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pi IuoT pi IuoT cONIS For your PRINTING and STATIONERY BECHUANALAND PRESS (Pty.) Ltd. P.O. Box 64 Mafeking PRICE Ic REGISTERED WITH THE DIRECTOR OF POSTS AND TELEGRAPHS AS A NEWSPAPER Volume I No. 9 Organ of the Bechuanaland Democratic Party OCTOBER, 1964 A Service for your Country Now is the time for 9Il 'the" resources of Bechuanaland to be poolet 1together for the good of the country. Those who do not have the genuine love of their country must realise what burden they are to the rest of the country. Those who participate actively in organising the masses have on the contrary, personal gain as their primary aim, are doing more harm than good. Sacrifice is needed now as it has never been before; each one according to his means or ability. Not all the intellectuals who have a stake in the country are putting their shoulder to the wheel. They ought to be in the van-guard of this political up-surge of Bechuanaland. Some are in the Republic of South Africa where they are making a first-class living. It is obvious that they regard their personal security as more important than the future of their homeland. Some who are in Bechuanaland now and have made a few abortive attempts at this or that venture, have now -resorted to politics, and are using the masses of the people for gaining their personal ends. They have become dangerous demagogues making a vain bid at power, with which to hit at existing, albeit legitimate, authority. This latter gategory of intellectuals uses anything to cajole the ignorant masses into joining their ranks of political confusion. It is natural to have different parties of different ideas and approaches to the problems of the country; that provides a valuable interplay of Ideas. But to make people believe, for instance, that Britain has done no good for the country for the past By Non-Partisan 70 years or so, and therefore every white face must budge, is to make a travesty of the truth. Had Britain not stepped in 70 years ago, where would be the freedom that is the special pride of the country's people? Today Bechuanaland is in the unique position of experimenting on multi-racialism, a policy which will be no extra money or police to enforce. It is for the sincere politician, who wants to make Bechuanaland a better place for human beings of whatever colour, to present the facts in as objective a manner as possible. The shrewed politician should take advantage of the available resources SERETSE KHAMA and aid, and realise that a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. If the whites (who are mainly British) must go, (and go with the money) a vacuum will be left into which the forces of mischief will miss no opportunity in entering. The question then will be, which of the two devils is better ? Is it the one we already know and have learned to live with for all these decades; or the new devil with revolutionary changes that strike deep at our foundation? Not that it is imperative to have a master; but since we cannot go it alone at this critical time, we must have the help and guidance of an experienced partner. Britain is our salvation; we must swallow that in spite of all bitter memories. Let bygones be bygones. We are going through the most challenging times in the history of Bechuanaland; m o r e challenging than when the country was threatened by Paul Kruger's expansionism of the last century. This time is more challenging because the future will be decided by us; if it is an unhappy future, you will only have, yourself to blame for no having supported the clear-thinking leaders of today. The political arena of today does not exclude the services of the chiefs. A special tribute must be paid to three chiefs who sought the Protection of Queen Victoria. We owe to them the privilege of being a free society that we are today. The successors of those chiefs have inherited that honour, and now have a special duty to perform, namely, to be the stronghold of democracy. Continued on Page 5 PAGE TWO THERISANYO - CONSULTATION ~TOBER, 1964 HOW TO BE READY FOR THE PARTIES OWE BECHUANA EXPLANATIONS Now that the country is fully assured to have self-government next March many people are wondering just what will happen and what political party will they support. At present we are informed that there are four parties which have registered their identification colours. Mr. Khama's party has red; Mr. Motsete's white; Mr. Matante's