Bakgatla Earthenware Pottery Making Skills on display

boot- camp at which two Master Potters were enlisted to train Molefi secondary school Art students while one Master Potter and a trainee potter trained Modipane primary school students on the element.

The final phase was the exhibition at whose opening participants and their trainers had an opportunity to relate their journey of learning the skill of making earthenware pots.

The Chairman of the Kgateng District Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee, Kgosi Segale graced the exhibition along with members of his committee as well as Purene Motsewabeng from the Botswana National Commission for UNESCO; Emelda Mathe the Board Chairperson of Phuthadikobo Museum; Goabaone Tamoupu from the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture Development as well as MP for Mochudi East MP Mabuse Pule.

Pule urged Bakgatla to seriously market their culture especially their Bogwera and Bojale and place these in the same league as the Eswatini’s annual Reed Dance festival or the Zulu’s Impi. He said they could do this by building a market for their products and promoting Phuthadikobo Museum through various social media platforms as a tourist destination site.

Pule also advised that Bakgatla could organise an annual Dikopelo tsa Sekgatla festival to showcase and propagate this element, which has also been listed at UNESCO. While a business opportunity, such events would also be another way of safeguarding the element.

The exhibition was officially opened by businessman Moemedi Senwelo who gave the potters tips on how to market and sell their products.