EL Negro's Grave - Gaborone - Botswana

The story of El Negro is indeed a tragic and disturbing part of history. El Negro was an African man of Tswana origin, associated with the Batlhaping people, who resided at the confluence of the Orange and Vaal rivers in the early 19th century. His remains became the subject of a disturbing episode involving grave robbery, exploitation, and exhibition in Europe.

Key events:

1. El Negro’s Origins: El Negro is believed to have come from the Batlhaping people, also known as the “fish people,” who lived in the region near the confluence of the Orange and Vaal rivers.
2. Grave Robbery: Over 170 years ago, after El Negro’s death, his corpse was stolen from its grave on the night he was buried. The culprits behind this grave robbery were of French origin.
3. Exhibition in Paris: In the 1830s, the stolen body of El Negro was put on display as an exhibit in a shop in Paris. This dehumanizing act was part of the grotesque fascination with exoticism and colonialism during that era.
4. Sale and Relocation: After being displayed in Paris, El Negro’s remains were sold to a dealer who transferred them to a town called Banyoles, north of Barcelona, Spain.
5. Medical Examination: In 1993, medical examinations were carried out on El Negro’s remains. These examinations determined that the cause of his death was lung cancer, and he had died at the age of 27.

El Negro’s story is a painful reminder of the exploitation and racism that characterized the colonial era, with indigenous peoples’ remains and cultures often treated as curiosities or commodities. Efforts to repatriate such remains and artifacts to their places of origin and to acknowledge and rectify past wrongs have gained momentum in recent years.

The reference to Tsholofelo Park and Segoditshane Road may pertain to a memorial or commemorative site related to El Negro’s story. Segoditshane road immediately north of the junction with Broadhurst road.