Laying the foundations of nationhood: quotations from the speeches of Sir , First President of the Democratic Party

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Aluka is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to creating and preserving a digital archive of materials about and from the developing world. For more information about Aluka, please see http://www.aluka.org Laying the foundations of nationhood: quotations from the speeches of Sir Seretse Khama, First President of the Botswana Democratic Party

Author/Creator Botswana Democratic Party Publisher Botswana Democratic Party Date 1982 Resource type Pamphlets Language English Subject Coverage (spatial) Botswana Coverage (temporal) 1969-1978 Source Northwestern University Libraries, 968.8303K45l Description This pamphlet has selections of speeches by Sir Seretse Khama, First , that specifically focus on democracy, unity, development, agriculture, education and foreign policy. Format extent 29 (length/size)

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http://www.aluka.org tll~llllllllllllllllllllllll~ ll tl llllll III tll~llllllllllllllllllllllll~ ll tl llllll III LAYING THE FOUNATION OF NATiONHOOD Quotations from the speeches of Sir Seretse Khama, First President of the Botswana Democratic Party

Sir Seretse Khama, NYB., K.B.E., L.L.D., D.Litt., Ph.D., B.A. First President of the Botswana Democratic Party

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'LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF NATIONHOOD,' Quotations from the Speeches of Sir Seretse ! hama First President of the Botswana Democratic Party Published by the Botswana Democratic Party P.O.Box 28, , September 1982

"We are gathered here this afternoon, at this humble ceremony, to pay tribute to a man who has led our country through the trials and tribulations of the past ten years. "We are gathered here to bestow a humble honour upon a humble man of peace whose dedication to the cause of human liberty and freedom touches the hearts of all men of conscience. We are indeed gathered here equally humble to demonstrate our heartfelt gratitude to him for his enlightened leadership. "Under his leadership we have enjoyed ten years of peace, stability and progress unparalleled in this part of Africa, and we are entering our second decade as a free people with the confidence of a nation that has proved to itself and to the world at large that 'if powers fail, there shall be praise for daring; and in great undertaking, to have willed is enough'. "Indeed we have dared enough to face challenges which stood in opposition to our coming into existence ten years ago. This was a great undertaking on our part but we were secure in the knowledge that we had the leadership to see us through it all. In the person of our beloved President we have found a man who firmly believes in the rule of law, in democracy and freedom, not simply in the egalitarian claim that 'one man is as good as another'. "Your Excellency, the honour that we bestow upon you today is an expression of the love which your people, the people of Botswana, have for you. It is one of the many ways in which the nation would like to demonstrate its confidence in, and appreciation of your leadership.

"The end, however, is not yet. Your wisdom will increasingly become crucial as the situation in this part of our continent becomes increasingly turbulent. For our part, we can only pledge our continued loyalty and selfless service to you and to the country we so much love."

DEMOCRACY

The Botswana Democratic Party has pledged itself to uphold the multi-party system of parliamentary government, and to submit itself to the electorate every five years for further mandate. Addressing the Botswana Democratic Party 8th Conference, Kanye April 5th 1969 But, as I have always said, democracy, like a little plant does not grow or develop on its own. It must be nursed and nurtured if it is to grow and flourish. It must be believed in and practised if it is to be appreciated. And it must be fought for and defended if it is to survive. Therefore, the challenge that we face as a nation which has enjoyed peace and stability over the past twelve years is to reaffirm our faith in our democratic way of life and renew our commitment to the preservation of this way of life for the alternative is tyranny and chaos. Opening the 5th Session of the Third 20th November 1978 The experience of other nations has taught us that democracy cannot be taken for granted. Those who profess to believe in it must work hard to achieve it and I would like to urge you all to take the forthcoming general voters registration seriously. The kind of complacency which we experienced during the last elections should not be allowed to become a national inertia. Those who think that they gave us a mandate in 1965 to rule this country in perpetuity and, therefore, see no need to keep renewing this mandate every five years must realise that they are doing our image a great deal of harm in so thinking. A party's confidence can only be sustained by the extent of the electoral support it gains at the polls, and certainly not by the passive silence of a contented electorate. Voter enthusiasm should therefore be maintained if we are to remain a party of the people in the true democratic tradition to which we have become too much accustomed over the years. Addressing the 16th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, Mochudi 9th April 1977 As a party which has been in power since independence we have always been guided in air our policies and actions by one supreme consideration: the national interest. This must continue to be our supreme consideration for the alternative is to render ourselves irrelevant even before we are booted out of office by the people of Botswana. In order for us to survive as a party which is known for good government and sound leadership, we must continue to behave responsibly. We are the servants of the nation. We are in power at the pleasure of the people of Botswana and not our own sufferance. Opening Tsholetsa Club, 27th August 1977 History has shown that a leadership which divorces itself from the people is a leadership devoid of wisdom. Dictatorships and tyrannical systems of government are hatched and nurtured in the minds of men who appoint themselves philosopher kings and possessors of absolute truth. In Botswana we have made sure that the will of the people is supreme and that those who are in Government are there with the clear consent of the governed. This has been our source of strength, not the self-centred whims of a self-appointed man of destiny. On being honoured by the Botswana Government 17th September 1976 On the young generation of Botswana will depend whether our ideas of freedom and democracy will survive in Botswana. Opening the 15th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, Selebi-Phikwe, 16th April 1976

