02 Jul 2026

Braving the cold bite of a July morning, multitudes gathered at the GaMmangwato Royal Kgotla to celebrate the life of Sir Seretse Khama, a humble servant of the Batswana people.

Eulogising Sir Seretse, former diplomat, Member of Parliament, and Cabinet Minister Mr Charles

Tibone took the audience down memory lane, painting a vivid picture of the leader.

Tibone described Sir Seretse as a truly humble servant whose humility oiled the gears of

Botswana’s growth from one of the poorest countries in the world to one of the fastest-growing economies.

“It is not uncommon for leaders, especially political leaders, to change for the worse once they taste power. Often this comes with a transformation into a cult, or into an indescribable celebrity status that borders on the supernatural. But that was never Sir Seretse Khama!”

He added that Sir Seretse’s charisma and fame were not forced, he earned them.

He said Sir Seretse Khama humble traits were enjoyed not only by those who worked closely with him, but by all who crossed his path.

He narrated one story that stood out where the then leader of Zimbabwean nationalists, Mr Joshua

Nkomo requested to visit Sir Seretse Khama for dicussions following the release of the former from incarceration.

At the time parliament was in recess, and Presidident Seretse Khama was camping in the Western

Sandveld of the Central District.

Nkomo was stunned to find the President and the First Lady, Lady Ruth Khama, sitting under a tree, relaxing in its cool shade in a remote part of Botswana, with a tent as their home for the duration of their stay. There was no luxury  n sight, only the symbol of genuine humanity.

He added that the President’s love for Botswana was the reason he returned from banishment and entered politics.

“He could have remained abroad in luxury, especially as the British government had offered him the Governorship of Jamaica, which he promptly rejected,” he added.

Mr Tibone then traced the events that led to state ownership of mineral rights to Sir Seretse’s sense of equality and equity, paired with sheer brilliance, that Botswana birthed a concept foreign to much of the world.

At independence, all tribes owned mineral resources in their areas and some had already begun negotiating with corporations.

“In GaMmangwato, for instance, Kgosi Tshekedi had granted a concession to Sir Ronald Prain of Rhodesian Selection Trust for copper mining under Bamangwato Concession Limited, BCL. 

While well-intentioned, such tribal initiatives risked dividing a nation that needed unity above all,” he continued.

According to Mr Tibone, Sir Seretse feared inequality if mineral revenues benefited only the areas where they were found and so championed a policy where all tribes surrendered mineral rights to the state, for equitable management on behalf of all Batswana.

He told the gathering that Sir Seretse personally led those negotiations, giving birth to Botswana’s mineral resources policy - a model so unique that many African countries sent delegates to benchmark.

He thus attributed Botswana’s exponential economic boom after independence to Sir Seretse Khama shrewed stewardship from the third poorest nation on earth in 1965 with a paltry budget of R 11 million.

That was what Sir Seretse inherited, Bechanualaland’s buget was balanced only through Britain’s Grant-in-Aid and Cabinet Minister’s were paid meager salaries less than those of civil servants, the most unussual in Africa.

This frugality remained even after the discovery of diamonds, which became the saving grace of

Botswana’s economy.

Meanwhile Gammangwato kgotla was lit up in song, dance, and spoken word as the arts right until sundown honouring a giant that Sir Seretse was.

From the beautiful leteisi prints adorning women, elegant as peacocks, to men in khakis and performers dressed to the nines, the day’s activities were a warm embrace for the eyes. The famous

KTM Choir set the stage ablaze, transporting the audience to unseen places and striking chords of nostalgia with songs of old.

In the musical competition, Serowe Symphony walked away victorious with P5,000, Harmonic

Melodies Choir placed second with P3,000, and UCCSA Choir became third with P2,000.

Kgosi Khama IV thanked all who took part in celebrating Botswana’s founding father, and commended the government for supporting the commemoration through various channels, despite the current financial chokehold.

He urged all present to soak up the wisdom of the founding fathers and to support government efforts to resuscitate the economy. ENDS