A mobile museum to remember Bapedi chiefs and kings
Mogau Maredi and Lesiba Maphoso organised a mobile museum to remind and educate Bapedi people of their traditions, leaders and culture.
POLOKWANE – To educate and remind Bapedi people of their culture, two traditionalists created a mobile museum to showcase the history of all the Pedi chiefs and kings.
Mogau Maredi, with the help of Lesiba Maphoso, also known as Thitšhere, which means ‘teacher’, brought this initiative to life as they believe “a nation that does not know where they come from and do not have pride in their own traditional leaders and history should forget where it is going”.
The museum was stationed at Jack Botes Park from November 1-5 where photographs of the late chiefs and kings were on display for five days.
People had the opportunity to go inside the tent to view and learn more about the history of traditional leaders who ruled in the Bapedi kingdom.
Maredi explained the purpose of the project was to restore the dignity of traditional leaders and modernise traditional authorities.
He said he wanted to expose the community to the museum as he believes that traditional leaders are ignored by modern world leaders.
“We want to restore the Bapedi leaders’ dignity and revive our culture and heritage with this museum,” Maredi said.
Maredi explained to Polokwane Observer that he and Maphoso collected information on leaders and wrote the proposal to the Mzansi Golden Economy for funding, which made the project possible.
He added he wants people, especially the youth, to learn about where they came from in order to plan the future around that past.
“Remember, this is not about the Bapedi nation only. It is about the northern Sotho people, which includes Batlokwa, Matebele, Bakgaga, Bantwane, Balobedu, Bakone, Bahananwa, Babirwa and Bakwena people too.”
He believes that traditional leaders should be offered the opportunities they deserve as we progress in civilisation.
