The following lists events that happened during the 1970s in Botswana.
Incumbents
edit- President: Seretse Khama (1966–1980)
- Vice President: Quett Masire (1966–1980)[1]
Events
edit1970
edit- The Botswana Development Corporation is established.[2]: 95
- Botswana establishes diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.[3]
- January – The power to allocate tribal land is transferred from the kgosis to independent land boards under the Tribal Land Act.[3]
- 6 March – Botswana establishes diplomatic relations with Czechoslovakia.[3]
- July – The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is established.[3]
- September – President Seretse goes to Lusaka to speak at the Non-Aligned Movement summit.[3]
1971
edit- 1 July – The Orapa diamond mine is established.[3]
- 1 September – Simon Hirshfeldt becomes the first Motswana police commissioner.[3]
1972
edit- March – Botswana becomes financially independent from the United Kingdom.[3]
1973
edit- 15 January – Botswana sends its first citizen to train in the diamond industry in the United Kingdom.[3]
- 15 January – The Agricultural Resources (Conservation) Act is passed.[3]
1974
edit- The Selebi-Phikwe mine opens.[4]: 22
- The Tribal Grazing Lands Policy is established.[2]: 67
- January – The Botswana Agricultural Market Board is established.[3]
- March – Botswana ends its recognition of the Republic of China, instead recognizing the People's Republic of China.[3]
- 26 October – The 1974 Botswana general election is held. The Botswana Democratic Party maintains its majority.[3]
1975
edit- Botswana increases its governmental stake in Debswana to 50%.[3]
1976
edit- Kimberlite diamonds are discovered in Jwaneng.[3]
- July – Student protests in South Africa cause refugees to flee to Botswana.[3]
- 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.[3]
1977
edit- January – The United Nations passes a resolution demanding that Rhodesian forces end their hostilities along the Botswana–Rhodesia border.[5]
- April – The pula is valued at 5% above the rand.[3]
- 15 April – The Botswana Defence Force is established.[3]
- 19 April – Mompati Merafhe and Ian Khama are appointed commander and deputy commander of the Botswana Defence Force, respectively.[3]
- October – Four people are arrested as they travel through Botswana to serve in the military in Rhodesia.[3]
- 4 October - A referendum on electoral reform was held.
1978
edit- Botswana Football Association is affiliated with FIFA (international governing body of association football).[6]
- Medu Art Ensemble relocates to Gaborone, Botswana.[7]
- 27 February – A skirmish at Leshoma sees fifteen soldiers of the Botswana Defence Force killed by Rhodesian soldiers.[3]
- 29 March – Three suspected mercenaries from Rhodesia are killed in the Tuli Block.[3]
- 11 September – The University of Botswana closes amid riots.[3]
1979
edit- 13 April – The Gaborone–Francistown Highway is completed.[3]
- 13 April – 14 members of the Zimbabwe African People's Union are kidnapped in Francistown by Rhodesian soldiers.[3]
- July – Botswana co-founds the Southern African Development Coordination Conference.[3]
- July – Queen Elizabeth II visits Gaborone and gives President Khama his second knighthood.[3]
- 20 October – The 1979 Botswana general election is held. The Botswana Democratic Party maintains its majority.[3]
Births
edit- 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
edit- 1970
- 12 January – Russell England
- 1971
- 1973
- 20 August – Jules Ellenberger
- 1975
- 1977
- 1979
- Ntebogang Ratshosa
- 29 October – Philip Matante[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Leith, J. Clark (2005). Why Botswana Prospered. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. ISBN 978-0-7735-7241-6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad 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.