The celebration of Independence in Gaborone

Brian Anderson
Brian Anderson

Only a few photos of the Independence celebrations seem to have survived - whether from Gaborone, which is particularly startling, or from other places in the country such as Ghantsi, Kasane, Maun or even Serowe.

Swaneng, at the latter, had a battery of volunteer teachers – surely some of them must have taken photos? But now Brian Anderson, formerly an Inspector in the Botswana Police, has started to send me some of the very important photos from his collection, which were taken in the years immediately before and after Independence.

Unfortunately they are all very low resolution because he does not possess a decent scanner – might the government regard it as an excellent investment to give him one?  - and sometimes  without adequate description. This particular photo, for instance, is a teaser. It shows the Chief Justice and his wife arriving at what is obviously the National Stadium – there being nowhere else at the time which looked even remotely similar. They are being escorted to their seats by Dingaan Mokaila – at a guess, the Chief of Protocol at the time - whilst Col. Bailey, Officer Commanding the Police, medalled and beribboned, stands statuesquely by the government vehicles. In the crowd at the left can be seen – depending  on the quality of reproduction – David Finlay, the President’s  personal private secretary, although the exact title of that post would need to be better pinned down.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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