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UFS welcomes Basotho New Year with a visit to Basotho Cultural Village

11 August 2025 | Story Teboho Mositi | Photo Teboho Mositi

The Department of African Languages, in collaboration with the Bosotho Matjhabeng Association on the University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus, celebrated the Basotho New Year vibrantly at the Basotho Cultural Village on 1 August 2025. The event was hosted in partnership with the Free State Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and included participation from various stakeholders committed to preserving and promoting the Basotho heritage.

The Basotho New Year is traditionally celebrated on 1 August, marking an important seasonal transition in the Basotho calendar in August, as it signifies the end of the dry winter season (Mariha) and the beginning of a new agricultural cycle. This period is associated with renewal, growth, and preparation for planting. In line with long-standing customs, the first crops are symbolically offered to God in a sacred ritual (Tlatlamatjholo), expressing gratitude and seeking blessings for a successful harvest season. This year’s celebration centred on the theme of the eight stars (dinaledi) – a vital aspect of Basotho cosmology and identity. Students had the opportunity to gain exposure, deepen their knowledge, and learn about the cultural and historical significance of the different stars and their importance to the Basotho nation. Through traditional performances, storytelling, and educational engagement, the event successfully blended cultural celebration with learning, reinforcing the need to preserve indigenous knowledge for future generations.

Honouring the history of the Basotho

The Basotho New Year is a culturally significant day that celebrates the identity, history, and traditions of the Basotho people. According to Dr Mabohlokoa Khanyetsi, Senior Lecturer in the Department of African Languages, the day serves as a reminder of the importance of cultural knowledge in shaping the future. “A nation that does not know itself will struggle to determine its future,” she said. The New Year is celebrated through various cultural practices, including traditional clothing, food, games, and the sharing of oral history. Dr Khanyetsi explained that historical knowledge is not only valuable for preserving identity, but also for learning from the past to make informed decisions moving forward. She highlighted the traditional use of stars (dinaledi) by the Basotho to guide agricultural activities. The appearance of specific stars signalled the right time to begin ploughing, helping communities prepare for a season of abundance. Crops such as sorghum bicolor played a central role, as they were used to produce staple foods such as porridge, bread, and traditional beer. Dr Khanyetsi also underlines the value of cultural customs and rites of passage, which once marked a bridge to transition from childhood to adulthood. These practices, she argues, helped individuals remain connected to their environment and community. “I have deep respect for those who continue such traditions, as they keep us grounded in who we are as a people,” she concluded.

The founder of the Bosotho Matjhabeng Association, Rethabile Mothabeng, said: “It was truly an eye-opener to engage with researchers and learn how the stars are not just beautiful to look at, but deeply connected to the Basotho calendar, especially when it comes to planting and predicting the weather. What made it even more special was how our team brought that knowledge to life through poetry. It wasn’t just learning, it was a creative journey that we shared together.”

News Archive

Lecture on interpretations and translations of San place names

2011-09-23

Prof. Peter Raper, recently appointed as Honorary Professor: Linguistics, in the Department of Language Management and Language Practice at the University of the Free State, will deliver his inaugural lecture on Tuesday evening, 27 September 2011. His topic for the evening is “Interpretations and translations of Bushman (San) place names”. With this inaugural lecture, he also introduces an interesting one-day international colloquium on the theme: “Name-change planning – striving towards authenticity”.A panel discussion about street-name changes in Bloemfontein forms part of this colloquium and promises to elicit a stimulating debate.

Prof. Raper is probably better known for three popular place-name dictionaries, Streekname in Suid-Afrika en Suidwes, published in 1972; the Dictionary of Southern African Place Names, published in 1987, updated in 1989 and published in 2004 with some additions as New dictionary of South African place names; and Hottentot (Khoekhoen) place names, a dictionary compiled in collaboration with the famous Prof. G S Nienaber (a former Kovsie). In fact, Prof. Raper’s work is a continuation of their world-renowned series, Toponymica Hottentotica, which was published between 1977 and 1981. It is generally regarded as the most authoritative work on Hottentot place names. His current interest in Bushman place names builds on this pioneering work and is actually also a re-evaluation of the underestimated role of the Bushman with regard to place naming in South Africa up to now. His work offers a new perspective on what could be regarded as the “first” or earliest names of places in South Africa and brings a sobering perspective to the current debates regarding place-name changes where various claims are made about “who has given the name first”.

However, Prof. Raper is also known for his role in the standardisation of place names, both nationally and internationally. In South Africa, he has served on the South African National Place Names Committee (1972-1999), the South African Geographical Names Council (1999-2002) and, since 1981, on the Names Society of Southern Africa. Currently, he is an honorary member of this association. Since 1984, he has also been serving on the United Nations Group Experts on Geographical Names and has even been the Chairperson of this Leading international standardisation body (1991-2002).

Apart from this, Prof. Raper regularly publishes his research on geographical names in a variety of academic journals and still participates in the most important national and international conferences on names on a regular basis. Prof. Raper is honoured as South Africa’s foremost names expert.

His inaugural lecture will introduce a colloquium on names planning, presented by his host department. Experts from Lesotho, Zimbabwe and the USA are participating in the proceedings, amongst others, the current Chairperson of the Names Society of Southern Africa, Prof. Adrian Koopman (University of KwaZulu-Natal).

RSVP: Joy Maasdorp on +27(0)51 401 2405 or maasdorpjh@ufs.ac.za before or on Thursday, 22 September 2011.

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