"" (; "Blessed Be This Noble Land") is the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...
of
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...
. The music was composed by Kgalemang Tumediso Motsete, who also authored the song's lyrics. It was adopted when the country became independent in 1966. Since independence, the song is sung occasionally during the country's important events such as Kgotla meetings, independence celebrations and other national events. The national anthem is highly respected to an extent that when it is sung movements are not allowed, people stand at attention, and security officers, like the police and soldiers, salute as a show of respect.
History
![BWP020v](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/BWP020v.jpg)
From the late 19th-century until the height of
decolonisation
Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on separatism, in ...
during the 1960s,
Bechuanaland (as it was then known) was a
protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
within
its colonial empire. In the run up to independence, proposals for the national symbols for the future country were made. Although the
flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
and the
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
were straightforward choices, the selection of the national anthem became a source of contention.
[ ] Despite its popularity, "Fatshe leno la rona" was reportedly not the frontrunner because its composer – Kgalemang Tumediso Motsete,
who possessed "a
music degree from
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
"
[ – was the co-founder and leader of the opposition ]Botswana People's Party
The Botswana People's Party (BPP), originally the Bechuanaland People's Party, is a political party in Botswana formed in December 1960 during the colonial era. As a result of disappointment with the Legislative Council, under the leadership of ...
(BPP), which at the time was a radical faction.[ Instead, the government wanted to maintain "Morena boloka Sechaba sa Etsho" ("Lord protect the nation of the world") as the anthem after independence. Although the latter song was considered by some government officials to be a "colonial song",][ it was in fact embraced by ]nationalists
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
in the south of the continent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
in their struggle against colonialism, as well as in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
during the apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
era.[
In an interview with the national newspaper '']Mmegi
''Mmegi'' is an English-language national newspaper in Botswana, with occasional articles or comments in Setswana. Established in 1984, it is now published daily online and weekly on print format by Dikgang Publishing House in the capital, Gabor ...
'', fellow BPP co-founder Motsamai Mpho
Motsamai Keyecwe Mpho (February 3, 1921 – November 28, 2012) was a Motswana activist and politician. He founded Botswana's first political party in 1960, the Botswana People's Party, then known as the Bechualand People's Party, alongside Klaas ...
stated that "Fatshe leno la rona" was written in 1962. He stated that Motsete had penned the anthem in Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, where he was inspired by the songs of liberation from that country. Indeed, Mpho asserts that himself, Motsete, and three others affiliated with the BPP were the first people to sing the anthem while returning home on a flight from a Pan-Africanist
Pan-Africanism is a worldwide movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all Indigenous and diaspora peoples of African ancestry. Based on a common goal dating back to the Atlantic slave trade, the movement exte ...
conference held in Accra
Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
that same year.[
According to the biographer of Gobe Matenge, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, he was one of several civil servants – including the future ]vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
Peter Mmusi
Peter Simako Otlaadisang Mmusi (born 16 May 1929, died October 1994) was the Vice-President of Botswana from 3 January 1983 until 1992. He also served as the Minister of Finance from 1980 to 1989, and as the Minister of Local Government and Lands ...
– that compelled the Motswana government to adopt "Fatshe leno la rona" as the anthem of the independent nation.[ In order to ascertain the opinion of the general public on the matter, the government transmitted all of the contending hymns over ]Radio Botswana
Radio Botswana- ''abbr'' RB1 is a radio station in Botswana operated by the Government of Botswana in the capital city Gaborone. The Radio station provides news, current affairs about the country Botswana, the culture of Botswana, education and ...
.[ However, Matenge's group was able to obtain recordings of these songs for themselves and air them in front of quasi- town hall gatherings held in major settlements like ]Lobatse
Lobatse is a town in south-eastern Botswana, 70 kilometres south of the capital Gaborone, situated in a valley running north towards Gaborone and close to the border with South Africa. Lobatse has a population of 29,772 as of 2022. The town is an ...
, Molepolole
Molepolole is a large village in Kweneng District, Botswana.
