Exploring the unique heritage of the Makgadikgadi Pans

ABEL ABEDNICO MABUSE
Correspondent | Friday January 20, 2012 00:00

Before it dried up about 20,000 years ago, this magnificent lake was fed by the waters of the Okavango Basin from the north and the Okwa River, which is now nothing more than a fossil river in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. This lake was home to many animal species like antelopes, elephants, buffalo and Africa's magnificent cats such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs. And of course there were humans living around this ancient lake. Remains of Stone Age tools dating to about a million years ago litter most parts of the pans, bringing to life a fascinating imagination of how life there used to be.

Changing climatic conditions and tectonic activities in the Okavango Delta region over 20,000 years completely altered the Makgadikgadi Lake. This resulted in the formation of the Boteti River, Lake Xau and a plethora of cultural and natural remains signifying the once glorious life that the ancient lake provided.  The subsequent drying of the Makgadikgadi Lake gave rise to palustrine salt pans of Ntwetwe, Sowa, Nxai, Kudiakam, Nxghaishini and others which are now an astoundingly featureless area. These pans are surrounded by unique landmarks, wildlife reserve areas, remains of ancient civilizations, fossillised animals and plants that died some thousands of years ago. There is also the Boteti River which is now flooding after 20 or so years without substantial amounts of water, Lake Xau which is filling up and scenic diamond mining 'hills' of Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa mines.

And then there are the over 500 years old magnificent historic baobabs found along historic roads used by early travellers, legendary hunters and traders. There are also many settlements in this region. All these form the unique cultural and natural heritage that awaits you in the Makgadikgadi Pans. 

If you have been thinking of visiting the Makgadikgadi Pans and you do not know exactly where to go and what to see, it is perhaps important to take note of the heritage areas listed below. There are many entry points into the pans. Two conventional entry points offer the visitor an opportunity to see either the natural or cultural heritage of this area. If you are interested in the cultural aspects of the entire Makgadikgadi Pans such as cultural practices of the people, the local architecture, art works and cultural heritage sites, Letlhakane is the best entry point. This village is the administrative capital of the entire Boteti Region. It is therefore not surprising groups of people such as the BaDeti, Bakalanga, Basarwa and Bangwato living in this village. With a population of over 20,000 people, Letlhakane offers shops where you can acquire most of your trip essentials.

From Letlhakane you can either choose to drive along the Francistown road and turn towards Mosu Village or head straight to the village of Mmatshumo. If you choose to pass through Mosu, there are many outstanding cultural heritage sites that can make your visit worthwhile. Before arriving at Mosu, there is a right turn dirt road at Nthane settlement leading to a magnificent escarpment known as Kaitshe. If you climb to the top of this escarpment, you are treated to an overwhelming panoramic view of the southern most tip of Sowa Pan. On top of this hill are remains of a stonewall that form part of the ruins of Leopards Kopje people who lived here at around 1000 AD.

The remains of their villages are still visible. From Kaitshe you can drive through a small portion of the ancient shores of the Makgadikgadi Lake in what are now the southern parts of Sowa Pan to get to Mosu. While in Mosu, there is a custodian at the kgotla to guide you around sites such as Unikae Spring, Mmakgama Ruins and Mosu Escarpment.From Mosu visit Mmatshumo; the gate to the famous site of Lekhubu. At Lekhubu there is a fascinating stonewall built around AD 1300. Near this stonewall, there are hundreds of stone cairns believed to be associated with initiation rituals that were conducted here over 700 years. Located at the end of ordinary land and the beginning of the 'sea' Lekhubu was chosen to provide a metaphor of the transition from boyhood into manhood. Apart from the over 60 magnificent baobab trees found on this island, almost all the exposed rocks of this island are covered with bird guano. This shows that Lekhubu has been attracting thousands of migratory birds such as flamingoes that nestle here each year. The exact age of the guano is unknown and it is up to you to discover for yourself while in Lekhubu. Lekhubu is not only about the natural beauty it is famously known for only.

There is evidence that suggests that the island is in fact an important shrine for the local Basarwa people. There is a sacred cave in an exclusive area where the local Basarwa and other people make offerings to their ancestors and conduct spiritual cleansing rituals.

If your interest lies in exploring the natural beauty offered by the Makgadikgadi Pans, proceed northwards from Lekhubu following much of the course of the historic road used by traders, hunters, missionaries and explorers.Take the left turn 20 kms from Lekhubu at an area known as Tshwagong and follow the course of this historic road until you cross the northern strip of the Ntwetwe Pan. This road will take you to Chapman's Baobab; a magnificent baobab with about seven trunks that formed a prominent landmark along this road. A famous Scottish explorer named James Chapman camped here in the 1870s. Further North West along this road there is the Greens Baobabs which is named after an expeditition led by the Greene brothers in the 1880s. Further north of Gweta there is a unique pan known as Nxghaishini where fossilized animal bones and stone tools of various types dating to at least 1 million years are permanently imbedded in a calcrete matrix. Nearby hunting blinds and these stone tools suggest that this pan has been used by humans for hunting purposes for the last one million years. To the north west of Gweta there is Nxai Pan National Park in which the famous Baines Baobabs are also found. Ever since Thomas Baines painted this unique cluster of baobabs about 200 years ago, little has changed at this site.

To the south of Baines Baobabs is the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, which is famous for the migration of zebras, wildebeest and other animals.

This migration is only second to the world-renowned Mara migration between Kenya and Tanzania. From here you can drive westwards towards Makalamabedi and cross the Boteti River at Motopi village to reach Lake Xau near Kedia. Migratory birds, fish and opportunistic animals have returned to this once magnificent lake since it started filling up last year. This huge lake completes your journey around the Makgadikgadi. Plans to install signage at most of the sites discussed here are at an advanced stage. If you choose to explore this unique trail, consult the Botswana National Museum and the Department of Environmental Affairs, Botswana Tourism Organisation (TO) and The Tourism Department. Take all the necessary precautions to make your trip memorable.