What I ask of the young people of Botswana is that they should realise that they are the generation of today and tomorrow. The future of this country rests in their hands. Many of us who are gathered here today are on our way out having made our contribution as best we could to the welfare of our country. We have laid the foundation for the development of a sound democracy; we have launched the country on the path of economic development; we have imbued the nation with the spirit of self-reliance and in the final analysis, we have enabled our various tribes and ethnic groups to seek and find each other with the objective of moulding a united nation which we Batswana have undoubtedly become. All that we seek at this juncture is, therefore, to involve young Batswana in the activities which have made the Botswana Democratic Party a great party because in all our efforts and endeavours we have been guided by one ideal, and one ideal only, and that is the ideal of Kagisano, the ideal which has made our country a true model of democracy. Addressing the 16th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, Mochudi, 9th April 1977 The report of the National Commission on Education is in process of implementation. One most important aspect of this report is the introduction of national service as a means by which we hope we can instil in our children a clear sense of responsibility and commitment. We want to make them realise that there can be no freedom without responsibility and that every Motswana, young and old, must labour and make sacrifices as a condition for enjoying the fruits of development. We must disabuse our children of the notion that because they are children they have every right to demand charity from the tax payers who are already making so many sacrifices to give them education and thus prepare them for a meaningful life .... We all want to be regarded as patriots. But, I must submit that some of us want to be regarded as patriots simply because we can shout political slogans louder than anyone else. A patriot is a nation-builder, an innovator and a committed servant of his nation rather than a habitual dissident who spends his time and energy shouting meaningless slogans and preaching about utopias of one kind or another. Therefore, it is the intention of our contemplated national service to instil a real sense of patriotism in our children so as to make them realize that they have an important role to play in the development of their country, and must play this role if they want to be regarded with respect by future generations of Botswana who have every right to inherit a country of which they can all be proud. Opening the 5th Session of the Third Parliament of Botswana 20th November, 1978 It is not enough to vote every four years and leave everything to politicians and civil servants in between . . . It is essential that the people, including the workers, should at all times be able and ready, not only to put their views to government but to make an active and constructive contribution to building our nation. On laying the cornerstone of the Botswana Trade Union Education Centre, 10th July 7971 Free Trade Unions are an essential instrument of participatory democracy... They will not be an effective instrument of participatory democracy if they are manipulated by government, or by a political party or by an external agency. On laying the cornerstone of the Botswana Trade Union Education Centre, 10th July 1971

