Molepolole

Molepolole, Botswana
City

Shopping mall in Molepolole
Molepolole, Botswana
Coordinates: 24°24′24″S 25°29′42″E / 24.40667°S 25.49500°E / -24.40667; 25.49500Coordinates: 24°24′24″S 25°29′42″E / 24.40667°S 25.49500°E / -24.40667; 25.49500
Country  Botswana
District Kweneng District
Sub-district Molepolole
Elevation[1] 1,189 m (3,901 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 67,598
Time zone Central Africa Time (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code BW-KW

Molepolole is a city in Botswana. It lies in the south east of the country. The people who reside in Molepolole are the Bakwena, who are one of the eight major tribes in Botswana. The Bakwena chief was among the three chiefs who went to England to seek protection from the British in the colonial era. Molepolole serves as the capital of the Bakwena. It was named after the Molepolole river. Molepolole is 50 km away from the capital city of Botswana, Gaborone.

It is one of the largest traditional villages in Africa with a population of over 69,789 people as of 2008. It lies 50 kilometres west of the capital Gaborone, and acts as gateway for exploring the Kalahari Desert.

It has a large traditional court (or kgotla) and is the location of the Scottish Livingstone Hospital, one of the nation's largest.

History

Ntsweng was the capital of Bakwena before they moved to Molepolole. Ntsweng is a historic site located a few kilometers southeast of Molepolole. The area was first occupied by Bakwena, led by Sechele I (ruled 1829–92), in 1864. It was abandoned in 1937 when Bakwena were forced to move to Molepolole by Kgari II, assisted by the colonial administrators .[3] Ntsweng today consists of a large area covered with traces of occupation. Most notable are the patterns of stones laid on their edges to form house foundations which are still visible on the surface. There are also the ruins of what used to be Sebele II's office which is at present referred to as Mmakgosi's house. The ruins of that building are situated next to an area which used to be the royal kraal at Ntsweng but is now the royal cemetery (Morton & Ramsay, 1990). Several clusters of ruins seem to represent different wards. Analyses of the settlement layout and soil samples suggest cattle were often kept in the center of each ward. This seems to follow the "central cattle pattern", a conceptual model for the organization of settlements among southern Bantu, where the central placement of the kraal reflects the central role of cattle in the culture and ideology of the people.

Government and infrastructure

The Botswana Prison Service (BPS) operates the Molepolole Prison.[4]

Education

Molepolole is the home to a number of educational institutions that offers education from primary school to tertiary level. The tertiary institutions in Molepolole include Molepolole College of Education which offers diploma in education and Institute of Health Sciences which offers diploma in Nursing. Kgari Sechele Senior Secondary School is the only government-run senior secondary school in Molepolole and it offers Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE).

There are 8 government-run junior community secondary schools namely Masilo Community Junior Secondary School, Boitshoko Community Junior Secondary School, Kwena-Sereto Community Junior Secondary School, Sedumedi Community Junior Secondary School, Motswasele Community Junior Secondary School, Tshegetsang Community Junior Secondary School, Dithejwane Community Junior Secondary School and Moruakgomo Community Junior Secondary School.

There are about 15 government run primary schools in Molepolole namely; Phuthudikobo Primary School, Bokaa Primary School, Magokotswane Primary School, Suping Primary School, Kutlwano Primary School, Boribamo Primary School, Neale Primary School, Bakwena National Primary School, Kealeboga Primary School,Sebele Primary School, Lewis Memorial Primary School, Bonewamang Primary School, Cannon Gordon Memorial Primary School, Borakalelo Primary School and Lekgwapheng Primary School.

The private schools include Bluebows English medium school which offers pre-school, primary school and secondary school. The other 3 privately owned schools are Shephard English Medium, Al-haq English medium and Kgomotso Centre English Medium Primary School.

Vegetation found in Molepolole

Molepolole is the home to multiple species of plants which thrive in the semi-arid environment. See the list below for some of the plants found in the area.

Gallery

Sites of interest

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Molepolole.
  1. ↑ "Molepolole, Botswana Page". Falling Rain Genomics, Inc.
  2. ↑ "2011 Census". Archived from the original on 27 December 2012.
  3. ↑ Schapera, Issac (1943). Native land tenure in the Bechuanaland protectorate. Alice: Lovedale Press.
  4. ↑ "Prisons and Rehabilitation." (Archive) Government of Botswana. Retrieved on 26 March 2013.
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