19 Oct 2023

There is a need for museums to evolve from static repositories of artefacts to dynamic educational and community centres that actively contribute to the nation’s cultural identity, says acting director of the Department of National Museums and Monuments (DNMM), Mr Kabelo Mogami.

Mr Mogami expressed the sentiments during a two-day community museum engagement workshop on Wednesday that aimed to foster collaboration, spark innovation, and redefine the role of museums in the country’s cultural ecosystem.

He said community museums needed to ensure that the society knew they were a platform for future generations to learn about previous generations.
“Museum work in Botswana is still at its growth stage.

We still have a lot to do to be understood by the general public, especially creating awareness that museums are not necessarily a storage of old run-down items that we find in our society,” Mogami said.

He said the Minister of Tourism and Environment was hell bent on advancing museums to contribute to the economy, acknowledging the vital role museums would play in promoting domestic and international tourism and contributing to the prosperity and high-income economy envisioned in Vision 2036.

“The minister wants the heritage sector through museums with their unique facets of our heritage to rise up to their potential to contribute to tourism and improve the livelihoods of communities,” he said.

The workshop was attended by a diverse group of stakeholders, including community museum curators, educators, community leaders, and government representatives who delved into multifaceted strategies to propel Botswana’s museums into a new era of relevance and significance.

They engaged in a series of discussions and explored avenues for transformation through key topics such as community engagement, the governance and the role of the Board of Trustees, the role, responsibility and importance of community museums and staffing structures as well as remuneration for community museums.  

Currently, there are seven community museums and one visual art centre operational in Botswana. ENDS