Africa-Press – Botswana. The annual Bakwena culture and heritage event, ABSA Dithubaruba Cultural Festival, is back for the 17th year on Saturday. The event will be held at Ntsweng Heritage Site in Molepolole under the theme, Heritage in Motion.
The event has grown tremendously over the years. According to one of the event coordinators, Tlamelo ‘Petleke’ Letlole, they have already hosted some of the event’s annual pre-events, such as a business seminar powered by ABSA on August 17, 2025. He said the event is aimed at teaching patrons about running a cost-effective business and cost-effective measures of business transactions.
“Another successful pre-event was the Dithubaruba Symposium last Thursday. It was about the times and life of Kgosi Sechele. We talked of Ntsweng reimagined as a theme. Our focus was on painting a picture of the livelihood, lifestyle, and culture of the Bakwena of Kgosi Sechele I during the 1960s. We took those elements and brought them to these contemporary world practices,” he said.
He stated that another upcoming pre-season event, Pitso ya Borre, will take place on Friday at Ntsweng Heritage Site, in partnership with the Motor Vehicle Fund. The men’s gathering will focus on gender-based violence (GBV) and road accidents – issues that disproportionately involve men as perpetrators. Petleke emphasised that the event aims to bring together social clubs and men from the Kweneng Region to discuss and share advice on addressing these critical issues.
Furthermore, he explained that the initiative targets all Batswana and culture enthusiasts, aiming to promote diverse Sekwena cultures. Petleke said that by showcasing the uniqueness of various cultures that intersect in Kweneng, the goal is to highlight nation-building through diversity. He explained that they use the Dithubaruba model to celebrate the differences in culture and ethnicity among Batswana, emphasising that these very differences unite the nation.
“Dithubaruba is growing, we see that through the number of attendees. We saw this through our international guests. They have started coming in numbers. Bakwena from both Limpopo normally come with three buses each. Other Bakwena from South Africa had shown interest in attending tomorrow’s event. The traditional house of leadership from North West Province, placed in Mahikeng, had also shown interest in attending because on September 24, 2025, they will be celebrating Heritage Day. They are coming to benchmark from us,” Petleke added.
Moreover, he said security will be tight, promising that both patrons and assets would be safe. He said the police and private security would be available to man people’s vehicles and people. He added that they would not be allowing bottled beverages, encouraging patrons to drink traditional beverages using phafana. He added that traditional foods would also be sold at the event. He further encouraged different tribes to host their own traditional events and celebrate their dikgosi and history.
He encouraged members of the public to come early for the event and in large numbers. Artists who will be performing at the event include Elvis Kweba, David Tlale, Rapelang Hube, Ditiro Leero, Culture Spears, Mmurubele, Dr Vom, Mmaausi, Tshumu, and others. Tickets for the event cost P75 for children, P150 for general, and P200 at the entrance.
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