Botswana was not what Whanganui MP Chester Borrows had expected from watching television - something he discovered by attending a conference in the southern African country.
"Botswana is a real gem as far as Africa goes," Mr Borrows said.
"I didn't know what to expect.
"My impression is it's very much a go-ahead country, very much on the move in terms of its economy."
Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa bordered by South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its tourist attractions include game reserves, hunting and safaris, and the country makes a large amount of money from mining for gems and precious metals.
Mr Borrows said he didn't see any old car bodies on the side of the road, and there was not one bit of graffiti in sight during his short stay while he represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Law Ministers conference.
Mr Borrows left New Zealand on May 4 and returned on May 9.
"The stark reminder is that the white faces are few and far between. It's interesting to be in the racial minority.
"Everybody was engaged in work," said Mr Borrows, who noted that even people he spotted sitting under trees were on a break from work.
"I always expect that Africa is a place of extremes. You expect it to be hot and dry, people struggling to make a living.
"It's very easy as a Westerner to take all your news from the television."
Seated next to Nigeria's Minister of Justice at the conference, though, Mr Borrows found it "very interesting sitting around the conference table talking to people who were experiencing those extremes".
Mr Borrows and the minister, Mohammed Bello Adoke, discussed the group of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria by Islamist group Boko Haram.
"It's a difficult thing to decide whether or not you're going to negotiate with terrorists," Mr Borrows said.
Despite acts of terrorism and extreme violence happening in other parts of Africa, Botswana seemed to be up and coming.
"They've really got the bit between their teeth."
Mr Borrows said the Government placed a lot of importance on helping its citizens educate themselves to run businesses, and making sure that "everybody experiences the growth of the economy.
"The overwhelming thing for me is the complete positivity of everybody. Everyone was positive about where Botswana is going, and the hope that that will spread through Africa.
"Nobody in Botswana is sitting there waiting for a government handout."
Mr Borrows said the prisons there allowed released prisoners to come back for workshops to develop skills for trades, and the Government provided grants for them to start up businesses.
It could be part of what contributed to their 2 per cent rate of criminal re offending, compared to New Zealand's 55-60 per cent recidivist rate.
"There's virtually no gang culture there," he said.
Mr Borrows didn't think the same system could work in New Zealand.
"The people sitting in their prisons are not the people sitting in our prisons. If you were a betting person you would put money on [New Zealand convicts] coming back."
He said Botswana residents were "hungry for education and grateful for an opportunity".
However, New Zealand was seen as a "world leader" in other areas, such as cultural issues.
"We've got a good record - I say that as a middle-aged white guy, if I was Maori or Pacific I might have a different view.
"New Zealand is seen right up at the sharp end of law reform and extending human rights to people. They're wanting to learn from us."
Whenever Mr Borrows spoke, people were keen to follow up over dinner or coffee.
"We've got a leadership role there and we should take it up."
Sparsely populated country rich in wildlife and minerals
Botswana has a population of two million.
The country is predominantly flat, tending toward gently rolling tableland. Botswana is dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers up to 70 per cent of its land surface. The Okavango Delta, one of the world's largest inland deltas, is in the northwest. The Makgadikgadi Pan, a large salt pan, lies in the north.
The Limpopo River Basin, the major landform of all of southern Africa, lies partly in Botswana.
The predominantly Tswana population live in a country 581,730sq km, the 48th largest in the world; Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries on the globe.
It's main earners are diamonds, nickel, copper, beef, textiles, soda ash and tourism, having diverse areas of wildlife habitat.
Source: melissa.wishart + Wikipedia
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"Botswana is a real gem as far as Africa goes," Mr Borrows said.
"I didn't know what to expect.
"My impression is it's very much a go-ahead country, very much on the move in terms of its economy."
Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa bordered by South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its tourist attractions include game reserves, hunting and safaris, and the country makes a large amount of money from mining for gems and precious metals.
Mr Borrows said he didn't see any old car bodies on the side of the road, and there was not one bit of graffiti in sight during his short stay while he represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Law Ministers conference.
Mr Borrows left New Zealand on May 4 and returned on May 9.
"The stark reminder is that the white faces are few and far between. It's interesting to be in the racial minority.
"Everybody was engaged in work," said Mr Borrows, who noted that even people he spotted sitting under trees were on a break from work.
"I always expect that Africa is a place of extremes. You expect it to be hot and dry, people struggling to make a living.
"It's very easy as a Westerner to take all your news from the television."
Seated next to Nigeria's Minister of Justice at the conference, though, Mr Borrows found it "very interesting sitting around the conference table talking to people who were experiencing those extremes".
Mr Borrows and the minister, Mohammed Bello Adoke, discussed the group of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria by Islamist group Boko Haram.
"It's a difficult thing to decide whether or not you're going to negotiate with terrorists," Mr Borrows said.
Despite acts of terrorism and extreme violence happening in other parts of Africa, Botswana seemed to be up and coming.
"They've really got the bit between their teeth."
Mr Borrows said the Government placed a lot of importance on helping its citizens educate themselves to run businesses, and making sure that "everybody experiences the growth of the economy.
"The overwhelming thing for me is the complete positivity of everybody. Everyone was positive about where Botswana is going, and the hope that that will spread through Africa.
"Nobody in Botswana is sitting there waiting for a government handout."
Mr Borrows said the prisons there allowed released prisoners to come back for workshops to develop skills for trades, and the Government provided grants for them to start up businesses.
It could be part of what contributed to their 2 per cent rate of criminal re offending, compared to New Zealand's 55-60 per cent recidivist rate.
"There's virtually no gang culture there," he said.
Mr Borrows didn't think the same system could work in New Zealand.
"The people sitting in their prisons are not the people sitting in our prisons. If you were a betting person you would put money on [New Zealand convicts] coming back."
He said Botswana residents were "hungry for education and grateful for an opportunity".
However, New Zealand was seen as a "world leader" in other areas, such as cultural issues.
"We've got a good record - I say that as a middle-aged white guy, if I was Maori or Pacific I might have a different view.
"New Zealand is seen right up at the sharp end of law reform and extending human rights to people. They're wanting to learn from us."
Whenever Mr Borrows spoke, people were keen to follow up over dinner or coffee.
"We've got a leadership role there and we should take it up."
Sparsely populated country rich in wildlife and minerals
Botswana has a population of two million.
The country is predominantly flat, tending toward gently rolling tableland. Botswana is dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers up to 70 per cent of its land surface. The Okavango Delta, one of the world's largest inland deltas, is in the northwest. The Makgadikgadi Pan, a large salt pan, lies in the north.
The Limpopo River Basin, the major landform of all of southern Africa, lies partly in Botswana.
The predominantly Tswana population live in a country 581,730sq km, the 48th largest in the world; Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries on the globe.
It's main earners are diamonds, nickel, copper, beef, textiles, soda ash and tourism, having diverse areas of wildlife habitat.
Source: melissa.wishart + Wikipedia
WANGANUI CHRONICLE (New Zealand)
Be be social. Plz Share,like,tweet and tell us your thoughts
Invite/ suggest your friends to like our pages.
http://www.facebook.com/bonaafrica | htts://www.facebook.com/botswanainfo
htts://www.facebook.com/sportsmontor. Thank you. U rock