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63-647: Mochudi was established as a result of people movements. Under pressure from Boer encroachment on their historic lands, the Bakgatla tribe migrated from what is now South Africa, settling in 1871 at the foot of Phuthadikobo Hill and beside the Notwane River . At this time, the Rev Pieter Brink of the Dutch Reformed Church founded a mission station at Mochudi. The tourist destinations of note inside Mochudi are

126-505: A modern city. Buildings in early Gaborone include assembly buildings, government offices, a power station, a hospital, schools, a radio station, a telephone exchange, police stations, a post office, and more than 1,000 houses. Because the town was built so quickly, there was a massive influx of labourers who had built illegal settlements on the new city's southern industrial development zone. These settlements were named Naledi. The latter term literally means "the star", but could also mean "under

189-431: A new capital city would be created next to Gaberones. The city was chosen because of its proximity to a fresh water source, its proximity to the railway to Pretoria , its central location among the central tribes, and its lack of association with those surrounding tribes. The city was planned under Garden city principles with numerous pedestrian walkways and open spaces. Building of Gaborone started in mid-1964. During

252-558: A playground for children to play on throughout the day, a community organic garden, a recycling drop-off center, and a shop where visitors can purchase products made of recycled material. Gaborone is controlled by the Gaborone City Council , the wealthiest council in Botswana. It is composed of 35 councillors representing the wards of Gaborone. The Townships Act mandates the structure of local governments in Botswana. Because Botswana

315-701: A significant community of ethnic Serbs in the city, there are also two Serbian Orthodox churches within Gaborone; the St. Nicholas Church and the St. Sava Church. The National Museum and Art Gallery is located just northwest of the Mall along Independence Road. The museum opened in 1968. It holds many things from traditional crafts to works of art by local artists. The museum houses original paintings by Thomas Baines and Lucas Sithole . Exhibits include Artists in Botswana , Children's Art Competition and Thapong International . Outside

378-417: A unique style of architecture that allows the optimal amount of indirect sunlight to shine through the windows in order to accurately sort diamonds. A Diamond Technology Park was recently opened , this is as part of Botswana Government's vision for establishment of downstream diamond industry. Companies dealing in diamonds have established their local operations in the park. The Botswana Resource Conference

441-411: Is 246,325. There are 118,727 males and 127,598 females in the city. There are 58,476 households in Gaborone. In 2001, the average household size was 3.11 people. The city of Gaborone is home to over 10% of the population of Botswana. Almost half of Botswana citizens live within 100 kilometres (62 mi) of Gaborone. The population growth rate of Gaborone is 3.4%, the highest in the country. This

504-430: Is a unitary state , the power of the local councils are delegated from the national level. The Ministry of Local Government, Land and Housing has a major influence in terms of personnel hiring and training, budgeting, and development planning. The city commission -style council is run by the city clerk and the deputy city clerk. The city is governed by the mayor, deputy mayor, and several committees run by councillors:

567-526: Is a low number compared to the rest of Botswana. Among places of worship , Christian churches and temples predominate. These include houses of worship affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana ( Lutheran World Federation ), Assemblies of God , The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , International Pentecostal Holiness Church , Christ Embassy , Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaborone ( Catholic Church ). Accompanying

630-533: Is a member-based environmental NGO housed inside an ecological park at the heart of Gaborone. The aim of the organization is to promote sustainable environmental protection by educating, demonstrating and encouraging best practices in environmental planning, resource conservation and waste management in Botswana. The park was officially opened by the Botswana Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Onkokame kitso Mokaila on 27 February 2009. The park contains

693-504: Is a river in southeastern Botswana . Certain sections of its course form the international boundary with South Africa . Its mouth is at the head of the Limpopo River . It has a catchment area of 18,053 square kilometres (6,970 sq mi). The Notwane rises about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) south of Ramotswa , and runs along the border in a northeast direction to enter the Limpopo at

