Bechuanaland Protectorate
The
Bechuanaland Protectorate (BP) was a
protectorate established on
March 31,
1885 by
Britain in southern Africa. It ceased to exist on
30 September 1966, when the territory became the
Republic of Botswana.
Bechuanaland meant the country of the Bechuana (now written
Batswana or
Tswana). Bechuanaland was divided in two. The southern part, known as
British Bechuanaland, later became part of the
Cape Colony and is now in
South Africa. This is the area around
Mafikeng (then called Mafeking). The Bechuanaland Protectorate formed the northern part; its territory was expanded north in 1890.
The British government originally expected to turn over administration of the protectorate to
Rhodesia or
South Africa, but Tswana opposition left the protectorate under British rule until Independence in 1966.
The BP was technically a protectorate rather than a colony, but this was a legal distinction of little practical significance.
The protectorate was administered from
Mafeking (now
Mafikeng), creating a unique situation of the capital of the territory being located outside of it.
The eastern part of the colony was originally claimed by
Matabeleland, and in
1887 Samuel Edwards (working for
Cecil Rhodes) obtained a
mining concession.
In
1891 administration of the protectorate was given to the
High Commissioner for South Africa; in
1895 the
British South Africa Company attempted to acquire the area, but three Tswana chiefs visited
London to protest and were successful in fending off the BSAC.Later attempts to develop also had little effect.
The BP was one of the "High Commission Territories", the others being Basutoland (now
Lesotho) and
Swaziland. The official with the authority of a Governor was the High Commissioner. This office was first heldby the Governor of the Cape, then by the Governor-General of South Africa, by BritishHigh Commissioners and Ambassadors to South Africa until independence. Consequently, administration was headed in each territory by a Resident Commissioner, who thus had approximately the same functions of a Governor but somewhat less authority.
The first
postage stamps were produced in
1888 by
overprinting stamps of Bechuanaland (some overprints of British stamps and some issued specifically for the colony) with "Protectorate". In
1889 a 1/2-penny stamp of
Cape of Good Hope was overprinted "Bechuanaland / Protectorate.".
From
1897 to
1925 more British stamps were overprinted using the protectorate's name in various layouts. In
1910 a 6-pence stamp of
Transvaal was also overprinted; although it was intended for fiscal use, postal uses are known.
|
6-pence of 1938, used in 1943 at Gaberone's Village, later Gaborone |
The protectorate's first inscribed stamps appeared in a
definitive series of
1932. The 12 values, ranging from 1/2d to 10sh, all used the same design; a group of
cattle next to a
baobab tree, surmounted by a portrait for King
George V. The usual
Silver Jubilee and
Coronation issues appeared in
1935 and
1937, with King
George VI replacing his father in a similarly-designed series of
1938.
The protectorate's
Peace issue of
1945 was produced by overprinting "Bechuanaland" on
South Africa's Peace stamps. Stamps were issued for the
Royal Visit in
1947, and for the usual omnibus sets of the period.Queen
Elizabeth II replaced her father in a definitive series of
1955, the rest of the design matching the previous definitives.
Three stamps in
1960 commemorated the 75th anniversary of the protectorate, then in
1961 Bechuanaland converted to the South African
rand, necessitating
surcharges on the existing definitives in February, followed by a new definitive series in October that was mostly pictures of birds, with some showing people at work.
Standard Commonwealth omnibus issues appeared up until independence, along with a
1 June 1966 issue commemorating the 25th anniversary of the
Bechuanaland Pioneers and Gunners.
*
History of Botswana*
History of Botswana*
List of colonial officials in the BP*
Bibliography for Botswana History*
Thomas Tlou and
Alec Campbell History of Botswana*Neil Parsons
New History of Southern Africa*Fred Morton and Jeff Ramsay (eds)
The birth of Botswana : a history of the Bechuanaland Protectorate from 1910 to 1966.
