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date: 10 February 2025

Development of Historical Writing on Botswanalocked

Development of Historical Writing on Botswanalocked

  • Christian John MakgalaChristian John MakgalaDepartment of History, University of Botswana

Summary

The writing of history of Botswana has evolved from simple narrations of the changing fortunes of tribal polities, first penned by European missionaries at the turn of the 20th century, to today’s highly analytical works, whose choice of themes are influenced by international debates and which focus on government development policies and popular discourse. Colonial government officials and independent scholars made an input before the country’s independence in 1966. From the mid-20th century, they were followed by Africanist historians largely sympathetic to the newly independent state, which was developing in a different way from other African countries. Concurrently, nationalist and Indigenous historians emerged, who mainly challenged the presentation of Botswana’s history by colonial or imperial writers, which they saw as Eurocentric. The University of Botswana’s undergraduate students have also made an immense contribution to the country’s historiography since 1976. The new millennium has seen history greatly marginalized in the school system, as the government of Botswana has emphasized and supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) over social sciences and humanities disciplines as part of its changed national development agenda. However, the negative impact of globalization and other developmental challenges render the study and teaching of Botswana’s past necessary to fostering citizenship, patriotism and national pride, and democracy, as part of the sensitive nation-building exercise and economic development. This is evidenced by the decision to reintroduce history as a compulsory subject in the school systems of Africa’s largest economies, Nigeria and South Africa, in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Subjects

  • Southern Africa

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