Paying tribute to Batswana WWII veterans

As mentioned in previous editions of Mmegi, the efforts of Batswana soldiers that took part in this war have been inadequately recorded. Bechuanaland as Botswana was known back then, was dragged into the war by its colonial master, Britain. One of the WWII veterans interviewed by this paper perhaps rightly called the war 'White Man's War". Hilarious stories have been told of how some Batswana men did everything in their power to avoid conscription into this war to the extent of hiding in huts reserved for nursing mothers pretending to be batsetsi!

However, there are some Batswana heroes of the war, who managed to reach the highest military rank that could be accorded Africans at the time, the rank of 'regimental sergeant major' and these are Kgosi Kgari Sechele of the Bakwena, Kgosi Molefhi Pilane of the Bakgatla, Molwa Sekgoma, a Mongwato royal, Rasebolai Kgamane, a Mongwato royal and Mookami Gaseitsiwe, a Mongwaketse royal.