The Trouble with Botswana: A Poet speaks (Part 2)

The other problem is many people feel Botswana has surrendered its sovereignty over far too many things-culture, politics, the environment, education and business life, all these in less than 50 years after the coming of freedom.

They consider themselves a nation without a country. The surprising thing is that they don’t seem to be angry about this-they are only sad, sad and lost. Everywhere you go you’ll find them sighing: bajele naga yotlhe. Re setse re shename fela. (They’ve eaten up the whole country. We are left in sorrow and bewilderment). Goitse modimo (It’s the work of God). What keeps these desolate people together is a small village spirit. What keeps them together is a quiet but sad, small, and very fragile belief that they have a human bond with each other that has survived the test of time.