For me, if you should give me a further mandate, I will see to it that more and more liberal measures are introduced into tribal administrations, and will not countenance a feudal system in the twentieth century; in fact, it is time careful consideration were given to the use of ability, and not birth, as a determining factor even in tribal leadership. Addressing the 8th Annual Conference, Kanye, 5th April 1969 I have taken the trouble to impress upon the chiefs the importance of keeping out of politics for the purpose of preserving the entity of their tribes, and keeping their tribes' undivided loyalty, which they cannot if they must actively align themselves with one party or another. Addressing the 8th Botswana Democratic Party Conference Kanye 5th April 1969 Women have not always been given equal franchise with men in many respects ...... And yet history has shown that women are as capable of dynamic leadership as men are. Addressing the Botswana Democratic Party Annual Conference Mahalapye, 28th March 1975 The question we must ask ourselves, therefore, is whetner we as people that has shown so much love for freedom and liberty are prepared to allow the introduction in this country of a socio-political order in which every Motswana will be deprived of his basic human rights and subjected to an oppressive system of regimentation. Or whether we are ready to stand up for what we believe in - our democratic system of government and our right to choose leaders who must in turn ensure that they govern our country with the clear consent of its people. It is very important for us to realize that once we lose our right to live as free men and women in our country we may never regain it from a tyrannical regime which must of necessity institutionalize force and violence as instruments by which it must govern, if it is to govern at all. Opening the 5th Session of the Third Parliament of Botswana 20th November 1978 We must never allow ourselves to submit meekly to the boundless will of tyranny by affording those who do not like our democracy for one sinister reason or another the opportunity to deprive us of our right to be masters of our own lives, to live in peace and harmony with one another and to enjoy our freedom of choice without which we would inevitably cease to be free men and women in our country. There is an everpresent danger that having enjoyed freedom and peace for so long we could easily become complacent and apathetic and think that our democratic institutions can perpetuate themselves without our support and our commitment to their survival. We must not lend credibility to the notion that a nation at peace deteriorates. Opening the 5th Session of the Third Parliament of Botswana 20th November 1978

UNITY

Let us join hands so that together we can move forward in unity and strength. I need hardly remind you that we remain a beleaguered nation, surrounded as we are, by explosive political situations. Opening the 17th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, 5th May 1978 It is vital that we should take advantage of our peace and stability to consolidate our national unity and strengthen the institutionalisation of our democratic ideals. We must always be on guard lest we give our enemies the opportunity to sow the seeds of disunity, chaos and conflict in our midst. Like any country we have our own social malcontents who have contributed nothing to the welfare and well- being of our country and have only sought political power at all costs. They will continue to do so, just as much as we must continue to reject them, for the means by which they seek political power are inimical to the continued peace and stability of our country. And so are their ultimate intentions if they succeed in seizing power. They are not interested in government by the consent of the governed. They are power hungry fanatics who have no respect whatsoever for individual freedoms and liberties. Opening the 5th Session of the Third Parliament of Botswana 20th November 1978 Our policy of non-racialism has served us well in the circumstances in which we live. We are not a model society, nor do we pretend that we have found the key to racial harmony. But what we consider to be no pretention at all is the very fact that we have created a non-racial society in the heart of racism and apartheid. Batswana of different cultural backgrounds and racial origin have learned to live together in the true spirit: of KAG ISANO thereby giving the lie to the racist belief that there can be no harmony among people of different races, cultures and colour ... We have succeeded in creating this kind of society primarily because we have given every Motswana, regardless of his colour or race, the opportunity to participate fully and actively in -the shaping of the destiny of our nation as well as in choosing, as freely as possible, the kind of life he would like to live as an indh,'dual, but always conscious of his role in the promotion of the national interest and the well-being of society as a whole. Addressing the Nation on the 10th Anniversary of Independence 30th September 1976 Our education system should assist LIS in the task of creating a strong united nation which will over-come divisions based on race or tribe, or occupation. Addressing the Botswana Teachers' Union Conference Lobatse, 15th December 1969 We must at all times avoid the creation of a special class of highly paid people in the centre while the majority of our people are living in poverty in the periphery. As long as the Botswana Democratic Party is in power the privileged minority will have no chance of abrogating to itself the right to a decent life. Opening the 5th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, 16th April 1976 We do not wish to place any artificial obstacles in the way of the initiative and energy of our people. But equally we must avoid divisions based on occupation or inequality of wealth. Addressing the Botswana Democratic Party Conference Molepolole 28th March7 1970 We must fiqht aqainst all the forces which could divide us as a nation. One such danger might stem from differences in tribe or race. Addressing the Botswana Democratic Party Conference Molepolole, 28th March 1970

