A head teacher who became an MP

I am ushered into the living room and after a few minutes of waiting, an elderly man walks in from the bedroom, with the aid of a knobkerrie. I rise from the chair and extend my hand for greetings. I proceed to introduce myself and to my disbelief, the old man responds with, “monna Sonny you are now grown up and even working? I last saw you when you were just a toddler.”

While I had expected Obed Itani Chilume to immediately recognise my surname given the fact my parents once worked and lived at his place in Tutume back in the early 80’s, I never imagined he would still remember me. I must have been about two or three years the last time he saw me.  Chilume is one of the only four surviving members of the inaugural Botswana Parliament which was put together in 1965.