The establishment of the protectorate (part 26) � �From Glasgow to Brighton�

We left off last week with Dikgosi Bathoen, Khama and Sebele touring the English Midlands; where their initial public relations success must have encouraged them in their further visits to other parts of Britain throughout September-October of 1895.

From Glasgow in the north to Brighton in the south they criss-crossed Mmamosadinyana’s kingdom, tirelessly pressing their case at each stopover against Botswana’s transfer to the control of Rhodes’ Chartered Company.

One of the larger crowds to greet the Dikgosi was at Brighton where, on a Monday evening (30/9/1895), an audience of some 3,000 jammed into the “Dome” as part of the annual General Assembly of the Congregational Union, which included a special appeal to support the chiefs’ mission. The Dikgosi, themselves, addressed the audience the following afternoon when Sebele once more reportedly “brought the house down” with his by now stock opening remarks linking the Batswana cause to the legacy of Livingstone and the transcendent love of God that “made no difference between black men and white men.

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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