A Kgatla song from Botswana, sung by women complaining together about their husbands. The reference to ‘Khaki’ in line 5 suggests not only that the man is poor but also that he may be a court messenger or some other collaborator with the colonial authorities (see Lomwe-Chuabo Protest Songs).
I heard it said that I was betrothed
And one afternoon when I was at home,
As I was sitting, I saw a fool coming.
He came dragging his coat on the ground
And his trousers were made of khaki.
I said to him, ‘Fool, where do you come from?’
He replied, ‘I am your betrothed.’
I gave the dog a chair and his tail hung down.
from Married Life in an African Tribe Faber & Faber,
translated by I. Schapera
