Mma Ramotswe set burns down
Mpho Tlale | Thursday January 30, 2014 14:44
Mma Ramotswe set burns down
MPHO TLALE
STAFF WRITER
W
hat used to be a colourful set with potential and meaning has turned out to be a dilapidated sight of its former self.
Part of the remaining buildings of The No1 Ladies Detective Agency set in Kgale was on Monday evening burnt down
The fire, whose origins are still to be determined, has consumed part of the Botswana government's funding of five million US Dollars (P30 million) investment in the 2008 production of The No1 Ladies Detective Agency popularly known as Mma Ramotswe.
Before the building was burnt down, there were already concerns that the set was neglected and not maintained as expected after the shooting of the movie was concluded.
On arriving at the scene on Monday afternoon, there were still traces of some faint smoke coming from the burnt down building.
What now remains of the once budding set is a sad state and almost matches a ghost town. On touring the remaining buildings it was apparent that the place has been a drinking and smoking hideout. Evidence of broken beer bottles, stumps and packets of cigarettes can be spotted on the surroundings and building themselves. There are also remains of pieces of clothing and some of the walls have been vandalised with some obscene writings. Paint is peeling off the walls and any slight blow of the strongest wind will blow the corrugated iron roofing away.
To date The No1 Ladies Detective Agency popularly known can be considered one of the first major productions to be filmed in Botswana. Starring American soul singer Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe, the production based on a novel by Alexander McCall Smith was produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in conjunction with Home Box Office (HBO).
Efforts to reach Botswana Tourism Organisation's (BTO) Public Relations department to get clarity on the matter proved to be futile. BTO was tasked with taking care of the set and they had initially said that the set would become a hub of some tourism activities to keep it alive and functioning.
The fire, whose origins are still to be determined, has consumed part of the Botswana government's funding of five million US Dollars (P30 million) investment in the 2008 production of The No1 Ladies Detective Agency popularly known as Mma Ramotswe.
Before the building was burnt down, there were already concerns that the set was neglected and not maintained as expected after the shooting of the movie was concluded. On arriving at the scene on Monday afternoon, there were still traces of some faint smoke coming from the burnt down building.What now remains of the once budding set is a sad state and almost matches a ghost town. On touring the remaining buildings it was apparent that the place has been a drinking and smoking hideout. Evidence of broken beer bottles, stumps and packets of cigarettes can be spotted on the surroundings and building themselves.
There are also remains of pieces of clothing and some of the walls have been vandalised with some obscene writings. Paint is peeling off the walls and any slight blow of the strongest wind will blow the corrugated iron roofing away.To date The No1 Ladies Detective Agency popularly known can be considered one of the first major productions to be filmed in Botswana.
Starring American soul singer Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe, the production based on a novel by Alexander McCall Smith was produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in conjunction with Home Box Office (HBO).Efforts to reach Botswana Tourism Organisation's (BTO) Public Relations department to get clarity on the matter proved to be futile. BTO was tasked with taking care of the set and they had initially said that the set would become a hub of some tourism activities to keep it alive and functioning.
