Botswana: From dusty bowl to sparkling success story

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

When Charles King of the Southern Africa News Service reported on Botswana's independence in September 1966, he described the country as a "vast, trackless wasteland" with little to celebrate.

Two years of drought and crop failure had brought "havoc and hunger to its widely scattered agriculture inhabitants" he wrote, adding that the newly-formed country had little hope of economic stability.

At the time, in a country the size of France, there were only 12 kilometres (seven miles) of paved roads, few hospitals and most people depended on cattle and subsistence farming for an income.

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Botswana: From dusty bowl to sparkling success story

When Charles King of the Southern Africa News Service reported on Botswana's independence in September 1966, he described the country as a "vast, trackless wasteland" with little to celebrate.

42 out of 45 bodies of Limpopo bus crash victims identified

Selefu

Selefu

Civil Society threatens court action over constitution amendment

Fans urged to fill up stadium

Coaches take jabs ahead of derby

A city divided!

Civil Society threatens Masisi with legal action

Routine child vaccination imperative