The pillar

The National Assembly in Gaborone
The National Assembly in Gaborone

Wander around the place looking at buildings old and new and the dominant feature, which must strike you, is the pillar. This particular architectural feature may have seen lean times in the past in this country.

But look around with care and it won’t be long before you find that it pops up on a variety of older buildings, most obviously, District Commissioner’s offices, tribal offices and chiefly homes.  The combination of those three can hardly come as a surprise. All three possessed authority and had a need to display it - and the obvious answer was the pillar. The impressive pillared frontage of the Phuthadikobo Museum in Mochudi was, though, of a different kind.

Those very large, immensely heavy pillars had to be carried up the hill by hand because there was then no road and therefore no mechanical means of getting them to the building site. But the effort was worth it because they were required to make a statement, not, in this instance, about authority, but about prestige, the prestige of the new school and the prestige of the tribe itself.  Small wonder that the home of the project’s lead figure, the Regent Isang Pilane, should also have a pillared frontage. Prestige buildings, however, were in very short supply during most of the Protectorate years so that it is necessary to jump 40 years before a similar need was to emerge. Unsurprisingly, this was to be the new National Assembly in Gaborone with the architect concluding that the pillar should be its most distinguishing feature.

Editor's Comment
Congratulations Anicia Gaothuse!

The contest had 10 beautiful young girls as finalists and unfortunately only one could wear the crown.The judges picked Anicia Gaothuse. To all those who feel their contestant should have won ahead of Anicia for whatever reason, hardly; the judges found Anicia to be the best among the best, so desist from disrespecting our newly crowned queen on social media or anywhere else, for that matter! Each of the 10 beautiful young women had supporters...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up