The �spook house� where Seretse was born

| Friday July 4, 2014 07:00

 

The house is where it is believed Botswana’s founding president Sir Seretse Khama was born.

It has been neglected and left to decay.  Currently a ghost house, it has graffiti in red paint with cracked walls.  

It has now become shelter for the wild animals of Serowe Hill.  The yard is full of droppings and smells like a kraal.

 Bangwato Regent Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane and his assistants told Arts & Culture that it is the birthplace of Seretse Khama.  “Ke nto yaga Sekgoma,” Kgosi Kgamane said. 

Sekgoma II is the father of Seretse and son of Khama III. Sekgoma was an unpopular Kgosi who ruled for only two years and died under mysterious circumstances, leaving the legitimate heir Seretse Khama too young to take the throne.  

According to most Bangwato historians Sekgoma had women problems. Gasebalwe Seretse wrote in his book, Tshekedi Khama: The Master Whose Dogs Barked At Me, “The Kgosi [Sekgoma II], who did not care about following strong Christian principles like his father [Khama III] before him had married or had affairs with several women including Kelathegile, Serero Kgamane, Tebogo Kebailele, Selebaleng Maria Kgamane and One Lenkeme, a Mosarwa”. 

Lenkeme’s affair sparked a bitter dispute in the royal house as Bagwato did not want a Mosarwa queen.  This led to Sekgoma being banished to Nakati.  

His sons from Selebaleng and Lenkeme were rejected as heirs to the throne because they were regarded as illegitimate.  Sekgoma finally made peace with his father and married his cousin Tebogo Kebailele who was accepted as future queen mother.  The marriage produced a son and they named him Seretse Khama who was accepted as the rightful heir.

Today Kgosi Kgamane believes that it was while Sekgoma was living at this house that they gave birth to Seretse.  

Asked why they are leaving such a key historical structure to rot Kgamane said:  “We are still making plans to see how we could protect the house.”

Another influential Serowe headman, Gomolemo Omphile of Basimane kgotla concurs with Kgamane.  

Omphile took Arts & Culture on a guided tour of the house and the royal cemetery.  “Ke nto ya bogosi,” he confidently said.  Asked why the house is neglected the pompous chief said, “Kana ke gore gona le diphiri tse dingwe tsa bogosi tse reka sekeng ra di bua.”

He said it is up to ‘Kgosi’ to decide on how the house could be utilised. He, however, said they are working on plans to label a number of historical items around the kgotla.  These include, some protected tree trunks that were the actual trees that Sekgoma II and Khama III used to sit under, and buildings.

Meanwhile, the curator of Khama III Museum Scobie Lekhutile says the house is not documented as the birthplace of Seretse. 

He said Sekgoma II did not spend much time with Bangwato, saying after reconciling with his father he came back to Serowe from Nakati and lived at Makolori ward next to the then Government Camp.  

What is left of the house at Makolori is just the foundation.  Lekhutile said they are not certain whether Seretse was born in Makolori or at that house in the main kgotla.

However, the Museum curator knows the historic value of the dilapidating house at the main kgotla.  

Lekhutile told Arts & Culture that in 2009 he presented a proposal to the royal house to have the house refurbished and turned into a guesthouse.   “We wanted to use the 2010 World Cup hype and open a high value heritage guesthouse where guests could get an opportunity to sleep in a house that is the birthplace of the founding president,” he said.

The dreadlocked historian said Serowe heritage is in danger from developments saying they are fighting everyday as custodians of these valuable relics for them to be protected. If it were not for their lobbying, the old Western Primary School, Old Prison and old government houses in Serowe would have been destroyed to give way for new developments.

Lekhutile revealed that Serowe has valuable history that could be used to boost tourism in the village. 

“There are lot of possible heritage trails that could be popular for tourists in this village.  From Khama III, Tshekedi Khama, Seretse Khama to Patrick van Rensburg who pioneered the brigades in Botswana,” he said.