Sandy Grant

Sandy Grant was born in the UK where he earned an M.A. in History from Cambridge University and an M.Sc. in the Conservation of the Built Environment from Herriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He arrived in Botswana in late 1963 to establish a community and refugee transit centre in Mochudi - thus beginning a forty four year relationship with the late Bakgatla Chief Linchwe II - and has been involved with 'development', history, anthropology and refugee issues at both local and national levels ever since.

From this experience came an understanding of the need to ground the present in the past which, in turn, led to his establishment in 1975 of the well regarded, multi-faceted Phuthadikobo museum and craft centre at the abandoned hill top Bakgatla National School in Mochudi. He has been involved in the establishment of other NGO museums, in saving historic buildings in the country and in promoting interest in the country's heritage. By building on Isaac Schapera's legacy in documenting and recording Bakgatla life and community affairs he has contributed to a continuous local chronicle covering most of the 20th century.

Apart from his involvement with heritage and humanitarian programmes, Sandy has been a long standing newspaper columnist for Mmegi, a Commissioner of the Independent Elections Commission (1997-2005), past Chairman of the Botswana Society and an Independent Parliamentary candidate (1984). His publications include Botswana and its National Heritage (2012), Botswana: An Historical Anthology (2012), Decorated Homes in Botswana (1995) (with his wife Elinah), Etcetera 1991-1997 (a selection of essays from his newspaper column), People of Mochudi (2001), and Mochudi Around the Time of Independence (2002). In 2001 he edited and published Sheila Bagnall's Letters from Botswana 1966-1974. He has been a part time lecturer at the University of Botswana and at Limkokwing (Gaborone) where he pioneered a new course on the history of building in Botswana. Sandy is a Botswana citizen and holder of a Presidential Honour award.