Botswana is planning to open an ivory museum, and a museum of geology and mining, to showcase the country’s heritage and wildlife.
According to Stephen Mogotsi, Deputy Director of the Department of National Museums and Monuments (DNMM), the ivory museum is expected to be built in the capital city of Gaborone, while the geology and mining museum will be located in Francistown, the country’s second largest city.
Mogotsi, who was speaking at the 50th anniversary celebrations for the DNMM, said that the ivory museum will look at the history of elephants in the country but also examine biodiversity and conservation. He further noted that the museum will include indigenous knowledge systems and cultural heritage into its exhibitions.
The mining and geology museum, to be called the Gerald Estate National Monument, will focus on the geology and early mining of Francistown. Mogotsi said that Francistown is geologically interesting for its unique columnar joints of dolerite dated at more than 180 million years old.
According the implementation schedule of the museums, both are in their design phases currently. Mogotsi said plans in place had the two new museums opening in 2021. The new developments are part of the larger eleventh National Development Plan, which sees the DNMM developing 20 heritage sites by 2023.
