04 Oct 2018

 Ms Makgobe Mmesi, 84, remembers the evergreen and beautiful Livingstone’s Tree as their meeting place when growing up.

   The now famous tree was actually where they practised singing in order to compete with other choirs from neighbouring villages.

  Ms Mmesi, who still lives near the tree, said it has played a big role in their lives and strengthened social cooperation and unity amongst them.

The tree continues to tell the story of people who lived in Manyana some 2000 years ago.The Livingstone Tree now lies in the centre of Manyana, which  is a rapidly growing village of the Bahurutshe under the leadership of Kgosi Kebinatshwene Mosielele.

Its branches are now touching the ground and it might appear that there are many trees growing in the area while in fact in is only one tree. 

The tree is named after one of the first missionaries who came to live Botswana in the 1800s, David Livingstone. 

The tree’s beauty has attracted  many who cannot resist holding events such as wedding photo shots and church services under it. 

It is worth noting, however, that activities such as picnics are not allowed under the tree as there are fears of harm to the tree.

Speaking in an interview, Manyana Monuments tour guide, Mr Justice Kiki said Livingstone was a medical doctor and a Christianity preacher from Scotland who came to the then Bechunaland in 1847. 

He said when first arrived Livingstone lived in the nearby vilage of Kumakwane.

He said the missionary found Batswana following traditional religions and believing in gods, but that he preached Christianity and provided medical consultation to the people. 

He said Livingstone visited Manyana on his mission of converting people to Christianity, and found the massive fig tree which he used as his meeting place. 

Mr Kiki said Livingstone continued living in Kumakwane but visited Manyana frequently on his ox-wagon cart. 

“With his commitment and hard work he earned respect from the community of Manyana, especially the elders, as he was able to heal some of their illnesses,’’ he said.  

He said Dr Livingstone did not only convert people to Christianity but also taught them to read and write because most Batswana were illiterate and focussed on agriculture.

Mr Kiki said Dr Livingstone’s love for the tree inspired him to leave his initials on its stem as testimony that he executed his missionary duties under it, and that he would like to be remembered through it.

He said it was unfortunate that Dr Livingstone’s initials on the tree have faded away as it kept on growing bigger and bigger and getting old.   

Mr Kiki noted that in the past the tree was not fenced, but that as time went on the community suggested that it should be fenced for safety reasons and to avoid vandalism.

The tree is now protected and was recently declared a national heritage site by the National Museum.

He further revealed that the tree attracted thousands of tourists annually. 

However, he revealed that tourists visited the site for free as they were currently awaiting the village trust to set entrance fees for viewing of the tree.  

He is optimistic that it will in future generate income for the village and create employment for the youth.

Ms Mmesi said during her tender age, the tree had a normal structure and was up-straight, but that as years went by its branches bent and touched the ground.

Ms Mmesi revealed that the tree was respected by the elders.

A tourist, Ms Miraal Habib said the tree was unique and that she has never seen any of its kind before. 

She said her tour to the tree was amazing because she was able to learn its history in relation to the culture of the people who lived in the area many years ago. 

Ms Habib said the tree was full of history and recommended that the village trust should establish viewing fees in order to generate income. ENDS