BOTSWANA - THE FORMER BRITISH PROTECTORATE OF BECHUANALAND - YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) BECAME AFRICA'S NEWEST REPUBLIC. SIR SERETSE KHAMA, THE PRIME MINISTER, WAS SWORN-IN AS THE COUNTRY'S FIRST PRESIDENT.

THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY TOOK PLACE IN THE MODERN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING IN THE CAPITAL, GABERONES. PRINCESS MARINA, DUCHESS OF KENT, REPRESENTING QUEEN ELIZABETH, HANDED OVER THE CONSTITUTIONAL INSTRUMENTS AND DELIVERED A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN, WISHING THE REPUBLIC SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE.

THE UNION JACK, WHICH HAD FLOWN IN BECHUANALAND FOR 81 YEARS, WAS LOWERED AT MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY AND BOTSWANA'S NEW FLAG OF BLUE, BLACK AND WHITE WAS RAISED.

BOTSWANA IS THE 38TH INDEPENDENT STATE IN AFRICA. SHE WILL REMAIN WITHIN THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH - THE TENTH INDEPENDENT AFRICAN NATION TO CHOOSE TO KEEP SUCH A LINK WITH BRITAIN.

THE NEW REPUBLIC EXTENDS OVER 225,000 SQUARE MILES (563,000 SQUARE KILOMETRES) AND HAS A POPULATION OF 543,000. IT IS ONE OF THE POOREST COUNTRIES IN AFRICA AND ITS ECONOMY HAS SUFFERED FURTHER BLOWS BY FIVE YEARS OF DROUGHT.

DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD JOINED IN YESTERDAY'S CELEBRATIONS. PRESIDENT KHAMA HAS PROCLAIMED A GOOD NEIGHBOUR POLICY TOWARDS SOUTH AFRICA, WHOSE REPRESENTATIVES AT THE CELEBRATIONS ERE GIVEN A PLACE OF HONOUR. BOTSWANA'S ECONOMY LARGELY DEPENDS ON SOUTH AFRICA.