Cultural heritage critical to cultural tourism in F/town
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Sunday May 12, 2024 05:11
Francistown is home to several rich but neglected historical sites such as the house that served as the residence of former Namibian Presidents during the country’s independence struggle, the scene of the WENELA crash and Supa Ngwao to name but just a few. Radisigo recently told members of the media that the city could benefit from the promotion of cultural tourism at some historically underutilised sites.
He used the place that the former presidents of Namibia used as a refuge during the country’s independence struggle as an example. The White House in Bluetown, now plot 7440, used to house Namibian presidents who were refugees during the struggle for Namibia’s independence. Around 1974, there was the worst nightmare regarding an air crash that occurred in Botswana involving some Malawian citizens.
The horrific air crash involved a Douglas C54E aircraft owned by the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (WENELA), a company that vigorously recruited for the South African mines. The incident involved a four-engine plane which was en route to Lilongwe, Malawi carrying 80 passengers and four crew members.
The bodies were later interred at a mass funeral at the Francistown Riverside Cemetery in coffins provided by the Botswana government. Furthermore, Radisigo said some of the local virtual artists could showcase their work at some of the abandoned historical sites. Additionally, Radisigo said it is also crucial to find out about the custodians of these heritage sites such as WENELA so that they can partner and make sure the place boosts the cultural tourism of the second city. He stated that in order to utilise some of the abandoned homes, they would like to collaborate with institutions like the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC). “At a kgotla meeting, some residents proposed that they ought to have access to BHC’s abandoned houses and be given the chance to renovate them and use them as old age homes or shelters,” he continued.
Radisigo stated that the council frequently leaves the task of clearing up abandoned and unclean areas because they are typically managed by various organisations. He, therefore, stated that they needed to locate the owners in order to take appropriate action and make good use of the abandoned locations.
Regarding the Supa Ngwao Museum, the Mayor stated that they have had meetings with both the Supa Ngwao Museum and the National Museum and Monuments representatives. He stated that the consultative meeting demonstrated that Supa Ngwao’s independence and other parties are not cooperating.
He stated that if the museum is developed, it may even serve to strengthen the informal sector and boost cultural tourism. “I even proposed that the location might be perfect for some of the market vendors who were kicked out to sell their goods or produce, and to draw more visitors to the museum and introduce them to Francistown history, “he continued. Radisigo said although Supa Ngwao was active and going somewhere in the past, he is hopeful that the leadership would restore it as promised.