Africa-Press – Botswana. The Bangwato paramount chief, Ian Khama, has expressed heartfelt gratitude to the people and Government of Namibia for honouring his late father Seretse Khama by naming a street after him.
On Thursday, the Namibian government renamed Feld Street to Sir Seretse Khama Street in honour of the founding president of Botswana. Khama (Ian) said he was deeply moved by the gesture, describing it as a befitting tribute to a man whose vision and values transcended national borders. “It is with profound humility and deep gratitude that I stand before you today, on this historic occasion in honour of my father,” Khama said when speaking at the ceremony. He commended the Namibian president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and the City of Windhoek for what he called ‘a lasting gesture of friendship between Botswana and Namibia’. Khama also reflected on his late father’s legacy, describing him as a leader who believed that true leadership was about service, justice and unity. He said the renaming of the street symbolised the shared ideals of freedom, dignity and self determination that the two countries continue to uphold.
“This street, this path is more than a name upon a signpost,” he said. “It is a symbol of the ideals that guided my father’s footsteps and I believe continue to guide our two nations today: freedom, dignity, unity, and the belief in the African spirit and self determination.” Botswana has in the past similarly honoured the founding president of Namibia, Sam Nujoma, by naming a street after him in recognition of his immense contribution to the region’s liberation and unity, Khama noted. He also noted that the bond between Botswana and Namibia is deeply rooted in the vision of their founding fathers who viewed each other not as neighbourhoods but as brothers united by shared struggles and aspirations. “When he looked north, across the Kalahari to this land of brave and dignified people, he saw not a neighbour but a brother. He understood the destiny of Botswana was bound to that of Namibia, that our futures like our rivers and deserts flow together,” Khama said.
Khama hoped that the street would stand as a reminder that his father’s ideals live not only in “our history” but in everyone’s shared journey toward a peaceful and prosperous Africa.
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