‘The woman of many firsts’ turns 100 :: Mmegi Online

She is known as the ‘woman of many firsts.' Dr Gaositwe Chiepe remains an influential and inspirational trailblazer to many young women and girls. On Thursday, she turned 100-year- old and the nation fittingly showered her with birthday messages and adulation. Mmegi Correspondent, NNASARETHA KGAMANYANE writes

Chiepe was born on October 20, 1922. She is a former politician with the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and a renowned diplomat, having been Botswana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Nigeria as well as an ambassador to the then West Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the then European Economic Community.

Mma Chiepe, as she is affectionately known, was Botswana’s Minister for Trade and Industry in 1977 and in 1984 she became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She then later served as Minister of Education from 1994 to 1999.

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