Lekopanye Mooketsi
11 November 2009
Every drive across the bridge near Riverwalk Mall on the Gaborone-Tlokweng road, evokes sad memories for entertainment guru Steve Raman. Just after passing the bridge, on the right side (towards Tlokweng) is where his trendy Ozone nightclub, which was ravaged by a mysterious fire on October 16 last year, is located.
It is well over a year since the nightclub was gutted during the day and it remains a mystery as to what caused the inferno that destroyed the popular joint. Before the nightclub was burnt down, Ozone had become popular with the youth, especially students in various tertiary institutions because it had everything, including a state-of-the-arts musical equipment.
Last October 16, which coincided with the 2009 general election, marked the first anniversary of Club Ozone's mysterious fire. The fire no doubt robbed the youth of Botswana of a magnificent entertainment venue of international standards.
The club catered for the youth of all musical genres. Almost all local top DJs and artists performed at Club Ozone. DJs from South Africa like Motsweding Fm's DJ Douglas Mosadi as well as musical groups like Mafikizolo also performed at Club Ozone on a regular basis.
In terms of security, the club was safe, spacious, and crime-free. There was an outdoor arena where music groups used to perform too. Freshers' balls are not the same any more, as the set up at the nightclub was ideal for multitudes that thronged the venue.
Tertiary institutions like Limkokwing University used to hold their entertainment events at Ozone.
Speaking in an interview, Raman said the cause of the fire has not yet been established. Fire investigators from South Africa were engaged to get to the heart of the matter.
Raman described the Ozone as "a place for the youth". He said the mysterious fire has robbed the youth of a place they could identify with. Raman, who was renting the premises where Ozone was located, said the landlord has not repaired the property.
Raman does not intend to run Ozone nightclub again. He does not find it to be viable anymore because of the stringent liquor regulations.
But he said they are planning to commemorate the burning of the nightclub. However, a date for the commemoration has not been set. Raman, who has been in the entertainment industry for more than two decades, is still running three nightclubs in Gaborone.
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