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756-441: Is also Podulogong Rehabilitation Centre that offers hands on training courses to blind or vision impaired individuals. Mochudi is home to Botswana Premier League soccer club Mochudi Centre Chiefs . Mochudi Rugby Club is a local rugby team based in the village. 24°25′S 26°09′E  /  24.417°S 26.150°E  / -24.417; 26.150 Notwane River The Notwane River (or Ngotwane River )

819-461: Is also found here. Gaborone has a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSh ). Most of the year, Gaborone is very sunny. The summers are usually hot. The nights are cool. Usually, the summers with little rainfall are warmer than summers with regular rainfall. If there is a drought, the hottest temperatures of the year are usually in January or February. If there is normal rainfall,

882-456: Is an administrative district in its own right, but is the capital of the surrounding South-East District . Locals often refer to the city as GC or Motse-Mshate . The city of Gaborone is named after Chief Gaborone of the Tlokwa tribe, who once controlled land nearby. Because it had no tribal affiliation and was close to fresh water, the city was planned to be the capital in the mid-1960s when

945-731: Is based in nearby Gabane ; all of them have played in the Botswana Premier League . The Botswana national football team plays in the National Stadium, but has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup , even though they recently qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations , held in Gabon in January 2012. The Botswana Cricket Association , the governing body of cricket in Botswana, is headquartered in Gaborone. There are two Ovals where cricket

1008-412: Is growing very rapidly. In 1964, Gaborone only had 3,855 citizens; seven years later, the city had almost 18,000 residents. The city originally planned on 20,000 citizens, but by 1992, the city had 138,000 people. This has led to many squatter settlements on undeveloped land. Former mayor Veronica Lesole has stated that Gaborone's development problems were caused by the original city planners. Gaborone

1071-523: Is held annually at the Gaborone International Conference Centre. The unemployment rate in Gaborone is 11.7% as of 2008 . 19.7% of the population in Gaborone is employed in the financial sector. According to Mercer 's 2011 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey , Gaborone has the 195th highest cost of living for expatriates in the world, up from 203rd in 2010. Gaborone comes between Chennai , India and Quito , Ecuador. Gaborone

1134-487: Is located a few hundred metres from the city. The hill is nicknamed the Sleeping Giant and is 1,287 metres (4,222 ft). There are three different paths to reach the top, usually taking two hours. The Mokolodi Nature Reserve is a 30-square-kilometre (12 sq mi) reserve that was created in 1994. It is located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Gaborone. There are many different species of animals found in

1197-529: Is most likely because the city has a more developed infrastructure, making it more livable. Gaborone is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Much of the growth is based on net in migration from the rest of Botswana. The sex ratio of Gaborone is 96.3, meaning that there are 963 men for every 1,000 women. Most of the marriages in Botswana are registered in Gaborone; about 15% of all marriages in Botswana were registered in Gaborone in 2007. On average, there are 3.3 persons per household in Gaborone. This

1260-477: Is on average one day per year with temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F). The average dew point peaks around January and February at 16 °C (61 °F) and hits the lowest levels in July at 2 °C (36 °F). The average dew point in a given year is 10 °C (50 °F). The record high temperature ever registered in Gaborone was 43.9 °C (111.0 °F). The lowest temperature registered in Gaborone

1323-616: Is played in the city. The Steinmetz Gaborone Marathon , the second marathon in Botswana, was held for the first time on 18 April 2010. The route started at the Phakalane Golf Estate in Phakalane, north of the city, and went through Gaborone, passing the National Assembly Building . The marathon, which was cancelled in 2011, has been held annually starting from 2012. The Gaborone Dam is located south of Gaborone along

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1386-580: Is set in Gaborone. The books follow Precious Ramotswe , the first female private detective in Botswana, and the mysteries that she solves. The Detective Kubu series, by Michael Stanley (South African co-writers Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip), features Assistant Superintendent David 'Kubu' Bengu of the Botswana Police Service Criminal Investigation Department. Gaborone is the center of the national economy. The headquarters of important financial institutions such as

