08 Jul 2026

The Office of the First Lady has announced the launch of the National Healing, Remembrance and Closure Programme, a national initiative dedicated to honouring the memory of the 54 Batswana who lost their lives in the 2015 Matsha Community College truck accident and the 2024 Mmamatlakala bus tragedy.

Launched in collaboration with national stakeholders, the programme reaffirms the country’s commitment that every life matters and every family matters.

It combines remembrance with practical interventions aimed at restoring dignity, strengthening affected communities and promoting safer futures.

Programme activities begin on July 9 with the handover of a refurbished Home Economics Laboratory at Matsha Community College, followed by a Remembrance Ceremony at the Dutlwe Memorial Monument.

The initiative will culminate in the National Healing, Remembrance and Closure Ceremony on July 18.

Key initiatives include the refurbishment of the Home Economics Laboratory at Matsha Community College, housing improvements for vulnerable affected families, and the upgrading of the Dutlwe Memorial Monument into a permanent memorial and road safety awareness site.

The programme also provides continued psychosocial support and household engagements with bereaved families and survivors, while supporting ongoing road safety reforms aimed at strengthening the protection of minors and improving cross-border passenger transport standards. BOPA