KALAHARI CALLING

• Published date: 02 April 2022
• Publication title: Mix, The

‘‘I will tell you a story from when we were moving house,’’ Gillian Bremner says by telephone from Botswana

In Dunedin the sun is lowering towards the Green Belt hills; backlighting the Town Hall clock tower, St Paul’s Cathedral and Octagon office blocks.

In eastern Botswana the same sun is starting its climb through morning haze that will soon burn off to reveal a wide scrub-covered vista leading to the flat-topped Tswapong Hills, home to baboons, porcupines, antelope and leopards. It is only 7am, but already the melodious ringing of cow bells mixes with birdsong.

‘‘The Batswana, the people of this country, have a great sense of fun and like to live life to the full,’’ Gillian says, setting the stage for her story.

The former Presbyterian Support Otago (PSO) chief executive had recently joined her forensic scientist husband, Graeme, in Botswana. They now needed to move a truckload of furniture to their new house.

A local colleague had a neighbour who owned an open-back truck. That neighbour recruited three others to do the heavy lifting of fixtures, including a piano.

‘‘We made the mistake of paying a deposit in advance,’’ Gillian says.

‘‘The truck was very late making the rendezvous as the team had stopped for refreshment en route, spending the money intended to buy fuel for the journey.’’

After loading the truck, the weary labourers burrowed in among the soft furnishings for the 40-minute trip.

The truck stopped again at a bottle store on the way out of town and a crate was added to the items on the back.

‘‘Every now and then, an arm would appear from among the furniture and grope around for another bottle.’’

Once the truck reached the next town, the workers emerged from the load. As the truck rolled through the streets, one person played the piano enthusiastically while the others sang.

‘‘The pianist was actually quite talented.

‘‘No-one else seemed to find this unusual.

‘‘No matter where they are, some music and a little sorghum beer is all it takes for a Motswana [singular form of Batswana] to start a party.’’

But this party was a little too successful.

‘‘The truck reached its destination safely but we had to unload it ourselves. The driver was the only one left who was sober.’’

A new life, in a new country, seemed like the ideal next step after 24 years at the helm of Otago’s pre-eminent social service NGO.

‘‘When you retire from a job that has been your life for a long time, it’s good to make a clean break,’’ Gillian explains.

The couple had enjoyed a month in Botswana in 2008. So, when Graeme, who is eight years younger than Gillian, was offered a position as professor of forensic science at a Botswana...