Monday, May 16, 2005

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light my strength my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled when strivings cease!
My Comforter my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This Gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid:
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till he returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand!

Keith Getty & Stuart Townend 2001 Kingsway's Thankyou Music

Stuart Townend's biography

BBC - Religion & Ethics - Stuart Townend

Friday, May 13, 2005


Steve Walford, Edward Rhodes & Nils de Freese

Why Mr. Botsalo Ntuane is wrong on Tirelo Setshaba

Reading Botsalo Ntuane’s column arguing for the reinstatement of Tirelo Setshaba was a refreshing experience. He argued for a consultative process of soliciting views on the banished scheme. Ntuane must be applauded for submitting a courageous criticism of the status quo of the nation under the leadership of his party, the BDP. A criticism of one’s own party is a rarity amongst politicians and those with political agendas. Lamenting the state of our educational system that leaks profusely at form 3 and form 5, he reminded us of high levels of unemployment that condemn youngsters to “alienation, listlessness and loss of hope.” Ntuane “admits that the problems facing young people are myriad and complex, and government, determined as it is to resolve them is not faring well.” What a devastating indictment of one’s party! And finally on tribalism he argues for a detribalised Motswana. He raises all these criticisms to argue for one thing: the reinstatement of TS.

Mr. Ntuane’s motives are candid; his analysis of the state of affairs, meticulous and irrefutable; his proposal, miles off the mark and contradictory and in demand of a response.

He proposes TS that would cater for those who “found themselves in the streets because circumstances had contrived against further progression in the education system or opportunities.” His proposition runs the risk of condemning the scheme as a domain for failures, underachievers, academically challenged persons who couldn’t make the mark. It is these persons Ntuane argues should carry the hope of the nation and redeem us from the scourge of tribalism and ethnic intolerance. Oh, how we find ourselves trapped in a Blakean "Human Abstract", forced to acknowledge that “Pity would be no more, If we did not make somebody Poor”.
Ntuane must be challenged both on pedagogic and economic grounds to answer what the causes of failure at form 3 and form 5 levels are. Are there impediments to progress buried within our educational system, our moral fibre or economic management? When we address these questions and others in the similar vein seriously, we will draw closer to addressing the plight of those on the fringes of educational opportunities. Bundling those on the streets and sending them away for a year of national service is procrastination and not progress. It is buying time before poverty strikes her blow: it is extending human agony and anguish by twelve months: it is, dare I say, introducing a veiled Namola Leuba to youth. It is avoiding underlying causes by proposing sweeping away superficial signs. The underlying causes of poverty, violence, failure and apathy need to be identified and rooted out. Revisiting our pedagogy and interrogating the relevance of our education system to the national interests and answering perceived inequalities will be a good start.

“Tribalism” has been turned into a scapegoat by those who choose to evade debates of maintaining a pluralistic society. Arguments of detribalising Botswana are perverse. The existence of tribes is not a cause of tribalism. Such a line of thinking is flawed for it implies there is something sinister in tribal associations. Ntuane is wrong. I am a Mongwaketse man, from Goo-Ruele and my chief is Kgosi Seepapitso the IV of the Bangwaketse. I am proud of my tribe, my village, my kgotla and my chief and I see no danger in defending such a position. I celebrate my tribal identity without denigrating another person’s. Such positions are not mutually exclusive or incongruent. What is unhealthy is tribal intolerance which is in no way synonymous with tribal association. Such intolerance and stereotyping cannot be healed by sending away for a year teenagers who have failed their GCSEs. The argument also inaccurately presupposes that previously TS participants were sent to tribes they despised, for tribal therapy. Further, since Mr. Ntuane believes TS can help address tribalism, and he argues that TS should be for those who have found themselves in the streets, what about those who find themselves in universities and colleges? Should we assume that they will develop into tribally-hostile graduates?

