Visiting Gaborone, the quiet capital of Botswana, and its main sights on The South of Africa Tour where I visit 13 new countries.
Gaborone, also known simply as Gabs, is the capital of Botswana and also the largest city with a population of over 200,000. Located less than 10 miles (15 km) from the South African border, it is a convenient gateway to the rest of the country.
From Johannesburg I took the “Flight Connect” bus from the airport that went directly into the city center. It was a comfortable 6 hour ride and even had wifi. The border crossing was also a breeze except we had to wait for everyone to go through and the bus to be checked which took about 45 minutes.
On arrival I noticed my hotel, the Gaborone Sun, was only a few blocks away. So I decided to stroll and locals passing by made an effort to say “hi” then giggled when I replied in kind.
The team at Gaborone Sun arranged for me to tour the city and see the main sights the next morning.
As the downtown area is quite small, everything was easy to reach by car.
Three Dikgosi Monument
The most visited sight in Gaborone is the Three Dikgosi (chiefs) Monument. The three tribal chiefs, Khama III of the Bangwato, Sebele I of the Bakwena, and Bathoen I of the Bangwaketse are credited with initiating the path of independence when they went to England in 1885 to request from the Queen a separate Bechuanaland from the British South Africa Company that wanted to land for mining and Southern Rhodesia.
The 18 ft bronze statues were constructed in 2005 by a North Korean company which was quite controversial. No wonder they look similar to the Mansudae Grand Monument in North Korea.
In the background is the High Court of Botswana, though strangely pictures are prohibited.
A guide was quite helpful in explaining the history, the statues and what the colors of the flag meant, namely the black masses is the center line surrounded by the white minority all under the same blue sky.
The entrance is free though you may donate something when you sign out.
After that, we headed to the Parliament passing by the President’s house.
Parliament building
The Parliament had some meeting taking place so we were unable to enter, but I was able to check out the exterior and the square in front of the building.
There were several statues and memorials. The centerpiece was a statue of Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama, Botswana’s first president and prime minister.
Nearby were memorials for soldiers of war.
Right next to the square was the building of the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife, and Tourism which was vibrantly painted.
National Museum & Art Gallery
Next up was the National Museum. This small museum had some basic displays of early life, history, geology, and local animals. Some of the taxidermic animals were well done, but the rest of the museum was quite neglected.
The courtyard was open for events and activities. In a separate entrance was the art gallery which happened to be closed in preparation for an HIV exhibit.
Christ the King Cathedral
Across the street is the main Roman Catholic church of Gaborone, built in 1968. Mass was underway so we didn’t visit, but it was interesting to hear that Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral in the late 80s.
That concluded our tour of the major sights of the city. Though the city is not known for its tourism, it was insightful to explore and see how it was progressing. I’m sure that there will be more points of interest in the near future with Gaborone’s current rate of development.