Sir Seretse Khama History Home Page | Site Index | "Nation without a past" quote A brief biography of Sir Seretse Khama, Botswana's first president: Seretse Khama (1921-80), founding President of Botswana, 1966-80. He inherited an impoverished and internationally obscure state from British rule, and left an increasingly democratic and prosperous country with a significant role in Southern Africa. Seretse Khama was born on 1 July 1921 at Serowe in the British protectorate of Bechuanaland. He was was the son of Sekgoma Khama, and the grandson of the internationally famous Kgosi Khama III (c.1835-1923), ruler of the Bangwato people of central Botswana. He was named Seretse-the clay that binds together-because of the recent reconciliation between his father and grandfather. Seretse's mother, Tebogo Kebailele, had been chosen by Khama to be the new wife of the ageing Sekgoma. When Sekgoma died in 1925, four-year old Seretse was proclaimed Kgosi.

His uncle Tshekedi Khama became regent and later sole guardian for him. The lonely and often sickly child was sent to boarding schools in South Africa, but developed into a healthy and gregarious adolescent sportsman. He attended Fort Hare University College and graduated with a general BA degree in 1944. In August 1945 he was sent to England for a legal education. After a year at Balliol College, Oxford, he enrolled for barrister studies at the Inner Temple, London. In 1947 Seretse Khama met an English woman of his age, Ruth Williams, daughter of a retired army officer. They were married in September 1948. Uncle Tshekedi ordered Seretse home to berate him and demand a divorce. But, after a series of public meetings in Serowe, Seretse turned his people against Tshekedi, and was popularly recognised as Kgosi together with his wife. Tshekedi gave way and went into self-exile. The proclamation of a black chief with a white wife, in a territory strategically placed between South Africa and the Rhodesias, caused outcry among white settler politicians.

South Africa had come under the control of white Afrikaner nationalists in 1948. The British were told that there was no chance of the pro-British opposition party winning the next all-white election in South Africa, if Seretse Khama was allowed to be chief of the Bangwato. The Labour government in Britain desperately needed South African gold and uranium. It agreed to bar Seretse Khama from chieftainship. The Commonwealth relations minister denied that the government was bowing to racism, and lied about this before the House of Commons. A judicial enquiry was set up to prove Seretse's personal unfitness to rule. However, Justice Harragin concluded that Seretse was eminently fit to rule. His report was therefore suppressed by the British government for thirty years. Seretse and his wife were exiled to England in 1951, and in 1952 the new Conservative government declared the exile permanent.

The treatment of Seretse and Ruth Khama by British governments received international press coverage, and outrage was expressed by a wide range of people including human-rights activists, Scottish, West African, Indian and West Indian nationalists, British communists, and conservatives who supported the principle of aristocratic inheritance. Eventually, in 1956, a new Commonwealth relations minister realised that Britain must distance itself from institutionalized racism in South Africa, and decided to allow Seretse and Ruth home as commoners and private citizens. Back home, Seretse Khama was still respected as a man of principle and integrity, but was generally seen as being out-of-touch and a yesterday's man. He was a not too successful cattle rancher and dabbler in local politics, and declined in health until incipient diabetes was diagnosed in 1960. Then, however, much to everyone's surprise, in 1961 he was suddenly energized as a nationalist politician. The Bechuanaland Democratic Party (BDP), with Seretse Khama at its head, drew overwhelming support from rural progressives and conservatives alike.

The liberal-democratic BDP swept aside its pan-Africanist and socialist rivals in the small railway towns, to win the first universal franchise elections of 1965. Seretse Khama became prime minister and then, on 30 September 1966, president of the Republic of Botswana. President Khama and the new republic began with an international image problem. It was widely assumed that his country had no option but to sell-out to its all-powerful white neighbours, South Africa (including South-West Africa) and Southern Rhodesia. Botswana was believed to be the poorest country in Africa. The new government could not cover the costs of administration from taxes, and was continually indebted to Britain. The first task was to lay the groundwork for an export-oriented economy, based on beef processing and copper and diamond mining. President Khama then turned his personal attention to foreign policy, seeking out allies such as President Kaunda of Zambia to break Botswana free from its image of being a docile 'hostage' state.

