Leadership kgosi & Balekgotla/Traditional executive committee
History of Pitsong / Picong
History :
The village is situated at the southwestern direction from manthe the traditional head office of Batlhaping ba ga maidi.
Pitsong sometimes also spelt as Picong is headed by local kgosi Kesekwaile Konrad Motlhabane being the fourth royal head of the village from the founding kgosi Tshite Motlhabane,hence kgotla ya ga Tshite( Local traditional court of Tshite.
This royal house is second and under the royal house headed by Kgosi-kgolo Nyoko Motlhabane of Batlhaping ba ga maidi based in Manthe.
Other detail :
Pitsong is good place to live in, good for social growth and harmony for the adolescence, it is the place where people are polite, helpful and cooperate with each other as a community for the betterment of their live Childhood , there are no recreational facilities at present time as local government has not as yet started to invest in rural villages.
The youth in this village are encouraged to read and keep to their books.
The only sport for the young ones remain but soccer and netball.
OUR HISTORY: Linkage of Kgotla ya ga Tshite in Batlhaping ba ga Maidi
The patrilineal succession of the Batlhaping bag a Maidi Monarchs have been traced back from royal leadership of Barolong in lianage of Tawana and the following were:-
Maidi
Matlakale
Mocumi /Motsumi
Ngake I
Pholoholo I
Motlhabane I
Sethapi & Tshite
Moshosho & PholoholoII
Nyoko William & Moleko
Letsie Walter
Nyoko Charles- Current senior traditional leader of the Batlhaping ba ga Maidi
The traditional leadership of Picong is from the branch –clan of Tshite who had other sons in another house but only one survived to adulthood (Kesekwaile I who was married to Maipelahatso daughter of Kesegane Seepamere.
KGOTLA YA GA TSHITE- PICONG
Kgosi Tshite late 1800-1938
Kgosi Kesekwaile I 1938-1992
Kgosi Mopalami 1992- 2010
Kgosi Kesekwaile II 2010 to Date
Initial Pitsong Village
Leadership-Kgosi
Kgosi Kesekwaile II is a hereditary leader born in the Motlhabane royal family, under the Clan of Kgosi Tshite the second in line to Kgosi Sethapi the eldest son of Kgosi Motlhabane.
Tshite’s house is one of the senior members of the Batlhaping bag a Maidi Royal family and constitute a critical paternal uncles for all decisions that involves traditional leadership of Batlhaping bag a Maidi and all its clans of the to the senior traditional leadership.
From the house from which Tshite was born was Setlhogomi who was the younger brother to tshite.
It is from this house that succeeded Kesekwaile I, Mopalami to the current hereditary leader of the clan being Kesekwaile II.
A traditional leader (Kgosi)is always aided by his wife in Setswana customs and traditions
Balekgotla
A normal and established traditions indicates to us that Kgosi/kgosana rule his people through assistance of the elders in his community/Morafe. These individuals previously mostly men/but not limited males, who are head of Clans / families constitute what is called Balekgotla. / Council or committee of assistants to traditional leader.
In the practice of Batlhaping bag a Maidi: -Kgotla ya ga Tshite, has for many years used a selected heads of clans of individuals or members of the clans to assist kgosi.
Running the affairs of the community and being accountable to the senior traditional leader for all matters of importance for community.
The current Balekgotla are:-
Mr Legabura Goitseone
Mr Mmutle Mongwaketse
Mr Phomolo Kwena
Mr Senyatso John Mocwiri
Mr Itlhobogeng Sebico (deceased)
Mr Lesego Matong –Secretary of the Kgotla
NB: Vacancies Balekgotla are still to be filled for those deceased & Balekgotla constitute the Executive Committee at local level.
THE LOGO & ITS MEANING
Sejana/ Calabash-
Sejana se dirisewa go tsenya Dijo, Metsi le Mashi le tse di nowang-Se shupa motswedi wa botshelo ke dijo le metsi le go shupa motswedi wa kabelano le ba bangwe.
It represent the food resources of all kinds especially for staple foods, water and milk which are the basic food supplements for survival.
It also represent the source of giving others.
Tholo/Kudu:-
Ba ga Maidi ke dinamane tsa tholo go tswa ko moding ,Ke ba bina tholo ka kgora boo Maidi , ke matlhogela a ga Tawana-Phologolo e dinaka di matshope-tshopeo tsa ba ga Tawana go tswa ko go Tawana:/ Tholo Kudu is our totem animal, which symbolises our heritage and roots as Batlhaping and we share this equally with Barolong as we have common ancestry.
