Neil Parsons, National Coat of Arms, and Introduction of the Pula Currency in Botswana, 1975-1976

When the government of Botswana introduced the country's Pula currency in 1976 there had been significant involvement of the public in coming up with the name for the currency. A public debate also took place regarding which national symbols were to appear in the new currency. While these issue...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:South African Historical Journal 2014-07, Vol.66 (3), p.504-520
Main Author: Makgala, Christian John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthems
Arms trade
Botswana
coat of arms
Currencies
Currency
Discourse analysis
flag
Flags
Gaseitsiwe, Bathoen
Historians
Historical analysis
History-Africa-Southern Africa
Independence
national anthem
national pride
Parsons, Neil
Political science
Politics-Africa
shield
Sovereignty
Symbols
Tswana peoples
Zulus
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Summary:When the government of Botswana introduced the country's Pula currency in 1976 there had been significant involvement of the public in coming up with the name for the currency. A public debate also took place regarding which national symbols were to appear in the new currency. While these issues are fairly well known in the history of Botswana, no attention has been given to a brief but important debate raised by the historian Neil Parsons in early 1975 about the inappropriateness of the shield that appears in the national coat of arms, and was most likely to appear in the new currency. Parsons argued that the shield was of Zulu origin and not Tswana, and he was supported by the president of the opposition Botswana National Front (BNF) and former chief of the Bangwaketse, Bathoen Gaseitsiwe. This paper brings to light and assesses Parsons' debate.
ISSN:0258-2473
1726-1686
DOI:10.1080/02582473.2014.898081