Palapye: From a shanty to a modern town

"In the olden days, Palapye used to be called Kwa-Dikotoiseng. There was a certain businessman called Pagewood in Serowe in the 1930s and his contract workers used to hold some boxing matches in the makeshift homes constructed in the area and that is how the place became popular," says the respected Shashane. The senior citizen says he is an age-mate of the first president of Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama.

The World War II veteran says that the original Palapye was situated in the present-day industrial site and was nothing to write home about. When many people started to settle in the village, Bangwato regent, Tshekedi Khama sent in the Nwako brothers, Segotso and Kediretswe in the early 1940s and the former became the first Kgosi of the village.