Expressing concern on a tendency in the nation toward racism ...... This, I must admit, is a disquieting development in our race relations, much as it threatens the stability and indeed the very precepts upon which we have, since independence, sought to build our nation. For, not only would we run the risk of loosing our credibility as a non-racial country if we were to allow racism to rear its ugly head in our midst but we would also loose the respect of our friends and admirers all over the world. And we would also, give comfort to those nations in which racism has been adopted as state policy. Addressing the 14th Annual Conference of Botswana Democratic Party, Mahalapye, March 1975

DEVELOPMENT

As in 1965 the Botswana Democratic Party is not making extravagant promises. We are not claiming the ability to achieve the impossible. We have scrupulously refrained from attempting to arouse expectations which we know we cannot satisfy. Election message, September 1969 Our achievements as a party and government are so obvious and so numerous that to attempt to recount them in this short speech would be a futile exercise. Suffice it to say that our presence is felt everywhere in the coUntry. With the meagre resources which we have at our disposal we have changed the face of this country. We have adopted a development strategy which is remarkable by its emphasis on modesty and austerity. We have made sure that the little we have in terms of resources must be put to good use -for the benefit of all Batswana. We have certainly not succeeded in providing enough educational facilities for our growing young generation but it is a matter of great pride for us that in ten years we have been able to achieve what eight decades of colonial rule could not achieve. Addressing the 16th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, Mochudi, 9th April 1977 Development means change - change not only in our life, but in the attitudes and values, the ways of thinking, which underlie that way of life. If people are to be persuaded to change their ways they must understand why they are being asked to change .... If Government and their servants do not know what people think about the problems of development, the choices they make will not have sound foundations. And if change is not based on the consent and co-operation of ordinary people, governments run into trouble. Addressing the Teachers" Union Conference, Lobatse 15th December 1969

It must be appreciated that if we are to achieve what we want to achieve, for our country we must summon all our energies so that we can translate our objectives into concrete results. I know that Batswana can work harder than they have been doing so far. I refer here to both politicians and public officers, town dwellers and rural dwellers. No one has a right to live the life of a parasite. Opening the 17th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, 5th May 1978 Those of you who are farmers however, and those who might have some occupation which demands skills, are urged to interest their children in such occupations, train them to appreciate the dignity of labour, and divorce them from the wrong conception that white-collared, salary-earning occupations are a symbol of status, lest we develop into a nation of clerks and book-keepers. Addressing the Botswana Democratic Party 8th Conference Kanye, 5th April 1969 We have administered the nation's meagre resources as we could, always guarding against spending money on expensive prestige projects. Even then I want the nation to realise that it is not always easy for a country in a geo-political situation such as ours to draw the line between what is considered by others to be a prestige project and what is vitally important for the very survival of its people. Those who watch the situation in Southern Africa from a comfortable distance may think that we are suffering from delusions of grandeur when we say that we want to have a railway line of our own and an international airport. To us these are not prestige projects, however expensive they may be, because they are vital for our survival as a people in this troubled part of Africa. Addressing the 16th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, Mochudi, 9th April 1977

Rural development remains at the top of our priorities, and in the years ahead we will make sure that the momentum is sustained. Addressing the Botswana Democratic Party Annual Conference Mahalapye, 28th March 1975 As the revenue from the exploitation of our mineral resources increases, we shall redouble our efforts to ensure that a significant proportion of it is used for the development of the rural areas of this country. Addressing the Botswana Democratic Party Annual Conference Kanye, 13 April 1974

AGRICULTURE

Botswana is an agricultural nation. The great majority of our people now and for some time in the foreseeable future will make their livelihood from the land. We have land in abundance, and all we need is the will and determination to use it. Opening Parliamen t, 21st November 1977 We must be self-sufficient in food if we are to be believed when we say we aspire to become self-reliant. Openhg the 15th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, 16t7 April 1976 While one appreciates the important role which beef production has played in the overall economy of our country, it would be tragic, nevertheless, if we were to continue to overlook the fact that the preservation of our pride as a nation will, in the final analysis, depend on our ability to feed ourselves. Opening Parliament, 21st November 1977

