Sechele I: founder of the nation

| Friday October 12, 2012 00:00

 

'All the Boers are still in laager, they have been in laager a long time. They dare not venture on their farms for fear of Sechele. Their cattle are dying fast being too many together, and disease is amongst them.' - Diary of James Chapman, November 1852

Our eastern border with South Africa, from Mashatu to the Barolong Farms is a product of armed struggle. In 1852-53 Batswana merafe rallied under the leadership of Sechele I to defeat the Transvaal Boers. On this basis alone Sechele can rightfully be seen as having laid the foundations of modern Botswana.

But there is more. A self-educated genius, he was also a local pioneer in the spread of academic education, industrial technology and new forms of horticulture. Certainly no indigenous figure played a greater role in establishing Christianity in the region. He also saved his own morafe from near extinction.

While it is thus appropriate that Bakwena are mobilizing to build a monument park in honour of their greatest Kgosi, Sechele's legacy belongs to all Batswana.   Sechele was born c.1810 as the heir of Kgosi Motswasele II and his Mohumagadi Sejelo. Following his father's 1821 execution the young prince spent a dozen years in exile. During much of the period he resided among the Bangwato, living under the protection of Kgosi Kgari, until the latter's death in battle against the Banyayi.

The Bakwena had meanwhile been scattered by the Bakololo, with the survivors coalescing into three rival factions: the 'Bamosima' under Molese, the 'Bamakakana' under Bubi, and the followers of Kgame. Reuniting his father's morafe became Sechele's primary goal. In 1833 he overthrew his uncle Molese in a bloodless coup, while most of the Bamakakana joined him after Bubi's death in 1845. Throughout the period Sechele had to further struggle against the Matebele, who killed Kgame along with many of his followers.

In 1844 Sechele moved to Tshonwane where he hosted a stream of European traders and hunters, including a number of British military officers on furlough, as well as his first of many resident missionaries, Dr. David Livingstone. As one of his guests, Gordon Cumming, noted at the time:

'A short time previous to my arrival, a rumour having reached Sichely that he was likely to be attacked by emigrant Boers, he suddenly resolved to secure his city with a wall of stones, which he at once commenced erecting. It was now completed, entirely surrounding the town, with loopholes at intervals all along through which to play upon the advancing enemy with the muskets which he had resolved to purchase from hunters and traders like myself.'

Livingstone similarly described the fortress, adding that 'the shape of the whole is a sort of triangle.'Sechele purchased his firearms through the sale of ivory, ostrich feathers, and other game-products. As he obtained more guns he was able to arm ever larger hunting parties. With his knowledge of arithmetic, literacy and access to market information, Sechele also emerged as a middle man for other Batswana.

Sechele was a supreme marksman. The English poet Henry Methuen witnessed an 1844 incident when Sechele pressed Andrew Bain to sell him his massive 4 bore rifle. Bain agreed to give in only if Sechele could hit a distant ant-hill with it; being confident that no one lacking experience and a mount could accurately fire the 'monster gun'. As an extra precaution, he overloaded its barrel, but Sechele hit the target with one shot.

By 1849 Sechele was sourcing custom built munitions from Birmingham manufacturers. He thus acquired his own moulds for high calibre spherical-conical bullets as well as advanced rifles to fire them. Justified as suitable for hunting elephant, they outclassed anything in the Boer arsenal. The Boers were also discomforted by his acquisition of a cannon.  

When the Transvaal Boers finally invaded Botswana in August 1852, they found the Bangwaketse, Bakgatla bagaMmanaana and Bakaa as well as Bakwena united against them at Sechele's Dimawe stronghold

Following the successful defence of Dimawe, the Boers abandoned their invasion. But, a further six months of fighting ensued, during which time Sechele and his allies launched counter-raids into the Transvaal. This resulted in the Boers abandoning all their farms west of Rustenburg and Potchefstroom. As the South African Commercial Advertiser, reported:

'That the natives had united in a strong body, followed up the retreating force of Boers, and fallen upon the farmers in the Mirique district, and everyone of these has been obliged to fall back with the commando upon the Mooi River. Great destruction, of course marked the progress of the conquering natives. Every homestead has been burned, and standing corn ripe for sickle, together with vineyards and gardens, which were then in full bloom, have been entirely destroyed.'

With the Bakwena, Bangwaketse, Bakaa and Bakgatla on the offensive others joined the struggle, including the Balete, Bahurutse, Bangwato, Barolong and Batlokwa.

In January 1853 the Boer leader Andries Pretorius asked Sechele for peace, resulting in a truce the following month. Thereafter, the Bakwena defended the border in alliance with the Bangwaketse, Bangwato and Barolong. In 1860 Andries son, Transvaal President Martinus Pretorius, ended the cold war while hosting Sechele on a 'state visit'. 

Sechele's educational and religious legacy began with his collaboration with Livingstone, which resulted in the construction of Botswana's first school and church at Kolobeng. Besides Livingstone's London Missionary Society (UCCSA) he also welcomed Lutheran missionaries to Botswana. Khama III was converted to Christianity by the Lutherans, while staying with Sechele. The Mokwena also helped spread the gospel to the Batawana, Balozi, and Matebele.

Sechele's commitment to education was further reflected in his conducting classes in his kgotla, while sending his own children and others away for further studies. His interest in agricultural innovation led to the introduction of metal ploughs, dam irrigation and new crops such as citrus and wheat. He also introduced conservation measures to sustain the trade in local game products. In his prime Sechele dominated regional politics. On four occasions he unseated Bangwato rulers, eventually backing his protg Khama III's rise to power in 1872. He also mediated the reunification of the Bangwaketse under Gaseitsiwe.

When the British declared the Bechuanaland Protectorate in 1885, they regarded Sechele and Khama as the region's two principal rulers. But, Sechele was cautiously opposed the imposition of British overrule. During his final ailing years he struggled to preserve his morafe's autonomy in the face of mounting colonial intrusions.

He died in September 1892, by which time his fame was established in Europe and North America as well as throughout Southern Africa.