Tuesday, 3 June 1986: Hostile Encounters in Gaborone

June 3, 4:30 PM, Gaborone Hotel, Gaborone, Botswana

This morning I made the mistake of going to the headquarters of the U.S. Peace Corps in Botswana.  I had read a phrase in my budget African guide regarding accommodations in Botswana:  “You may also like to ask around among volunteer workers (Peace Corps, VSO, etc.) as, if you’re willing to help out and pay for you keep, they might offer you accommodation.”  The mistake I made was forgetting about American government bureaucracy after two months.  I was introduced to Ms. Annamarie Hayes who is the Peace Corps Director in Botswana.  She is a large black woman from Michigan.  I explained that I am an American writer traveling in southern Africa and thought it might be interesting to meet some Peace Corps volunteers to get their impressions of Botswana.  A similar sort of request in South Africa, based on my experiences of the last two months, would have at least gotten me some interesting conversation and advice.  But all I got from this American bureaucrat was an unfriendly, parrot-like recitation of regulations preventing her from giving out any information about volunteers or their locations.  Furthermore, volunteers are prohibited from giving interviews to the American press.  They can’t even publish anything themselves without having it first cleared by her.  There is apparently concern about articles which make the Peace Corps look bad or embarrass their host country.  I had little interest in hearing this litany of regulations but I stuck around for a few more minutes thinking she might part with a tidbit or two of information which would be useful. 

I was surprised that Peace Corps volunteers have to be protected from American travelers.  Ms. Hayes said there were no rules against volunteers talking to other Americans.  She added that if I spent some time in Botswana, I would be bound to run into some Peace Corps volunteers.  I don’t know what I expected – less formality perhaps.  I realize she has to toe the line on government regulations but I naively thought a fellow American would be nicer.  As I was leaving, her final words in an unpleasant tone were, “I’m not interested in seeing my name in your paper.”  I just shook my head in amazement and walked out.  This was about the most hostility I’ve encountered after two months in Africa and it came from the first American I’d spoken with in two months.       

The Thornhill Guest Flats provided inexpensive, clean, and comfortable lodging in Gaborone, a city with few reasonably-priced options for a writer on a shoestring.

 

Actually, I did receive one useful piece of information from Ms. Hayes.  She recommended that I look into staying at a Botswana government hostel down the road from the Peace Corps office.  I also encountered some hostility there but it was more funny than offensive.  After asking six different locals for directions, I found what I thought was the office.  But there were only three maids there, and I looked around in confusion for someone official.  Finally, I turned to one of the maids, “Excuse me, I…”  She lit into me with something like, “Wait a minute.  You come in here, ignore us and don’t even say hello, looking around like we aren’t even here.  We’re people you know.  In this country you smile and say hello if you want help.”  Despite her chewing me out, she had something of a smile on her face, so I smiled, laughed, and told her I was lost, confused, and felt stupid.  I actually didn’t mind her abusing me, appreciating cheekiness from a young African woman after all the “Yes, master” subservient shit I’d heard in South Africa.  And she was right – I have developed a tendency to ignore blacks in southern Africa because it’s so hard to communicate with them.  I’ve gotten the feeling that South African blacks don’t want to bother with a white guy unless they have to.  Can’t say I blame them.  I suppose that ignoring blacks is my way of giving them space.  

Eventually, I was able to speak with someone about a room in the hostel, the Thornhill Guest Flats, which are normally reserved for public employees visiting the capital from other parts of the country.  However, it is not currently full and I was able to get a room with kitchenette and bath for the equivalent of US$8.00 per night starting tomorrow.  

                              Bookstore and produce sellers in the downtown Gaborone pedestrian mall

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