The establishment of the protectorate (Part 12) � �The lion and the crocodile�

Jeff Ramsay | Monday August 17, 2015 14:11

In each case calmer heads both on the ground and in London had thwarted his efforts to create a conflict in Bechuanaland similar to what his Rhodes-ian colleagues achieved against the Amandebele in Zimbabwe.

If with historical hindsight Shippard’s actions and the motives behind them seem clear enough, the at times vacillating role of his immediate superior, Her Majesty’s High Commissioner for South Africa Sir Henry Loch, is a bit more ambiguous.

To Batswana the High Commissioners beginning with Loch became known as the “Tautona” a title that had once also been associated with Mzilakazi. Like the Amandebele King it was made known that Loch’s word was the law.

To dikgosi, Loch himself appeared to play the role of an imperial “good cop” to Morena Maaka’s “bad cop”. After 1889 both the High and Resident Commissioners, nonetheless, shared a common understanding of London’s expectation that they would together clear the ground for Rhode’s British South Africa Company’s (BSACO) to assume administrative as well as commercial control of the Bechuanaland Protectorate.

Loch and Shippard also shared an appreciation of the value of divide and rule. But, whereas Shippard attempted in vain to incite war between the dikgosi and the British Crown, Loch was keener on the art of negotiation and cooptation.

Notwithstanding Shippard’s efforts to pit the Bangwato against the Bakwena and other merafe, it is at any rate doubtful that the Phuti would have willingly waged war on his fellow Batswana. Besides the ties that existed among the merafe, by 1894 Khama understood that Rhodes posed a serious threat to his own position.

With Zimbabwe seemingly secure, the final transfer of Botswana to BSACO was imminent. The loss by the Amandebele of most of their land to white settlers after the 1893 war was in this respect a warning. Moreover Rhodes showed no gratitude to Khama for the Bangwato support he had received against Lobengula.

Khama’s suspicions were further raised by rumours that Rhodes’ Company was supporting his two then dissident junior brothers, Raditladi and Mphoeng.

That Loch favoured securing the Protectorate by bringing the dikgosi, more especially Khama and Sebele, on board is, in part, reflected in the separate visits made by dikgosi to his headquarters at Government House in Cape Town.

The first visitor was Sebele who in a letter dated 23rd May 1892 had requested an audience with Loch, undoubtedly motivated by a desire to go over the head of the hostile Shippard. The High Commissioner immediately seized the opportunity, observing to his superiors in London that:

“In view of the difficulty which recently occurred in Molepolole I considered it desirable that his request should be complied with so that he might have the opportunity of realising the differences between European and Native civilisation and that the power of the former might impress upon him to such an extent as would probably obviate the chance of his again acting in a manner likely to endanger the peace of the Protectorate.”

During his June 1892 stay in Cape Town Sebele was thus given a thorough tour of the port’s military installations. Such efforts were perhaps misplaced inasmuch as the Kgosi already had a healthy appreciation of British arms dating at least as far back as Mmamosadinyana’s brutal crushing of the Batlhaping in the 1870s.

As it was Sebele was reportedly relieved at the manner he was received at the Cape. Notwithstanding the fact that it was he who had sought the audience, before his departure he had confided that he feared that the British might not allow him to return.

When the meeting between the Tautona and the Kwena eKgolo finally took place their conversation was cordial. Loch opened the exchange with pleasantries; ascertaining that Sebele and his entourage were enjoying their stay, while further expressing his desire that they not miss the opportunity to tour the naval base at Simonstown.Turning to substance, the Kgosi vigorously protested the circumstances of his recent fine and other humiliations. He, however, conceded the High Commissioner’s assertion that: “all Europeans whether English or Dutch are under me.” By the end of the discussions Loch was convinced that the Kgosi was a man of reason who would “behave better in future.” 

So satisfied was Loch at the outcome of Sebele’s visit that he shortly thereafter followed it up by inviting the Bangwaketse ruler Bathoen I down for a similar junket.

For his part, Sebele had grounds to feel reassured as Loch, reflecting London’s instructions, had been careful to couch his authority in terms of regulating the activities of Europeans in the territory. The Tautona had further accepted that the Kwena Kgosi could still exercise his own traditional authority over Kweneng traders by charging fees for their use of the land and other natural resources within his territory.