He also used his unique authority to develop local democracy and quash the powers of traditional chiefs, to develop citizen administrative capacity without over-bureaucratization, and to promote the rule of law in the operations of the state. Though Botswana came to be described as a 'paternalist democracy' under the dominance of one political party, it succeded in establishing itself as both prosperous and peaceful. Between 1966 and 1980 Botswana had the fastest growing economy in the world. It also came to be seen a remarkable state with high principles, upholding liberal democracy and non-racialism in the midst of a region embroiled in civil war, racial enmity and corruption. State mineral revenues were invested in infrastructural development, education and health, and in subsidies to cattle production. The result was a great increase in general prosperity, in rural as well as urban areas, though with inequities that were to become increasing apparent after the death of Seretse Khama. Seretse Khama was known for his intelligence and integrity, and a wicked sense of humour --puncturing the pomposity of those who had too high an opinion of themselves.

He also went through cycles of ill-health and depression, exacerbated by diabetes. He underwent intensive medical treatment in 1968-69 and in 1976-77, when he was fitted with a heart pacemaker, but bounced back energetically in both cases with an innovative period lasting for years. His wife, Ruth Khama, remained the guardian of his health and homelife, but had relatively little influence on his politics. In his last years Seretse Khama looked increasingly outwards and onwards. He was one of the "Front-Line Presidents" who negotiated the future of Zimbabwe and Namibia. He developed a vision of the future of Southern Africa after colonialism and apartheid, as a peaceful, democratic and prosperous region. He was thus the key founder of what has since become the Southern African Development Community. The rigours of constant travel by air for international negotiations, leading up to the independence of Zimbabwe, finally exhausted Seretse Khama. But he had the final satisfaction of witnessing both the independence of Zimbabwe in March 1980 and the launching of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference in April, before his death on 13 July 1980.

He was buried in the Khama family graveyard, on the hill at Serowe overlooking his birthplace. Neil Parsons We were taught, sometimes in a very positive way, to despise ourselves and our ways of life. We were made to believe that we had no past to speak of, no history to boast of. The past, so far as we were concerned, was just a blank and nothing more. Only the present mattered and we had very little control over it. It seemed we were in for a definite period of foreign tutelage, without any hope of our ever again becoming our own masters. The end result of all this was that our self-pride and our self-confidence were badly undermined. It should now be our intention to try to retrieve what we can of our past. We should write our own history books to prove that we did have a past, and that it was a past that was just as worth writing and learning about as any other. We must do this for the simple reason that a nation without a past is a lost nation, and a people without a past is a people without a soul.

(Sir Seretse Khama, speech of Chancellor at University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland graduation ceremony, 15 May 1970; Botswana Daily News Sir Seretse Khama | president of Botswana | Britannica.com president of Botswana Sir Seretse Khama, (born July 1, 1921, Serowe , Bechuanaland [now Botswana]—died July 13, 1980, Gaborone , Botswana), first president of Botswana (1966–80), after the former Bechuanaland protectorate gained independence from Great Britain. Sir Seretse Khama, statue in Botswana. Iulus Ascanius Seretse Khama was the grandson of Khama III the Good, who had allied his kingdom in Bechuanaland with British colonizers in the late 19th century. Seretse Khama succeeded his father to the chieftainship of the Ngwato (Mangwato, or Bamangwato) people at age four. He was educated in South Africa and studied law at the University of Oxford .

