Yesterday I was fortunate to have been invited for lunch at the home of Mr Nigel Watt MBE in South London. At the house there was also Sue who worked in Gaborone back in the 70s. Nick, Sue’s husband was there too. Nick travells to Gaborone for work sometimes. They were actually in Chobe just last year. And they also visited Gaborone where they very much enjoyed the Dr Gaositwe Chiepe play at Maruapula, “A Woman of Many Firsts”, written and played by her granddaughter Moduduetso Lecoge.
Nigel remembers Dr Chiepe vividly, he tells me of one evening when she was the Botswana High Commisioner to the UK back in the 70s. During Botswana’s independence celebrations, while everyone was not happy that it was raining, Dr Chiepe emphasised that in Botswana rain is celebrated and the currency is indeed Pula, or rain.
In this photo is Nigel and I last month. We met during the “Africa Writes” festival at the British Library. “Are you from Botswana?” He asked looking at my All Kasi top. He told me he knows Kanye and they (IVS) used to send nurses and other volunteers to #Botswana back in the 70s.
Blessing Kgosi e tsile Kgasa 