#MAHIKENG — A complex of masonic heritage and rigorous architectural spirit focused on symmetry. Honorable Lucas Mangope during his time as president used to check the concrete blocks of all the buildings during the construction process.

He was known to have a deep understanding of concrete composition and structural engineering at a philosophical level. He applied these to building Bophutatswana, setting up concrete long-term community based assets that still stand today. Some people even go as far as to say there would be no way to burn a building that the community owns a portion of. This was a universal principle.

A concrete state of ownership at community level is a hard line of discipline, long term thinking and a focus on self care. If we truly cared for others as we did for ourselves, every action would be to intentionally contributing to change: igniting growth through inspiring development. We would not intimidate ourselves, instead we would empower each other to be more than we imagined—not how we are remembered. This personal quality checking culture is a sign of true love, checking if the quality of a concrete composition meets your standards in addition to the Bureau of Standards is the seed of trust.

“If it meets my standards, and meets that of the regulator—then keep using this mix for this building. This is the best mix for my people’s investment. It will last long after me.”—I imagine him saying this.

Every day is just worth appreciating the level of intent, and foresight behind Honorable Lucas Mangope’s legacy and efforts. He was not perfect— but who is? This is an asset currently being patched up or something. I just love the sound construction work, machines moving and the scent of awe.

Under the backdrop of land issues and dynamics it’s becoming more obvious how short sighted contemporary politicians are. A deep orientation toward not sensationalism, but genuinely misguided applications of the entitlement theory. Structurally, if we were truly serious our focus would be on industry and culture. No other two aspects can release the tensions that we’ve become so used to focusing on. If a nation is perplexing itself by focusing on the struggle, it will build stronger narratives around the idea. Eventually believe that that is all we are worth.

Unfortunately I don’t agree. I believe communities are the hotspot of true development, deeply rooted in an asset based narrative. That quality of life is derived from demonstrating a dignified intention to shift a society from the perils of violence to the rewards of deeply enriched work. Mafoko. A constructive attitude will build people more than a dependent mindset — that was the principle underlying the reconstruction and development programme. A programme now used to talk about government subsidized housing. There’s more to our potential than government intervention, I believe that the legacy of Honorable Lucas Mangope demonstrates this to a large extent. His legacy as with what Honorable Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi was driven by similar principles. Just applied in very different ways and reflecting the potentialities of the people.

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