His marriage to Ruth Williams, a British woman, in 1948 caused considerable controversy in both Britain and Bechuanaland and was among the reasons the British government forced his exile from Bechuanaland until he agreed to renounce the chieftainship in 1956. Following his return to Bechuanaland as a private citizen, he founded the Democratic Party in 1962, and in 1965 he became prime minister. He helped negotiate the terms of Botswana’s independence, and he was knighted in 1966. As president of Botswana, Khama promoted his ideal of a multiracial democracy . He achieved free universal education in Botswana and sought to diversify and strengthen the country’s economy. He was reelected to successive terms and served as president of Botswana until his death. His son, Ian Khama , became president of Botswana in 2008.

Learn More in these related articles: Biography of the African statesman: Sir Seretse Khama African History Expert By Alistair Boddy-Evans Seretse Khama was the first prime minister of Botswana, and from 1966 to his death in 1980, he served as the country's first president. Date of Birth: 1 July 1921, Serowe, Bechuanaland. Date of Death: 13 July 1980. An Early Life Seretse (the name means "the clay that binds together") Khama was born in Serowe, British Protectorate of Bechunaland, on 1 July 1921. His grandfather, Kgama III, was paramount chief (Kgosi) of the Bama-Ngwato, part of the Tswana people of the region. Kgama III had traveled to London in 1885, leading a delegation which asked for Crown protection to be given to Bechuanaland, foiling the empire building ambitions of Cecil Rhodes and the incursions of the Boers.

Kgosi of the Bama-Ngwato Kgama III died in 1923 and the paramountcy briefly passed to his son Sekgoma II, who died a couple of years later (in 1925). At the age of four Seretse Khama effectively became Kgosi and his uncle Tshekedi Khama was made regent. Studying at Oxford and London Seretse Khama was educated in South Africa and graduated from Fort Hare College in 1944 with a BA. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge In 1945 he left for England to study law -- Initially for a year at Balliol College, Oxford, and then at the Inner Temple, London. In June 1947 Seretse Khama first met Ruth Williams, a WAAF ambulance driver during World War II now working as a clerk at Lloyds. Their marriage in September 1948 threw southern Africa into political turmoil. Repercussions for a Mixed Marriage The Apartheid government in South Africa had banned inter-racial marriages and the marriage of a black chief to a British white woman was a problem.

The British government feared that South Africa would invade Bechuanaland or that it would immediately move for full independence. This was a concern because Britain was still heavily in debt after World War II and could not afford to lose the mineral wealth of South Africa, especially gold and uranium (needed for Britain's atomic bomb projects). Back in Bechuanaland Tshekedi was annoyed -- he attempted to disrupt the marriage and demanding that Seretse return home to have it annulled. Seretse came back immediately and was received by Tshekedi with the words "You Seretse, come here ruined by others, not by me." Seretse fought hard to persuade the Bama-Ngwato people of his continued suitability as chief, and on 21 June 1949 at a Kgotla (a meeting of the elders) he was declared Kgosi, and his new wife was warmly welcomed. Fit To Rule Seretse Khama returned to Britain to continue with his law studies, but was met with a Parliamentary investigation into his suitability for the chieftaincy -- whilst Bechuanaland was under its protection, Britain claimed the right to ratify any succession.

Unfortunately for the government, the investigation's report concluded that Seretse was "eminently fit to rule" -- it was kept suppressed for thirty years. Seretse and his wife were banished him from Bechuanaland in 1950. Nationalist Hero Under international pressure for its apparent racism, Britain relented and allowed Seretse Khama and his wife to return to Bechuanaland in 1956, but only if both he and his uncle renounced their claim to the chieftaincy. What hadn't been expected was the political acclaim that six years exile had given him back home -- Seretse Khama was acclaimed as a nationalist hero. In 1962 Seretse founded the Bechuanaland Democratic Party and campaigned for multi-racial reform. Elected Prime Minister High on Seretse Khama's agenda was a need for democratic self-government, and he pushed the British authorities hard for independence. In 1965 the center of Bechuanaland government was moved from Mafikeng, in South Africa, to the newly established capital of Gaborone  and Seretse Khama was elected as Prime Minister.

