Gaborone is the seat of power and also the commercial capital of Botswana. This has been so since 1966 when the country attained independence. In December 1895 when King Sebele I disembarked from the Mail Train at what was known as Gaberones Railway Station after his trip to England, little did the Bakwena king know that he was treading on soil that will see tremendous changes in the next century.
How was this city established anyway? In early 1885, the British government decided to set up a police camp at what we now know as The Village. This became known as Fort Gaborone named after the local tribal leader from across the river, King Gaborone of Batlokwa, in fact the land where Fort Gaborone was set up belonged to the tribal peoples of Tlokweng.
The site for this police camp was influenced by several factors. It was adjacent to Ngotwane River (now known as Notwane) which was a critical source of water to both men and livestock.
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