In the third week of April, I was contacted by the editorial team of the Sunday Standard newspaper asking if I could consider writing them a story about the relationship between the Botswana National Front (BNF), Kgosi Linchwe II and former Speaker of National Assembly, Ray Molomo. For me it was not going to be a difficult task requiring me to travel here and there conducting a series of interviews. The necessary material needed for such a story was already readily available in my old diaries, files as well as in memory.
In view of that I immediately responded to the request asking myself the question, ‘who am I to refuse an assignment from the newspaper editor?’ I considered the request an honour on my part. Such requests are rare, especially coming from credible newspaper such as this one. I had been writing to them until illness interrupted my services some months ago. The idea of such a story was apparently triggered by news suggesting that this year marks the BNF’s 60 years. It is said that the BNF recently held its 60th anniversary gala dinner where its leader, President Duma Bolo spoke.
It is debatable as to whether this year is the party’s 60 years or not. Others say the party’s 60th birthday was last October. We will see as the story progresses. In his book, ‘Democratic Deficit in the Parliament of Botswana’, Ray Molomo states that the BNF was launched on October 10th 1966. If this is correct, then indeed the party will be 60 years old this year. Although I did not verify this with him, I am reliably informed that even former BNF leader, Otsweletse Moupo believes that the party was launched in 1966. It is said that Moupo believes that if the launch was in 1965, the founders of the party would have called it Bechuanaland National Front instead of Botswana National Front.
The real story of the BNF began at Serowe Teachers’ Training College (TTC) and ended in Mochudi. One day Dr. Kenneth Koma unexpectedly arrived at the college visiting his sister-in-law, Mable Koma who was the wife of former Member of Parliament for Mahalapye, Gaolese Koma. The sister-in-law was a matron at the college and she and Dr. Koma had not seen each other for many years as the latter was studying abroad. He had just returned to the country to start a new life. Ray Molomo was lecturing at the college and was introduced to the visitor to their school. That visit to the college, is well captured in the book, ‘Democratic Deficit in the Parliament of Botswana’. It is in that book that the author, Ray Molomo recalls that Kenneth Koma appeared in Serowe like a ‘bold from the blue’ meaning that he arrived unexpectedly.
By that time, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) was still enjoying their great victory over Bechuanaland People’s Party (BPP) and Bechuanaland Independence Party (BIP) in the general elections which had been held on March 1. The election date for that election is reflected in the Daily News of February 1st, 1965. It came by way of the Bechuanaland Constitution Order made by the Privy Council in London and immediately passed by the British Parliament. The two gentlemen, Dr. Koma and Ray Molomo discussed politics at the highest level and engaged each other meaningfully on any issue they raised because their field of experience overlapped.
Dr. Koma had studied for an arts degree with the University of Cape Town in South Africa, before going to the University of Nottingham in England where he obtained a law degree. He had also studied political science at the Charles University in Czechoslovakia and a doctoral degree in political economy at the African Institute, Academy of Sciences of Moscow in Russia. Ray Molomo had returned to the country from Canada a year earlier. He had been studying educational psychology at the University of Ottawa. Within a short time of knowing each other, the two men agreed that there was the need to found a political party with a completely different ideology from that of the BDP.
It was at that stage that Kenneth Koma started scouting for allies among the young progressive minds that had been labelled radical or communist in the country. Dr. Koma’s visits took him to Mochudi where he paid courtesy call on Kgosi Linchwe II. He had been installed as Kgosi of Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela in April 1963, almost a year after his return from England where he had been studying. He and Kenneth Koma had not met before but because a lot had been written about the Bakgatla Kgosi and his people in the British newspapers by Lady Mitchison, a British author of many books he probably had an idea of the animal called Kgosi Linchwe II. Lady Mitchison was Kgosi Linchwe’s ‘adopted mother’. It would appear that Kenneth Koma had read some of her writings while still abroad.
Furthermore, Ray Molomo might have told him about the Kgosi in their Serowe meeting. Ray Molomo was a relative of Linchwe II and were very close to each other. It is therefore unlikely that Ray Molomo would hold political discussions with Dr. Koma without the latter making reference to Linchwe II. When Dr. Koma met Linchwe II in Mochudi, he also raised the idea of forming a new political party in place of the People’s Party and the Independence Party. In Linchwe, Dr. Koma found a person who was resourceful on national and international issues. Linchwe II and Dr. Koma agreed that the first thing would be to try to dissolve the BPP and BIP and come up with a strong united party. Kgosi Linchwe agreed to chair the peace conference.
