Perhaps the most implicit use of the rhetoric of contrast by the Tshidi was to be found in their conceptual map of the rural domain. This domain hinged on their former capital, Mafikeng, which now lies just a half mile from the white town of Mafeking. These two towns are separated by a century of colonial history,8 and by the madman's railway line. The very name "Mafek- ing," a corruption of the vernacular for "the place of rocks," made a subtle comment on that history, marking the distinction between the local white politico-economic center and the seat of the chiefship, which remained the anchor of the Tshidi sense of setswana. Mafeking was the most immediate citadel of sekgoa, and from it emanated demands for taxes, and for labor both domestic and distant. Its rectangular ground plan, broad streets, and neatly fenced bungalows contrasted sharply with the sinuous paths and circular compounds of its black counterpart. The terms on which Tshidi engaged with the wryly named "White City" were quite explicit. The only blacks allowed on its curfewed streets at night were those who carried letters of permission from their employers. In Mafikeng, the statement "ke ya mmerekong" ("I'm going to work"; from bereka) implied a journey over the railway bridge beside the offices of the watchful Bantu Affairs Commissioner, who articulated all movement between the domains of work and labor.