By Taazima Kala-Essack (Botswana)
General Manager and Lead Consultant, Hotwire
Many a scholar, poet and even philosopher has written of the rich culture and near-intoxicating rhythm that Africa boasts. More recently, we are seeing the true spirit of Africa rising in the innovation of her people. In Africa, we have always had the tools required to solve real issues and sustainably ensure we shape a brighter future. This spans a multitude of sectors, with veritable forces of progress and excellence to be found across the breadth of the continent. Communications and Public Relations (PR) are but one area that deserves a considerably closer look, not as an emulation of the wider world, but as a source of inspiration.
The reality is, while we may not feature front and centre on the global communications and PR stage, the very fundamental building blocks of countries like Botswana are prime examples of basic PR principles.
These include a structure of communication and engagement in communities, and basic protocols and ways governing how we interact: “Bua” – speak, “Therisanyo” – consult, and “Dipuisanyo” – dialogue. These words in Setswana (the language of Botswana) have the power to shape mindsets, behaviours and actions; they influence today’s delivery of PR in Botswana – or at least of PR done well and responsibly.
Although a diverse dialect, our language and deep reverence for the community are rooted in the ideology of communicating and engaging, of building relationships and understanding, as well as preserving the sanctity of what true consultative dialogue can bring. Community leadership and engagement in Botswana are prime examples of this, working to help shape better societies. As a matter of fact, they are aligned with the basic definition of PR as building mutually beneficial relationships.
The traditional gathering at the heart of a community has always been the Kgotla (traditional law court), at the centre of all civil, moral and community matters. Historically, all issues affecting the well-being and social stability of a community are engaged here. The conduct within the Kgotla is well-governed, and respect, or “Botho” is the order of the day. Pregnant with meaning is Botho, such that no English equivalent can even unpack what it stands for, though many an adjective may try – respect, inclusion, etiquette. It is a common understanding and practice from all participants. Mafoko a kgotla a mantle otlhe, meaning, everyone has a say, and their say is valid and deemed equally important.
Here, leaders of a community help in countering false beliefs by supporting societies and communities to discern truth from falsehood so that they can then make better decisions. In the Kgotla, key updates are shared, fostering a healthy information landscape for all to be informed, involved, and inspired.
When the HIV pandemic first hit Botswana in 1984, it did so with fury. In a country that had never seen a health issue ravage with such a lack of restraint, stakeholder engagement was as critical an effort as modern medicine. “In 2001 alone, an estimated 320,000 people in Botswana were living with HIV—slightly more than one in four. (…) Beyond the human toll, HIV also threatened to unravel the country’s decades of economic and social progress.” So dire were infection escalations that, in 2001, the President at the time, His Excellency Dr Festus Mogae, noted that “Botswana is threatened with extinction.”
Beyond life-saving medical interventions, behavioural change campaigns pioneered through PR’s community education and engagement were paramount, leveraging community leader influence, consulting local leadership in all villages across the nation, and leaning on their endorsement to shape perceptions. As citizens across the country saw faith and community leaders rally to drive HIV testing, the adoption of treatment and changes in sexual behaviours, the power of community and building of trust became a veritable weapon for progress. It was anchored on the principles of therisanyo and dipuisanyo, cultivating relationships and human interaction with purpose.
Fast forward to 2021, and similar approaches and principles help engineer and curate an approach to deal with COVID-19, mobilising the power of the written and spoken word, the immense strength of consultation and relationship dynamics and the idea that through these simple human interactions and respect for community structure, we can change behaviours to improve – and save – lives.
Even in matters of conflict, these principles ring true. As the Setswana saying goes, “Ntwa kgolo ke ya molomo,” which loosely translated, means, “One need only fight with their words. Once more, consultation and engagement are a recipe for real results. Communication and engagement remain a force for good in shaping the future and building the nation, with cultural ideology today being used to inform modern PR practices.
Those who return to these basic fundamentals that Botswana’s founding fathers shared will see the best outcomes and impacts by far.
When Botswana launched its largest public entity going private, Botswana Telecommunications Corporation, in a milestone IPO, these very principles came into play for what was among the most successful bourse listings in Botswana’s history. Community after community, diKgotla (plural of Kgotla) and town halls were at the heart of a public education strategy that focused on consultation and engagement to explain the concept of buying shares in a manner those in the most rural village would understand – likening buying cattle to investing in your wealth. In bringing people along on this education and growth journey, the communications team not only built respect and trust, but also, a culture of growing further together, of ownership, and of community progress and shared value. This was certainly not the example of such, for, decades before, Botswana’s Founding President Sir Seretse Khama called on the nation to play a part in the growth of education in the country. In a Kgotla setting, people were educated on the need to establish a local university and were urged to look inwards to resource its establishment. After the all-inclusive discussions, people resolved to adopt the Motho le motho kgomo (One Man, One Beast) campaign, donating cattle (a measure of wealth in itself) to fund the building of Botswana’s first university, the University of Botswana, which stands tall today as among the best in the region.
It is these building blocks of community, communication and culture that even inform modern-day society, nation-building, policymaking and more. Indeed, Therisanyo is even encouraged in families and communities at large when it comes to wider socio-economic discussions at any and every level, as an effective tool for government and other critical stakeholders to discuss policies and programmes towards socio-economic progress. It is proven and demonstrated on a daily basis. “Participatory dialogue is an important policy tool that can offer a range of practical means, and, therefore, should be considered as part of building more cohesive societies, as well as building peace, including in post-conflict societies.”
Botswana remains a unique place to do PR within. Our unique approach has always been a cornerstone of Botswana’s journey towards growth and prosperity, and this fact remains today, indeed, perhaps now more than ever before. In our traditions, we find the very discipline and best practices to shape a stronger future, not only for ourselves but for the profession and the globe at large.
As Sir Seretse Khama once said, “A nation without a past is a lost nation, and a people without a past is a people without a soul.” The founding President’s words are especially true for communications, PR and socio-economic progress at large, as we celebrate the principles and heritage of our culture, and leverage them for best practices in our future.
- African Communication Research, Vol. 2, No. 3 (2009)
- Glen Broom and Bey-Ling Sha, Cutlip and Center’s Effective Public Relations 11th Edition (2012)
- Piwane Constance Moumakwa, Master’s Thesis in Philosophy of Peace and Conflict Transformation Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, The Botswana Kgotla System: A mechanism for Traditional Conflict Resolution in modern Botswana. Case study of the Kanye Kgotla.
- Bonta, B. D. (1996). Conflict Resolution among Peaceful Societies: The Culture of Peacefulness. Journal of Peace Research, 33(4), 403-420.