1449-485: Is situated at 24°39′29″S 25°54′44″E  /  24.65806°S 25.91222°E  / -24.65806; 25.91222 between Kgale and Oodi Hills, on the Notwane River in the south-eastern corner of Botswana, and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the South African border. The city lies at an elevation of 1,010 metres (3,310 ft) above sea level. Gaborone is surrounded by the following cities: Ramotswa to

1512-584: Is the fourth least expensive city for expatriates in Africa, coming in above Addis Ababa , Ethiopia at 211th, Kampala , Uganda at 202nd and Windhoek , Namibia at 198th. There are several football stadiums located in and around Gaborone. These include SSKB Stadium , Mochudi Stadium , and Botswana National Stadium . There are also several football teams representing Gaborone, which include, amongst others, Botswana Defence Force XI , Gaborone United , Police XI , Township Rollers and Uniao Flamengo Santos FC , which

1575-770: Is the political centre of Botswana . Most government buildings are located west of the Main Mall in an area called the Government Enclave. The National Assembly of Botswana , the Ntlo ya Dikgosi , the National Archives , the Department of Taxes and Attorney General's Chambers Building , and the Ministry of Health. Near the entrance of the parliament building, there is a statue of Sir Seretse Khama , Botswana's first president as well as

1638-514: The Bank of Botswana , Bank Gaborone , BancABC , and the Botswana Stock Exchange are centrally located, as well as the headquarters for Air Botswana , Consumer Watchdog , Botswana Telecommunications Corporation , and Debswana , the joint diamond mining venture between De Beers and the Botswana government. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has its headquarters in Gaborone;

1701-519: The Bechuanaland Protectorate became an independent nation. The centre of the city is a long strip of commercial businesses, called "Main Mall" with a semicircle-shaped area of government offices to its east. Gaborone was once one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, and this has created problems with housing and illegal settlements. The city has also dealt with conflicts spilling into the country from Zimbabwe and South Africa during

1764-515: The Gaborone Dam , north of the confluence with the Taung river. The riverbed in this area generally retains small pools of water, even during prolonged dry periods. The African sharptooth catfish , locally known as barbel, are the most common fish species in these waters. The river also supports smaller populations of bream , tilapia and introduced carp . Birdlife proliferates as one gets nearer to

1827-579: The Phuthadikobo Museum at the top of the hill, which contains old photographs and historical texts relating to Mochudi and the history of the Bakgatla people. It is housed in a building that was originally the first school of Mochudi. Nearby is the hulk of the first tractor owned by a Motswana and huge footprints that legend says belongs to "Matsieng", a giant and ancestor of the Tswana, who led his people and

1890-519: The Tlokwa left the Magaliesberg ranges to settle in the area around 1880, and called the settlement Moshaweng . The word "Gaborone" literally means "it does not fit badly" or "it is not unbecoming". The city was then called "Gaberones" by early European colonizers. Gaberones, a shortening of "Gaborone's Village", was named after Chief Gaborone of the Tlokwa, whose home village (now called Tlokweng )

1953-533: The 1980s. Gaborone is the political and economic capital of Botswana, home to its largest companies and the Botswana Stock Exchange . It is also serves as the headquarters of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The main spoken languages in the city include Setswana ( Tswana ), English , Kalanga , and Kgalagadi . Evidence shows that there have been inhabitants along the Notwane River for centuries. In more recent history,

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2016-486: The Gaborone Dam, this includes a number of heron and kingfisher species. African fish eagle are seen regularly, along with reed cormorant and african darter . Verreaux's eagle-owl do occur in the area and yellow-billed kite are common summer visitors. Southern yellow-billed hornbill , southern red-billed hornbill and natal spurfowl are often seen in the surrounding woodland. Vervet monkey are common along

