How the old Kgosi Bathoen’s office, built in 1914 in Kanye was saved from demolition is detailed in a document written by the late columnist, author and historian Sandy Grant following confirmation from the Government Enclave that the now 109 year old building was to be demolished. Days before his death on May 2021, Sandy Grant invited me to his place at Oodi where he handsomely donated a pile of documents to me for use whenever I found it necessary for the benefit of readers. He was hopeful that indeed I was the right person to be entrusted with such valuable documents. He expected me to make the reading public about the existence of such items by writing stories.
This week, I spent considerable amount of time reading some of the documents one-by-one. It was hectic and risky to one’s health due to dust which covered all bundles. But whatever the health risk one was exposed to, it was worth excavating. In one bundle, I found a document headed, “Architectural Heritage”. The document was about the 2002 spirited campaign spearheaded by Sandy himself to save Kgosi Bathoen’s office and the historic kgotla from the bulldozer which other people call yellow monster, the name it gained at the time unlawfully allocated plots at Mogoditshane and Tsolamosese were guillotined. The plan to demolish that historic building had been agreed by the government and Kgosi Seepapitso IV. The people of Gangwaketse were not informed.
It was only around November 2002 that on his infrequent visits to Kanye that Sandy decided to stop at the kgotla to see what changes had occurred. He was disappointed seeing how much the old office of Kgosi Bathoen had been allowed to deteriorate. He noticed that at some stage, very crude attempts had been made to renovate it, its period decorative features had been removed and it had been painted in woefully inappropriate colours and much of the paint was peeling. While he was noting those changes, Kgosi Seatla arrived. He was the regent in the absence of his elder brother Seepapitso IV who was outside the country. Seepapitso was in the United States as Botswana’s ambassador.
During his meeting with Kgosi Seatla Sandy learned of the impending demolition of the old office. A new administrative office for 80 officers was to be built for the government work force. Kgosi Setla did not embrace the changes which were to take place at the kgotla and he willingly welcomed Sandy’s idea of raising the issue in the press. The document states that back at home in Oodi, Sandy’s first step was to seek more information from Kwapeng Modikwe, Infortmation Department bureau chief in Kanye. The bureau chief knew little about the development but advised Sandy to talk with Tlhabologo Mmolawa, tribal administration project manager in the Ministry of Local Government and Lands. Sandy says the bureau chief was extremely interested as he measured the issue as scoop of the day. Sandy enjoyed his conversation with Mmolawa. It was good.
Mmolawa was relatively relaxed. He confirmed the impending demolition and that it was too late for objection because the contractors would be starting work in late January or early February. On the other hand, Sandy felt obliged to try and do something even if his efforts would seem like a waste of time. However, the road he was embarking on was not a smooth one. Parliament was about to go on recess and that would be followed by Cabinet Ministers going on festive holidays. They would be back in mid-January. It meant that Sandy would have nobody to talk to during that time. If anything was to be done, it had to be done very quickly. He speedily did that by writing to the Minister of Local Government and Lands asking that the start of the project be reviewed. Sandy then came up with a convincing explanation as to why the appeal was being made too late in the day instead of months before. He argued that it was the ministry’s failure to inform the general public which had meant that interest groups and individuals were unable to state their case at a more appropriate time.
The document shows that Sandy argued further that the building in question was of great historical importance and that with tourism being a major government priority, it should not be destroyed. On December 3rd that year, the general public began to know what was happening in Kanye through newspaper article. Sandy used his weekly newspaper column to break the story headed, “Kanye-Unconcerned About Heritage”. More news stories followed. According to the document, two days later, Kwapeng Modikwe’s article headed, “New P6.5 admin. Block for Kanye” appeared in the Daily News. On December 6th, the Botswana Guardian carried a story under the heading, “Plans to Destroy Historic Monument Riles Bangwaketse”. Again on that day, Mmegi newspaper published a story headed, “Historic Buildings Are at Risk”. That prompted a visit by a group consisting of influential personalities in the society. It included MPs Jerry Gabaake, Leach Tlhomelang, the Mid-week Sun editor, Mike Mothibi. A government quantity surveyor who was expected to join the group withdrew at the last minute stating that in the likely event of government hostility, his job and career would be at risk. That group of eminent people was very strong. Of course any group which included Leach Tlhomelang during those days was sure to make a huge impact. He was a fighter.
Kgosana Goboletswe Ketsitlile did not count himself among the opponents of the changes which were to take place in Kanye. He is quoted as having argued that, “heritage or no heritage, old buildings should not be allowed” to stand on the way of progress. He was adamant that the old should be demolished and the new office block be constructed. He asked “why Kanye and the Bangwaketse must be locked in the past?” His uncompromising stand did not discourage the group. On December 11, Mike Mothibi’s article, “Don’t Temper With the Kanye Kgotla” appeared in the Mid-Week Sun citing the uneasy of tribal elders and later in the week, Sandy’s article, “In the Name of Progress” appeared in Mmegi newspaper. Again in December, another group of very tough personalities visited Kanye. It included Dr. Jeff Ramsay and Dr. Walker of the University of Botswana.
The campaign intensified as the issue was raised in Parliament during the debate on the culture and social services chapter of NDP9. It was Ronald Sebego who appealed to Parliament to help save the old tribal administration office in Kanye from demolition. He was joined by the MP for Kanye, Omphitlhetse Maswabi who suggested that a new plot could be secured and the old building saved. Sandy’s document states that no official response had been received concerning the numerous appeals that had been made to save the building.
However, it adds that helping to explain that very odd situation had been a Daily News story of April 2003 headed, “Uncertainty Still Surrounds Starting Date for Construction of Kgotla Office in Kanye”. The story reported Mmolawa as saying there had been no progress since last December when the Bangwaketse halted the project by opposing the demolition of the old building. He was further quoted as saying the Ministry was still waiting for the tribe to give further direction on what should be done. That story, the document states, was exceptionally interesting because it made it abundantly clear how the Ministry understood the situation. Their understanding was that “Kanye has caused the problem and Kanye must come up with the solution”.
Indeed after the various groups’ visits to Kanye, the community was ultimately consulted and they strongly remained opposed to the destruction of the old office building. The document states that had the ministry realized that it was legally obliged to carry out an impact assessment survey, it would undoubtedly have contacted the National Museum for advice. Kanye showed that the authorities with legal responsibility for safeguarding the nation’s heritage-the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs and the National Museum-were incapable of doing so. It posed a question, otherwise “how was it possible, for instance, that a major national monument-the most historically complete kgotla in the country-was within weeks of being destroyed without the intervention of those two responsible authorities?” Kgosi Malope told me this week that the old building is still standing. It seems it is there to stay come what may.