The people who reside in Molepolole are called Bakwena, who are one of the eight major tribes in Botswana. The Bakwena Kgosi (Chief), Sebele I was among the three chiefs who went to En ...
, and Mafikeng
Mafikeng, officially known as Mahikeng and previously Mafeking (, ), is the capital city of the North West province of South Africa.
Close to South Africa's border with Botswana, Mafikeng is northeast of Cape Town and west of Johannesburg. In ...
, in addition to the capital Gaborone
Gaborone ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census.
Gaboron ...
. They strategically played "Fatshe leno la rona" as the last song – which in theory would increase the likelihood that the audience would remember the tune[ – while having their organisers add words of praise for it in an attempt to sway the crowd's opinion in favour of that hymn.][ At the end of the exercise, they would circulate a boilerplate ]form letter
A form letter is a letter written from a template, rather than being specially composed for a specific recipient. The most general kind of form letter consists of one or more regions of boilerplate text interspersed with one or more substitution p ...
articulating the author's viewpoint of "Fatshe leno la rona" being their favourite candidate for national anthem.[ This was done because of the low levels of literacy in Botswana at the time.][ Of the multitude of letters sent to the Department of Information and Broadcasting, the vast majority of them expressed an inclination towards the aforementioned song.][
However, this account has been disputed by George Winstanley, the first clerk to the Cabinet after independence. He insists that stories about how the government was pressured into ratifying "Fatshe leno la rona" are simply inaccurate, especially in light of the fact that the civil servants who supposedly did this were merely "junior executive officers" at the time.] Rather, Winstanley remembers how Seretse Khama
Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama, GCB, KBE (1 July 1921 – 13 July 1980) was a Motswana politician who served as the first President of Botswana, a post he held from 1966 to his death in 1980.
Born into an influential royal fam ...
initially leaned towards selecting "Morena" ("Lord keep the nation of the world"), before he convinced Khama to select a hymn that was "unique to Botswana".[ Khama's deputy ]Quett Masire
'Ketumile Quett Joni Masire'', GCMG (24 July 1926 – 22 June 2017) was the second and longest-serving President of Botswana, in office from 1980 to 1998. He was honored with the Knighthood of the Grand Cross of Saint Michael and Saint Geor ...
recalled how the future president wanted an anthem that was enduring and would transcend the political spectrum, so that it would not be changed when another political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...
assumed power in the future.[
A total of seven hymns were shortlisted as finalists for the new national anthem.][ Motsete actually made another submission – "Botswana Fatshe le Lentle" (meaning "Botswana, a Beautiful Country") – in addition to "Fatshe leno la rona"; the two compositions finished runner-up and winner, respectively.][ The latter was officially adopted in 1966, the year the country gained independence.][ One of the first public occasions where the anthem was played was at the flag hoisting ceremony at midnight on 30 September 1966, marking the end of British rule over Botswana.]
Modern day
The anthem is normally sung in four part vocal harmony.[ It is performed at events, both at tribal and at national level. For instance, it is sung before traditional village meetings ''(]kgotla
A ''kgotla'' (English pronunciation or ) is a public meeting, community council, or traditional law court of a Botswana village. It is usually headed by the village chief or headman, and community decisions are always arrived at by consensus. ...
'').
Lyrics
The lyrics of "Fatshe leno la rona" alludes to God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
and his standing as the bestower of the nation's land.[ It also promotes values such as love of the country, and accord among the different ethnic groups residing in the state.][ The author is saying that this land is a gift from our forefathers and pleads that it must remain peaceful. He further suggests that the people of Botswana should work collectively to build up the nation, both men and women. He does not only call for cooperation but also commitment. Finally, the song echoes how beautiful the name Botswana is, expressly noting that this beauty is from the unity and stability of Botswana.
]
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
External links
Botswana: ''Fatshe leno la rona'' – Audio of the national anthem of Botswana, with information and lyrics
archive link
''Fatshe leno la rona'' MIDI
– Vocal
{{Authority control
African anthems
Botswana music
National symbols of Botswana
National anthem compositions in B-flat major