28 Sep 2026

The National Museum and Monuments Diamond Jubilee Exhibition offers a national platform to reflect on six decades of progress, celebrate hard-won achievements and deepen the understanding of the values shaping the nation’s identity, Minister of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng, has said.

 Opening the 60th Independence Exhibition at the National Museum and Monuments on Friday, 

Minister Kelebeng emphasised that the showcase connected past experiences with future aspirations.  Held under the theme : Building Resilience, Driving Prosperity, he noted that the exhibition encouraged a collective pursuit of transformation, innovation and inclusive prosperity. 

“These themes show the efforts, experiences and values that have shaped our development while pointing to future opportunities,” he said.  He added that the exhibition did not only commemorate the past but also encouraged citizens to envision a collaborative future, highlighting significant milestones in governance, economic diversification, education, health and environmental stewardship. 

Furthermore, he said the exhibition acknowledged those who had contributed to Botswana’s narrative while inspiring future generations to build upon such foundations to achieve shared prosperity.  Organised into thematic areas, the lower gallery showcased topics such as Foundations and Democracy, Cultural Heritage, Economic Resilience as well as Sustainable Environment.  The upper gallery emphasised leadership, innovation and global partnerships.

  Among the displays were traditional baskets, pottery, wood carvings and vintage cars, alongside

highlights of traditional practices and indigenous knowledge, including phane harvesting. For her part, permanent secretary in the ministry, Nancy Chengeta noted that the exhibition illustrated both achievements and ongoing challenges and also reminded Batswana that development required continuous effort and innovation. 

 Chengeta emphasised that the showcase highlighted resilience and collective progress of the last six decades while encouraging younger Batswana to act as custodians of their story. ENDS