Overview of the events of the 1970s in Botswana
| Decades in Botswana |
|---|
| 1970s |
The following lists events that happened during the 1970s in Botswana.
Incumbents
- President: Seretse Khama (1966–1980)
- Vice President: Quett Masire (1966–1980)
Events
1970
- The Botswana Development Corporation is established.
- Botswana establishes diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.
- January – The power to allocate tribal land is transferred from the kgosis to independent land boards under the Tribal Land Act.
- 6 March – Botswana establishes diplomatic relations with Czechoslovakia.
- July – The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is established.
- September – President Seretse goes to Lusaka to speak at the Non-Aligned Movement summit.
1971
- 1 July – The Orapa diamond mine is established.
- 1 September – Simon Hirshfeldt becomes the first Motswana police commissioner.
1972
- March – Botswana becomes financially independent from the United Kingdom.
1973
- 15 January – Botswana sends its first citizen to train in the diamond industry in the United Kingdom.
- 15 January – The Agricultural Resources (Conservation) Act is passed.
1974
- The Selebi-Phikwe mine opens.
- The Tribal Grazing Lands Policy is established.
- January – The Botswana Agricultural Market Board is established.
- March – Botswana ends its recognition of the Republic of China, instead recognizing the People's Republic of China.
- 26 October – The 1974 Botswana general election is held. The Botswana Democratic Party maintains its majority.
1975
- Botswana increases its governmental stake in Debswana to 50%.
1976
- Kimberlite diamonds are discovered in Jwaneng.
- July – Student protests in South Africa cause refugees to flee to Botswana.
- 26 July – President Khama visits China.
- 23 August – The Bank of Botswana is established. The Botswana pula replaces the South African rand as Botswana's official currency.
1977
- January – The United Nations passes a resolution demanding that Rhodesian forces end their hostilities along the Botswana–Rhodesia border.
- April – The pula is valued at 5% above the rand.
- 15 April – The Botswana Defence Force is established.
- 19 April – Mompati Merafhe and Ian Khama are appointed commander and deputy commander of the Botswana Defence Force, respectively.
- October – Four people are arrested as they travel through Botswana to serve in the military in Rhodesia.
- 4 October - A referendum on electoral reform was held.
1978
- Botswana Football Association is affiliated with FIFA (international governing body of association football).
- Medu Art Ensemble relocates to Gaborone, Botswana.
- 27 February – A skirmish at Leshoma sees fifteen soldiers of the Botswana Defence Force killed by Rhodesian soldiers.
- 29 March – Three suspected mercenaries from Rhodesia are killed in the Tuli Block.
- 11 September – The University of Botswana closes amid riots.
1979
- 13 April – The Gaborone–Francistown Highway is completed.
- 13 April – 14 members of the Zimbabwe African People's Union are kidnapped in Francistown by Rhodesian soldiers.
- July – Botswana co-founds the Southern African Development Coordination Conference.
- July – Queen Elizabeth II visits Gaborone and gives President Khama his second knighthood.
- 20 October – The 1979 Botswana general election is held. The Botswana Democratic Party maintains its majority.
Births
- 1973
- 2 March – Patrick Lebekwe, Botswana footballer
- 1976
- 23 April – Phazha Butale, Botswana footballer
- 1977
- 28 July – Anthony Matengu, Botswana footballer
- 1978
- 23 August – Ditaola Ditaola, Botswana footballer
- 19 September – Kabelo Kgosiang, Botswana footballer
- 14 November – Odirile Gaolebale, retired Botswanan footballer
- 29 December – Agisanyang Mosimanegape, Botswana former footballer
Deaths
- 1970
- 12 January – Russell England
- 1971
- 1973
- 20 August – Jules Ellenberger
- 1975
- 1977
- 1979
- Ntebogang Ratshosa
- 29 October – Philip Matante
See also
References
- Dani Rodrik (2003). In search of prosperity: analytic narratives on economic growth. Princeton University Press. pp. 97–98. ISBN 978-0-691-09269-0. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ^ Leith, J. Clark (2005). Why Botswana Prospered. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. ISBN 978-0-7735-7241-6.
- ^ Morton, Barry; Ramsay, Jeff (2018). Historical Dictionary of Botswana (5th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. pp. xxxiv–xxxv. ISBN 978-1-5381-1133-8.
- Mwakikagile, Godfrey (2009). Botswana Since Independence. New Africa Press. ISBN 978-0-9802587-8-3.
- "Botswana profile - Timeline". BBC News. 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
- Admin, BFA. "Who we are - BFA". Archived from the original on 2018-03-24. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
- "Medu Art Ensemble | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
 Years in Botswana (1966–present) | |
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