2079-506: The Gaborone dam catchment area there are many other dams, mostly very small, with only the Nnywane Dam near Lobatse being used for domestic water supply. Following a 1992 study on their impact on downstream water resources, a moratorium was placed on construction of small dams in the catchment area. Whilst the flow of the Notwane is ephemeral; biodiversity is the highest immediately upstream of

2142-475: The Gaborone-Lobatse road, and provides water for both Gaborone and Lobatse. The dam is the second biggest in Botswana, able to hold 141,400,000 cubic metres (184,900,000  cu yd ). It is also starting to be marketed as a recreational area. The northern end of the reservoir is planned to become an entertainment venue called The Waterfront . There is a yacht club , called Gaborone Yacht Club, also on

2205-561: The Local Government Tax used to be the main source of income of the city council, but it was abolished. Today, the city council derives most of its revenue from property rates. City councillors feel that because of recurrent obligations, they have little room to institute new solutions. The city council has been criticised by the Botswana Association of Local Authorities for its closed elections and minimal authority. In 2010,

2268-664: The animals from the centre of the earth to inhabit the world. Mochudi is known for its traditional painted houses and still has a traditional kgotla (tribal meeting place). Mochudi was the birthplace of Mma Ramotswe, the heroine of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of books. Michelle Obama visited the village during U.S. President Obama's African tour in 2011. Mochudi has several public Junior Secondary Schools and one public high school, Molefi Senior Secondary School. Several junior schools are Linchwe II JSS, Kgamanyane JSS, Radikolo JSS, Bakgatle JSS, Sedibelo JSS, and Ithuteng JSS. There

2331-541: The area, the former being seen more regularly. The riparian vegetation and surrounding woodland also provides suitable habitat for African rock python and mozambique spitting cobra . The river course is dominated by syringa berrytree , water fig and white bauhinia . The syringa berrytree is an invasive species introduced from India . The riparian vegetation eventually gives way to acacia woodland. Buffalo thorn , paperback thorn and knobthorn are common to this woodland. Marula and weeping wattle also occur in

2394-411: The area. Sources Gaborone Gaborone ( UK : / ˌ ɡ æ b ə ˈ r oʊ n i , ˌ h æ b -/ GAB -ə- ROH -nee, HAB - , US : / ˌ ɡ ɑː b ə ˈ r oʊ n i , - n eɪ / GAH -bə- ROH -nee, -⁠nay , Tswana: [χabʊˈrʊnɛ] ) is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of

2457-457: The city on Limpopo Drive. The reserve was built in 1988 and is now the third-busiest in Botswana. Examples of animals in the park are impala , kudu , ostriches , wildebeest , zebras , gemsbok , bushbuck , springbok , duiker , common eland , and common warthogs . The park is a destination for birdwatching . Birds in the marshy section of the park include snake eagles , boubou , gallinule , kingfishers , and hornbills . Kgale Hill

2520-421: The city's construction, the chairman of Gaberones Township Authority, Geoffrey Cornish, likened the layout of the city to a "brandy glass" with the government offices in the base of the glass and businesses in the "mall", a strip of land extending from the base. Most of the early town was built within three years, as a small town designed to accommodate 20,000 people – only to later develop after independence into

2583-552: The confluence of the Limpopo with the Matlabas River . The Notwane basin is drained by the Notwane itself and its tributaries the Taung, Segoditshane, Metsimotlhabe , Metsemaswaane and Nywane. Its main tributaries are the Taung , Peleng , Metsimotlhabe and Nywane rivers. All the rivers in the Notwane basin are ephemeral experiencing mostly brief, seasonal flow depending from the rainfall. The Notwane and Taung riverbeds are dry during

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2646-501: The council had problems with waste management: Frenic, the waste management company hired by the city, sued the Gaborone City Council for unpaid compensation. This has led to a buildup of uncollected garbage. Haskins Nkaigwa, mayor of Gaborone from 2011, has stressed the importance of more local autonomy. He advocates for a stronger city council with the power to determine budgets and hire and fire clerks and officers. Gaborone

