Page 182
198
(THIS DOCage of 34E PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC MAJËageis CofERNMENT)
SECRET
C.P. (55) 190
5th December, 1955
CABINET
COPY NO.
BECHUANALAND PROTECTORATE: THE
BAMANGWATO RESERVE
Memorandum by the Secretary of State for
Commonwealth Relations
I think my colleagues should know that there have been some indica- tions recently of unrest in the Bamangwato Reserve. The visit to Bechuanaland last May by Mr. Hatch, the Labour Party official, revived the hopes of Seretse's supporters in the tribe that he would return as Chief, and they have been encouraged by subsequent speculation arising out of the Labour Party proposals for a conference in London of tribal leaders, about which I informed my colleagues in September (C. P. (55) 112).
2. In the last few months Rasebolai, the Acting Native Authority, has been opposed in kgotla by the pro-Seretse faction of the tribe on several important issues. At the end of November the Resident Commissioner had to send a security force to the north of the Bamang wato Reserve to deal with an cutbreak of violence against one of Rasebolai's Subordinate Native Authorities. The ringleaders have been arrested. The situation is now quiet and the Resident Commissioner does not expect any further trouble.
3. Tshekedi recently informed the Resident Commissioner that Mr. Hatch had written to tell him that, as soon as the House of Commons had finished debating the autumn Budget, the Opposition were likely to take up Seretse's case in a big way". Mr. Hatch had apparently asked Tshekedi to lead an agitation in the Protectorate in favour of the Labour Party's proposal for a conference in London of tribal leaders, Tshekedi declined, and warned Mr. Hatch that he was mistaken in supposing that the Bamangwato were anything like united on the question of Seretse's return. These continued efforts by the Labour Party in favour of the revision of the order excluding Seretse from the Protectorate cannot fail to stir up opposition to Rasebolai and to cause a set-back to our efforts to get him accepted as Chief
4. As a result of these developments I have reviewed our policy and considered whether any alternative approach to a solution of the Bamang wato problem is open to us.
5.
Clearly there can be no question of Seretse's return as Chief, His wife and children would not be acceptable to an important section of the tribe and opinion elsewhere in the High Commission Territories would be against it. Moreover, a reversal of Her Majesty's Government's policy on this issue would be most damaging to our authority in other Colonial territories,
6.
Equally there can be no question of Tshekedi's appointment as Phġef 183 Tez 2ribe would not accept him and we have undPageke&3 of 321
-1-
200