Winani Thebele

Item

Title

Winani Thebele

Description

Chief Curator & Head of Ethnology Division/Botswana National Museum. Where she is referred to or has substantially contributed to entries on this archive you will see the identifier WT.
I work under the Botswana Case Study, which mainly focuses on the Willoughby Collection that is found at the Brighton and Pavilion Museum. The Willoughby project has records in Birmingham, in London (at SOAS) and some collections in Cape Town. My role in the project is research and the project also falls within my area of study and research on “colonial collections, their restitution and their recasting into a shared heritage, a universal responsibility”, which is realised through collaborations and partnerships between museums, Universities and other heritage bodies. I have undertaken research trips to Brighton, Birmingham, London and Cape Town for the project. I have also discussed the project in publications: Journal Museum Ethnographers, No. 33/2020 and Revista Muzeelor Journal No.i/2019. I am currently working on a catalogue on the Willoughby Botswana Collections found at the Brighton Museum and in Cape Town.
I am a member of several international heritage organisations; The Southern African Heritage Association, The Africa International Council of Museums, The UNESCO Inter-Governmental Committee for the Return of Cultural Property ( has facilitated ratification and implementation of the 1954, 1970 UNESCO Conventions and the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention by Botswana), a member of the International Council of Museums(ICOM) since 1998(I served as the chairperson and Treasurer of the National Committee at different points). I am a member of the American Alliance of Museums and the Commonwealth Association of Museums. I have contributed to a number of heritage publications; books, journals and Newsletters on heritage.

Identifier

WT

Relation

UK workshop and research trip 2019
SAC Seminar: Heritage in Southern Africa: debating decolonizing agendas.

Item sets

Project Team
UK research trip and workshop

Linked resources

Filter by property

Description
Title Alternate label Class
Calabash; Gourd; Milk Container; Phaana ya Mongobolo Physical Object
Sandals; Rampeetshane; Rampechana Physical Object
Anklets; bracelets Physical Object
Leg Rattles; Musical Instrument; Mathowa Physical Object
Bowl; Mogopo Physical Object
Spoon; Leso la Legong Physical Object
Spoon; Leso la legong Physical Object
String Apron; Makgabe Physical Object
Spoon; Leso le Lejang Physical Object
Spoon; Leso le Lejang Physical Object
Spoon; Leso le Lejang Physical Object
Spoon; Leso le Lejang Physical Object
Spoon; Leso le Lejang Physical Object
Spoon; Leso le Lejang Physical Object
Axe Physical Object
String Apron; Makgabe Physical Object
Adze; Axe; Petwana Physical Object
Powder Horn; Lenaka La Mosidi Physical Object
Powder Horn; Lenaka La Mosidi Physical Object
Powder Horn; Lenaka La Mosidi Physical Object
Back Apron; Back Skirt; Skin; Mothikga Physical Object
Contributor
Title Alternate label Class
SAC Seminar: Heritage in Southern Africa: debating decolonizing agendas. Event
First project workshop Event
Discussion of the objects at Khama III Memorial Museum in 2019. Event
Research Trip to Botswana August 2019 Event