Bakgatla Bagammanaana (Part 11)

In our last episode the young Bangwaketse Kgosi Bathoen II had suffered a setback in October 1932 when he led a mophato into Moshupa in a vain attempt to impose his own overseer on the village.

Instead, his followers were surrounded, disarmed and returned to Kanye.

For the chairman of the subsequent colonial enquiry, Vivian “Maeba” Ellenberger, the issue at stake was thus the very survival of indirect rule. He argued that it was the paramount responsibility of the colonial state to uphold the authority of its chiefs over their subjects. After some hesitation, Rey agreed that “the troublesome wretch Bathoen” would indeed have to be supported. From his diary, dated March 27, 1933:

Editor's Comment
Gov’t needs to give health care urgency it requires

The Member of Parliament is warning that patients suffering from chronic conditions continue to face potentially life-threatening interruptions to their treatment because of unreliable access to medicines.Amid the shortages, many Batswana have been left with no choice but to look for other treatment alternatives such as herbs, with many not having had been scientifically tested for effectiveness.Medications for hypertension, diabetes, heart...

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