For many years, linguists, educators and other academics have been calling upon the
government of Botswana to develop a language policy which will recognize and empower
all the ethnic groups represented in the country. It was little known that a colonial
language policy was embedded within the Chieftainship Act of 1933, which recognizes
the Tswana-speaking ethnic groups as the only tribes, with sovereignty over land, and
only they have the right to designate government-recognized chiefs who can be admitted
in the House of Chiefs and consulted on issues of importance. This policy was conducive
to linguistic and cultural assimilation of other diverse groups into Tswanadom1. The
arrangement was meant to build a united and proud nation with one language, one culture
and one flag. As a result of the statutory recognition of the Tswana-speaking groups,
Setswana is the only local language that is used in national life and English as the official
language. This paper presents the language policy in Botswana within this legal
framework, the impact of the policy on linguistic and cultural rights and the long-standing
agitation of the unrecognized groups for such rights. Agitation strategies include
parliamentary motions, formation of linguistic associations, litigations and the
engagement of United Nations procedures. While there may be no new and progressive
language policy written in the near future, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel
in opening up to the use of other languages and cultures in education and other social
domains.