Ku itariki ya 20 Gashyantare 2024, ni bwo Abahamya ba Yehova bujuje imyaka 50 bemerewe gukorera muri Botswana mu buryo bwemewe n’amategeko. Mbere y’uko abavandimwe bacu bo muri Botswana babona ubuzimagatozi mu mwaka wa 1974, bihanganiye ibitotezo bahuye na byo, mu gihe umurimo wo kubwiriza wari warabuzanyijwe ndetse n’ibikorwa by’umuryango wacu bigahagarikwa.

Ubutumwa bwiza bwatangiye kubwirizwa muri Botswana mu mwaka wa 1929, icyo gihe yitwaga Bechuanaland. Icyakora, mu mwaka wa 1941 bitewe n’uburakari ndetse n’ubwoba abanyapolitike bari bafite byaterwaga n’Intambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose, leta yahagaritse umurimo wacu kandi itegeka ko ibitabo byacu bitagomba kongera gutangwa. Igihe iryo tegeko ryakurwagaho mu mwaka wa 1959, Abahamya ba Yehova bongeye gusubukura ibikorwa byabo mu mahoro.

Mu mwaka wa 1972, itegeko rishya ryasabye imiryango yose yo muri Botswana kwiyandikisha mu rwego rw’amategeko. Ariko, igihe abavandimwe bacu bageragezaga gukurikiza iri tegeko, ubusabe bwabo bwaranzwe kandi bahabwa iminsi 20 gusa yo guhagarika ibikorwa byose by’idini. Abahamya ba Yehova muri Botswana barahagaritswe. Umuntu wese bafataga arimo kubwiriza cyangwa ari mu materaniro, yashobora gufungwa imyaka irindwi. Nubwo byari bimeze bityo ariko, abavandimwe bacu bakomeje guterana mu ibanga. Urugero, rimwe na rimwe amateraniro yaberaga ahantu hitaruye mu gihuru. Umuvandimwe Tommy Maruping yibuka ibyamubayeho muri icyo gihe. Yaravuze ati: “Nubwo ibikorwa byacu byari byahagaritswe, twiyemeje gukomeza kubwiriza no guteranira hamwe kuruta ikindi gihe cyose. Twizeraga ko Yehova azagumana natwe, kandi buri gihe yarabikoraga.”

Ku itariki ya 20 Gashyantare 1974, guverinoma yahinduye umwanzuro wayo, maze Abahamya ba Yehova bemererwa kwiyandikisha mu rwego rw’amategeko nk’umuryango wo mu rwego rw’idini. Ubu muri Botswana hari ababwiriza bagera ku 2.400 bari mu matorero 42. Amateraniro akorwa mu rurimi rw’amarenga yo muri Botswana, Icyongereza, Igikalanga (cyo muri Botswana), Setswana n’Igishona. Umuvandimwe Hugh Cormican watangiye umurimo w’ubumisiyonari muri Botswana nyuma gato y’aho iryo tegeko ryo guhagarika Abahamya riviriyeho, yaravuze ati: “Abavandimwe bacu bakomeje gushikama kugeza n’ubu. Kubera ko ubu dushobora guteranira hamwe ku mugaragaro mu materaniro no mu makoraniro, bidufasha kwibonera ubumwe buranga abagaragu ba Yehova.”

Kuba abavandimwe na bashiki bacu bo muri Botswana barihanganye ni gihamya y’uko buri gihe Yehova azahora aha imigisha abagaragu be bakomeza gukora uko bashoboye ngo “bakurikize amategeko ye.”—1 Yohana 5:3.