The News Room

Mama Grace Masuku Book Launch - 14 March 2008

The Legacy of Mama Grace Meiki Masuku by Dr Lucas Mogashudi Ngoetjana.

The Jazz African Heritage Steering Committee recently showcased a book launch to celebrate our rich cultural heritage.

"The Legacy of Mama Grace Meiki Masuku - An Embodiment of African Heritage."

This 2-year project, initiated by the North West Parks and Tourism Board, has been launched in order to ensure that Mama Grace Masuku's knowledge is preserved for future generations of the Batswana Nation.

She is a living legend and custodian of the Batswana ways of life.

Of importance is that, it is the first living product achieved following on MEC Darkey Africa's persuasion to the NWPTB to begin embarking on Social History projects which would showcase unique selling points of the different Batswana communities to tourists visiting the North west Province.

Apart from Mama Masuku's historical background, the book takes the reader through the social life and upbringing of the Batswana, and then plunges readers into the experiences about the African heritage and conservation of indigenous knowledge, with special attention to the professional African Health practitioners and providers with detail.

Mama Masuku is a widely recognized traditionalist, environmentalist and community worker. She was one of the eight success stories in sustainable development, which was showcased by the World Conservation Union during the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.

In his foreword, the Chairperson of the NWPTB Conservation Sub-Committee, Gabriel Mokgoko says "The Life of Mama Grace Masuku has influenced the area of economic viability and sustainability, among others described in the book. She has contributed in the conservation of nature in the form of maintaining the natural traditional medicinal plants and sharing her knowledge selflessly with all people around her."

She is a living legend and custodian of the Batswana ways of life. Today this dignified woman leads an initiative to restore the Bakgatla’s traditional respect for the environment.

The author, Dr Lucas Mogashudi Ngoetjana employed various methodologies in profiling Mama Grace Masuku's knowledge of Africa Heritage, values, conservation models and its interface with modern science and indigenous knowledge systems.

These included ethnomethodology, thematic methodology, go-and-see method, narrative approach, participant observation, unstructured interviews, the use of tape and video recorders and notes taking.

The visionary behind the publication of Mama Masuku's book is Chief Executive Officer of the NWPTB, Mr. Charles Vuyisile Ndabeni, and is acknowledged in the book "for his visionary leadership which has seen the need to document the legacy of this resourceful daughter from the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela tribe in South Africa."

For more information contact the Public Relations Unit Parks and Tourism Board Heritage House:
Ms Dinah Rangaka

+ 27 (0)18 397 1500 ext 1527/25