Botho

Botho. It is a word I have heard so many times since coming to Botswana 20 years ago. For those of you who don’t know the word, it seems it is difficult to get one answer, but it seems to embody basic compassion and community. When a nation has Botho, people think about how their actions impact others and act in a selfless kindness to help their neighbour.

Though I have heard it spoken about for decades, to be honest, I rarely see it played out in reality. Generally, neighbours stay behind their huge concrete walls and electric fences sometimes not even knowing each other and certainly not selflessly serving one another. In business, the norm seems to be a cut-throat style in which you are never too sure who you can trust because everyone is trying to get ahead no matter what the cost.

Corruption flourishes as people don’t consider the harmful implications on society when they unethically and illegally line their pockets. Sometimes, to be honest, it can be depressing to see how little on a day-to-day basis we actually do consider others when we go about our day.

Editor's Comment
Closure as pain lingers

March 28 will go down as a day that Batswana will never forget because of the accident that occurred near Mmamatlakala in Limpopo, South Africa. The tragedy affected not only the grieving families but the nation at large. Batswana throughout the process stood behind the grieving families and the governments of Botswana and South Africa need much more than a pat on the back.Last Saturday was a day when family members said their last goodbyes to...

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