The following lists events that happened during the

1970s File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War i ...

in Botswana.

Incumbents

* President: Seretse Khama (1966–1980) * Vice President: Quett Masire (1966–1980)

Events

1970

* The Botswana Development Corporation is established. * Botswana establishes diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. * January – The power to allocate tribal land is transferred from the '' kgosis'' to independent land boards under the Tribal Land Act. * 6 March – Botswana establishes diplomatic relations with Czechoslovakia. * July – The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is established. * September – President Seretse goes to

Lusaka Lusaka (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about . , the city's population was ab ...

to speak at the

Non-Aligned Movement summit The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide. The movement originated in the aftermath o ...

1971

* 1 July – The Orapa diamond mine is established. * 1 September – Simon Hirshfeldt becomes the first Motswana police commissioner.

1972

* March – Botswana becomes financially independent from the United Kingdom.

1973

* 15 January – Botswana sends its first citizen to train in the diamond industry in the United Kingdom. * 15 January – The Agricultural Resources (Conservation) Act is passed.

1974

* The

Selebi-Phikwe mine Selebi-Phikwe (also spelt ''Selibe Phikwe'') is a mining town located in the Central District of Botswana. It had a population of 42,488 in 2022. The town is an administrative district, separate from the surrounding Central District. Mining ...

opens. * The

Tribal Grazing Lands Policy The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

is established. * January – The Botswana Agricultural Market Board is established. * March – Botswana ends its recognition of the Republic of China, instead recognizing the People's Republic of China. * 26 October – The

1974 Botswana general election General elections were held in Botswana on 26 October 1974. With 205,050 registered voters, turnout was just 31.22%. The result was a third successive landslide victory for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), who won 27 of the 32 elected seats, ...

is held. The Botswana Democratic Party maintains its majority.

1975

* Botswana increases its governmental stake in Debswana to 50%.

1976

* Kimberlite diamonds are discovered in Jwaneng. * July – Student protests in South Africa cause refugees to flee to Botswana. * 26 July – President Khama visits China. * 23 August – The Bank of Botswana is established. The Botswana pula replaces the South African rand as Botswana's official currency.

1977

* January – The United Nations passes a resolution demanding that Rhodesian forces end their hostilities along the Botswana–Rhodesia border. * April – The pula is valued at 5% above the rand. * 15 April – The Botswana Defence Force is established. * 19 April –

Mompati Merafhe Mompati Sebogodi Merafhe (6 June 1936 – 7 January 2015) was a Botswana politician who was Vice-President of Botswana from 2008 to 2012. He was a retired Lieutenant-General and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2008. Biography ...

and Ian Khama are appointed commander and deputy commander of the Botswana Defence Force, respectively. * October – Four people are arrested as they travel through Botswana to serve in the military in Rhodesia. * 4 October - A referendum on electoral reform was held.

1978

* Botswana Football Association is affiliated with

FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...

(international governing body of association football). *

Medu Art Ensemble Medu Art Ensemble was a collective of cultural activists based in Gaborone, Botswana during the height of the anti-apartheid resistance movement during the late twentieth century. The collective formed originally in 1977 as a group of black South ...

relocates to Gaborone, Botswana. * 27 February – A skirmish at Leshoma sees fifteen soldiers of the Botswana Defence Force killed by Rhodesian soldiers. * 29 March – Three suspected mercenaries from Rhodesia are killed in the Tuli Block. * 11 September – The University of Botswana closes amid riots.

1979

* 13 April – The Gaborone–Francistown Highway is completed. * 13 April – 14 members of the Zimbabwe African People's Union are kidnapped in Francistown by Rhodesian soldiers. * July – Botswana co-founds the Southern African Development Coordination Conference. * July – Queen Elizabeth II visits Gaborone and gives President Khama his second knighthood. * 20 October – The

1979 Botswana general election General elections were held in Botswana on 20 October 1979. The result was a fourth successive landslide victory for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which won 29 of the 32 elected seats, including two in which they were unopposed.

is held. The Botswana Democratic Party maintains its majority.

Births

* 1973 ** 2 March – Patrick Lebekwe, Botswana footballer * 1976 ** 23 April – Phazha Butale, Botswana footballer * 1977 ** 28 July – Anthony Matengu, Botswana footballer * 1978 ** 23 August – Ditaola Ditaola, Botswana footballer ** 19 September – Kabelo Kgosiang, Botswana footballer ** 14 November – Odirile Gaolebale, retired Botswanan footballer ** 29 December – Agisanyang Mosimanegape, Botswana former footballer

Deaths

* 1970 ** 12 January –

Russell England Sir Russell England (1 May 1899 – 12 January 1970) was a British-born civil servant, farmer and politician in the Bechuanaland Protectorate. A leader of the European community, he served as a member of the Legislative Council of the Bechuana ...

* 1971 **

Leetile Disang Raditladi Leetile Disang Raditladi (1910–1971) was a Motswana playwright and poet. He was born in Serowe and got his education in Tiger Kloof, Lovedale and Fort Hare University. A prolific author, he had his first book, a biography of Khama III, accept ...

* 1973 ** 20 August – Jules Ellenberger * 1975 ** Benjamin Steinberg * 1977 ** Motlatsi Segokgo ** 16 May –

Bakwana Kgosidintsi Kgari Bakwena Kgosidintsi Kgari (29 October 1921 – 16 May 1977) was a former politician and diplomat in Botswana. Kgari served as the third foreign minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for ...

* 1979 ** Ntebogang Ratshosa ** 29 October –

Philip Matante Philip Parcel Goanwe Matante (25 December 1912 – 25 October 1979) was a Motswana nationalist and founder of the Botswana People's Party. He was the opposition leader in the National Assembly of Botswana from its establishment in 1965 until his ...

References

{{Years in Botswana Botswana Years of the 20th century in Botswana