Tlhapi/ Fish
Re ba bina Tholo ba “ana” Tlhapi- Go simolola ko nokeng e Tshetlha/Vaal river le meeditsane a yone a kolong.
We have Kudu as our totem animal and reverse fish as alternative food during pasturing and nomadic years of our forefathers along the Vaal River and its tributaries such as Harts river/Kolong-so fish became our simple for survival.
Yet Tholo by birth and fish for survival.
NB Its for this reason that we have both Kudu & Fish on our logo as Batlhaping.
Thebe/Shield :-
Thebe e shupa tshireletso mo tlhabanong ka dibetsa ebile e dirwa ka letlalo la kgomo, Modimo oo nko e metsi- Shield is for protection of all our people as traditional leadership we lead by defending and protecting all our people using shield from all attaches physical of social ills , Symbolises a sign of refuge/botshabelo ba dikhutsana.
Thobane/Knobkerrie/Walking stick-
Thobane ya boeteledipele ke mashupa ditsela. Ke ya tshireletso ya potlako le go bontsha makgabaganyo a ditsela. Thobane ke seikokotlelo mo tseleng ya botshelo. It’s used as instrument of leadership, Thobane ke seshupo sa Bodisa- E bontsha fa “”Kgosi ele modisa yo mogolo” It is further used to point the directions, It blocks unexpected attacks, and can be signal of peace.
Lerumo /Spear-
It’s used as instrument of war and peace making. The spear of the nation/ tribe/community. Ke lerumo la segae, Le dirisiwa go lwa ntwa ya maatla le go iphemela.
Lerumo la phemelo ya morafe le setshaba fa go tlhokega.
Centre of shield has the following:-Marang a Letsatsi/Sun’s rays around Pitso tree with people in attendance: –
symbolises the dawn of hope, life and the source of energy, symbolises the power of the universe above all creation, over the people who shelters under big kgotla tree of traditional leadership meeting place. Marang a letsatsi, ke motlhodi wa tshepo Modimo mo bathong, ke kgalalelo ya botshelo, maatla a bosaitseweng jwa tlholego mo ditsheding tsotlhe. Re le batho re tshabela mo moriting wa setlhare sa Pitso ya kgotla le bogosi.
PROFILE
Konrad Kesekwaile Motlhabane
Kesekwaile is the second born child of the late Mopalami and Tesanyo Motlhabane all born and bred in Picong village.
Being the first born son in the family of 11 children he had to work hard for the benefit of assisting parents in the uplifting of the family through ensuring schooling and work opportunities.
Kesekwaile is married to Kentsheng Agnes nicknamed Pinky and the family has three children of two boys and a girl.
Kesekwaile, grow up and stayed in the village for the most part of his youthful years raised through a domestic working mother assisted by grandparents when the father Mopalami was still working as was a full time foreman at SAR South African railway now TRASNET before retiring to take up the role of traditional leadership in 1985 to assist his by then old father Kesekwaile (Senior)who was aging and needed his heir apparent to assist him until such times the Lord call him home Mopalami took full responsibility after the passing of Kesekwaile (senior) from 1992 until he passed away in mid 2010 , where after Kesekwaile Konrad ascended to the role as the local traditional leader and Kgosi of Picong community under Kgosi e kgolo Nyoko Motlhabane who is a senior traditional leader for Batlhaping Ba ga Maidi.
Kesekwaile is the fourth hereditary leader of this village since the Kgosi Tshite Motlhabane who led Three settlements of bigger Pitsong &Sekantshing and Dikhuting at the time from around 1913 until his passing away1938 when Kesekwaile Snr then took over until 1992. As custodians of culture,customs and tradition the abovementioned traditional leaders of this linage are members of the following cultural initiation schools’s Regiments/ Mephato and therefore are its commanders/assistant commanders:
Regiment/ Mephato:
Tshite Motlhabane belong and led mophato wa Majapoo.
Kesekwaile 1 was of mophato wa Maakakapula.
Mopalami was of Mophato wa Mashela
Kesekwaile II is of Mophato wa Madirakgosi.
The modern focus of traditional leadership is among others to
Ensure nation building,
Strengthen social cohesion
Driving specific community development projects initiatives for this century to better the people’s life where they work live and Play.