Lobatse

Lobatse is a town in South-Eastern Botswana, 70 kilometres south of the capital Gaborone, pleasantly situated in a range of hills. Lobatse has a population of some 29,700 (Central Statistics Office, 2002) and The High Court of Botswana is situated there. The headquarters of the Department of Geological Surveys is also located in Lobatse. Several industries are located in Lobatse, the most important of which is the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) and FLO-TEK Pipes and Irrigation, the town's largest private employer.

The Bakgwateng people were the first to settle in the area^{[citation needed]}, which was later occupied by the Bangwaketse people in the 18th century. Archaeological remains still exist from these periods.

Lobatse has the distinction of having the first tarmac road in Botswana, which was laid in 1958 when Botswana (then Bechuanaland) was still a British Protectorate. At independence on 30 September 1966, this 5 km-long section was the only tarred road in the entire country. The Lobatse Mental Hospital is situated in Lobatse; it is the only mental institution in Botswana.

Bechuanaland had the unique problem in that it was the only country in the world where the capital was outside the borders of the country, Mafeking was then the capital, upon independence the new capital was either to be Lobatse or Gaborone

Coordinates: 25°13′S 25°40′E / 25.217°S 25.667°E / -25.217; 25.667

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