EDUCATION

We must now move forward and plan an educational system, from primary school to university, which will reflect Botswana's social and economic aspirations, and which will be thoroughly related to Botswana's development needs. Addressing the Botswana Teachers' Union Conference Lobatse, 15th December 1969 The education our children receive must enable them to help Botswana achieve an economic revolution based on the transformation of traditional agriculture and the effective exploitation of our mineral resources, the gradual diversification of the manufacturing industry and the development of other new industries. Addressing the Botswana Teachers' Union Conference Lobatse, December 1969 It is unwise to gear our education to the assumption that every child who enters Primary School must inevitably go to University. Opening the Second Session of the Third Parliament of Botswana November 1975 It is true that the educated minority in Botswana have a special responsibility for leadership, but effective leadership must be based on a desire to serve as well as to lead... must counteract the temptation to Education in Botswana must counteract the temptation to intellectual arrogance. Addressing the Teachers" Union Conference Lobatse, 15th December 1969

FOREIGN POLICY

Our capacity to influence the world events may be limited, but that is no reason for not attempting to make a contribution where we can. Addressing the Botswana Democratic Party Conference Molepo/ole, 28th March 1970 Our non-alignment policy demands that we cultivate friendship with all countries of the world regardless of ideological differences. Thus we cannot maintain our credibility as a non-aligned country if our relations with the outside world are one-sided. What we seek is peace and friendship with all and we hold no brief for any ideology which seeks to determine the choice of our friends. Addressing the 14th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, Mahalapye, March 1975 Although we welcome the establishment of diplomatic relations with all friendly states, our closest relationships are with those countries which share our commitment to democracy. Addressing the Botswana Democratic Conference Molepolole, 28th March 1970 Human dignity, like justice and freedom, is the common heritage of all men. It is indivisible. If these universal truths had been accepted by those who have set themselves the cause of denigration the world would have been saved from the racial animosities and degradations which now threaten the very survival of mankind. Addressing the nation on the 10th Anniversary of Independence 30th September 1976 We are convinced that there is justification for all the races that have been brought together in this part of Africa by the circumstances of history to want to live together in peace and harmony for they have no other home but southe.rn Africa. Here we will have to learn how to share aspirations 25 and hopes as one people united in a common belief in the unity of the human race. Here we will have to survive together if we are not to perish together. Here rests our past, our present and, most important of all, our future which is at stake at present because of racism, apartheid and oppression. Addressing the nation on the 10th Anniversary of Independence 30th September 1976 We have entered an era of great anxieties and persistent fears. When I addressed you in Selebi-Phikwe last year I stated that the liberation struggle in Southern Africa was far from over. I was convinced then as I am today that the situation in this part of our continent would get worse before it got better. Indeed it is getting worse day-by-day as our country is increasingly becoming a victim of unprovoked acts of terror and aggression perpetrated by those who would have us believe that there necessarily has to be war in this region before there can be peace. We have always sought peace for all in this troubled region of our continent - peace in dignity, freedom and justice - but certainly not peace at the cost of those principles and moral convictions which we have always cherished as a people. So long as there is persistent injustice on the African sub-continent, so long shall we support the oppressed in their struggle to regain their freedom. As a party we have always believed in the right of peoples to self-determination hence we cannot but support fully those who have been forced to take up arms to fight for this inalienable right. This is our stand, this is our policy and we dare not abandon it. Addressing the 16th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, Mochudi, 9th April 1977 I must repeat what I have said on several occasions in the past, namely, that as a free country we have a moral obligation to give refuge to victims of political oppression. This is an obligation we cannot shirk regardless of the consequences.

And the consequences are very serious indeed but we will not allow ourselves to be intimidated and to be frightened into refusing refuge to those who, for political reasons, are forced to flee their countries to seek refuge in our country. We are determined to ensure our preservation as a nation for we have every right to survive and prosper in our own country. We have not won our freedom and independence only to give them away at the sound of a gunshot. We will defend ourselves and our territorial integrity by every means available to us and will not compromise our principles if this is what those who attack us and threaten us with impunity expect of us. Addressing the 16th Annual Conference of the Botswana Democratic Party, Mochudi, 9th April 1977 But Botswana cannot allow itself to be used as a springboard for violence against the minority regimes. Our task is to insulate ourselves from the instability their policies provoke. We must preserve our independence while asserting the principles of human freedom and dignity. Addressing the Botswana Democratic Party Conference Molepolole, 28th March 1970