02 Jul 2014

As the sun sets and rises, so are the hopes of residents of this small village. For a long time, the residents have lived a life of hope and despair.

By virtue of being just 15 kilometres away from Gaborone, they have always thought that investors would knock at their door day and night. Sadly, that has not been the case, yet they have remained hopeful that the dream they harboured would eventually take shape.

This is Gabane, a village that has lived not to lose hope, knowing that tomorrow brings another new dawn. Found along the ever busy Kanye-Gaborone road, Gabane is already a part of Gaborone agglomeration.

And as the clock ticks every day, residents’ hope is paying dividends as investors are beginning to give the village a new facelift. In less than two years, retail stores Saverite, Choppies and Shell Filling Station have opened to the community.

Another shopping complex and a filling station are nearing completion. “We have been hoping and waiting for these kinds of development for a very long time,” says Kgosi Sello Pule of Gabane.

Yet he is puzzled as to why it took the private sector such a long time to deem Gabane as a place worth their investment. He says for a very long time, the thought of going shopping had been a depressing prospect for residents.

“We have been relying on local stores, it was the only choice we had,” Kgosi Pule said. Ironically, it is not surprising to find traffic bumper to bumper to and from this village during peak hours.

For a long time, Gabane has been a place for accommodation to hundreds of those working in the city. “We need more tarred roads because it is developments such as roads which invite investors,” Kgosi Pule says.

And in comparison to other villages close to Gaborone such as Mogoditshane and Tsolamosese, Gabane has only one tarred road, something which bothers the village leadership.

“We understand that the government is constrained to bring all the developments at a go, but we are not satisfied,” he said, adding that this does not imply that he is greedy or selfish.

With a population nearing 14 000, Gabane boasts of three primary schools, two junior secondary schools, two clinics, one of them with a maternity ward and a brigade.

These developments as well as Pelegano Village of Industries, which is a community project has for a long time been part of the Gabane setup.
Pelegano Village of Industries has set its site on undertakings such as glass factory, metal works, pottery, crafts and a sorghum milling plant, carpentry, manufacturing and residential.

In fact, Pelegano has for many years been the pride of the village and has lived to see Gabane’s transformation. With its various industries, Pelegano has so many livelihoods ebbed into it.

Apart from industries, Gabane has its side of a cheer life. It is the home of celebrated artistes such Franco,  Afro Musica and Matsieng, among others.

Again, Gabane gave birth to Uniao Flamego Santos, the soccer club credited for discovering some of the finest football players such as Botswana’s export in Mogakolodi Ngele. While these youth achievements warrant a salute, it is the nightlife that has overshadowed the toast moment.

A weekend at the village, as observed by Kgosi Pule is like a misshapen moon that shows only its dark side. “We do not have rest, these night clubs are noisy and operate beyond hours,” Kgosi Pule says.

Beside the noise, the nightclub attracts unspeakable delinquencies mainly by the young people. Kgosi Pule’s sole wish is for the Kweneng District Council to cancel the licences of the night clubs. Hence he feels defeated because the issue has been discussed with the council several times but nothing  has changed.

All that is left for him and the community is to hope for someone somewhere to rescue the villagers. Nevertheless, he pointed out that this should not imply that a nightclub is a no-no business in Gabane, but it is only that the current ones are not discreet in their operations.

Away from the menace of difficulties, Gabane remains a peaceful place as it sheds its old traditional image. Criss-crossing the village, one would not miss the “Gabane Pule 2014” inscription on the hill.

This has been the culture of the village to write its kgosi’s name and the year on its hill. The writing on the hill is mainly done to welcome everyone to the village of Balate.

Yet to investors, it is a more comprehensive welcome as the village positions itself for a new tomorrow driven by the hopes inherited from yesterday. Ends