Seretse Khama: A liberal and democratic leader
He was a unifying factor
The founding president, Sir Seretse Khama ensured that Batswana were involved in decision making including coming up with national symbols such as the flag, coat of arms, national anthem and the currency.
This is confirmed by his long time aide, the then vice president Sir Ketumile Masire in his book, ‘ Very Brave Or Very Foolish? Memoirs of an African Democrat’.
The former president Quett Ketumile Joni Masire said in the book that Seretse was a democrat through and through.
He was a marvellous person in that he was able to see people not only as a collective but as individuals. Much as he had been a born chief, he was liberal and democratic in his attitudes.
“He shared with me and other leaders of Domkgrag the view that the nation resides in the people, and not an individual.
“We agreed that we needed to move people from thinking about their tribes as separate communities but to think about the whole nation as their community.
“We both believed that in any society, there is need to be a balance between the interest of individuals and those of the larger community”.
Masire stated that when it comes to choosing symbols of a new nation, they decided on things that would represent Botswana, both locally and to the world.
When it came to the choice of the national symbols - the national flag, coat of arms, national anthem and the currency - some Democrats thought the choice should be made within the party.
But Seretse was very clear that the decision will be made by the nation. “He did not want to have such symbols changed if a different party came into power. We put the question to the nation and invited people to make submissions,” Masire wrote in his memoirs.
Professor Kgalemang Tumediso Motsete, a founder of the Botswana People’s Party, who held a Degree in music, proposed two compositions ‘ Fatshe leno la rona’ and ‘ Botswana, Fatshe le Lentle.’ There was a contest at which these and other compositions were performed. Motsete’s composition ‘ Fatshe leno la Rona’ was chosen.
According to Masire, the flag design was proposed by George Winstanley, one of the colonial officials. “The black band in the centre represented the African majority, and the two narrow white stripes stood for the white minority and our commitment to non- racialism.
“The blue at the top and bottom represented the sky and rain, reflecting our national motto, Pula”.
For the coat of arms, Bridget Winstanley, George’s wife, proposed a design based on ideas from Isabel Fawcus and Sheila England.
The coat of arms includes symbols of sorghum, cattle, the wheels of industry, livestock, wildlife, and water. “Things we either owned or wished to”.
The final design from the coat of arms received a slight input from Masire himself with part of the design including three cogged wheels symbolising the industry that Botswana hoped to have.
Indications are that these symbols will never be changed.
We both believed that in any society, there is need to be a balance between the interest of individuals and those of the larger community