Botswana Museums and Monuments @ 50 - A rejoinder to Sandy Grant (Part 1)

The previous day I was serving as a respondent alongside historian, Jeff Ramsay, during the Botswana Museum Jubilee panel discussion. The seminar was attended by local and international academics amongst them renowned South African heritage scholar and activist, Ciraj Rasool, from the University of the Western Cape. In this rejoinder, I imagine that we are still at the panel discussion, however, here as then, my opinions and expressions do not represent those of my employer despite the 18 years of service to the Museum Institution.

Mr. Grant was invited to the panel discussion but had sent an apology. While his absence denied his thoughts the critical evaluation and context afforded by the panel discussion he must be applauded for managing to contribute from his sick bed. For his review, Firstly all the negative public feedback quoted by Mr. Grant must be taken seriously by the institution’s principals and concrete steps taken expeditiously to redress those concerns in the short and long terms. Secondly, a public update is needed for the prolonged closure of the Museum permanent galleries.