The changed face of Mantshwabisi
Mompati Tlhankane | Monday July 3, 2023 06:00
Forget about Generation Z, most millennials and those who came before would remember images of off road vehicles charging through the Kweneng district conquering rough, unforgiving terrain, the gruelling track in former host villages like Hatsalatladi, Metsimotlhabe, Kumakwane and Mantshwabisi. The race started in 1981 in South Africa as a marathon event in the then Donaldson cross-country championship, now South Africa Cross-country Championship Series (SACCS).
The event was moved to Botswana in 1992 for a better terrain. Before all Jwaneng and the brief stint in Selebi-Phikwe, the desert race used to start and finish right here in Gaborone at Game City. The race has the potential to inflict serious harm to the environment if it is run in one place for a long time. Therefore, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requires the race area to be changed every five years, which necessitates the need to look for alternative areas. The relocation of the host venue also provides continued interest in the event and new challenging terrain for competitors, which is in line with building a sustainable future for the race, attracting new entrants and retaining the loyal competitors.
Name coined after a village in Kweneng
The desert race got it famed name ‘Mantshwabisi’ when it was hosted at a village in the Kweneng District of Botswana named Mantshwabisi. Located 45 km north-west of Molepolole, along the Molepolole–Letlhakeng road, it was during the time when it was one of the most fascinating races to watch. The host became subject for headlines, good ones for that matter as the racing cars ploughed through the deep sand with the last stop being Mantshwabisi.
Mantshwabisi, Ya lelemelaAs Mantshwabisi’s popularity grew so did the race’s stance in popular culture. Talented twins, Kago and Kagiso Moses at the time known as Kwaito Weapons released their debut album titled Mantshwabisi with a hit song of the same name. On top of the artistry from the Moses twins, the song was constant on the airwaves. The song was big and unfortunately Kwaito Weapons failed to reach the glory of their debut Mantshwabisi album in the follow up albums. The song was so influential that it popularised the Nissan Hardbody alongside racer Hannes Grobler who was a marvel to watch.
Grobler and Nissan dominance
The South African popularised the Nissan Hardbody at some point winning back-to-back races in three consecutive years; 2002, 2003 and 2004. He was the king of the desert race and he once shocked everyone when he claimed his fourth and fifth title with a BMW X3. “As long as it has wheels, I will drive it,” Grobler was quoted at some point. After Grobler did wonders with the Hardbody, Duncan Vos and Richard Leeke were amongst the drivers who popularised the Nissan Navara. Just like the Hardbody, local motor dealers benefited as Navara sales rose with the cars’ visibility increased in the roads. Nissan diminished in later years with the rise of Toyota, but it surely enjoyed its time especially when Kumakwane hosted the race.
Makgekgenene, local pride
Before there was Ross Branch, local racer Atang Makgekgenene dominated the desert race. He participated in the Special Vehicle category for two-wheel drive frame vehicles. At some point they called him the local Schumacher. Mostly people could remember him for his back to back wins in 2004 and 2005.
Kumakwane, the start of economic benefits
When the race was moved to Kumakwane, it was no longer about the drivers, terrain, adrenaline or the cars, the iconic sporting event started to unlock more economic opportunities and boosted tourism. It became a beacon within the tourism industry in Botswana. Thousands of people braved the chilly weather to camp at the starting and finishing points in Kumakwane. People came from all corners of the country to pitch their tents, mount their stalls and most of the hospitality businesses along the route were fully booked. Finally the event was contributing money to the country’s economy.
People spent the bulk of their money on accommodation, food, transport and entertainment. It was either you attended Mantshwabisi to have fun or make money. Every event is never without shortcomings but grave incidents which leave the nation in awe were scarce to none then and the police did not have many headaches as revellers were containable. For the people of Kumakwane, the event benefited the local communities by creating temporary employment before and after the race.
BTO cameo
With the popularity of the desert race and what it meant for the tourism industry, the Botswana Tourism Board (BTB), now Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) found a niche market through the annual Toyota Kalahari 1000 Desert Race. They came in because the race assisted them to diversify their tourism menu on top of the Okavango Delta and other tourist attractions. With the desert race attracting local, regional and international spectators, BTO promised to ensure that the race gains international prominence, a role they have been playing since.
