A ''kgotla'' (English pronunciation or ) is a public meeting, community council, or
traditional law court of a
Botswana village. It is usually headed by the village
chief
Chief may refer to:
Title or rank
Military and law enforcement
* Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force
* Chief of police, the head of a police department
* Chief of the boa ...
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.
The custom of allowing everyone their full say is carried over into meetings of all kinds, from discussing a bill to a staff briefing.
''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''.
In
South African English
South African English (SAfrE, SAfrEng, SAE, en-ZA) is the set of English language dialects native to South Africans.
History
British settlers first arrived in the South African region in 1795, when they established a military holding op ...
, a ''lekgotla'' is a meeting called by government to discuss strategy planning. The term is still a loan word from
Setswana, again meaning ''court''.
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
External links
Example of use in South African context Retrieved 21 May 2008.
from the Botswana Embassy, Japan
Company providing management trainings with Kgotla
Law of Botswana
Community
{{Botswana-stub