Botswana Proverbs (50)

Kgomo e tshwarwa ka dinaka, motho ka mafoko.

“A bull is caught by its horns, but a person is caught by their words.”

A person's own words reveal their true character and can bind them just as surely as an animal is restrained by its horns.

Mmangwana o tshwara thipa ka fa bogaleng.

“A mother holds the knife by its sharp edge for the sake of her child.”

A mother will endure pain or danger herself rather than let harm reach her child.

Motho ke motho ka batho.

“A person is a person because of other people.”

No one becomes fully human alone; identity, dignity, and worth are formed through relationships with others.

Kgetsi ya tsie e kgonwa ke go tshwaraganelwa.

“A basket of locusts is only filled by people working together.”

Large or difficult tasks, including raising a child or building a community, are accomplished through shared effort, not by any one person alone.

Kgosi ke Kgosi ka morafe.

“A chief is chief only because of the tribe.”

A leader's authority comes from the people they serve, not from themselves; leadership without the people's support is empty.

Diselammapa ga di ratane.

“Traders in the same goods do not love one another.”

People competing in the same trade or pursuit rarely stay on friendly terms with each other.

Ngwedi a tshega letsatsi a re, o mosweu.

“The Moon laughs at the Sun, saying, "You are white."”

Before criticizing someone else's fault, look honestly at yourself; you may share the very flaw you mock.

Manong a ja ka ditshika.

“Vultures eat according to their kinship.”

Those bound by family or kinship ties share what they have and look out for one another before others.

Sejo sennye ga se fete molomo.

“A small portion of food still passes the mouth.”

A small share or a modest gift is still worth accepting with gratitude; something is always better than nothing.

Sedikwa ke ntšwa-pedi ga se thata.

“What is tackled by two is not difficult.”

A hard task becomes manageable when it is shared between two or more people working together.

Ga ke thata ke le nosi, ke thata ka ba bangwe.

“I am not strong alone; I am strong because of others.”

Individual strength is limited; real strength and resilience come from community and mutual support.

Bophokojwe ba ba nkgwe ba itsanye ka mebala.

“Jackals of a kind know one another by their markings.”

Like recognizes like; people of similar character or background naturally find and understand one another.

Motho ga a iphetse.

“A person cannot sustain himself alone.”

No individual is truly self-sufficient; everyone depends on others to survive and thrive.

“Eating without sharing is like swearing with your mouth.”

Enjoying food or good fortune without sharing it with others is treated as a kind of wrongdoing in Batswana community life.

“To give away is to make provision for the future.”

Generosity today is an investment; those you help are likely to help you back when you are in need.

“He who offended forgets, but he who suffered from the offense does not.”

Wrongdoers move on quickly, but the pain they caused stays with the person who was hurt far longer.

“Eyes can see widely: they can cross a river in full flood.”

Sight and understanding can reach further than the body can physically travel; observation overcomes obstacles that block movement.

“What is seen is seen by all.”

Once something is done in public, it cannot be hidden or denied; the whole community bears witness.

“Plenty is like the mist.”

Abundance can vanish as quickly and quietly as morning mist, so prosperity should never be taken for granted.

“Famine hides under the granary.”

Hardship can be close at hand even when things look fine on the surface; visible plenty does not always mean real security.

“To travel is to see.”

Leaving home and experiencing new places broadens a person's knowledge and understanding of the world.

“To kiss the child is to kiss the mother.”

Showing kindness to someone's family or loved ones is itself an act of respect and affection toward that person.

“The cripple is fair in its mother's eyes.”

A mother's love sees the best in her child regardless of any flaw or disability; love does not depend on perfection.

“You cannot keep a bull in the kraal.”

A strong-willed or ambitious individual cannot be permanently confined or held back; sooner or later, they will break free.

Poo, ga di nne pedi mo sakeng.

“Two bulls cannot stay in the same kraal.”

When two people compete for the same position or claim, conflict is inevitable and a choice between them must eventually be made.

Ntwa kgolo ke ya molomo.

“The greatest fight is the fight of the mouth.”

Dialogue and negotiation resolve conflict better than violence; this saying is often cited as a value behind Botswana's tradition of peaceful, consensus-based politics and diplomacy.

Molemo wa kgang ke go buiwa.

“The healing of a dispute is for it to be talked out.”

Grievances and conflicts are resolved through open discussion between the parties, not through silence or force — the founding idea behind the kgotla assembly.

Mmualebe o a bo a bua la gagwe.

“Even the one who speaks badly still speaks his own word.”

Every person has the right to voice their own opinion at the kgotla, however unpolished it may sound — a founding idea of Botswana's tradition of open, inclusive public debate.

