<human>:  Why did the British lose at the Battle of Mafeking?
<bot>: The British lost because the Boers had better leadership and tactics. The British army was not prepared for a siege, and their supplies were limited. The British also had trouble communicating with each other, and they didn’t have a good plan for what to do if the Boers attacked. The Boers also had a better supply of ammunition, which they used to attack the British lines.