Volume 65 December 2026-January 2026 : Art & Culture
Saturday is for funerals
Author : Unity Dow, Max Essex
Reviewer: Pako Lebanna
Publisher: Harvard University Press
This is presented as the story of Botswana’s battle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. While the book attempts to use fiction to grab the attention of the audience, the use of complex medical terminology may put off the casual reader- perhaps the person who is most in need to be informed.
The book is spread over 16 chapters, mostly using fictional characters to bring to life the true story of Botswana’s battle against the pandemic, from the turn of the century. As the book notes, in the year 2000 the World Health Organisation predicted that eventually, HIV/AIDS would claim the lives of 85 per cent of Botswana’s 15 year olds (the generation born in 1985, today’s 27 year olds).
But the country’s intervention measures, prevented this from happening, and Saturday is for Funerals details how this was achieved.
But the book clearly exaggerates some international stereotypes of the HIV/AIDS condition in Botswana. For example, this quote at the beginning of Chapter 1; “It is a Saturday in 2007 and my mother has not been to a funeral in two weeks; she is grateful for the respite.
She whips out three funeral programmes. She keeps funeral programmes, because so many people are dying that it is difficult to keep up.”
This may give people the impression that 2007 - just five years ago - Botswana was still grappling with a high mortality rate due to HIV/AIDS, when the reality is that, that year, the tail end of the Festus Mogae presidency, strides had already been made in reducing AIDS-related deaths.
Using fiction to present facts required the authors to be more careful with their use of dates and data. A complex read, not for the casual reader.