Seretse Khama remembered

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Thursday February 3, 2011 00:00

 

Speaking at a public lecture to commemorate the BDP 49th anniversary, the party's first Executive Secretary, Kebatlamang Morake recalled a time in 1963 Francistown when stalwart Botswana Peoples Party president, P.G Matante, pummeled them.

'His rallies in Francistown were always fully attended. By accident we had a rally some meters from where he was addressing a massive crowd. As he continued moving the crowd with his oratory skills, he looked at our side and said with his deep baritone voice ''Lebang kwa, go nale MaDomkrag ba 5 o kare ba ja legapu (Look that side and see the BDP people. They are just five people and look pathetic).' People laughed at us, and the noise coming from their rally as they laughed, literally shook our platform,' he said.

Morake said when Khama heard that they had suffered at the hands of Matante he decided that they should go back to Francistown to respond in kind. Morake then goes on to describe events at the rally where Khama won the hearts of the people of Francistown. 'He was a man who did not speak a lot of Setswana. So this BPP supporter stood up after Khama had spoken and said, 'how can Khama be a good leader when he does not even have a traditional African dress?' The BPP people back then wore long flowing African attire, which they got from Ghana president Kwame Nkrumah. Then Khama responded and said 'the only traditional dress that we have in Botswana is tshega (loinskin) and I don't think Matante will want to put on that kind of dress. Keep dressing in those maternity dresses (referring to the African attire) until I tell you to go and deliver,' and people broke out in laughter. He had won the people of Francistown, ' he said.

Meanwhile Morake said the BDP was formed by Khama who brought together people engaged in the Legislative Council and some in rural development projects and even teachers like Sir Ketumile Masire, Dr Molema, Tsheko Tsheko, Goareng Mosinyi and others.

He said the party was formed to lead the nation and ensure that the transition from a protectorate to an independent nation took place smoothly without throwing out the British officers who were running the country on behalf of the British Empire.

'The BPP's idea of independence was based on throwing out all white people and we found this to be too racist hence we offered to embrace them so that they could teach us the ropes of governance as we had no experience about governing a nation. I remember those days when parliament met in Lobatse. MPs' did not know how to ask parliamentary questions and they had civil servants write for them,' he said.