A kgotla (English pronunciation /ˈkoʊt.lə/[1] or /kˈɡɒt.lə/)[2] is a public meeting, community council, or traditional law court of a Botswana village and in rural Lesotho and South Africa. It is usually headed by the village chief or headman, and community decisions are always arrived at by consensus. Headmen usually work as the advisers to the chief. No one may interrupt while another is having their say. Because of this tradition, Botswana claims to be one of the world's oldest democracies.[3][4]
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The custom of allowing everyone their full say is carried over into meetings of all kinds, from discussing a bill to a staff briefing.[5]
Kgotla can also refer to the place where such meetings are held. This can range from a few chairs under a shade canopy to a permanent ground with covered seating. In both senses, the term is a loan word in Botswana English from Setswana, where it means court.[6]
In South African English, a lekgotla is a meeting called by government to discuss strategy planning. The term is still a loan word from Setswana, again meaning court.[7][8] Usually there are men who stay at the Kgotla mostly during the day. These men are usually sent to go and call law defaulters.
References edit
- ^ "How to pronounce kgotla". www.synonyms.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "kgotla". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ Admin (8 February 2018). "Africa's Top 5 most politically-stable countries". IOA. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ Acemoglu, Daron; Robinson, James (2012). Why Nations Fail. London: Profile Books. p. 407. ISBN 978-1-84668-429-6.
- ^
Piwane, Moumakwa. "The Botswana Kgotla System: A mechanism for Traditional Conflict Resolution in modern Botswana. Case study of the Kanye Kgotla". S2CID 151037404.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ "kgotla - definition of kgotla in A Dictionary of South African English - DSAE". dsae.co.za. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Lekgotla definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "LEKGOTLA (noun) definition and synonyms | Macmillan Dictionary". www.macmillandictionary.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
External links edit
- Example of use in South African context. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
- Article on Botswana culture from the Botswana Embassy, Japan
- Company providing management trainings with Kgotla
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