Visiting Botswana 6

Colloquially known as "Kasane Italy" this beautiful spot is a portion of the shoreline of the Chobe River in Kasane, Botswana, that is reserved for the locals to enjoy.

It was nice to see sophisticated Africans engaged in recreation activity. I felt relaxed and comfortable here, more so than I might have been had we been allowed (which we were not) into those parts of the riverbank that are cordoned off for the exclusive enjoyment of the well-heeled clientele of the numerous expensive lodges in this part of town, mostly foreign tourists from places like Namibia and South Africa, (I observed the numberplates on their vehicles).

The racial hierarchy that has dominated the history of this part of our continent over the last two centuries is still very much at play. Even if more subtle, it is still observable, and it rubs me the wrong way. But that's just my point of view. Perhaps I might not be taking into account other factors that make this inevitable.

Here we're being denied access to a part of the riverbank

Visiting Botswana 5

Lobatse

It's a pretty, little town.

Lobatse is near the South African border. It's history began with early Bakwena and Bangwaketse settlements before its establishment by colonialists in the 1890s as a railway and administrative hub. Initially considered for the national capital, it instead became a significant political and legal centre, hosting the Bechuanaland Legislative Council which drafted Botswana's constitution, and serving as a refuge for political dissidents like Nelson Mandela and Samora Machel.

Today, it remains a key economic centre, particularly for the Botswana Meat Commission, and is home to the Botswana High Court. (I saw both).

The modern town was officially founded in 1896 by the British colonial administration.

It served as a strategic location for administration and as a construction camp for the railway line built from Mafikeng to Bulawayo.

Other institutions include the S'brana psychiatric hospital. (I saw this too).

PS: I took all these photos myself.

Visiting Botswana 4

We drove past this vintage railway carriage in Gaborone quite a few times. It is on display at the National Museum, even though I didn't make it into the museum itself. The carriage is viewable from the road.

This Rhodesia Railways coach was donated to the Botswana Society by the then National Railways of Rhodesia in 1975. The coach was built in 1931 and is still in good condition, serving as a historical exhibit that allows visitors to see a piece of the era when Rhodesia Railways operated through Botswana.

Rhodesia Railways operated a vital railway line through Botswana (then the Bechuanaland Protectorate), connecting it to the sea via Cape Town in South Africa. This line facilitated trade and transport for both Rhodesia and Botswana. The 1931 coach is a tangible link to that period.

This railway line was an extension of Cecil Rhodes' ambition to connect Cape Town to Cairo, aiming to solidify British imperial control and facilitate the transport of resources. Construction began from Mafeking (in South Africa) in 1894, travelling north through Bechuanaland (Botswana) before reaching Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) in 1897. It provided a crucial link for the fledgling colonial territory of Rhodesia.

 

Visiting Botswana 3

According to Tripadvisor, "Flame of Africa offers fishing trips both along the Chobe River and up the Kasai Channel towards the Zambezi River."

There was even a floating restaurant on one of the boats, although, if I'm to be frank, none of the activities offered here were to my taste. For starters, even the floating jetty wobbled under my feet as we walked across towards the boats. No surprises then that my visit lasted for just a few minutes before terra firma beckoned; but it was enough time to memorialise the moment in rapidly snapped photos.

Maphorisa, my guide, suggested that he book me on what he described as a "game ride" on one of these open-deck vehicle things, the better for viewing wildlife out in the wild. But I declined. I'd had enough excitement for one day by then.

Moreover, I find myself more inclined in my thinking towards the ancestral African's attitude towards the wildlife he shared the land with. Wildlife do not exist for the purpose of human entertainment, or human amusement. Save for studying them or hunting them for food, the animals should be respected and left alone. I have not and still do not consider myself to be just another run-of-the-mill safari tourist. So there isn't much appeal there. I already saw elephants, baboons, meerkats (for the first time in their natural habitat), and hippos, which were easily mistaken for logs floating in the river.