Rakops, Botswana by François Krige

It is likely that during as many as three of Krige’s expe­ditions to Botswana (1960, 1962 and 1972) he stayed with the Barakwena people. This is a San clan (also know as the River Bushmen) from northern Botswana who, apart from hunting and gathering, also practice fishing and keep livestock. They utilise both forest and riverine resources along the Okavango River and Delta as well as in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. Barakwena and Xanekwe clans also inhabit the Delta’s panhandle and the area along the Boro and Boteti Rivers. This drawing of the village of Rakops on the Boteti near Mkgadikgadi Pans has an interesting framing device of dead trees, while the distant perspective reinforces the remoteness of the village. – Justin Fox, 2013