2709-467: The dry season and in years of drought they may be completely dry the whole year round. All these rivers may cause flash floods . The banks of the Notwane River have been occupied since the middle Stone Age. The first modern settlement was Moshaweng , which was established by Chief Gaborone of the Tlokwa in the late 1880s, near the site of the modern capital. The city of Gaborone , an expansion of

2772-562: The earlier settlement, was developed on the Notwane River in the 1960s in part due to proximity to the railway, in part due to availability of water provided by the river. The Gaborone Dam , which supplies water to the city of Gaborone, has a capacity of 144,000,000 cubic metres (5.1 × 10  cu ft). Further upstream, the Ngotwane Dam in Lehurutshe , South Africa has a capacity of 18,000,000 cubic metres (640,000,000 cu ft). In

2835-703: The eastern end of the Mall, one can find the Civic Centre along with the Pula Arch that commemorates Botswana's independence. The Botswana Stock Exchange , National Museum and Art Gallery , and the main campus of the University of Botswana also lie near the Main Mall. To the west of the Main Mall is the Government Enclave. This area contains the governmental buildings such as the National Assembly of Botswana and Ntlo ya Dikgosi buildings. The National Archives building

2898-553: The eleventh British dependency in Africa to become independent. The first mayor of Gaborone was Reverend Derek Jones . The old Gaberones became a suburb of the new Gaborone, and is now known as "the Village". In the mid-1980s, South Africa attacked Botswana and conducted raids on Gaborone and other border towns. The Raid on Gaborone resulted in twelve deaths. After the 1994 General Elections , riots started in Gaborone because of high unemployment and other issues. Today, Gaborone

2961-488: The financial and general purposes committee; the public health, social welfare and housing committee; the Self-Help Housing Agency (SHAA) management committee; the town planning committee; the trade licensing committee; and the education committee. The councillors elect the mayor in a first-past-the-post system and place each other in the committees yearly. The council has 2,515 employees. An income tax called

3024-480: The hottest temperatures are usually in October, right before the rain starts. During the winter, days are still warm, and the nights are cold. There are on average seventy-four days per year with temperatures above 32 °C (90 °F). There are on average 196 days per year with temperatures above 26 °C (79 °F). There are on average fifty-one days per year with temperatures below 7 °C (45 °F). There

3087-560: The lowest is in September at 28%. Solar irradiance ranges from 4.1 kWh m  d in June to 7.3 kWh m  d in December. It is windier from September to November at 14 km/h (8.7 mph), and it is calmer from May to August at 8 km/h (5.0 mph). The average wind speed in a given year is 12 km/h (7.5 mph). The population, based on the 2022 census,

3150-587: The museum, there are various forms of transportation such as wagons, sledges, and bakkies ( pickup trucks ). There is also an exhibit on the San , the earliest inhabitants of southern Africa. The museum opened a 3.6-hectare (9-acre) botanical garden called the National Botanical Garden on 2 November 2007. The garden was built to protect Botswana's indigenous plant life, and 90% of its total plant species are native plants from Botswana. The Maitisong Festival

3213-493: The northern side of the lake. The southern end houses the Kalahari Fishing Club and a new public facility called City Scapes. City Scapes contains parks, playgrounds, and boating facilities. The dam is popular with birdwatchers , windsurfers , and anglers . However, there is no swimming due to the presence of crocodiles and parasitic bilharzias . The Gaborone Game Reserve is a 600-hectare (1,500-acre) park east of

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3276-554: The open sky" or "a community that stands out from all others". In 1971, because of the growth of illegal settlements, the Gaborone Town Council and the Ministry of Local Government and Lands surveyed an area called Bontleng, which would contain low-income housing. However, Naledi still grew, and the demand for housing was greater than ever. In 1973, the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) built a "New Naledi" across

