THE HEROES AND ZEROS IN SIR SERETSE KHAMA’S 100TH

Had he lived, Botswana’s founding president, Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama – or Sir Seretse Khama to Buckingham Palace – would have turned 100 years yesterday ( July 1).

Seeing how many English- speaking children and grandchildren he has, his principal conversational language in retired life would now be English, especially during public holidays. He would have wanted his favourite meat- dish,

serobe, ( testimony by Daniel Kwelagobe at Lady Khama’s funeral) to be extra soft, possibly mechanically minced.

He would have summoned both his eldest son and the current president to Ruretse and explained to them that holding two competing commemorative events on July 1 to honour someone who made unity a national principle actually dishonours his legacy.

In more private conversations with the son, he would have reminded him that he, as a Lelekantwa should rightly be the one waging never- ending battles and that as a Lelwelamotse, the son should only fight for his subjects. Noting advances made in the recording of local history since the 1960s, Sir Seretse would recast his lost- nation words to state: “A society that has vaccinated less than half its population a year after the start of a deadly pandemic and as some die, runs the risk of perishing”. Taking stock of lukewarm interest among youth in his legacy, he would have suggested to organisers of the Sir Seretse Khama Day that if commemoration of the Day is to be attractive to this group, then events should be held at secret locations. His personal message to those at the secret locations, especially taxi- bus drivers, would have been a heart- felt plea: please turn down the volume of the music in your Kombis.