Background
Bathoen Seepapitso GASEITSIWE born on May 18, 1908, at Kanye, regional capital of the Bangwaketse tribe. He spent much of his childhood in Serowe,in his mother's homeland.
Bathoen Seepapitso GASEITSIWE born on May 18, 1908, at Kanye, regional capital of the Bangwaketse tribe. He spent much of his childhood in Serowe,in his mother's homeland.
Educated at local schools, then sent to South Africa from 1919 to 1927 for secondary education at Tiger Kloof and Lovedale College.
For the next 25 years he worked hand in glove with Tshekedi Khama in the struggle over tribal authority both with the British government and with Seretse Khama. At each phase of the dispute he carried weight as Senior Tribal Chief and chairman of the Joint Advisory Council.
When Seretse Khama and Tshekedi Khama were reconciled Bathoen still felt it his duty to uphold tribal power against what he regards as over-hasty democratisation. He was a reluctant signatory of the agreement on an independence constitution after the negotiations in London in February 1966. He felt that the traditional powers of the chiefs were being unwisely curtailed. His alarm at the situation made him renounce the Bangwaketse chieftaincy on July 1, 1969, and plunge into the political arena to fight for the retention of greater tribal authority.
After joining the Botswana National Front he stood against Sir Seretse Khama for the presidency and as parliamentary candidate at Kanye South against Vice-President Masire. Although he was trounced in the presidential contest, Bathoen crushingly defeated
Masire in his home town constituency. He has not made much headway in gaining popular support for preserving tribal powers but he has established himself as a political figure to be carefully watched because of his substantial tribal strength.
He was interested in the education of his people, believing that young children should be sent to the school instead of herding cattle, working in the fields or going to the initiation schools.
He was born in the family of paramount chief of the Bangwaketse and Mogatsakgari, daughter of Ratshosa. In January 1933 he married Ester Mmafani Ntsieng of Thaba-Nchu in Sourh Africa. They had 5 children