Three Dikgosi Monument

The Three Dikgosi Monument is a bronze sculpture located in the Central Business District of Gaborone, Botswana's capital city. The 7-metre (23 ft) tall monument features 5.4-metre (18 ft) tall statues of Khama III, Sebele I, and Bathoen I—three dikgosi (tribal chiefs) recognized as foundational figures in the nation's history. In 1895, the three traveled to Great Britain and convinced the British government to not merge the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Cecil Rhodes's British South Africa Company following threats to merge the two entities. Permission was granted, giving Botswana British protection until its independence in 1966. The three were eventually declared "Founders of the Nation" by the government-owned Kutlwano Magazine at the time of Botswana's independence. In 1990, the House of Chiefs proposed that the three dikgosi be commemorated through a public monument. The North Korean company Mansudae Overseas Projects was commissioned to complete the project, which resulted in controversy among local sculptors. It was inaugurated on 29 September 2005 by former President Festus Mogae. The monument features a coat of arms in front of the three statues. Six plinths at the feet of the statues provide information about Botswana's independence and struggles from the Mfecane period to Botswana's independence. The monument has been criticised for retaining Tswana dominance and for not including Sechele I, a crucial figure in the Batswana victory of the Battle of Dimawe.

Background

Fearing German influence in the region, the United Kingdom agreed to form the Bechuanaland Protectorate. Tswana dikgosi (tribal chiefs) believed that the alternative to British control was settler colonialism by Germany. They also wished to avoid falling under the control of South Africa or mining magnate Cecil Rhodes, though the protectorate still found itself dependent on South Africa economically. The British planned to eventually incorporate the Bechuanaland Protectorate into the Union of South Africa. In the years after the protectorate's creation, the United Kingdom entered talks with Rhodes to absorb it into the British South Africa Company. In response, three of the most influential dikgosi, Khama III of the Ngwato tribe, Sebele I of the Kwena tribe, and Bathoen I of the Ngwaketse tribe made a diplomatic trip to the United Kingdom in 1895 and convinced the government not to complete the deal. This event established a precedent for dikgosi engaging with British authorities collectively, which cemented the three as foundational figures in the formation of a unified Botswana. Rhodes's handling of the failed Jameson Raid discouraged the British and negotiations were postponed indefinitely.

History and planning The three dikgosi were dubbed "Founders of the Nation" by the government-owned Kutlwano Magazine at the time of Botswana's independence in 1966. Over the following decades, they were adopted as "icons of unitary nationalism advocating renewed independence". In 1990, the House of Chiefs proposed that the three dikgosi be commemorated in a public monument. Funds were allocated for a statue in the 1997–98 budget and an advisory committee was appointed to determine the statue's location, but construction was delayed due to objections regarding the location of the monument by planning officials. A site in the capital city Gaborone's Main Mall was nominated by the advisory committee in 2001, but eventually rejected in favour of a site in the new Central Business District, north-west of the Main Mall, where it was eventually built. Further funds were allotted in 2003 and a request for tender was published, with four proposals received. An unsuccessful proposal put forward by local sculptor Masilonyana Radinoga showed "the three kings gesticulating and consulting among themselves". In an attempt to secure more allies after the Korean War, North Korea was in support of most African nationalist movements post-World War II. The first President of Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama, accompanied by Festus Mogae, visited Pyongyang in 1976. The bid of the North Korean Mansudae Overseas Projects, an international subdivision of a Pyongyang art institute, was accepted for the construction of the monument. The group was given a contract of P7 million (US$1.5 million), which eventually became P10 million (US$2.1 million), for the sculpture. The final project costed roughly P10.5 million (US$2.1 million). Local sculptors expressed their disappointment about the project being given to Mansudae, especially since many of them were willing to do more for less money. The monument was inaugurated on 29 September 2005 by Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana. The day the monument was opened, 800 visitors came. In 2015, parts of the statues began showing unusual peeling and degradation, possibly due to the use of substandard materials. To avoid ongoing state maintenance costs, in 2022 the government launched a public–private partnership initiative to hand the site's future maintenance over to the private sector. Under this proposal, private developers are expected to finance, build, and maintain an exhibition gallery, a restaurant, an interpretation centre, and other services on the remaining 50% of the vacant land.

Description and appearance

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