Lefoko la kgosi le agelwa mosako.

“The chief's word is fenced around.”

Even within a system that requires the chief to consult the people, the chief's own decision still carries binding weight and final authority.

Kgosi thipa e sega molootsi.

“The chief is a knife that cuts even the one who sharpens it.”

A leader's authority applies even to his own closest advisors and counsellors — accountability runs in both directions within traditional leadership.

Mafoko a kgotla a mantle otlhe.

“All the words spoken at the kgotla are good.”

Every perspective offered at the community assembly deserves to be heard and valued, however different it may be from the majority view.

Ga re lebe motho, re leba molato.

“We do not look at the person, we look at the offense.”

The law should be applied the same way regardless of a person's wealth, status, or standing — a guiding principle of impartial justice in Botswana's legal tradition.

A e nne modiga.

“Let it drop.”

Said by a mediator settling a quarrel between two contending parties, urging both sides to set the matter aside and move on.

Moremogolo go betlwa wa taola, wa motho o a ipetla.

“A block of wood is carved into a divining set by a craftsman, but a person carves himself.”

Skilled hands can shape an object out of wood, but only a person can shape their own character and future — each individual is responsible for who they become.

Bana ba tadi ba itsiwe ka mereto.

“Kittens of the wild cat are known by their mewing.”

A person's true nature reveals itself in how they behave, just as young animals betray their kind through their own sounds.

Ntšwanyana e bonwa mabotobotong.

“A little dog is judged by the way it noses about.”

A person is judged by their conduct and manner, just as a dog's character is told from how it explores — a person is known by their talk.

Mafura a ngwana ke go rongwa.

“The joy of childhood is being sent on errands.”

Children find purpose and pride in being trusted with small tasks; being given chores is treated as an honor, not a burden.

Phokoje go tshela yo o dithetsenyana.

“Only the jackal that has endured the dust gets to eat.”

Reward comes to those who have endured hardship and effort to earn it; there is no gain without struggle.

Bongoe fela ke bobedi, bojosi losho.

“Two together are worth much; one alone is worth almost nothing.”

A person acting alone accomplishes little compared to what two people working together can achieve; companionship multiplies strength.

Lepotlapotla le ja podi, modikologa o ja pholo ya tona.

“Haste catches only a goat; the one who goes the long way round catches a full-grown ox.”

Acting hastily brings only a small reward, while patience and careful, deliberate effort bring a far greater one.

Goora motho go thebe phatshwa.

“A person's home is their fine shield.”

There is no place of safety, dignity, and good character like one's own home; home is where virtue is best protected and nurtured.

Kgosi thothobolo e ola matlakala otlhe.

“The chief is a rubbish pit that gathers all the tribe's troubles.”

A true leader absorbs and carries every burden and complaint of the people without favoritism, the way a refuse pit receives all manner of rubbish.

Seila kgaka, senwa moro.

“You shun the guineafowl, yet you drink its gravy.”

Said of leaders or politicians who publicly disregard the people yet still privately want and take what those same people provide, such as their votes or support.

Moeng goroga re je ka wena.

“A guest arrives, and because of them we feast.”

The arrival of a visitor is treated as an occasion for generous hospitality; welcoming guests well is an automatic and deeply held cultural value.

Letlhaku le lesha le agelelwa mo go le legologolo.

“The new fence is built up alongside the old one.”

New growth and new ideas should be built on the strong foundation of what came before; the young should absorb the wisdom of their elders while it is still there to share.

Ngwana wa kgwale a ithute molodi, o gopole motlhang malata a ileng.

“Let the young francolin learn its own call, remembering the day its parents will be gone.”

One should learn the skills needed for survival while conditions are still favorable and guidance is still available, preparing today for the hardships of tomorrow.

Lore lo ojwa le sa le metsi.

“A branch is bent while it is still green with sap.”

Children must be taught discipline, values, and skills while they are still young and supple; once a person has hardened into their ways, they can no longer be shaped.

Kgosi e tsala diphera.

“The chief gives birth to all his people, whether strong or afflicted.”

A chief must lead and accept every member of the tribe regardless of their health, wisdom, or ability, governing inclusively and without favoritism.

Bana mamphorwana maatlhamela babolai.

“Children cannot yet tell a good person from a bad one.”

Young children are naturally naive and lack the judgment to discern trustworthy people from harmful ones; real discernment is a quality that only grows with maturity.

Tau di senang seboka di siiwa ke none e tlhotsa.

“Lions without unity are outdone by even a limping animal.”

Even the strongest individuals will fail or be humiliated if they do not work together; disunity leaves a group vulnerable to being bested by a far weaker opponent.