Volume 65 December 2026-January 2026 : Art & Culture

Botswana’s path to independence was marked by peaceful negotiations and a commitment to democracy. 

Since then, the country maintains a thriving democracy, clean government, an up-right judiciary, peace and stability as well as a properly managed economy.

Botswana is one of Africa’s success stories, from being one of the continent’s poorest countries to a vibrant, developed and middle-income state. 

By a national identity, the flag was crafted, bringing together all Setswana ethnic groups in a single national label, with a culture based on the language.

Extensive diamond deposits discovered in 1969 caused a massive reorganization of Botswana’s economy. 

Created in 1978, the Debswana Mining Company (initially called De Beers – Botswana) made Botswana the world’s fastest growing economy. 

Kutlwano Magazine recently embarked on a journey, interacting with some Batswana who were born in 1966, the year the country attained its independence. 

Billy Sekgororoane, born in May 6, 1966 from Goodhope in Barolong Farms can remember a couple of years after independence.

He has witnessed the historic infrastructure development soaring to the current Gaborone Central Business District (CBD). 

A trip to areas such as Lobatse to Tsabong, where his father lived could take a couple of days due to unavailability of roads then.

Sekgororoane says during the formative years of the country, there was demand for skilled labour both in government and private sector, hence students were employed fresh from graduating. 

“The private sector used to appeal to graduates to come and work for them. Some of us when we graduated, we used to go to the notice board at the Student Union building to see where we were posted for work,” he recalls.

He remembers  also that the Sir Seretse Khama Barracks in Mogoditshane, one of the first Botswana Defence Force (BDF) camps in the country, seemed far as it was in the outskirts of Gaborone where there were no developments. 

Sekgororoane says communication back then was difficult as there were no mobile phones and very few people had landlines in their homes and were regarded as a luxury. 

To make a call, one had to be connected through operators and international calls were booked. 

Sekgororoane is concerned that failure to maintain infrastructure on time nowadays would be costly for the government. 

He is also concerned about the encroachment to wildlife areas as villages and towns expand. 

“The dynamics have completely changed. What brought the country to where it is today is not going to transform the country to the next level. The future generation has to think what to do to develop this country. Diamonds are not going to develop this country further,” he advises. 

For her part, former cabinet minister and diplomat, Dorcas Makgato, born on January 5, 1966 says she is privileged to have seen Botswana develop over the years, saying she grew up in an era when there were no running taps and had to fetch water from ponds and wells in Chadibe and Serowe. 

She remembers areas like Partial, police station in Village ward, Phase II just to mention a few in Gaborone, where she says it was just bushy locations. 

“Batswana were such a small community at independence, everybody knew everybody. There was discipline, professionalism in schools, limited private schools and everybody was employed. You could leave your job today tomorrow you get another job. Today there is a saturation of students that are being pumped out of institutions with no jobs to walk into,” she notes. She also remembers that international visitors were mostly professionals like teachers, people who had higher value addition to the economy and those who came in to run businesses and government ministries.

However, she says a good thing about life today is that with exposure to the right skills with the right mindset, people can live and work anywhere.  “If someone thinks that the only place where they can live in is Botswana, it’s actually a slow natural death. So people should be able to venture outside Botswana and not limit themselves,” she says.    

Makgato decries the declining academic performance aggravated by ill-discipline amongst students, saying they spend more time on social media, which has had a negative impact on their social skills. 

On crime then, she says it was very low and people could sleep outside their houses with no worry in the world.

 She further says the country used to have large cattle herd, more cattle than people and urges the nation to maintain these standards. 

Another agemate of Botswana, Olivia Mathabu of Senete in the Central District, born on January 16, 1966, observes that having grown in the rural areas, their food was mostly traditional as sour milk, native tree fruits moretologa, morula, moretlwa and motoroko, which could be mixed with milk to become soft porridge. 

Other farm foods were thepe, makgomane, dikgankana and ditloo.

Goabaone Shaudi of Gabane, born in April 29, 1966 notes that Mmopane Block 1 was grazing places for animals and few wildlife such as Kudus and warthog. 

She affirms that the current kgotla shelters in most villages in the country are too modernised, as the earlier ones were made of wood and offices were built with mud and thatched roofs. 

School feeding has also improved with students eating eggs in schools instead of sorghum meal. 

Another 1966 born, Ruth Baaka Sechele of Tshesebe Village, born on Independence Day (September 30th) remembers the 1976 independence celebrations as she was turning 10 years, saying they were given medals. ENDS

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