CHAPTER FIFTEEN A BRIEF HISTORY OF BOTSWANA
Why were the British not very much interested in Botswana at first.
The British before 1885 showed little concern for taking up Botswana because of the following
The Portuguese interest in Botswana drove the British away because they didn't want to clash with Portugal.
Before 1885 the Germans had also claimed part of Botswana increasing the British fears.
German Missionaries and traders had gone ahead to some parts making Botswana a German area.
Besides Botswana was not a rich country to attract strong British interest.
The British feared burdening their taxpayers with anon-profitable colony.
The German traders who had settled at Walvis Bay combined with German politicians to start threatening British interests ? in Botswana."
The Boers in Transvaal had also shown interest in the area increasing the competition.
The British were more concerned with strengthening their control in South Africa and Rhodesia. '
The British were also taken up by the desire to annex Transvaal especially after the mineral discovery and exploitation.
The Boer settlements of Stellaland and Goshen near Botswana made the country unattractive security-wise to the British.
The British lacked pro- Anglo missionaries in Botswana.
The local Bechuanaland chiefs showed some resistance to foreign intrusion pissing off the British.
Botswana was so backward and could provide inconveniences of all sorts to the British.
Why Then Did The British Annex Botswna In 1885? -
1. This was the peak of the European scramble for and partition of Africa.
2. Britain later realised that she was the most suited to colonize all the South African States for Strategic reasons.
3. The 1884 German occupation of near by Namibia made the British more nervous because they hated the possible German expansion into Botswana.
4. The suspicion that the Germans and Transvaal had reached an agreement of dividing up Botswana only made the British more aggressive.
5. The British badly wanted an inland route between the Transvaal and the Kalahari.
6. Salisbury wanted northward pass for Britain from the cape through Botswana to connect the Northern British colonies.
7. The Transvaal Boers were openly competing with the British for the Northward corridor and had to be stopped.
8. Cecil Rhodes a leading British Imperialist thought that a second Rand could be found in the highlands North of Limpopo.
9. British imperialists in South Africa also pressurized and lobbied the British parliament for the annexation.
10. Later Khama one of the leading Bechuanaland politicians requested the British in 1875 to take over Botswana.
11. Khama even lobbied the British parliament and the queen of England over the issue.
12. Britain wanted to consolidate her interests' in South Africa by colonizing Botswana.
13. Later the British South African company realized that Botswana had some mineral among the Bamanguato and had started exploitation
14. The British wanted to protect the British settlers and businessmen who had settled in Botswana, '
15. Khama's Christian attitude encouraged the British
16. In 1885 the area South of the Molopo was declared the crown colony of British Bechuanaland.
17. In 1885 it was later extended northwards to latitude 22°S to include modern Botswana
18. In 1895 it was incorporated into the cape colony.
Responses o Botswana's Khama To The Scramble For South Africa.
1. Khama III grew up like any African kid and was an expert tribal law
2. He also distinguished himself as a worrier in the many wars against the Matabele.
3. As a kid he attended the Lutheran mission school in Bamangwato here he converted to Christianity
4. Khama's conversion into Christianity in his early twenties an ever lasting impact on his personality
5. Initially Khama's Christian attitude caused a stir among the Bamangwato especially when Khama defied his father and refused to take a second wife.
6. His growing popularity made his father and brother jealous and even attempted to kill him. His generosity however made them love Khama later.
7. In 1875 he succeeded his father as chief of the Bamagwato.
8. As a chief he banned alcohol and witchcraft.
9. Khama established a church and schools in his palaces. He even put up a telegraph office and realized the threat to the Botswana from the Boers.
10. As Boer pressures continued Khama sought for Briish protection in 1875.
11. By 1885 his request for protection had been granted.
12. But this was after Khama, Bathoen and Sebele had prevented Cecil Rhodes from taking over Benchwanaland.
13. Khama also managed to prevent the extension of German rule in Botswana from Namibia.
14. Khama was the greatest Chief in Botswana in the second half of the 19th century.
15. He was comparable to Moshesh.
16. He belonged to the Bamangwato clan ;
17. He was leading collaborator to British imperialism 1*1 South Africa.
NB: British colonialism in Botswana was however punctuated by problems and discontent (unrest) between 1920-1960.
THE CAUSES OF UNREST IN BOTSWANA BETWEEN 1920-1960
1. The problems were mainly political and economic though there were some social minor problems.
2. Africans resented colonial economic exploitation especially from the south African company.
3. The 1931 hut burning incident among the Ratshosa of the Bamangwato caused unrest.
4. The whipping incident of 1933 where a white youth was beaten for assaulting an African girl nearly caused war.
5. The desire by Khama's successors to get independence.
6. Africans resented their inadequate representation in the parliament.:
7. Africans were not well catered for in the economic and education field.
8. The Europeans undermined African traditional values.
9. The formation of political parties further added more fuel to the confusion.
10. This was especially the case when the conservative Bechuanaland protectorate federal party was formed.
11. In 1960 when the Bechuanaland peoples party was formed confusion increased
12. In 1962 K. T. Motset's Bechuanaland people's party split with formation of Bechuanaland Democratic Party.
13. The Bechuana resented their impending incorporation into the union of South Africa.
14. There was also growing criticism of the British administration from leading Bechuana politicians e.g. when the British refused to revise the mining concession earlier grated to B. S. A Co.
15. Seretse Khama's marriage to a European woman, Ruth Williams angered many traditional Bechuana.
16. The unstable relationship between Regent Tshkedi Khama and the heir to the throne Seretse Khama.
17. The exiling and return of Tshekedi and Seretse actually caused more problems. .
18. The increasing number of elites who adopted radical nationalism only made matters worse.
19. The return of the World War II veterans who no loriger feared and respected whites also caused unrest.
How did Botswana attain independence?
1. The battle for independence Was along story which begun at a time of colonization in 1885 when Bechuanaland was annexed.
2. By1895 Botswana was incorporated into cape colony something which was highly resented by theBechuana chiefs.
3. Regent Tshekedi insisted that traditional practices should be followed.
4. However serious independence struggles begun after the end of the 2nd World War.
5. Earlier on in 1920 two advisory councils had been put up one for Europeans and another for Africans.
6. By 1950 these two councils were combined to form a joint advisory council.
7. In 1959 the first political party known as Bechuanaland Protectorate Party (BPP) was formed.
8. BPP was Conservative Party, which wanted to preserve chiefly powers.
9. In 1960 a flew constitution created a legislative council, an advisory executive arid an African council.
10. In 1960 December, the Bechuanaland peopled party was formed by K. T Motsete who opposed chiefly powers
11. In 1962 however, Motsete's party split and the Bechuanaland Democratic Party emerged under Seretse Khama.
12. In 1965 elections were held and the Bechuanaland people's party was defeated by Bechuanaland Democratic Party which got 28 seats.
13. In 1965 internal self-government was granted.
14. Khama became the new head of the self- government, which replaced the executive council.
15. In 1966 Khama asked Britain for independence
16. On 30th Sept. 1996 independence was granted with Seretse Khama as the first president of the Republic of Botswana.