Jwaneng demonsThe desert race moved to Jwaneng in 2014 and with it a whole lot of gains and drawbacks. Jwaneng resulted in an influx of spectators as people travelled from various areas to the mining town. Some wanted fun, with some going there for business while yet others craved for the adventure of camping and outdoor activities. Jwaneng was good for business as establishments recorded an increase in sales. From accommodation facilities, food outlets, fuel stations to the informal sector, everyone was happy. Jwaneng was also a great terrain for the drivers no wonder the race has since returned to the town after a five-year hiatus. With the high number of spectators, the likelihood of crime increased as well as road accidents caused by either reckless drivers or drunken ones. The police visibility in just that weekend had to increase but that did not prevent crime from happening. Just between 2014 and 2018 when the race was held in Jwaneng, people lost their lives. Two people lost their lives in 2015 and in a tragic incident in 2018, a young woman was found dead, naked and dumped in the bush on the last day of the race. The BTO moved the race to Selebi-Phikwe in 2019 but this year saw Mantshwabisi returning to the mining town and last Sunday ended in yet another controversy when 49 spectators’ vehicles were torched by an inferno which was allegedly started by two street vendors. Jwaneng Police Station Commander, Thuso Basupi told Mmegi last Sunday that they had recorded incidents of robberies on spectators who were camping in nearby places. He said the perpetrators mostly targeted valuables like mobile phones. Basupi revealed that they experienced an increase in vehicles no wonder they had to manage the traffic that came along with it. He added they also experienced a lot of congestion in bars. “We had about 12 cases of drunken driving,” he said. Basupi said incidents of theft this year had increased compared to when the race was last held there in 2018.
Toyota Dominance For many years until Ford took the title this year, Toyota drivers like Anthony Taylor, Dennis Murphy, Giniel De Villiers, Leeroy Poulter and Chris Visser had been dominating the race. Toyota took total control of the championship in 2012 with Duncan Vos and Rob Howie in a Toyota Hilux breaking the spell. People loved as they raced with a Toyota in a Toyota country. When the race was last held in Jwaneng in 2018, Toyota won their sixth successive race since 2012. Toyota at some point scooped all three podium positions wadding off competition from other car makers amongst them Ford, Nissan and Volkswagen.
Branch immortality
Mantshwabisi brought joy for locals. Amongst those is local biker, Branch. Last weekend he returned to his hometown with a win after five years. Branch rode to his eighth Toyota Gazoo Racing 1000 Botswana Kalahari Desert Race (TGR1000) title. The ‘Kalahari Ferrari’ extended his undefeated record in Jwaneng. Branch has already carved legendary status in the race and he says he had always liked the sand because it is not too dangerous compared to rocks.
Selebi-Phikwe stintWith partner, BTO’s philosophy of tourism diversification, elevating communities and meeting the requirements of the EIA, Mantshwabisi relocated to the former mining town of Selebi-Phikwe in 2019. With Selebi-Phikwe as the host of the 38th edition entities like SPEDU saw the desert race as an economic strategy to diversify and revive the economy of the region. Selebi-Phikwe had been dealt a heavy blow when the government closed the BCL Mine in 2016. For the competitors, the new terrain proved a major challenge and spectators just felt Selebi-Phikwe was just too far. Botswana Railways even availed a passenger train for the desert race enthusiasts. The Selebi-Phikwe desert race did not really have any major incidents and a year later the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and everything came to a halt.
Almost losing Mantshwabisi to SA
In 2021, Selebi-Phikwe was deemed not suitable to host the race due to the restrictions on sporting activities imposed by the government. Mantshwabisi was then moved to Upington in South Africa’s Northern Cape. It was reported that the discovery of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 made it complex for Selebi-Phikwe to host that year’s edition. In 2022, the race returned to Upington for the second time.
The return to JwanengWhen it was announced this year that Jwaneng will once again host Mantshwabisi, people were elated. The BTO disclosed that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the South Africa Cross-country Championship Series (SACCS) over hosting rights of the Toyota Gazoo Racing 1000 Kalahari Botswana Desert Race (TDR 1000) for five years. All roads led to the mining town and unfortunately it ended in a sombre mood when a fire accident caused the destruction of 49 vehicles.
It’s not the event, it’s the people
Most of the incidents which happen at the desert race are caused by some indecent behaviour from members of the public. Drunken driving, reckless driving and crime are what the police deal with every year when there is a desert race. For that weekend only, people seem to forget that safety is very important at all times. Even for the inferno incident which devastated the public last weekend, the Jwaneng Town Council (JTC) has revealed that they had made consultations with morafe and the latter was instructed not to prepare meals in public. “No one was allowed to cook in public spaces. They were clearly told to prepare food at home and sell it to the public as ready-made. We told them that the grass is dry, so no one should risk cooking in public,” The JTC spokesperson, Dikeledi Kgosietsile told Mmegi this week. But as the event returns to Jwaneng again next year, a lot should be expected in terms of organisers to curb incidents such as the Sunday one. It should also not be left to authorities but members of the general public should learn behavioural change because one minor incident can cause a chain of events like what happened on Sunday. Otherwise there is nothing wrong with Mantshwabisi, it is the biggest event in the local calendar and everything ought to be handled with care.