By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

The award-winning poet, Tshepo Constance Letebele said winning the Best Poetry Category in Baruta Ngwao Music and Traditional awards is a boost to her career. Letebele (25), who originates from Magogong village near Taung said this will strengthen her market including her support base.  

“I am over the moon because winning is a big step for me. It means I got a huge fan base now and that gives me a push because I see that people love what I do. I will keep writing, reading, and giving people what they love, but above all, I will add more to my writing skills.

“As an artist, one needs to be creative at all times, hence I add orchestration into my poetry. Now, I have to add something new for my fans and spread my wings to achieve more. Yes, I am working on a project called Kgato, which is so exciting because the aim of this project is to address socio-economic challenges facing our society, especially the youth such as teenage pregnancy, HIV, high rate of crime, alcohol and drug abuse,” she said.

Letebele further said, she has brought almost every local artist together on the project to share their ideas. She added that, they have already made inroads as some of the young girls, whom she is working with, have already been booked across.

“So, to my supporters, words are not enough to show how much I appreciate you. Thank you for your unwavering love and continuous support you always show. Ke le rata kesa ikhutse and may Almighty continue to bless you all.

“Even though poetry is the most underrated genre across, I believe that things might take a positive turn soon. I discovered my talent and passion during high school. I used to master essays, unprepared speeches, and oral presentations, then wrote my first ever poem, which I presented to one of my former teachers during a farewell ceremony,” said Letebele.

She said: “Since then, I became unstoppable and gave birth to numerous poems. Mostly, my poems are based on current situations because it is where I find content. We are faced with various challenges such as Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and I am also trying to bring awareness.”

The North West University (NWU) alumni and founder of Taung Yum Creamery said poetry belongs to the realm of emotions and imagination. She said art plays a primordial role in shaping the individual and transmits human values.

“People assume that to become a poet, you will only need a book and a pen. However, they have not realised that the world evolves and things change. Remember, the ancient ways one uses to write poems, the less support one will get.

“Unlike music, poetry is not taken into consideration, but I believe that things will take a positive turn soon. Atleast, we now have a poetry category in some awards. I would like to work with poets like Lebogang Mashile and Botlhale Boikanyo in the future,” said Letebele.

You can also follow her on social media platforms like Facebook: Tshepo Consty Letebele and Instagram: Tshepoconsty

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By OBAKENG MAJE

The Taung Cultural Calabash event organiser is facing a criminal case. This comes after the organiser allegedly failed to follow the proper procedure to organise the whopping R4 million Taung Cultural Calabash that was held at Mmabana Centre in Taung on 19 November 2022.

The criminal case was laid by the Taung Police Station station commander, Colonel Tshupetso Mojahi.

The North West police spokesperson, Capt Aafje Botma said: “The station commander opened a case of non-compliance on 19 November 2022 against the organiser of the Taung Cultural Calabash. This comes after the organiser was informed to follow the proper procedure to apply for the event and he failed to do so.

“A case of organising an event without obtaining a valid certificate contemplated in Section 8 of the Safety and Sports and Recreational Events Act was opened against him.”

However, Botma said there are no arrests thus far. 

The Taung Cultural Calabash event organiser, Molefi Setlatlaleng from Mega Works and Showtime Entertainment, which is a company that was awarded a tender, disputed the allegations and said it is news to him.

“I was not aware that you can open a docket after the event. I am hearing this for the first time from you,” Setlatlaleng said.

Meanwhile, some aggrieved local artists and business persons, who previously boycotted the event welcomed the move. One of the bidders, Kwaame Communication JV Designs by Caylos, Kenosi Kehiloe said this clearly shows that there was a discrepancy surrounding the whole fiasco.

“This will strengthen our case against the department and event organiser. We decided not to go and stop the event because it could have been bloodshed.

“We are still fighting for what is rightfully ours even though some artists created divisions amongst us. We allowed the event to continue because we did not want to be labelled as hooligans,” he said.

The TCC was established back in 1994 as an annual youth-based arts festival and soon found a sponsor in the Transnet Foundation.

However, it was marred with corruption, mismanagement of funds, and maladministration. This forced the country’s transport parastatal, Transnet to pull the plug.

One of the local business persons, Xolani Nkonyana said, the event was supposed to encompass the culture and heritage of the community, instead it has lost its value. Nkonyana further said, the event was also supposed to create job opportunities for local people, but it does not serve that purpose anymore because it has been ‘hijacked’ by criminals.

“We have been trying in vain to have consultative engagements with the ASCR and Mmabana Foundation to iron out our grievances, however, our plea fell on deaf ears. There is a discrepancy in the awarding of the tender, so we called on Mmabana Foundation to conduct investigations, especially from the supply chain management (SCM).