The sources of tribal tensions in Botswana are diverse. They are in part a complex consequence of stereotypes, power, perceptions and land - possessed or denied. Some have attacked what has been previously termed Tswanadom - crudely defined as domination by Tswana-speaking tribes. They have the land and other tribes live in it. For instance, the Bakgatla-ba-ga-Mmanaana of Moshupa who live on Ngwaketse tribal land. Related to all this, is the matter of language which remains an area of great contestation. Why has the Setswana language been nationalised when members of other ethnic groups in Botswana are incompetent in the language for pedagogy? The answer is obvious: multilingualism is perceived as divisive and rallying around a single language is unifying. But that’s precisely what led to the collapse of Yugoslavia when Slobodan Milosevic considered multilingualism a threat and established Serbian as the only medium of instruction. Multiculturalism and multilingualism can be a tool of national unity too. South Africa is only waking up to this fact. But a commitment to a pluralistic state should not be a matter of political rhetoric, but must be matched with clear policies, adequate provision of resources, strong institutional support that will make it thrive. The resuscitation of the national service is no where close to answering this call.

The needs of the nation have also shifted since the establishment of TS. There are more graduates from UB, colleges and international universities, some who remain unemployed, indicating no dire need for lesser qualified TS participants in schools and government departments.

TS was an expensive scheme, particularly when its benefits are juxtaposed with its costs. Money put into the scheme ran into millions of Pula and with the current Aids pandemic we are better off letting it lie. Finally, the current system is attractive. It leads students straight to university after form 5, meaning they can complete early and start work. While I understand Mr. Ntuane’s motivation for his motion, it provides no answer to the plight of form 3 and form 5 dropouts and it provides no solution to the underlying causes of the problems he isolates. The return of TS will neither address tribal acrimonies nor the lack of educational opportunities and marginalisation. His motion is better defeated.

[This article appeared ruthlessly edited on Mmegi here: http://www.mmegi.bw/2005/April/Wednesday27/903090701815.html]

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

I Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb

Ray Boltz

CHORUS:

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb
With all my strength
With all I am
I will seek to honor His commands
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

I have heard how Christians long ago
Were brought before a tyrant’s throne
They were told that he
Would spare their lives
If they would renounce
The name of Christ
But one by one they chose to die
The Son of God, they would not deny
Like a great angelic choir sings
I can almost hear their voices ring

CHORUS

Now the years have come
And the years have gone
And the cause of Jesus still goes on
Now our time has come
To count the cost
To reject this world
To embrace the Cross

And one by one let us live our lives
For the One who died to give us life
Till the trumpet sounds on the final day
Let us proudly stand and boldly say

CHORUS

To the Lamb of God who bore my pain
Who took my place
Who wore my shame
I will seek to honor His commands
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

CHORUS (repeat)

My friend Peggy Ratsebe in Gabs

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Missions & Worship

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.
Worship, therefore is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God. “The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!” (Psalm 97:1). “Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee! Let the nations be glad and sing for Joy!” (Psalm 67:3-4).
But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend what you don’t cherish. Missionaries will never call out, “Let the nations be glad!”, who cannot say from the heart, “I rejoice in the Lord…I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High” (Psalm 104:34; 9:2). Missions begins and ends in worship.
If the pursuit of God’s glory is not ordered above the pursuit of man’s good in the affections of the heart and the priorities of the church, man will not be well served and God will not be duly honored. I am not pleading for a diminishing of missions but for a magnifying God. When the flame of worship burns with the heat of God’s true worth, the light of missions will shine to most remote peoples on earth. And I long for that day to come!
Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak. Churches that are not centered on the exaltation of the majesty and beauty of God will scarcely kindle a fervent desire to “declare his glory among the nations” (Psalm 96:3). Even outsiders feel the disparity between the boldness of our claims upon the nations and the blandness of our engagement with God.
[Piper, John, (1993) 2003, Let the Nations be glad! Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester, p. 17-18]

Sunday, May 08, 2005


Thapelo Otlogetswe, ITRI, Brighton, UK

Friday, May 06, 2005

The Botswana Guardian Chegongoro Review


To read it, download it to your desktop first

The Last Thing from the book

The back of our poetry book

Cover of our poetry book

Moshie on Chegongoro

This is what the pleased Moshie Ratsebe writes to Lekoko4Christ after reading the Botswana Guardian's review of Mmereki's upcoming album:

"Hi folks, Finally!" ...the ancticipated Chegongoro is a better offering than its predecessor thanks to an improved instrumentation programming.....", says the new look Botswana Guardian. Yet in another line of the same article, about the song Nneneketsa, it goes like, "....Marakakgoro takes the Tswana greeting lines and turns them into a beautiful melodious piece that proves him not only creative but talented as well. "Now it was not going to be a perfect article without the mentioning of the POT that prepared the decent deliciously made meal! The moment I was waiting for: "The album was recorded at Red Recording Studios in Gaborone by Mmereki Marakakgoro & Thapelo Otlogetswe. It is a compililation which one can never regret to have among one's musical collection. "There you have it guys. The article says the album will be out on sale towards the end of this month. Let's go out to grap a copy."