When the country achieved independence on 30 September 1966, Seretse became the first president of the Republic of Botswana. He was re-elected twice and died in office in 1980. President of Botswana "We stand virtually alone in our belief that a non-racial society can work now, but there are those .. who will be only too delighted to see our experiment fail." Seretse Khama used his influence with the country's various ethnic groups and traditional chiefs to create a strong, democratic government. During his rule Botswana had the most rapidly growing economy of the world (remember it started very low) and the discovery of diamond deposits allowed the government to finance the creation of a new social infrastructure. The country's second major export resource, beef, allowed for the development of wealthy entrepreneurs. Whilst in power Seretse Khama refused to allow neighbouring liberation movements to establish camps in Botswana, but permitted transit to camps in Zambia -- this resulted in several raids from South Africa and Rhodesia. He also played a prominent role in the negotiated transition from White minority rule in Rhodesia to multi-racial rule in Zimbabwe.

He was also a key negotiant in the creation of the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC) which was launched in April 1980, shortly before his death. On 13 July 1980 Seretse Khama died in office of pancreatic cancer. Quett Ketumile Joni Masire, his vice president, took office and served (with re-election) until March 1998. Since Seretse Khama's death, Batswanan politicians and cattle barons have begun to dominate the country's economy, to the detriment of the working classes. The situation is more serious for the minority Bushman peoples (Basarwa Herero, etc) which form only 6% of the country's population, with pressure for land around the Okavango Delta increasing as cattle ranchers and mines move in. Seretse Khama (Politician) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Seretse Khama Male Born Jul 1, 1921 Sir Seretse Khama, KBE was a statesman from Botswana.

Born into one of the more powerful of the royal families of what was then the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland, and educated abroad in neighbouring South Africa and in the United Kingdom, he returned homeâwith a popular but controversial brideâto lead his country's independence movement. He founded the Botswana Democratic Party in 1962 and became Prime Minister in 1965.… Read More related links Rousing Welcome For Montsho Mmegi Online Google News - Sep 02, 2011 'The world&#39;s 400m champion, Amantle Montsho touched down at Sir <mark>Seretse Khama</mark> Airport (SSKA) to an ecstatic crowd yesterday evening. Batswana thronged the SSKA in large numbers to witness the arrival of Botswana&#39;s Golden Girl following her exploits at' Africa: The Chairperson Of The African Union Commission Receives The ...

All Africa.Com Google News - Sep 01, 2011 'Welcoming the New Permanent Representative of the Republic of Botswana, the Chairperson extended his profound appreciation to HE President <mark>Seretse Khama</mark> Ian Khama and his Government, for their continued support of and the excellent working relationship' First President Told Me To Quit Rammidi The Bostwana Gazette Google News - Aug 31, 2011 'FRANCISTOWN: The Member of Parliament for Kanye North, Kentse Rammidi, who resigned from the from Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) two weeks ago told a political rally that he did so after the first President of Botswana, Sir <mark>Seretse Khama</mark>,' South Africans Protest Over Hearing For Zuma Rival New York Times Google News - Aug 30, 2011 'On July 31, he publicly urged the ouster of President <mark>Seretse Khama</mark> Ian Khama of neighboring Botswana. The episode was only one of many that have made Mr.

Malema an irritant to the authorities as much as a champion among his more radical followers' Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Seretse Khama. CHILDHOOD 1921 Birth Seretse Khama was born in 1921 in Serowe, in what was then the Bechuanaland Protectorate. … Read More He was the son of Sekgoma Khama II and Queen Tebogo, the paramount chief of the Bamangwato people, and the grandson of Khama III, their king. Read Less 1925 4 Years Old The name "Seretse" means âthe clay that binds", and was given to him to celebrate the recent reconciliation of his father and grandfather; this reconciliation assured Seretseâs own ascension to the throne with his aged fatherâs death in 1925. … Read More At the age of four, Seretse became kgosi (king), with his uncle Tshekedi Khama as his regent and guardian.

