02 Sep 2021

When Karl Benz, a German engine designer and automotive engineer, patented the three-wheeled Motor Car in 1886, little did he and many other leading captains of the industry at that time know the craze the invention would stir among petrol-heads many years later.

Over the years, human beings love affair with automobile has gone haywire giving rise to the formation of car clubs.

In Botswana car clubs, as is the case globally, are organised by fanatics around the type of vehicle or brand.

Recently BOPA caught up with the Chairman and Founder member of Mazda Drivers Botswana (MDB) club, Mr Bogha Maposa who chronicled in detail events that led to the birthing of the association.

The idea, according to the ICT Instructor at Madiba Brigade was born out of the Mazda Facebook page where owners of Mazda in its many derivatives shared technical knowledge and experience on how best to take care of the vehicles.

This was done free-of-charge. At some point, some members of the group felt the virtual space was too crowded and an albatross in the neck for cross fertilisation of ideas. They henceforth started toying around with the prospect of a physical assembly.

Mr Maposa’s recollection of the first ever meeting held at the summit of Poloka along Kanye road sometimes in 2016 is as clear as day.

Having braai and drinks to strengthen relations among members, he says formed part of the get-together.

“Around a dozen of us met physically for the first time and explored ways through which we could carry concept forward. It was here that the idea to establish a club was hatched. The Poloka summit paved way for the Oodi meeting, where we came up with proposals to submit to the Register of Societies,” he recounts.

Hard work paid off as the Registrar of Societies conferred a certificate of approval upon the club in January 2017 to operate as a fully-fledged entity.

To try and set apart MDB from similar clubs in Botswana, the club has vouched, as part of its constitutional mandate, to promote road safety amongst Mazda drivers and other road users.

“The club also offer both technical and social support to members and promote social corporate responsibility to drive,” he says. To become a bona-fide member of the club with well over 270 members countrywide, one has to own a Mazda vehicle of any kind and be over 18 years.

Prior to the advent of COVID-19, which has brought all club activities to a halt, the club had executed its Corporate Social Responsibility exceptionally well.

The club has among others donated toiletry, planted trees, bought school uniform for underprivileged kids, procured tswana chicken for an individual, refurbished classrooms across the country.

To date, the club has branches in Gaborone, Palapye, Lotlhakane, and Francistown. The social distance period occasioned by COVID-19 has stood in the way of the club’s desire to launch two branches namely Ghanzi and Kasane.

In spite of all the hurdles, the club continue to find other ways to perform its CSR. Recently, the club has donated P5 700 to Maposa Primary School in Maposa which will help procure face-masks for learners at the boarding facility.

COVID-19 according to Mr Maposa has also stopped the club from holding its annual general assembly and to an extent the voting of a new executive committee to run its affairs. ends