"Sol Plaatje was a visionary who realized that the multicultural nature of South Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century would led, i.e. lead to the dearth, i.e. death of Setswana culture including proverbs. As a guardian of Setswana culture and tradition he resolved to gather proverbs and to secure them in print form. According to Plaatje, oral literature was diminishing, and the only way to salvage the people's heritage was by documenting it for future generations. Th object of recording these proverbs was to showcase Setswana philosophy, mores, beliefs, culture and history." -- p. i.