Seventy-seven years ago, on the evening of December 2, 1943, the Germans launched a surprise air raid on allied shipping in the Italian port of Bari,...
In 1949 Bechuanalands former Resident Commissioner Jules Ramaeba Ellenberger recalled that: When it became clear that war between the Boer Republics and Great Britain was inevitable,...
This past week, 123 years ago, the first train reached Bulwayo from Mahikeng, marking the end of an eight-month push to complete the railway. Although work...
This week marks the anniversary of the British colonial regimes imposition of Proclamation of October 4th, 1892, which regulated “the granting of permits for the purchase...
One of our Republics surviving founders Archibald Mooketsa Mogwe recently celebrated his 99th birthday. A top local civil servant at independence, Mogwe went on...
The first crossing of Africa by motor vehicle was successfully completed on May 1, 1909 when First Lieutenant Paul Graetz (24/7/1875 16/2/1968) and his team...
Until his death Stanley Mervyn Lester (c.1918-1967) was a leading Lobatse based business man. His store, Lester Brothers, specialized in building supplies. As such it was...
We left off at the end of September 1960 with arrangements having finally been made to allow a Ghana Airways flight to arrive at the then...
This week we continue our look at the life of Patrick van Rensburg(1931- 2017). We left off in 1959 with his becoming the “first director” of...
This week we continue our look at the life of Patrick van Rensburg(1931- 2017), with him as a young South African diplomat serving as Vice-Consul in...
This past week marked the anniversary of the passing Patrick van Rensburg(3/12/1931 23/5/2017). In life he was one of the founders of modern Botswana, a...
There is an old Sekwena saying: “Bakwena ba ga se bolaya kgosi”. Over the decades these words have been associated with the regicide of Kgosi Motswasele...
Although the 1918-19 Influenza Pandemic is estimated to have afflicted roughly half of the population in our region, resulting in a 5-8% loss in population; its...
The decoration of ostrich eggs, along with rock art, is among humankind’s earliest surviving art forms. The oldest so far discovered examples come from our region...
Originally a passenger liner that was converted into an armed merchant cruiser during World War I, the H.M.S. Mantua is remembered as the ship that inadvertently...
JEFF RAMSAY BUILDERS OF BOTSWANA The Mmaba or Tortoise Berry (Nylandtia/Mundia spinosa ) is a a common shrub, which stands out when covered in its masses...
The Sycamore Fig (Ficus sycomorus) or Mochaba tree in Setswana is mostly found in the Okavango. It is one of a number of species of wild...
The week we continue our exploration of the flora of Botswana with Crossberry tree (Grewia occidentalis), known as Mokukutu in Setswana, also sometimes as Mogwane. It...
This week we shift our focus to Botswana’s natural history by looking at the Mophane (Mopane) tree (colophosernum mopane), which has long been an important local...
VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA: The recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa have been condemned across Africa. The events have erupted from simmering anger in South Africa...