119 YEARS AGO TODAY – JAMESON SURRENDER ENDS BSACO OCCUPATION OF BECHUANALAND Today marks the 119th anniversary of the defeat of the ill-fated Jameson Raid. On the 29th of December 1895 Cecil Rhodes trusted lieutenant, Dr. Leander Star Jameson, had set off with a mounted force of some 600 armed men from Pitsane Potlhokwe in the Bechuanaland Protectorate for Johannesburg, as part of a conspiracy to seize control of the South African Republic (SAR, i.e. the Boer Republic of the Transvaal). The conspiracy’s failure had immense repercussions for the entire region. While the incident is often seen as a stepping stone to the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, it also sparked an uprising among Vashona and Amandebele, the 1st Chimurenga, whose early indigenous success and ultimate defeat left a lasting legacy in Zimbabwe’s subsequent struggle against settler colonialism. For Botswana the Raid’s failure secured and widened the concessions that had been achieved by Dikgosi Bathoen I, Khama III and Sebele I in their historic September-December 1895 tour of Britain, which had culminated in their formal audience with Queen Victoria, as well as substantial negotiations with the then British Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain. After the later meetings the three Dikgosi had left Britain believing that they had secured their own territories, but not the rest of the Protectorate, from administrative takeover by Cecil Rhodes’ British South African Company (BSACo). By 1895 Rhodes was at the height of his economic and political power. He was Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, while his BSACo had seemingly secured its control over the ‘Rhodesias’ (Zambia and Zimbabwe). In this context Rhodes had pressed for the transfer of the Bechuanaland Protectorate to BSACo, with the intention of using the territory as a forward base for a move against the South African Republic. “Pushful” Joe Chamberlain had, in fact, given Rhodes a go ahead to invade the South African Republic, though the British government was not to be officially involved in the operation. Leading Colonial Office figures had by then concluded that the SAR government of Paul Kruger was becoming too independent of British political and economic influence due to the revenue it received as a result of the opening of the gold mines. They were further concerned about Berlins growing influence in Pretoria. Kruger’s government was also seen as being too slow in responding to the British mining interests demand that it enact measure to ensure lower transport costs and access to a steady supply of cheap black labour. As the eastern border of the Bechuanaland Protectorate was to be the staging ground for the Rhodes-ian invasion, the Gaborone, Lobatse and Tuli Blocks along with the Barolong, Balete and Bakgatla territories had all been transferred by the British Colonial Office to BSACo administrative control in the final months of 1895, that is while Bathoen, Khama and Sebele were still in Britain. By December 1895, Jameson’s armed force, whose core was made up of members of what had been the para-military Matabeleland Mounted and Bechuanaland Border Police, was assembled in south-eastern Bechuanaland. According to newspaper reports its target was Mochudi, where Kgosi Linchwe was supposed to be eager to resist the imposition of BSACo control. These reports were, however, disinformation planted by Rhodes agents in a futile attempt to trick the Boers. It had been intended that Jameson incursion was to coincide with a pro-British expatriate uprising. But, the plan became known to the chief of Krugers secret police, W.J. Leydes. The expatriate rebellion failed after most of its leaders were arrested on the eve of their attempted coup. Meanwhile Jamesons men were surrounded near Krugersdorp, where they surrendered on the 2nd of January, 1896. In its failure the Jameson Raid was a major international scandal. Rhodes political influence in both Britain and southern Africa was reduced. He was forced to step down as the Cape Colony Prime Minister, while within the Bechuanaland Protectorate direct imperial rule was fully restored. Secret plans to deprive the Bakwena and Bangwaketse of most of their territories, were also dropped. As a result of these developments the three dikgosis mission to the Britain was widely seen as a heroic success. Over the years the story grew that Mmamosadinyana, the Queen, had listened to their pleas and intervened to stop Rhodes from taking the Protectorate. But, if Rhodes had succeeded in his plan to seize the Transvaal, it seems likely from internal correspondence of the period that all of what is now Botswana would have ultimately come under his corporate administration. As it was the BSACo still kept its economic interests in the territory after 1896. The company thus then owned the railway, and the Ghanzi, Lobatse, Tuli, and most of the Gaborone Blocks, as well as mineral and other rights over most of the Protectorate.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 15:53:57 +0000