Molepo Traditional Dance Group Profile

Preview Dinaka Booklet

The art form:
Dinaka/Kiba music and dance or mmino wa setšo as is known among rural communities in Limpopo province, South Africa; is an important heritage from pre-colonial Southern Africa. Our explanation of the art form is twofold: Firstly, Dinaka/Kiba music and dance as cultural expression – an aesthetic which has survived marginalization and misinterpretation through colonization and apartheid times. Secondly, Dinaka/Kiba music and dance as an oral teaching instrument central to Indigenous Knowledge Institutions of Southern Africa and the role it plays in knowledge sharing.

The Group:
Molepo Traditional Music and Dance is a group that performs traditional Northern Sotho music and dance also known as Dinaka/Kiba or simply put mmino wa setṧo; which is predominantly found in Limpopo province and can be found in different regions. The group is originally from Mankgaile village, Ga Molepo – a rural town located along the north eastern outskirts of Polokwane City under the current chieftainship of Kgosi Maisha III of the Molepo Traditional Authority. The group has 22 members in total, 15 elderly and 7 youths(below the age of 35). As a result of cross-gender influences, out of the 22 people membership, we have three females who play the drums or meropa. The rest of the members are males who play the instruments also known as dinaka.

Originally the group wore selected pieces of animal skins(those of the Bush Buck, Concubine etc depending on the individual’s taste, tribal totem and spiritual inclination) and colourful beads made up of white, orange, blue and black as costumes. Again, as a result of cross-tribal influences the current colours of the costumes worn by the group during live performances are black inter mingled with purple, powder blue, white and red costumes, white takkies and socks often times complimented with animal skins and colourful beads. These colours reveal a great deal about the presence of some members from now defunct Dinaka/Kiba groups from other regions in Limpopo such as Ga Dikgale

Core services and products:

We compose, produce and perform Dinaka/Kiba Music and Dance through invite from clients such as traditional weddings and ceremonies as well as events organized by ourselves such as festivals, workshops and film exhibitions. We also sell studio recorded Compact Discs and DVD’s, books, merchandise etc.





12 thoughts on “Molepo Traditional Dance Group Profile

  1. Thanks Mahlaga, I enjoy reading all you articles regarding history of our forefathers, Makgobas and Molepos. I also realised you articles are based more on archives which is white man’s findings, ga e kaba go a kgonagala Tlou nke o nyakišiše gore ke nnete ye kakang ya gore Sehlapelo ke yena motho wa mathomo go dula tulong ye gona bjalo e bitšwago ka ga-Molepo, Sehlapelo yo o be a na le mantona a gagwe e le bo Maloka le boMolelemane. E leng seo barego se hlotše ntwa gare ga Molepo le Makubu. NKA LEBOGA KUDU TLOU!!!!

    1. Ke leboga molaetša weso. Ee, ke nnete ditaba tše dintšhi ke di topa ka gare ga dinkgo tšeo ke di hwetšang ge ke ntse ke tsomana le tsebo. Bothata jo bogolo ke gore bakgalabje le bakgekolo ba bantšhi ga ba na kgahlego ya go ka hlalosetša ditlogolo le ditlogolokhukhu ditaba tše. Ke a leka mongaka. Go bao ke kgonnego go ba hwetša, go kwagala jwale gore naga ye e tšerwe ka dikgoka ke mašole a gaMolepo ao a bego a dula ka thoko ela ya Sekutu. Go kwagala gore Molepo o ile go ntšha koma, a ba le setšhaba se sentšhi gomme ke ka fao a khonnego go fenya Makubu. A re thušane go fatollla tše dingwe gore bana ba rena ba tle ba tsebe taba tše. Mošate!

  2. Makubu ke bo maloka,molelemane ,tema,sefara and others. the so called Bathokwa. they are the first to settle at boshega. a fight emerged between molepo and makubu and molepo won the fight by burning the houses belonging to makubu. that is when they surendered. but molelemane’s brother maloka wanted to fight back, but his brother discourage him. that resulted in maloka leaving the said land and settling in the mountains at a place now called Ga-Maloka. Molelemane remained there, but refused to be ruled by molepo

  3. @Maloka Mohwela sa gage, Mothokwa wa maseboko ke go kwa ga botse wešo, le nna ke kwele bjalo, ke matebele batho bao. Ke ka fao o kwago le maina a bo Mmamatebele (noka), Mmamolelemane(noka). Feela gona le Sehlapelo yo le yena go kwalago gore o dutše lona le felo leo pele ga ge Molepo a fihla, ke ka fao le leina la le felo le bitšwago Bošega le tšwelelago gona, yena Mošega (Sehlapelo) o amana bjang le matebele ao.

  4. Ke re swarang le tiishe bana ba tjie kgalaka. Setjo, bokgabo le bohwa re ka se amogwe ke motho. Ke bohwa bya bo rraweshu. Agee Ditlou tja tumula mogaba ditlowana tja ja kgbane.

      1. nna ke Thokwane Sehlapelo”Sehlapelo a boshega a kgotsitso le kgotsitswana” the direct decendend of the king of the bashega clan ,once my father told me when he was growing up the people of ga molepo came to their house to seek help becuase molelemane did not want to be ruled by them ,but rather by the original owners which is our family

      2. Tama mohlomphegi! I am glad you came through with a comment. Also excited to have a Sehlapelo engaging with us here. I am interested in that part of our history (the war between Molepo and Sehlapelo). Do you have any recorded douments of that or anything related to it? Nka thaba go kwa go lena. Moxate!

  5. Na le tla ntheng lena ditlou?Nna ka leina Sepedi,kere go lena seshego sa ditlou kgolo tsa ga Molepo se tletse la go falala.Re tla fela re le nyetlela ka naga ye ya gabo lena ya go huma.

    Ke nabile maoto ke iphsina ka mmino yo wa bohwa.

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