When I was home, at restaurants, weddings, funerals, stadiums, and at the Bus Rank as well as in buses and taxis, it was all “a Khama a tlogele Masisi a buse”.
Many voiced strong feelings towards Khama for not leaving Masisi to rule in peace. Not only reflecting the mood of the morafe but also interpreting it and providing a political platform to extend the debate everywhere: catchy songs were cleverly composed. They became anthems.
“Heela “morwa-Kgama tlogela Masisi a buse, re go diretse tsamaa sentlê, ra go fa mamphemphe a dimphô” (Obakeng Matlou via Facebook).
“Tlogela Masisi a buse, re mono hela, re Sisibetse.”
“Hands off my President, Tlogela Masisi a buse. Bathong molato o motona wa ga Masisi ke go leka go tlhabolola matshelo a Batswana ba sekai – le go lwantsha tshenyetso sechaba.”
Without a doubt, my favourite is “Hands off my President, tlogela Masisi a buse.”
I still remember the day I first heard it. It was on a hot Wednesday afternoon at Koki’s Kitchen. I had just finished my lunch of bogobe, morogo and grilled chicken when one gentleman, with his white corrola Taxi parked nearby, waiting for his take-away, played the song for me on his phone. He stated that he had just received it from his friends via WhatsApp.
Perhaps, “in cases like this, songs are most valuable for telling us what concerned people, how they saw issues, and how they expressed their hopes, ideas, anger and frustrations” (Spitzer and Walters).
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Blessing Kgosi e tsile Kgasa 