As an American student living in Botswana, I am indeed an outsider to the complex relationship among Botswana, South Africa, and Great Britain. On one hand, I am disadvantaged, because I probably lack an awareness of certain subtleties in the three countries' intertwined history. But as a student of Political Science in Southern Africa, I have made a concerted effort to educate myself about these issues and to keep my eyes open for any important signs of these complex social and political interactions.
While watching the Rugby World Cup Final at the Gaborone Cricket Club with three Batswana friends, I observed the very opposite of what Grant predicted. He surmised in October 22nd's "Supporting Which or What or Why?" that Batswana would root mostly for the team with the most "non-white" players. But as we all stood and began to cheer and clap loudly as the 80th minute ticked away, the cries of joy were not of "Hooray for Black rugby players." But rather, Batswana cheered "Hooray for Africa! We're bringing the cup to Africa!"
