The speeches would have followed a routine, a loyal address by Sekgoma and a gracious response from the Prince with translation being provided by the resident missionary, in this case I presume, the Rev. Jennings. Sekgoma’s retinue appears to be surprisingly small certainly in comparison with that of the Prince but appearances here may be deceptive if, as appears to be the case, the white residents of Serowe had crowded in around the Prince and his officials.
Everyone would, of course, have been impeccably dressed, the British, formally, in their standard colonial attire, and Sekgoma resplendent in what must have been the uniform of one or other of the Guards regiments. Bare headed, as he was at the unveiling of the Khama III grave monument (see Mmegi 1st April), he appears in both photos as a distinctly commanding figure. Formality would have been, of course, the very essence of this occasion but a careful study of the photo provides some surprises. Sekgoma’s family, as I presume them to be, are not sitting in a regulation straight line as they would be today. Security, unlike today, appears to be a zero concern.
