation to another through a word of mouth, eg the
origin of humankind and death eg the story of lizard and the chameleon,
why certain animals look the way they are eg elephants (made from
remains of all animal flesh including human beings) why the giraffe has long
neck etc

5. Beliefs and practices

A belief is a certainty that something exists or does not exists even though it
has not been proved and practices are actions or activities performed
regularly and are derived from beliefs which are ideas held by followers and
are reflected through their day to day activities.
Examples of beliefs:
 Belief in One God known as Modimo, NDZIMU, Morimo, Nyambi,
Uredzwa , nkosi , Tora etc as the creator, sustainer of life
 Belief in ancestral spirits and these are family members who have
been long dead, followers believe ancestral spirits have special powers
and can influence the life of the living as they act as intermediaries or
a link between human and Modimo, the living performs rituals and
sacrifices to make their ancestors happy and if neglected they bring
misfortune or bad luck and ancestors can only be appeased by prayers
and offerings.
 Beliefs in witchcraft-Africans believe that witchcraft can cause bad
luck, illness and death to people, followers consult the traditional
doctors or diviners to seek for solutions to their problems.

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 6. Art and symbols
African art and symbols expresses religious ideas and are found in wood,
stools, stones. Sticks calabashes etc , some of the symbols used are insects,
animals, trees and colours of all kinds and some of these expressions are
found on rock paintings like Tsodilo Hills, basket waving found in maun
(Shorobe) some of these arts are found in their bodies eg tattoos and body
markings eg Venda people in South Africa and the BaKalaka and Baherero

7. Music and dance

African music and songs deal with regious ideas and practices, religious
rituals, ceremonies and festivals are accompanied by music (singing and
dance) eg Sepero dance in Kasane by Basubiya and Dihosana in North East
by Bakalaka, the music give outlet to the emotional expression of the
religious life and a powerful means of communication, this music is
accompanied by the use of instruments like drums, hustles, flute, rattles,
guitar ( for more information watch BTV during President day)

BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

IN BOTSWANA

Beliefs is a certainty that something exist or does not exist even though cannot be
proved

Practices are activities performed regularly in the same manner in line with the
religious beliefs and ethics.

BELIEFS PRACTICES
 Belief in the ancestral spirits  Initiation
 Belief in Modimo  Ancestral veneration
 Belief in the healing powers of  Confinement (botsetsi)
the traditional doctors  Circumcision
 Belief in the existence of ghosts  Polygamy
 Belief in witchcraft  Mafias
 Belief in life after death  Bogadi
 Belief in boswagadi  Molaletsa
(widowhood)  Motshelo
 Belief in omen (botlhodi)  Majako
 Belief in dikgaba ( bad luck)  Burial practices
 Rites of passage
 Patlo
 Seyantlu
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  Go tlhatswa dirope
 Dikgafela
 Adoption
 Peo ya kgosi
 Mansho a ngwana ( child
outdooring)

 BELIEF IN WITCHCRAFT
Africans believe that boloi is used to instill fear among people by using
some herbs and traditional medicine to force or kill them in a way that
cannot be explained by a lay-man eg usual death.

Benefits of boloi (witchcraft)

-Helps to illuminate enemies in the society
-instill fear for those who plan to kill you
-disciplines wrongdoers
-create order

However
Though witchcraft is relevant in the modern society this belief can be bad
because people can bewitch someone out of jealousy and bitterness just
because the person prosper in life than them which therefore will cause
conflicts and death in the society leaving children as orphans.
Boloi also does not have fruits/ payout/payments which one can be provided
since he/she has successfully eliminated some of individual through boloi

BOTSETSE
This where by a woman and baby are kept in confinement for certain periods
of 4 to 6 months depending on the culture of ethnic groups. This helps the
woman recuperate and protect the infant from illnesses.
Benefits
-helps to protect the baby from illnesses
-helps the mother to recover from delivery pains
-helps to give chance for the baby to grow healthy
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 - protect the baby from being bewitched by people
Confinement has changed a bit as I the past it took 4 -6 months but now days
its 6 weeks that’s one month and two weeks
However
-the woman in confinement may lose their jobs by being replaced by others
-during confinement as the man is not allowed to enter the house may find a
nother woman
-the woman may become lazy after confinement as everything was done for
her
-can lower productivity if the person in confinement was a leader or most
productive.

CIRCUMCISON
Undergone by boys during Bogwera. It was done to signify bravery as they
were not expected to cry. It was done to prepare them for the hardships of
life and graduate from childhood to adulthood.

Benefits of circumcision
This is the removal of the foreskin of the penis
 Promote cleanliness as dirty maybe trapped in the foreskin
 Enhances the spirit of perseverance
 Reduces cases of infections like HIV hence reducing costs of buying
ARV and other treatment.
Unlike in the past where it was performed by traditional doctor
nowadays it is performed by professionals with sterilized items.

However

 May lead to infertility and not reversible

 Violates children’s right to choice as they are circumcised
without their consent leading to family breakups,
 People may not be well informed about circumcision and use it
on advantage to have unprotected sexual intercourse leading to
increase in the number of people infected with HIV.

ACCOUNT FOR THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY IN A.T.R IN BOTSWANA

(why are there Unity and diversity in A.T.R in Botswana

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Unity-Practices and beliefs which are common in most cultures in ATR in
Botswana and are found in every tribe and communities

Diversity- the elements of culture (beliefs and practices) that are different in the
tribes and communities among Batswana culture.

