Female Supremacy Articles - Page 13

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But on other issues, her positions are as rooted in tradition as any male chief's. She supports caning藤条抽打 — hitting with a thin rod as a form of punishment in the kgotla, the red brick and tile open-air shelter that serves as the meeting place for the tribe of 33,000. "It happens all the time," she said.

She doesn't approve of jeans-clad women in the kgotla. Or condoms in the schools. Nor does she see the need for people infected with H.I.V. to declare their status publicly.

Cynics may say that Ms. Seboko is chief now only because Botswana's chiefs no longer have any real power. Over time, elected officials have usurped much of their role. But in many communities, including Ramotswa, chiefs remain highly respected figures.

"I love her," said Mogogi Batsalelwang, a cook for the Botswana Defense Force, as she left the kgotla on a recent day. Asked why, she paused with a look of surprise. "She is our chief. We love all our chiefs," she said.

Mosadi Seboko was born June 7, 1950, the first of nine children. Like most children then, she was given an English name, Muriel, along with her Setswana name. She was still a teenager when her father died. Her mother, she said, had no job training. So as soon as she finished high school, Ms. Seboko looked for work.