Read Less TWENTIES 1944 23 Years Old After spending most of his youth in Tiger Kloof Educational Institution in South Africa, Khama attended Fort Hare University College there, graduating with a general B.A. in 1944. 1946 25 Years Old He then travelled to the United Kingdom and spent a year at Balliol College, Oxford, before joining the Inner Temple in London in 1946, to study to become a barrister. 1947 26 Years Old In June 1947, Khama met Ruth Williams, an English clerk at Lloyd's of London, and after a year of courtship, married her. … Read More The interracial marriage sparked a furore among both the apartheid government of South Africa and the tribal elders of the Bamangwato. On being informed of the marriage, Khama's uncle Tshekedi Khama demanded his return to Bechuanaland and the annulment of the marriage.

Read Less 1949 28 Years Old Khama did return to Serowe but after a series of kgotlas (public meetings), was re-affirmed by the elders in his role as the kgosi in 1949. … Read More Ruth Williams Khama, travelling with her new husband, proved similarly popular. Admitting defeat, Tshekedi Khama left Bechuanaland, while Khama returned to London to complete his studies.<br /><br /> However, the international ramifications of his marriage would not be so easily resolved. Having banned interracial marriage under the apartheid system, South Africa could not afford to have an interracial couple ruling just across their northern border. As Bechuanaland was then a British protectorate (not a colony), the South African government immediately exerted pressure to have Khama removed from his chieftainship. Britainâs Labour government, then heavily in debt from World War II, could not afford to lose cheap South African gold and uranium supplies. There was also a fear that South Africa might take more direct action against Bechuanaland, through economic sanctions or a military incursion.

The British government therefore launched a parliamentary enquiry into Khamaâs fitness for the chieftainship. Read Less THIRTIES 1951 30 Years Old Though the investigation reported that he was in fact eminently fit to rule Bechuanaland, "but for his unfortunate marriage", the government ordered the report suppressed (it would remain so for thirty years), and exiled Khama and his wife from Bechuanaland in 1951. … Read More Various groups protested against the government decision, holding it up as evidence of British racism. In Britain itself there was wide anger at the decision and calls for the resignation of Lord Salisbury, the minister responsible. A deputation of six Bamangwato travelled to London to see the exiled Khama and Lord Salisbury, in an echo of the 1895 deputation of three Batswana kgosis to Queen Victoria, but with no success. However, when ordered by the British High Commission to replace Khama, the people refused to comply.

Read Less 1956 35 Years Old In 1956, Seretse and Ruth Khama were allowed to return to Bechuanaland as private citizens, after he had renounced the tribal throne. 1957 36 Years Old Khama began an unsuccessful stint as a cattle rancher and dabbled in local politics, being elected to the tribal council in 1957. 1960 39 Years Old In 1960 he was diagnosed with diabetes. FORTIES 1961 40 Years Old In 1961, however, Khama leapt back onto the political scene by founding the nationalist Bechuanaland Democratic Party. Seretse Khama Ian Khama's Profile, Biography & Heritage - Katagogi Biography of Seretse Khama Ian Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama is the President of Botswana and the Paramount Chief of the Bamangwato tribe. He is the first born son of Sir Seretse Khama (the country's foremost independence leader who was President from 1966 to 1980) and Lady Khama.

He was born in (b.February 27, 1953) and he married his English wife Ruth Williams, whose marriage in 1948 caused so much controversy that Seretse was banned from the Bangwato chieftainship for several years. (See New African October 2007). Sir Seretse, who became the country's first president at independence in 1966, is still much revered. Khama, serving as Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, announced on 16 December 1997 that he would retire from his command on 31 March 1998. Because this was the same date as the planned retirement of President Quett Masire, it fueled political speculation about Khama. On 1 April 1998, when Vice-President Festus Mogae succeeded Masire as President, Khama was appointed as the new Vice-President. However, Khama did not hold a seat in the National Assembly, and so could not immediately take office as Vice-President.

