Lobatse, Botswana

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Lobatse is a town in South-Eastern Botswana, sixty-five kilometres south of the capital Gaborone, pleasantly situated in a range of hills. Lobatse has a population of some 29,700 (Central Statistics Office, 2002) and The High Court of Botswana is situated there. The headquarters of the Department of Geological Surveys is also located in Lobatse. Several industries are located in Lobatse, the most important of which is the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC).

The Bakgwateng people were the first to settle in the area ^{[citation needed]} which was later occupied by the Bangwaketse people in the 18th century. Archaeological remains still exist from these periods. The town is named after Chief Molebatse.

Lobatse has the distinction of having the first tarmac road in Botswana which was laid in 1948 especially for a Royal visit when Botswana (then Bechuanaland) was still a British Protectorate. At independence on 30 September 1966, this 5 km-long section was the only tarred road in the entire country.