The visit in 1925 of the Prince of Wales to Serowe and the Origins of the Sekgoma Hospital
Sandy Grant | Wednesday April 1, 2015 10:52
Here, travelling by train, he had two stops, at Gaborone and Serowe. I have previously seen several photos taken at the former but only at the K3 museum, I believe, have I seen photos of his visit to Serowe, and of course at the Palapye Hotel.
It is absolutely wrong that amazingly important photos of this kind are not displayed in both Gaborone and Serowe for the benefit and better understanding of us all. As a matter of great urgency we need a top quality heritage centre in Gaborone which will break new ground, will interest, educate and excite.
I make the point yet again that the National Museum in Gaborone is tired, and has only very limited public value. It needs to be replaced. opportunity has long been there – but when will the government be ready to seize it?
After his visit to Serowe, the Prince of Wales gave the Resident Commissioner the following letter for publication:—
“Royal Train,
Bechuanaland,
18th July 1925.
Dear Colonel Ellenberger,
Now that the Prince of Wales’s visit to Bechuanaland is concluded, I am desired by His Royal Highness to express to you and your officials, and to the European and native population of the Territory, his appreciation of all the trouble that has been taken to make his visit to the Protectorate a successful and enjoyable one.
In view of the reports which appeared in the papers, His Royal Highness wishes me to assure you that the arrangements made for his reception were quite satisfactory and that he found the programme spectacular and interesting throughout. He thanks the European community for the friendly welcome he received from them and wishes you to express to the Chief Sekgoma his admiration of the excellent display provided by the regiments.
The Prince feels that the Chief and his people must have spent much time and money building roads, making new uniforms and preparing the decorations and illuminations, and he was very impressed by the brilliant spectacle provided.
The Prince of Wales had heard that it was a custom with Sekgoma and his people to furnish a parting guest with necessaries for his journey, but His Royal Highness did not feel able to accept for this purpose so magnificent a gift as £700, particularly as the Chief had already done so much to entertain him at Serowe.
In explaining to the Chief how much he appreciated this token of his friendship the Prince intimated that he would be prepared to accept the money and cause it to be increased to £1,000 if the Chief would favourably consider the desirability of handing the total amount over to the High Commissioner on the understanding that it would be spent upon some national service for the benefit of his people which would commemorate his visit to Serowe during Sekgoma’s Chieftainship.
His Royal Highness is pleased to be able to inform you that the Chief readily agreed to this proposal and it was decided in consultation with him that the £1,000 should be devoted to the erection of a hospital at Serowe.
Believe me,
Yurs, etc.,
Lionel Halsby.
Colonel Jules Ellenberger, I.S.O.,
Resident Commissioner,
Bechuanaland Protectorate.’’
Annual Report for 1925