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Fred Otlogetswe


Fred Otlogetswe - a cousin who found me!
Am glad you established contact!

Flower girls, my wifey, Laona Segaetsho, my best man & Botlhe Adams, the best lady.

An unidentified lady, my mother, Lesole Lesole & my grandmother

After signing my life away kwa kgosing!

Married kwa kgosing the traditional style!

My Chief! Kgosi Seepapitso IV of the Bangwaketse

Corpus Design for BNC and Setswana Language

Scroll down to reach the pdf link 7th Annual CLUK Research Colloquium

My ORS Award

Find it under "Research shorts" Channel - the University of Brighton newsletter

Dress Code Matters - In defence of Kgosi Banika

Mmegi Online ::> news we need to know

My writing in defence of marriage

Mmegi Online ::> news we need to know

My review of Medium of Instruction Policies: Which Agenda? Whose Agenda? Tollefson & Tsui (2004)

LINGUIST List 16.1257: Sociolinguistics: Tollefson & Tsui (2004)

Setswana Wordlist I developed with Kevin Scannell for OpenOffice

An Outline of Setswana

An Outline of Setswana

ThirdDay - One great Gospel Band

It has won Grammy Awards, Dove Awards and others & has been termed one of the best best rock bands ever. For a gospel band that puts Christ first this is a great achievement ThirdDay.com

Toby Mac's Page

This guy is one of my favourite muscians: tobyMac.com Welcome to Diverse City - Official website of tobyMac

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Who am I

Who am I lyrics
by Casting crowns

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt,
Who am I?
That the Bright and Morning Star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart,

Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done,
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are,

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean (ocean),
A vapor in the wind,
Still You hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling,
And You've told me who I am..
I am Yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin,
Would look on me with love, and watch me rise again,
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me,

Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done,
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are,

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean (ocean),
A vapor in the wind,
Still You hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling,
And You've told me who I am...
I am Yours, I am Yours.

I am Yours,
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am Yours,
I am Yours.

[Thaps says: Thank you Lord that I am what you say I am!]

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

My Will by DC Talk - the band every youth MUST hear!

My Will
by DC Talk

I’m setting the stage for the things I love
And I’m now the man I once couldn’t be
Nothing on earth could now ever move me
I now have the will and the strength a man needs

(chorus)
It’s my will, and I’m not moving
Cause if it’s your will, then nothing can shake me
It’s my will, to bow and praise you
I now have the will to praise my God

Complexity haunts me for I am two men
Entrenched in a battle that I’ll never win
My discipline fails me, my knowledge it fools me
But you are my shelter, all the strength that I need

(repeat chorus)

I’m learning to give up the rights to myself
The bits and the pieces I’ve gathered as wealth
Could never compare to the joy that you bring me
The peace that you show me is the strength that I need

(repeat chorus)

(bridge)
We’ve got to be children of peace
Don’t you know we’ve got to be children of peace

(repeat chorus & bridge simultaneously 3x)

It’s your will, it’s your will [4x]

(repeat chorus & bridge simultaneously)

(repeat bridge)

I feel Pierced sometimes

Thank you Lord that though sometimes I feel pierced, you were pierced on my behalf!

Pierced
by Audio Adrenaline

(chorus)
make me, take me, break me, I am pierced
make me, take me, break me, I am pierced

though I am wounded and unworthy
though I am selfish and untrue
You are holy, You're the healer
You forgave me and made me new
made me new

(chorus)
oh, this love, how can it be
that my God would die for me
for my sins, His wounds did bleed
Jesus, you were pierced for me

(chorus x3)

I can Only Imagine

This song is one of my favourite songs. Anytime I hear it I just worship!

I Can Only Imagine
by MercyMe

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk by your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face is before me
I can only imagine

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory,
what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus?
Or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence?
Or to my knees?
Will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do Is forever,
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

[Chorus]
I can only imagine [x2]

I can only imagine
When all I will do Is forever,
Forever worship you.

Monday, May 02, 2005


Mmereki Marakakgoro, my dear friend Posted by Hello