Unity (what brings unity)

Common beliefs e. g belief in Badimo and Modimo

Common values e.g respect for all, Botho, compassion, hospitality, norms

Social institutions e.g the family ( extended family) and Kgotla, regiments
(mephatlo)

Common background e.g common origin (Goo Lowe and the matsieng) etc

Benefits of unity

Common beliefs brings people together as they have common believe in Modimo,

Social identity for the people in the community

Share culture to promote tolerance this is seen in inter-cultural marriages

However (bad effects of Unity)

Cultural erosion as some so called tribes overpower some cultures

Lead to tribal wars

Lead to discrimination

Marginalization of tribal regions eg Bangwato, Bakwena

Diversity of ATR in Botswana

Geographical location, Batswana come from different parts of Botswana which

make them different such as:

(a) The types of food eaten, e.g fish and Tswii is common in Northern Botswana
(Ngami and Chobe), Phane is common in the Eastern part of Botswana e.g
Francistown areas.
(b) Shelter – the types of houses that people dwell in differ depending on their
culture and types of materials available in such areas e,g Huts made of reeds
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 (letlhaka) use in the Okavango area and Chobe as they have big rivers,
Basarwa as they are nomadic they use Motlhomafatshe or temporary huts.
(c) Arts and symbols-artworks found in different parts of the country which
convey messages about the inhabitants of the various areas such as culture,
traditions and beliefs e.g herero dress or attire, dihosana dance
(d) Language – the Setswana spoken in different parts of Botswana differs
according to the ethnic groups e,g Sekalaka, Sesarwa, Sembukushu, Seyei,
sekgalagadi etc, Batswana also use different dialects speech ( words and
pronouncisation that are different from other forms of the same language e.g
hat ( hutshe, tlhoro, kuane), maize ( mmidi, mmopo) cup (kopi, hekere) tla-
ta, tlou-tou,
(e) Burials customs, most Batswana burry the dead at the cemetery but
Batlokwa burry in their homes or backyards or houses, the Bakalanga face
the East instead of the West as other tribes do

Analyze the relevance of ATR beliefs and practices to contemporary

Botswana

ATR BELIEFS:

1. Belief in the healing powers of traditional doctors: It is still relevant in

contemporary Botswana because traditional doctors and medicine are able to
provide healing services and cure some diseases that cannot be cured by
scientific medical doctors such as boswagadi and problems like molelo wa
diphera.

They are also believed to offer protection against witchcraft and evil
spirits.They lead and perform some rituals and offer some traditional
medicines and charms that could either be taken orally or mixed with water
to bath with for healing and protection. The belief is good because it
preserves culture as people continue upholding their beliefs.

However,the belief in the healing powers of traditional doctors can be

irrelevant to Botswana today because: the belief can bring conflicts and
misunderstandings among families as some may accuse people of having a
hand in the misfortunes and problems of others.
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 Some people may claim to have powers and skills of addressing and curing
some diseases, though they do not hence putting their lives of people at risk
and delaying them to get relevant help.

Some people claim to be traditional doctors only to defraud Batswana of

their personal belongings and money thus pushing people into debts and
poverty.

2. Belief in witchcraft: This is a belief that there are some people in society
who have skills and powers in causing some misfortunes and bring evil in
others lives.This belief is still relevant in Botswana today because:

It gives people the explanation of misfortunes happen in people’s lives

because whatever bad or evil happenings in the lives of people for those who
believe in witchcraft, they attribute it to witches. This is good because it
provides answers for those things which are beyond human understandings
e.g molelo wa diphera

However, the belief in witchcraft gives birth to the spirit of hatred,stigma

and discrimination of the poor and the weak in society as these people are
always misjudged and accused of witchcraft.

Sometimes, some people fail to address their problems and hide behind the
belief in witchcraft.

ATR PRACTICES

1. Circumcision of boys and men: This is the removal of the foreskin from
the penis. Traditionally it was done to teach boys and men that it is
important for them to be men and learn to withstand pains. A circumcised
boy was seen as a true man. Circumcision forged a religious identity and
a sense of belonging among men and their ancestors who have undergone
the practice.

- It is relevant because it had been discovered today that the foreskin of

the penis traps and hides some diseases causing organisms such as
germs, bacteria, fungi and viruses that can be fatal. Therefore, the
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 removal of the foreskin helps in reducing the possibility of a man
from being infected by some diseases.

- In addition, in modern times it has been proved scientifically that

circumcision reduces the chances of those who have undergone it to
contract and spread sexual transmitted infections like HIV and AIDS
by 60%.

- Furthermore, circumcision also reduces the chances of female sexual

partners to acquire cervical cancer as the foreskin that can be a
breeding place of organism that cause cancer of the cervix will have
been removed.

However, it is irreversible. Once it is done, there is no how the man

can change his mind and get the foreskin back. What about if a new
disease can surface which needs availability of the foreskin? It means
all those who have undergone it will die.

Sometimes mistakes do happen and a man’s operation when getting

circumcised goes wrong. E.g. resulting in excessive bleeding, the
wound not healing well which can make one to be disabled from
functioning well sexually.

Religious questions have been asked as some religious people believe

that the creator created man’s power with the foreskin for a reason, so
is the procedure not denaturing them?

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