El Negro, El Niño, witchcraft and the absence of rain in Botswana

Abstract

In October 2000 the remains of 'El Negro', a Tswana man who, as a stuffed specimen, had been on public display in Europe for over 160 years, were flown from Spain to Botswana and given a state funeral in the capital Gaborone. In early 2001, as it became clear that the rains were failing, rumours started circulating in Gaborone that linked the coming of El Negro to the absence of rain. This article charts the progress of the rumours relating to El Negro, relates them to the broader issues of Tswana ethnology and contemporary history, and situates them in the context of popular consciousness, previous work conducted on rumour, and Radio trottoir. In conclusion, the article argues that the El Negro rumours allowed for the articulation of deep-seated grievances on the part of large sections of the population within the context of Tswana cultural thinking and discourse.