Seretse Khama's 1958 Vision

On the centenary of his birth, one is reminded of how fortunate we were to have as a founding father a man of the enduring stature and vision of Sir Seretse Khama. In hindsight, it is clear that by the time of his return to Botswana in 1956 his perspective had been broadened by his years of struggle in exile.

The young, somewhat impulsive Mongwato Prince who had been denied his throne returned to his people with a budding vision for the nation he would come to lead and its role in the region. Revered at birth among his morafe, in the decade leading up to independence he further established himself as a national figure.

A milestone in this transformation occurred in April 1958, when for the first time he attended and rose to speak at a meeting of the Joint Advisory Council, a body then dominated by a handful of dikgosi and white settlers.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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