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The University of Botswana (UB) has paid tribute to four Swaneng Hill Secondary School students and their driver who died in a road accident in 1976 while travelling to a fundraising event in Serowe in support of the establishment of Botswana’s first national university.

The commemorative visit to their gravesites, held on the 24th of September 24, 2026, formed part of UB’s corporate social responsibility and community engagement activities as Botswana prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence on the 30th of September.

The four students and their driver remembered as the Swaneng Quintet, were travelling to participate in fundraising activities under the Motho-le-Motho-Kgomo campaign otherwise known as Botswana University Campus Appeal (BUCA) when they lost their lives in the accident.

The BUCA campaign was initiated by Botswana’s founding President, Sir Seretse Khama, following the decision by the Lesotho government to nationalise the then University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (UBLS).

The campaign called on Batswana to contribute towards establishing a university in Botswana, with citizens encouraged to donate whatever they could, including money, sorghum and livestock.

For UB, the sacrifice of the Swaneng students remains part of the history of the institution and the country's efforts to build an independent education system.

Acting Manager of Public Relations and Communications at UB, Mr Thomas Nkhoma, said the university considered it important to remember the students as Botswana commemorates six decades of independence.

He said the students represented a generation that responded to a national call to build the country’s education infrastructure.

Mr Nkhoma noted that UB had already taken steps to preserve the memory of the students. In 2022, the university erected tombstones at their gravesite in recognition of their contribution and sacrifice, he said.

However, he said more could be done to preserve the site and ensure that future generations understood its historical significance.

“We want to partner with Swaneng Hill Secondary School to take care of this place. To us, it’s akin to a national monument,” Nkhoma said.

He said the partnership would help ensure that the gravesite remained properly maintained while providing an opportunity for students and the wider community to learn about the role played by young Batswana in the establishment of the country’s national university.

Kgosi Rasebolai Khamane also paid tribute to the students, describing their actions as an example of inspiration and sacrifice.

He said the fact that the students were prepared to participate in a national fundraising campaign demonstrated their commitment to a cause that extended beyond their individual lives.

Kgosi Khamane encouraged current students at Swaneng Hill School to draw inspiration from the legacy of their predecessors and pursue higher education at UB.

He described UB as a leading higher education institution and urged the students to aspire to become part of the university community.

For his part, Deputy Council Chairman and Motetshwane Area Councillor, Hon Anthony Odirile, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the parents of the deceased students.

Hon Odirile acknowledged the pain suffered by the families following the loss of their children, saying their sacrifice nevertheless had a lasting impact on Botswana.

He thanked UB for recognising and honouring the five (5) accident victims decades after their deaths. He added that although the students were young, they had responded to a national vision of building what UB is now affectionately known as “Mmadikolo”. It is now been 50 years since the quintet died.

Befitting as the event was, it dovetails into the national mood as Botswana gears up for its 60th independence anniversary. In those six (6) decades, UB has since its establishment on the 1st of July 1982, remained an important part of national the education sector.

As the first public university, UB has produced many graduates across government, corporate and private sectors. That extends to political leadership with the current President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko being an alumnus of the institution. Further, this includes several members of cabinet