Marriage and the ambiguities of ‘seeds’: an exploration of intentions and transparency in relations in Botswana

Ambiguities, this chapter argues, are present in the execution of wedding arrangements in Botswana, which, in some locations in the country, revolve around particular ritual practices that are crucial to how people are prepared for marriage. A point concerning knowing intentions and the possible ambiguities that may occur in and around that process is that, in addition to the ambiguous nature of substances and utterances, which may work for either good or bad in relation to the intentions of an actor, this ‘knowing’ may also apply to collective acts based on the outcome of ritual acts. In the course of doing fieldwork in 2018, Rijk van Dijk was invited to attend a public session at a well-known Pentecostal congregation in a suburb of Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, intended to prepare those interested in having a private counselling session with the pastor at a later date.