Tswana, Khoisan activist guns for lost generation

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In a quest to promote and preserve African culture in the ‘lost’ generation, an activist, dancer and musician had to dig deep into his pocket.

“We are over-consumed by Western culture and habits at the detriment of our own,” said young Lebogang Setuke aka Lebo the Khoisan. He said this when introspecting on the outcome of his recent involvement at a weekend event at the Hub, East Bank where he was backed up by members of Khoisan cultural activists and dancers he brought from Kuruman at his own cost.

The event was a platform for SMMEs in the food, fashion and other sectors to showcase their initiatives and several entertainers who provided the essential ambience for an evening out and used it for their own exposure.

“It’s a business event which the organisers want to host every month. It will also help to revive our diverse cultural heritage through music, dance and other genres.”

Of Setswana origin, The Khoisan is adept in Khoisan cultural dances. “I commit to help preserve and restore the culture, promote its worth and the identity and well being of its descendants who are marginalised.”

The Khoisan has profiled the dances at the State Theatre and Freedom Park in Pretoria, Market Theatre, Rhythm City soapie, Safta Awards, Morning Live, YoTv, CrazyE and Ann7 television shows.

The mission also took him to France. He is now gunning for the Sama and PSL Awards and Makufe Festival in Bloemfontein. “We ought to use all available platforms to profile this unique culture which is still alive and will do so with those who live it daily,” he said in reference to the backup group.

In Springbok costumes, he led them in performing the nature and spiritual dances which he described as rooted in Mother Earth and based on respect and reverence to nature and the environment.

“These are parts of our ecosystem which are lost in many cultures, particularly among the African youth who without knowledge of their identity have no direction and imitate other cultures.

“They should be encouraged to embrace and be proud of their own heredity, traits and to know those of others on the continent as they have many commonalities.”

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