THABAMPSHE is better than JOHANNESBURG in hundred ways.

THABAMPSHE Ga-Masemola, the land of Sekhukhune is way better than Johannesburg (JHB), it is better than JHB in hundred ways.

Thabampshe, which is a village which forms part of Ga-Masemola is the best place than Johannesburg. At Thabampshe people love one another and live together peacefully. Johannesburg which is a major city in Gauteng and the economic hub of Africa is one of the worse places one will like his/her children to grow in. In JHB there is no sense of belonging or solidarity. Many are only aware of JHB as the economic hub of Africa but there is the other side, there is lifelessness and risks of loss of property and most sadly even your own life. When people stop each other, the one being stopped has a fear of being robbed. When a criminal is robbing a victim people just watch as if they are watching a movie. They are afraid to even help, but do that at Thabampshe, you will know where impalas drink water. The whole community will come at your home; they will hunt you and deal with you accordingly. The kind of solidarity every society needs.

In the beautiful remote rural area of Thabampshe which is similar to most rural areas of Southern Africa, people greet each other when they meet on the road; this is evidence of how people value each other in this part of the world. In a beautiful place like Thabampshe people are still interacting with nature in the most sustainable way you can imagine. During the festive seasons young and old people engage in exercise by walking to the  forest to harvest and enjoy wild fruits like marula, difoiye, mabilo, ditshidi, ditlhopi,and  dikabosa to mention a few of some of the most luscious fruits indigenous to this area. The people of Thabampshe (SEKHUKHUNELAND) either young or old or even both categories who are interested in hiking enjoy the privilege of being born in this mountainous region, they hike with their bare foot and some with their Arbiter shoes. When the hikers of Thabampshe get to the top of mountains like Thethiane, Moshikwe, Ntona, Thabanamokwena, Mmakobo and other beautiful tall mountains, they do not just rest at the top, they also enjoy very tasty fruits like dithetlwa, mabilo, dikgomphatha and the list is endless. All these benefits of being born at Thabampshe like getting free fruits, free hiking as well as exercising on the forest routes with no fear of being hit by a car come at no cost. All these you cannot get when you are at Johannesburg where you have to pay when you want to urinate.

In the last two years the youth of Thabampshe have been advancing with time. Thabampshe is the only village that has ever hosted a beach party, THE MABUSHULE BEACH PARTY. This is one of the greatest parties which show innovation and creativity among the youth of this area. Garry Mogowe who I have interviewed has revealed to me that they (the youth of Thabampshe) believe in the notion that “local is lekker,” they want to use what they have to have fun and live a beautiful progressive life. He also emphasized that the location, which is the venue for the beach party is a non-perennial river of Mashubele, and the party takes place during the last weekend of August annually. The choice for this date is because the area will be dry and there will be no chances of rainfall, which implies that there is no weather condition which can hinder the progress of the party at this time of the year. It is very interesting to find that in Johannesburg there is no natural river and the river which exist you cannot even drink the water because it is polluted to the extreme.

In Johannesburg there are more people than there are job opportunities and more people are still coming. The city is populated,”go hloka le botshwela mare.”In Thabampshe people do have all kinds of jobs such as collecting wood and selling it. Sand collection is also a business of the time in this region as you will observe trucks and tractors filled with sand supplying for families where big houses are being built in this area of Thabampshe. There are no homeless people in Thabampshe, everyone has a friend, relative and a family member. At Thabampshe if you do not know how to propose to a girl, the elders will do that on your behalf. If maybe you die before you get married, the elders will also make sure that they find you a soul mate so that even in your grave, you live happily ever after. In Johannesburg there are many homeless people who are begging to live, they do not even have a family to say to them good bye when they die, it is very sad to be at Johannesburg. At Thabampshe when someone is dead the youth mobilize each other to dig the grave for the deceased so that he can be laid to rest, the grave is for free, but in Johannesburg a grave is not for free, you have to pay for it-and you do not rest in peace next to your family member, you can even be a neighbor of your enemy when you are dead.

Currently Thabampshe has attracted a young cartoonist called Sizwe Nkogatse who is interested in following everything that is happening at Thabampshe. He hopes that his cartoons can be made accessible to young people of Thabampshe as they provoke thought in a unique way. Some members of Faculty of Best Advisory, an organization which started at Thabampshe aimed to empower, uplift the people of Africa through provision of information and creation of opportunities have reported that they will print his work and make it accessible at Moshidid Library inside Thabampshe Primary School where children of the community come together every now and then.

“The Story is still unfolding….” Thabampshe Dumela, Mabushule Party Dumela, Sizwe dumela

Thabampshe Unite!