Serowe
| Serowe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
| Coordinates | 22 ° 24 ′ S , 26 ° 42 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Botswana | ||
| Central District | |||
| ISO 3166-2 | BW-CE | ||
| height | 1120 m | ||
| Residents | 60,000 | ||
 Serowe satellite image
|
|||
Serowe is a city in eastern Botswana with a population of around 60,000. It is located 250 kilometers north of the capital Gaborone .
history
Serowe is the main town of the Bamangwato , a group of the Batswana , since their ruler Khama III. Moved here in 1902.
Attractions
One of the main attractions is the Khama III Memorial Museum . It tells the story of the Khama family, the heads of the Bamangwato. Leapeetswe Khama made his house, the "Red House", available for the museum. There is also a growing natural history sector with a large collection of African insects and snake species from the area. Part of the museum is dedicated to the life of the writer Bessie Head , who lived in Serowe for a long time and died there. The churchyard of the traditional rulers is located on a hill in the center of the city. Other sights include the tomb of Khama III. and his family as well as the ruins of an 11th century village.
About 20 kilometers northwest of Serowe is the Khama Rhino Sanctuary . It is a safe haven for some of the few rhinos that have remained in Botswana .
education
Serowe is the seat of the Botswana Brigades , a movement that was founded by Patrick van Rensburg and has been bringing language education to the most remote parts of the country since 1965. The Swaneng Hill School was one of the first founding of the brigades.
Personalities
sons and daughters of the town
- Seretse Khama (1921–1980), first President of Botswana 1966–80
- Gaositwe Kogakwa Tibe Chiepe MBE (* 1922), diplomat, politician and Botswana's first female minister
- Moutlakgola PK Nwako (1922–2002), politician (BDP)
- Boniface Tshosa Setlalekgosi (1927–2019), clergyman and Roman Catholic Bishop of Gaborone
- Mompati Merafhe (1936-2015), Lieutenant General and Politician (BDP)
- Festus Mogae (* 1939), President of Botswana 1998–2008
- Sanji Mmasenono Monageng (* 1950), lawyer and judge at the International Criminal Court
Personalities associated with Serowe
- Patrick van Rensburg (1931–2017), South African social worker and founder of the Botswana Brigades
- Bessie Head (1937–1986), best known writer in Botswana