Boipelego and Ipelegeng Before and After Independence

Abstract

Boipelogo and Ipelegeng are virtually interchangeable words, the one being a noun and the other a verb – meaning self help or self reliance in one or another form. Traditionally, the two words referred to the undertaking by the mephato or age groups of a wide range of community projects. In each instance, the projects in question were selected by the Kgosi and the mephato were deployed entirely at his discretion. Involvement was mandatory and the modern notion of volunteerism was entirely absent.