3339-442: The organization was formed in 1980 to increase economic cooperation among its members and reduce dependence on South Africa. Several international companies have invested in the city: Hyundai , SABMiller , Daewoo , Volvo , and Siemens . Orapa House, owned by Debswana , is where the diamonds mined from Debswana are sorted and valued. Orapa House is located at the intersection of Khama Crescent and Nelson Mandela Drive. It has

3402-486: The park such as common warthogs , steenbok , kudu , zebras , giraffes , common eland , ostriches , hippos and rhinos . The park helps with wildlife projects in Botswana that include: the reintroduction of the white rhino and the relocation of "problem" cheetahs . Mokolodi also holds the Education Centre, which teaches children about the conservation projects. Somarelang Tikologo (Environment Watch Botswana)

3465-419: The river course nearer the Gaborone Dam. Chacma baboon may also be encountered and antelope species such as kudu and impala are present, but rare. Lesser bushbaby nest in this area and black-backed jackal are heard occasionally in the evening. A small population of nile crocodile are resident in the lower courses of the river close to the Gaborone Dam. Both nile monitor and rock monitor do occur in

3528-413: The road from the "Old Naledi". Residents from Old Naledi would be moved to New Naledi. However, the demand for housing increased yet again; moreover, the residents who relocated to New Naledi disliked the houses. The problem was solved in 1975 when Sir Seretse Khama , the president of Botswana, rezoned Naledi from an industrial zone to a low-income housing area. On 30 September 1966, Bechuanaland became

3591-553: The same longitude as Mahalapye . The Notwane has its source in the sandveld , at the eastern fringes of the Kalahari Desert . It flows roughly northeastwards past the most densely populated area of Botswana, passing east of Lobatse , between the city of Gaborone and Tlokweng village and then through Mochudi village. Finally it joins the left bank of the Limpopo River at the border with South Africa, just 6 km short of

3654-403: The southwest, Mogoditshane to the northwest, and Mochudi to the east, and Tlokweng across the river. Most of them are commuter towns for Gaborone. Suburbs in Gaborone include Broadhurst, Gaborone West, The Village, Naledi. Phakalane , an affluent suburb, lies about 13 km north of the city center. In the centre of the city lies the Main Mall which houses many diplomatic missions. At

3717-486: The total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 534,842 inhabitants at the 2022 census . Gaborone is situated between Kgale Hill and Oodi Hill, near the confluence of the Notwane River and Segoditshane River in the south-eastern corner of Botswana, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the South African border. The city is served by the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport . It

3780-521: Was across the river from the Government Camp, the name of the colonial government headquarters. The nickname, "GC", comes from the name "Government Camp". In 1890, Cecil John Rhodes picked Gaberones to house a colonial fort. The fort was where Rhodes planned the Jameson Raid . The city changed its name from Gaberones to Gaborone in 1969. The modern town was only founded in 1964, after a decision

3843-604: Was started in 1987 and is held every year for seven days on either the last week of March or the first week of April. The festival holds outdoor concerts, plays, and films in various venues around the city. "My African Dream" was a performing-arts competition during the 2000s that was held every year at the Gaborone International Convention Center. The show featured many kwaito dancers and musicians. The book series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency , written by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith ,

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3906-407: Was taken to establish a capital for Botswana, which became a self governing territory in 1965, before becoming a fully independent republic on 30 September 1966. In 1965, the capital of the Bechuanaland Protectorate moved from Mafeking to Gaberones. When Botswana gained its independence, Lobatse was the first choice as the nation's capital. However, Lobatse was deemed too limited, and instead,

3969-605: Was −6.5 °C (20.3 °F). Precipitation in Gaborone is scanty and erratic. Most of the rainfall in Gaborone falls during the summer months, between October and April. There are on average forty days of thunderstorms per year, most of them happening during the summer months, and four days of fog, usually happening during the winter months. Gaborone has been affected by three floods based on records going back to 1995, one in 2000, one in 2001 that caused an estimated 5,000,000 Botswana pula worth of damage, and one in 2006. The highest relative humidity occurs in June at 90% while

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