Africa-Press – Botswana. The P55 million Kweneng Regional Museum project at Ntsweng Heritage Site will be completed by the end of August.
When updating Bakwena on Thursday during a consultative kgotla meeting, the Director of National Museum and Monuments, Mr Phillip Segadika, said the project included a museum, an amphitheatre, a craft centre, a restaurant, a camping site and the renovation of Mma Kgosi’s house which once served as an office.
Mr Segadika said the project was one of the deliverables under the National Development Plan 11. The Ntsweng heritage site has been identified as a tourism attraction site which could attract tourists from all walks of life to learn about the history of Bakwena led by Kgosi Sechele I.
He said the world-class restaurant, which was constructed at the site, was built with the idea to increase revenue income and help to bring additional developments.
He added that government would partner with Bakwena to form a company that would run the heritage site.
He said the archeological assessment had identified that Ntsweng used to be the capital city of Bakwena as traditional artifacts were found at the site.
Mr Segadika said already seven human remains have been exhumed during construction and were taken to the national museum for safe keeping until their reburial.
He said the burial sites showed the history of Bakwena and how they carried out burial during their time.
Mr Segadika said necessary steps were taken to make sure they preserve the history of the site so that people could come and learn about the historical site.
He thanked Kgosi Sechele I Museum Trust for their contribution of P5 million towards the Ntsweng heritage site construction and renovation.
He said they were yet to exhibit artefacts that portrayed the history of Bakwena.
Mr Modirwa Kekwaletswe from Motaki, a company that has been tasked with the exhibition design of the museum asked Bakwena to help them with artefacts they have that could be used at the museum.
Mr Kekwaletswe said exhibition items, among them photos, traditional items like dinkgwana and old ploughing tools are important as they portrayed the historical life of Bakwena.
Bakwena, who came to the meeting, applauded the Department of National Museums and monuments for the project which shall depict their historical lives.
One of them, Mr Mpho Laolang, said he has the history of Kobokwe cave and the horns of Kgosi Kgari Sechele I which were used to ask for rain and said he was willing to share the history with the museum for documentation.
Another resident, Mr Mompati Bolotsang said as Bakwena, they should to bring the historical artefacts to help their museum document Bakwena history.
Mr Boingotlo Shatera said he was worried that some of the old artefacts are very old and worn out and will need to be refurbished to revamp their look.
He said he has some artefacts which he could share with the museum among them being old ploughing tools.
Ms Sarah Sechele said the museum should give women an opportunity to showcase the history of Bakwena women through use of soil decorations so as to preserve it.
Earlier on, in his welcome remarks Kgosi Kgari III said the meeting was meant to update Bakwena on the progress of Ntsweng heritage site.
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