The establishment of the protectorate (Part 3) � The Warren expedition

Jeff Ramsay | Monday June 8, 2015 11:02

Having only evacuated the same lands during the previous year, as part of its general imperial pullback in the region, the Liberal Party government of Prime Minister William Gladstone was initially unwilling to re-impose its authority. But, London’s attitude changed in the early months of 1884 as a result of the unexpected German military occupation of Namibia.

With good reason London now feared that further German expansion in the region, supported by pro-German elements among the Transvaal Boers, might close the “missionary road” linking the Cape Colony with central Africa through Botswana. For his part the new President of the South African (Transvaal) Republic, Paul Kruger, favoured cooperation with Germany as a counterweight to British hegemony.

It was in this evolving context that in February 1884 the Rev. John Mackenzie was appointed by the British Colonial Office as a “Deputy Commissioner” with instructions to cooperate with the Stellaland mercenaries in establishing a Bechuanaland Protectorate south of the Molopo.

But, Mackenzie was thwarted in his assignment as a result of mutual suspicions between himself and the Stellalanders. As a result he was replaced in August 1884 by Cecil Rhodes, who quickly won the mercenaries support by recognising their land claims against the Batlhaping.

Further to the north the Goshenite mercenaries were less successful in the face of armed resistance on the part of the Barolong booRatshidi led by Kgosi Montshiwa. The latter’s position had been strengthened in 1883 when the Bangwaketse of Kgosi Gaseitsiwe, Bakwena of Sechele, and Bakgatla bagaKgafela Linchwe I agreed to provide logistical and military support. This development was accompanied by the end of what had been off and on hostilities between the Bakwena and Bakgatla, as well as Bangwaketse and Balete. A potent symbol of the new Pan-Batswana solidarity was the transport of Sechele 6 pounder cannon from Molepolole to Montshiwa’s capital Mafikeng, via Kgatleng and Gammalete.

By the end of 1883 the Barolong had successfully confined the Goshenite Commando to the Transvaal border farm of Rooigrond. On the 12 May, 1884 the Barolong raided the farm, burning down the mercenaries’ camp. When a retaliatory raid resulted in the death of Montshiwa’s son Makgetla, the Kgosi reportedly told his people:

“Who think you must die for the fatherland if not the princes? Think you an enemy’s bullet or ball respects a king’s son, or that a king’s son is dearer to his parents anymore than a commoner’s son to his parents? Away with your heaviness of heart: Makgetla has died gloriously because he died as we should be prepared to die; so on with the struggle for our land and freedom.”

A further Boer raid on Bangwaketse and Barolong cattle posts inside modern Botswana led to the last battle of the war. On the 1 August, 1884 Goshenite raiders were intercepted by Bangwaketse and Barolong near Mafikeng. In the engagement 181 of the Batswana- 112 Barolong, and 67 Bangwaketse as well as 2 white sympathizers, were killed along with some 50 Boers. In the aftermath of this engagement he raiders retreated back into the Transvaal.

Thereafter, events came to a head in September 1884 when Kruger claimed that Montshiwa had accepted Transvaal protection! In support of this he produced a document with an “X” forged besides Montshiwa’s name. This attempted bluff only convinced the Colonial Office in London that the time had come for stronger action. Even though Kruger soon withdrew his claim, Gladstone’s Cabinet agreed to secure the area with a 4,000 man military expedition under the command of now General Sir Charles Warren, who was otherwise by now known among the Batswana as “Ragalase” due to his preference for wearing a monocle in his left eye.

By the time Warren’s expeditionary force arrived among the Batlhaping and Barolong in January 1885 the region south of the Molopo was relatively calm. With Mackenzie serving as his advisor, Warren visited Montshiwa and the Batlhaping Kgosi Mankurwane. This resulted in the two Dikgosi signing documents, drafted by Mackenzie, in which they agreed to submit to British overrule. Warren also met with Kruger who promised to prevent further raids on the newly proclaimed Bechuanaland Protectorate on both sides of the Molopo River from the Transvaal.

General Warren’s main task then became the enforcement of Rhodes’ land promises to the Stellalanders. By May 1886 a Land Commission, chaired Rhodes’ close associate Sidney Shippard, had robbed the Batswana living south of the Molopo of 92% of their land. (To be continued)

Abridged.