Ode To Poet Kenneth Maswabi Poem by Deluke Muwanigwa

Ode to Poet Kenneth Maswabi

I wanna pay tribute to Kenneth Maswabi of Botswana. A poet par excellence on PH. I was in Botswana from 1997 to 2006. Not an economic refugee as most Zimbabweans are there these days, but an expatriate engineer helping to build Botswana's infrastructure. The people of Botswana are friendly, easy going, but a proud people rooted in their culture.

I was fortunate to travel to almost all corners of Botswana, i supect more than most locals, due to the nature of my work. Pitsane Molopo on the border with South Africa. I did a school there. Maun, where my brother Kenneth Maswabi is. Ganzi, Gumare, Etsha, Molopolole. Kanye, Hukuntsi, Selebi Phikwe, Lentswele Tau, Jwaneng, Serowe, Mahalapye, Palapye and Francistown, of course.

It is said that the Garden of Eden postulated in the Bible was situated in Botswana. I have no reason to be a heretic and disagree with this, because Botswana is a jewel. I miss St Louis, a lovely smooth local brew i could drink the whole night and still go to work high the morning. Got me in trouble a few times, but the law and the police treated me fair and square. There, in Gaborone, on friday we wouldhop from bar to bar until the wee hours of the morning. At No Mathata, Chez Ntemba, in Mogoditshane. At BBS Mall and all the bars in Gaborone West. I and my mates even opened our own night club called Club Focus in Mogoditshane.

Botswana has the most beautiful women in the world. I mean it. I remember one Phule Kwelagobe becoming Miss Universe. (Don't tell my wife i said this, but i speak truth to girl power) .

The infrastructure in Botswana is up there, unlike in my beautifully ugly Zimbabwe. I had the ignominy of being the electrical engineer for The Centre for Illegal Immigrants (aka Zimbabweans)in Francistown, a detention facility built to temporarily house illegal border jumpers.

So, to Rre Kenneth Maswabi, i say, ke a leboga for hosting me and my family for 9 years. May God bless Botswana and its beautiful people. P/S. Please don't get tired of hosting those persky illegal Zimbabweans. The road to Canaan is long and hard, but we shall overcome one day.