After weeks of deliberating, talks culminated with the launch of the BNF in Mochudi. In his book, ‘Democratic Deficit in the Parliament of Botswana,’ Ray Molomo says the BNF was born on 10th October 1966 when he was elected party leader in absentia. However, he did not accept the position because as a civil servant, he was not allowed to take active part in politics. After I had read his book and realizing that the date of birth he had mentioned contradicted the date mentioned in Tlhoiwe’s letter, I went to his home where I showed it to him. He was surprised and asked me where I got the letter from. But he was quick to concede that the date in his book was wrong. He even said Tlhoiwe could not be mistaken because he was present at the launch, became the party’s first secretary-general and stayed active in the party longer.
Similarly, former BNF leader, Otsweletse Moupo is also said to be one of those who believe that the party was launched in 1966. I did not verify this with him but I am reliably informed that he believes that if indeed the party was launched in 1965, it would have been named Bechuanaland National Front instead of Botswana National Front as is the case now. . Writing from his home in Ramotswa to Kgosi Linchwe in Mochudi on October 6th 1965, BNF’s first secretary-general, Henderson Moatlhodi Tlhoiwe states that the party was launched on October 3rd 1965. That letter is one of the documents given to me by Kgosi Linchwe in 1994 after my return from Harare where I studied mass communication.
He gave me the letter and other documents knowing that at some stage, I will make good use of them. The letter was written three days after the launch when the event was still fresh in Tlhoiwe’s mind. Tlhoiwe, who had completed degree in political economy at the Charles University in Czechoslovakia, had participated in all the meetings including the launch. The reason for writing that letter was to apologize to Kgosi Linchwe because the launch took place in his absence even though he had asked that it be postponed since the date of the launch coincided with his engagement outside Mochudi. Tlhoiwe said it was not due to indifference that his request was not adhered to. He said the launch went ahead because Kgosi Linchwe’s request for postponement was received when majority of delegates had already arrived in Mochudi for the launch and many others due to arrive.
Tlhoiwe’s letter was preceded by one written by Leetile Raditladi to the leader of BIP, Motsamai Mpho. Raditladi was the founder of what is generally believed to be the first political party in this country, Bechuanaland Federal Party. Delegates were further up with Motsamai Mpho who had appeared to be playing hide-and-seek game by either not attending talks or attending with no mandate from his party. In the letter, Raditladi tells Mpho that time was running out for him to contribute to the talks otherwise he would be left behind. Mpho also kept on asking who the leader of the new party would be despite being told that the important thing was to unite the people first before thinking of who would occupy what.
It was made clear to Mpho by Raditladi that with or without the BIP, the Front would be launched in the next meeting which was due to be held on October 3rd 1965. In the eyes of delegates, Mpho was concerned about the stiff competition he would face when election for leadership positions was held. He feared competition. There were the likes of Dr. Koma, Leetile Raditladi, Daniel Kwele and of course Henderson Tlhoiwe who would give him a challenge if they were to contest for positions. It was generally accepted that if it were not for Kgosi Linchwe’s strengths, Motsamai Mpho would have succeeded in derailing the talks.
I first met Dr. Koma, in 1979 when I was stationed in Mahalapye. He was with retired journalist, Mmolotsi Sekgoma and Gorden Dlale. Mmolotsi Sekgoma had previously been my supervisor at Information Services. They had come to our office in Mahalapye to discuss with me a story idea about Mahalapye as a village. Mmolotsi Sekgoma introduced me to Dr. Koma telling him that I was from Mochudi and that I was Kgosi Linchwe’s close associate. Indeed I was Kgosi Linchwe’s favourite. Dr. Koma was excited and asked ‘monna o kae Morena, o modumedise thata’, adding that ‘we formed the Front because he guided our deliberations superbly’.
By that time, Dr. Koma was still of the view that Kgosi Linchwe was so skillful that he prevented Motsamai Mpho from derailing the talks. Dr. Koma expressed the wish that Kgosi Linchwe could one day participate in partisan politics where his talents could be fully utilized. Kgosi Linchwe was one of the high profile individuals who contributed funds to help finance the BNF’s legal costs when its officials were on trial facing sedition charges. Two other dikgosi, Bathoen II of Bangwaketse and Niel Sechele of Bakwena contributed for the defence of the party.
Tlhoiwe was accused NO.1while Dr. Koma was accused NO, 2 and the rest followed when the trial opened in Mahalapye. They had written a seditious material in their party’s ‘Puopha’ news letter. Common sense dictates that when you solve a mathematical problem, arriving at two different answers, one of them is wrong and you should start again. This means that BNF leaders debate these dates and remain with one.