Introduction:

“The Chieftainship is hereditary in the male line, passing normally from father to son. As a rule the Chief succeeds automatically to his office by right of birth.”

Temporae mutantur, a role model change can be observed by analyzing the extent to which the statements deviate from preconceived perceptions of an “original tradition” passed on by ancestors. We argue that at least some African ideas and concepts of tradition appear much less static than many Western notions of a “traditional culture” frozen since time immemorial. Traditional leadership in Botswana provides examples of a dynamic understanding of tradition, resulting, inter alia, in a push effect for a change in political gender roles of leadership, in inclusive leadership and more. “First female paramount chief welcomed ” headlined Botswana Weekly, after the appointment of Mosadi Seboko a Mokgýsi on August 30th, 2003 in Ramotswa. The case study of the Balete decision (taken in the Kgotla at the end of 2001) demonstrates how principles such as male dominance can be left aside in favour of a vision of progress as foreseen by the people concerned. In September 2016, yet another consecutive landmark occurred in this change process. Mosadi Seboko – the first female paramount chief – was appointed chair of the newly-established National Gender Commission of Botswana.

This article marks the highly symbolic appointment of Mosadi Seboko as pars pro toto for the change of the so-called “traditional system” of ‘Kingship or “Chieftaincy” in Botswana in order to highlight developments on gender equality within governance regimes, on legal and political pluralism, on inclusive leadership, and if, and how, Botswana might be considered as a possible role model in Sub-Saharan Africa. To avoid a tempo-centristic view and hence short-sighted conclusions, in the following the historical path dependency of Botswana will be briefly analyzed.