The Establishment Of The Protectorate (Part 21) � �The 4 Dikgosi Embark For Britain� :: Mmegi Online

We left off on the morning of Wednesday the 21st of August 1895 with Cecil Rhodes and the British High Commissioner at the Cape, Sir Hercules Robinson, having failed in their last ditch efforts to dissuade Dikgosi Bathoen, Khama and Sebele in their determination to depart for Britain to lobby against the Bechuanaland Protectorate’s administrative transfer to the British South Africa Company.

In the afternoon the Bechuanaland delegation finally boarded the passenger steamship RMS Tantallon Castle at Cape Town’s Victoria basin docks bound for Plymouth England. With the belated arrival of the Barolong booRatshidi Crown Prince Besele to join Bathoen, Khama and Sebele, there were now four royals at the head of a united delegation.

Each of the kgosi was further accompanied by a their respective tribal secretaries, all of whom were fluent in English, namely David Sebonego of the Bangwaketse, Simeon Seisa of the Bangwato, Kehutile Gohiwamang of the Bakwena and, senior among them, Stephen Lefenya of the Barolong, who by then had very ably served Kgosi Montshiwa for some four decades. Also on board for the mission was Bathoen’s brother Kwenaetsile.

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