yellow, and Mr. Mpho's green. These colours will be shown on the voting cards on polling days. It should be expected that all parties will soon begin to run up and down the length and breadth of the country, telling the electorate many many things and pledging themselves to do wonderful things should the electorate put them into power. The ways to be ready can briefly be stated as follows: ATTEND ALL PARTY MEETINGS Although one may have decided which party to support, one should attend all political party meetings to hear their different ideas, pledges and promises. If one is unwilling to hear a party which opposes one's own, it is a sure sign that the person is afraid of changing his or her mind. This wouid mean that a person is fear ridden and to go to the polls with a mind full of doubts would leave the particular voter uneasy about his or her decision. A SK GENUINE QUESTIONS The potential voter should ask as many reasonable a n d intelligent questions as is possible. If the leader or chairman of the meeting is willing to answer the questions, though the person asking the questions may be belonging to a different party, then that particular leader does show that he is not afraid. The party that does this is practically certain to have support. I repeat, the questions must be reasonable. The questions should be asked anybody who is competent to answer them intelligently. They should not be reserved for political parties meetings, important as this is. FORGET TRIBAL PREJUDICES Tribal sentiments should die and the voter should elect a candidate who in his or her considered opinion will serve the country well, be he white, brown or black. DISREGARD SOCIAL STATUS Next to tribal sentiments is the social distinction. The idea of "whose son are you" should be discouraged, though it is realised that it is an idea that will take many many years to die out inspite of the many exogamous marriages today. THE ROLE OF THE EDUCATED The educated minority upon whom the illiterate majority depends f o r reasonable leadership in all spheres of life, will have to be particularly dareful not to be swept off their feet by the petty jealousies com- GENERAL ELECTION By Makepeace Ogready mon among them than among shep. herds. If they let personal grudge run away with them, they will be doing the country a disservice. No one knows better than they of importance of being objective and dos. passionate. This may be too frank, but it is true. LET THERE BE NO CONFUSION Confusion may arise among voters but that will be the result of thefailure of the leaders of the par. ties to get the masses to understand fuly what all the problems and how they can be solved. Mr. Daniel M. Shamukuni, former headteacher of PandaMatenga School in the Chobe District, is one of the Bechuanaland teachers at present studying in Britain. He is doing a course in education at the University of Bristol Institute o f Education. Mr. Shamukuni is one, of the overseas readers of the 'Domkrag' mouth-piece. PAGE TWO THERISANYO - CONSULTATION O0 CTOBER, 1964 OCTOBER, 1964 THERISANYG - CONSULTATION PAGE THREE MAPIPOLOSO A ATLHOLWA KGWEDI TSE THARO KWA GABORONE Ke Mot. K. Segokgo Basimane ba le babedi, Dux Bogatsu e maswe ba athotswe kgwedi tse tharo mongwe le mongwe mo kgolegelong ka go bonwa molato wa go bopela le go kganela batho g reka mo bentleng ya ga O'Reiley, Legale katlholo e beetswe fa thoko fa ba ka itshwara sentle lobaka lwa kgwedi tse 12 ba sa dire molato o tshwanang le o. Tsheko e ne e tshwerwe ke melaodi wa kgaolo ya Moehudi. MAANO A KGAPELETSO Ka go dira "Boycott' ya Bentlele ya ga (YReiley, Mapipoloso a ne a bo a re a leka maano a kgapeletso ya go fora batho ba re ba ka direla sengwe. Mokgwa wa bone o o maswe le wa go tlhoka botho o itshupile mo "Boekhotong" e. Santlha ba ne ba eteletsa bana ba batho pele, bone (Mantona) ba emetse kgakala ba tshaba go "tshelegelwa ke madi a kgofa". Bana ba batho ha tIa seke ba a ja di welang ka lobaka iwa kgwedi tse 12. Kana baeteledi-pele ba Ma-B.P.P. ba tshwana Ie moloi ba a romeletsa. Ba tla fetsa bana ba batho ka ditoronko. Sabobedi, e rile ka letsatsi le basimane ba atlholwang ka lone ba bo ba seo. Ba ne ba sifle o-Maruping le bo-Otsheleng le ba bangwe. A ke yone poloko e? 0 teng motsadi yo a tieng a tshabele ngwana? Nnyaa, Mmangwana ke yo o tshwarang thipa kafa bogaleng". Sa boraro, ba dira mo go nntseng jaana, morafe wa Botswana o tshwere "Ikwadiso" e fa e sa dirafala re ke seka ra bona "Boipuso" jo, re bo batlang.