Botswana
Fatshe leno la rona
This Land of Ours
1966
1966
Kgalemang Tumedisco Motsete
Kgalemang Tumedisco Motsete
🤝 Unity ✝ God / Faith 🌅 Hope |
Context
Written and composed by Kgalemang Tumedisco Motsete, the anthem was adopted when Botswana gained independence from Britain on September 30, 1966. Motsete was a teacher and activist who played a key role in the independence movement. The anthem is written in Setswana, the national language.
Lyrics
Fatshe leno la rona,
Ke mpho ya Modimo,
Ke boswa jwa borraetsho;
A le nne ka kagiso.
Tsogang, tsogang! banna, tsogang!
Emang, basadi, emang, tlhagafalang!
Re kopaneleng go direla
Lefatshe la rona.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Interesting facts
- • Kgalemang Motsete wrote both the lyrics and the music, making him one of few single authors of a national anthem
- • The anthem calls on both men and women to rise and work together, which was progressive for the era
- • Botswana's anthem emphasizes peace and labor rather than military themes, reflecting the country's stable democratic history