Domkrag and the abiding narrative of Tsholetsa House

The history of the Botswana Democratic Party's headquarters, Tsholetsa House, is a long narrative that weaves through decades, painting a young and struggling political party that rose from a Morula tree in Gaborone to become Botswana's only ruling party since independence.

While the capital of Botswana was first in Mafikeng, and then Lobatse before Gaborone, the BDP - which came into being in 1962 - could have located its headquarters in Lobatse, which was more of an urban centre at the time. But the party instead chose to settle in the tribal capital of Bangwaketse, an interesting move as the party wanted to run its affairs from Kgosi Bathoen Gaseitsiwe's seat of power.