Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Pula Botswana" in Malay language version.
The new names pula and thebe were chosen following an invitation to the public to submit a their suggestions [...] The meaning of "thebe" is shield — the traditional means of defence.
Pula (rain) was an easy choice for the currency, and the decimal coins were called thebe (shield).(Memoirs of a former president of Botswana)