News

Two Okavango Research Institute (ORI) staff members, Professor Donald Letsholo Kgathi and Professor Barbara Ntombi Ngwenya, will retire after serving the University of Botswana for a combined 73 years.

Professor Kgathi leaves today (Monday) after joining the University in 1978 and serving for 43 years of which 22 were at ORI. He is a Professor of Development Economics.

Professor Ngwenya leaves on Friday and was a Professor of Cultural Anthropology. She joined the University in 1991 and leaves after serving 30 years of which 20 were at ORI. 

Meanwhile, another staff member, Ms Chanana Khupe who was a laboratory Chief Technician, retired end of 2021 after serving UB and ORI for 20 years. Consequently, February 25, 2022, ORI staff had the opportunity to organise a small farewell session to bid these three colleagues away. Speaking at the session, ORI Director, Professor Joseph Mbaiwa wished the three colleagues a happy retirement.

 However, he noted that while ORI wished them well and acknowledged that they had played their part in research and academic development of ORI, it was unfortunate that they were leaving at a time when the University of Botswana was undergoing transformation to make the institution High Performance Organisation.

He said if ORI was to become a HPO, it would require the services of experienced and reputable professors such as Professor Kgathi and Professor Ngwenya. The professors, he added, have experience in grant research proposals, student supervision and academic leadership. Professor Mbaiwa further noted that their departure would surely open a big gap at ORI. He nonetheless encouraged the two professors to apply and become adjunct scholars at ORI.

For their part, Professor Kgathi and Professor Ngwenya expressed gratitude for having served UB and ORI. Professor Kgathi advised the Director to engage UB on research incentives to improve research at the University.