“It cannot be correct that the Mahika Mahikeng Cultural Festival and Taung Cultural Calabash events continue to be awarded to the same service provider over and over again. There are allegations that the local company, Kwaame Communication JV Designs by Caylos has been removed from the list even though it performed way better than the appointed service provider,” Nkonyana said.

Meanwhile, the Mmabana Foundation spokesperson, Kelebogile Modiselle failed to respond to our WhatsApp messages and calls.

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Ka OBAKENG MAJE

Baithuti ba kwa sekolong se segolwane sa kwa motse-setoropong wa Pudimoe gaufi le Taung, bane ba tsenetse tirelo ya matshidiso kwa holong ya baagi moletsatsing la maabane. 

Seno, se tla morago ga go tlhokafala ga baithuti bale bane mo kotsing ya sejanaga mo tseleng ya N18 kwa motseng wa Dryharts gaufi le Taung ka Lamatlhatso. Go begwa fa sejanaga se seneng se kgweediwa ke mongwe wa baithuti bano, sene sa sa amega mo kotsing le go menoga.

Go begwa fa Oratile Mogorotsi, Orapeleng Madutla, Reaobaka Mocumi ga mmogo le Fafa Mosimanegape ba ne ba tlhokafala. Ba lelapa la ga Goitsemodimo ba mo kaile jaaka ngwana o o boikobo ebile a ne a reetsa.    

Mamogolwagwe Orapeleng, Kamogelo Modutla wa tlhalosa. “Orapeleng one a tsena ko sekolong se segolwane sa Pudimoe, mme ene one a feditse sekolo mo ngwageng o fetileng. Go tlhokafala ga gagwe go re utlwisitse botlhoko thata re le ba lelapa.

“Tota, rene re sa solofela gore go tla diragala tiragalo e entseng jaana. Gape, jaaka lelapa, re ne re setse re solofetse go le gontsi go tswa mo go ene, gonne one a setse a tsentse kopo ya tsweletso-dithuto kwa kholejeng ya selegae ya Vuselela,” Kamogelo wa tlhalosa.

Naomi Leeuw, ke sebueledi sa lelapa la ga moswi, Reaobaka Mocumi. Leeuw o kaile fa ba tswa kwa motsaneng wa Matlhako 2 gaufi le Pudimoe, mme ba amilwe ke tiragalo e.

“Reaobaka one a tsena kwa sekolong se segolwane sa Pudimoe, mme a dira mophato wa 11. Re ne re solofetse fa Reaobaka ka tsena sekolo le go tsweletsa dithuto tsa gagwe, mme are direle morago ga moo. Ene e sentse ele ngwana fela o kwa tlase ka dingwaga, mme ale boikobo,” Leeuw wa tlhalosa.

Letlhogonolo Mogorotsi are le ene o latlhegetswe ke setlogolo sa gagwe mo tiragalong e. Mogorotsi are, Oratile (21) ene ele setlogolo sa gagwe se se tonna, mme one a mo rata thata.

“Oratile one a rata go ka dira ka diatla, gonne rremogolo wa gagwe le ene one a rata go ka dira ka diatla. Jaanong, kene ke solofetse dilo dile dintsi thata go tswa mo go ene. Le fa rene re kgaogana ka Labotlhano kwa Motimalenyora, go ne go le monate, mme ene, o ne a le maitseo thata.

“Le fa a ne a dira dilo dingwe tse di tswileng mo tseleng, one o ka seka wa mo bona a di dira mo pele ga batho. Le fa rele koo, ene ere fa a ka mpona, one a itshuba,” Mogorotsi wa tlhalosa.

Moruti Lerato Lebona go tswa kwa sekolong se se potlana sa Botshelo one a neelana ka letswe la go ritibatsa maikutlo. Lebona are ngwana mongwe le mongwe o botlhokwa go ya ka tsela ya gagwe.

“Modimo ke lorato, gonne o ile a bopa motho mo setshwanong sa gagwe. Kotsi e e diragaletseng bana ba, ke kgwetlho fela mo matshelong a rona. Fela fa Modimo a le teng, ga a yo mathata.

“Re rapela gore baithuti ba marematlou ba amogele, ebile ba kgone go ka tswelela sentle ka ditlhatlhobo tsa bone go se sepe se se ba emang ko pele,” Lebona wa tlhalosa.

Kgabagare, mokhuduthamaga wa Tshireletso ya Baagai le Dipalangwa mo Bokone Bophirima, Sello Lehari are: “Re ikuela go bakgwetsi le badirisi ba ditsela go nna kelo-tlhoko, mme ba itlhokomele mo ditseleng tse di farologaneng tsa porofense segolo bogolo jang ka motsi wa dipula.”

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