23 Jun 2024

Ntlo ya Dikgosi has supported the proposal for Botswana to accede to the Kampala Protocol on voluntary registration of copyright and related right.

The Kampala Protocol represents a significant step towards addressing protection of traditional knowledge and expressions of folklore in Africa, recognising the cultural and economic importance of those resources to indigenous and local communities.

Speaking after the presentation of National Competent Authority (CIPA) at the Ntlo ya Dikgosi meeting on Wednesday, the traditional leaders agreed to the proposal to include the protection of Expressions of Folklore (EoFs), traditional cultural expressions in the copy and neighbouring rights.

Kgosi Puso Gaborone of Batlokwa said the proposal would protect, preserve and promote cultural heritage of communities to minimise continued loss of EoFs because of non-documentation.

Kgosi Puso said it would also prevent misappropriation, adding that there were instances where some artists stole or took that which belonged to other ethnic groups to use as their own. He was of the view that communities should benefit from their traditions, instead of one person.

Sharing the same sentiments, Kgosi Sibangani Mosojane of North East also said it was important that the folklore should be protected against all act of misappropriation, misuse and unlawful exploitation.

Kgosi Sibangani said the protection would ensure that owners of EoFs benefitted from the use of their works and at the same time create economic opportunities.

Explaining the Kampala Protocol, CIPA copyright administrator, Ms Keitseng Monyatsi said the protocol defined traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyle relevant for conserving.

Ms Monyatsi said expressions of folklores might be in any form, tangible or intangible, through which traditional culture knowledge was expressed, appeared or manifested.

She said EoFs might comprise verbal expressions such as stories, epics, legends, poetry, riddles and other narratives, words, signs names and symbols.

Among them, she said were musical expressions , expressions by movement such as dances, plays rituals, tangible expressions such as art, carvings, sculptures, traditional music and dance, ceremonial practices of bogwera and bojale, storytelling and oral literature of mainane, malela and meila.

Meanwhile, she explained that interested persons would apply and be granted access to EoFs, in the process promoting creativity, preserving folkloric works and generating revenue. ends