The diminishing of Ba- Gammangwato royalty

Kings, Queens and Chiefs are inseparable elements from their societies who are meant to lead their subjects in their respective kingdoms or tribes such that without a chief a tribe loses the centre that holds the tribe together, loses the cog around which the ethnicity is webbed, its self- worth to mirror from is nowhere and that is the reason why almost in all cases the people will rally behind their leader and in some cases not due to the leader’s astuteness but mere selfness that is radiated in the leader. History, especially African, tells us that a leader was always surrounded by his people and this in the broader context meant that his place of abode was in the centre of the settlement, it also meant that at all material times he was surrounded by his subjects probably as body guards, it also meant that he surrounds himself with wised advisors and as Setswana adage puts it “lehoko la kgosi le agelwa mosako” meaning his words are embraced by all. All these narratives tells us one thing, being the chief or leader is never in isolation, he is never away from his people because the people will lose their centre of self, they will lose their reference point and will feel vulnerable, unimportant and devoid of centre of gravity. It is for the aforesaid that the leader is revered, and religiously adored and the subjects becomes proud of themselves and thus remain one and listen to one and the only one. This could be well the reason why our earlier politicians discouraged chiefs to join politics. Imagine your chief being torn apart in Facebook, you as a tribe feel publicly unclothed and stripped as he is there in your image and you are there in the image of God.

It is important for us all to understand that kings and chiefs are there for the people and are at all times to be with their people, as at no time people should be devoid of the presence of their very critical part, there should be no reason why such a critical part should be missing and filling such space through secondments is a total compromise to the tribe, notwithstanding the prowess of the regent as has been the case in the Ngwato tribe. That chiefs may from time to time have to serve national callings is not being disputed but that should not be a gateway to personal interests, chiefs have no personal interests to attend to as his subjects comes first by virtue of his stature and that is why it’s imperative and cognitive that his subjects must look after him without fail for he has no second life, his only life is that of his people. That constitutionally he is an individual with same rights as any citizen is not an issue as the tribe does not take anything from him but rather gives him abundance to meet his other human parameters, this is how monarchs live the world over.

This discussion is not about history as the author is none historian but nevertheless history tells us that the Ba- GaMmangwato tribe has been struggling with a residence chief as way back as Sekgoma II’s era as he spent a good part of his time in Nekati settlement near Nata region and only came home to sigh the last breath, some intimate that even then he had taken around two thousand subjects along thus maintaining the narrative that a chief is never detached from his subjects. In his passing away, Chief Tshekedi became the regent holding fort for Chief Seretse Kgama who was bestowed such upon his return from overseas but later relinquished the chieftainship to another regent so that he goes into politics. Ever since the death of Kgosi Sekgoma II the Ngwatos lived on borrowed centre of gravity and these forces worked well because those who were appointed were and continue to be leaders of experience, intellect, integrity and wisdom as they manage the complex affairs of Central District of the Ga- MmaNgwato. This is one very intricate set up that needs the lens of the constitution as it runs through diverse regions with their ethnic uniqueness.

Ngwatos who were born around the death of Kgosi Sekgoma II may leave this planet without having witnessed a residence chief in their capital Serowe where they could pay homage to him to receive that anointment of self, the same ecstasy that resonate within Londoners when the Buckingham Palace is opened for the public. The only difference between the British and the Serowe setup is that while the Queen is not seen every day, she leaves within the subjects and is in the throne till death part the two while at Serowe there is no palace safe the monumental structure. What is seemingly certain is that Bangwato will never see a royal palace and a residence chief will be a mirage for generations to come. With the passing away of Sekgoma, Kgosi Tshekedi became the regent as circumstances dictated. Having grown to age and completed schooling

Seretse Khama was throned the