In early July 1998 he overwhelmingly won a by-election in Serowe North, receiving 2,986 votes against 86 votes for the candidate of the opposition Botswana National Front. On 13 July, he took his seat in the National Assembly and was sworn in as Vice-President. Following the victory of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in the general election of October 1999, Khama remained Vice-President as well as Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration. Mogae granted Khama a one-year leave later in the year, a decision that the opposition Botswana Congress Party and the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organizations sharply criticized. Khama's leave became effec Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama is the President of Botswana and the Paramount Chief of the Bamangwato tribe. He is the first born son of Sir Seretse Khama (the country's foremost independence leader who was President from 1966 to 1980) and Lady Khama.

He was born in (b.February 27, 1953) and he married his English wife Ruth Williams, whose marriage in 1948 caused so much controversy that Seretse was banned from the Bangwato chieftainship for several years. (See New African October 2007). Sir Seretse, who became the country's first president at independence in 1966, is still much revered. Khama, serving as Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, announced on 16 December 1997 that he would retire from his command on 31 March 1998. Because this was the same date as the planned retirement of President Quett Masire, it fueled political speculation about Khama. On 1 April 1998, when Vice-President Festus Mogae succeeded Masire as President, Khama was appointed as the new Vice-President. However, Khama did not hold a seat in the National Assembly, and so could not immediately take office as Vice-President.

In early July 1998 he overwhelmingly won a by-election in Serowe North, receiving 2,986 votes against 86 votes for the candidate of the opposition Botswana National Front. On 13 July, he took his seat in the National Assembly and was sworn in as Vice-President. Following the victory of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in the general election of October 1999, Khama remained Vice-President as well as Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration. Mogae granted Khama a one-year leave later in the year, a decision that the opposition Botswana Congress Party and the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organizations sharply criticized. Khama's leave became effective on 1 January 2000. He returned to his duties as Vice-President on 1 September 2000, although he was replaced as Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration at that time.

Khama, already a member of the BDP Central Committee, was elected as Chairman of the BDP on 22 July 2003 at a party congress; he defeated the previous Chairman, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, receiving 512 votes against 219 for Kedikilwe. Khama had been backed for the post by President Mogae, and the outcome was viewed as crucial, paving the way for Khama to eventually succeed Mogae as President. Mogae stepped down, as he had long said he would do, on 1 April 2008, handing power to Khama. At his swearing-in ceremony in Ref . Sir Seretse Khama facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Sir Seretse Khama COPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. Sir Seretse M. Khama Seretse M. Khama (1921-1980), first president of Botswana after it gained independence from Great Britain in 1966, was a major figure in his country's political history.

He was also the grandson of Khama III the Good, who allied his kingdom of Bechuanaland with British colonizers in the late 19th century. As such, Khama carried the title of Sir Seretse, chieftain of the Ngwato (or Bamangwato) tribe. Seretse M. Khama was born in the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) in southern Africa, on July 1, 1921. He was heir to the chieftainship of the Ngwato (or Bamangwato) people, the largest of the Bechuanaland tribes. His uncle, Tshekedi Khama, acted as regent and groomed the boy to take over the chieftainship. He was schooled at home until the age of ten when he was sent to South Africa, where he attended Tiger Kloff, Adams College, and Lovedale, graduating in 1940. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Fort Hare University College and went on to study law at the University of the Witwatersrand.

During his first year there, his uncle decided it was time for the young man to become chief, but Khama asked for permission to continue his studies in England, where he attended Oxford University. A Troubling Marriage After three years at Oxford and as a law student in London, Khama informed his uncle that he was going to marry an English woman, Ruth Williams. She was a typist with a local insurance company. Everyone but the young couple was deeply distressed—Uncle Tshekedi, Williams's parents, and even the government of South Africa, which warned the British Colonial Office that trouble would come from this interracial marriage. The uncle's basic objection was that Khama, as chief-designate, had violated tribal law and custom by taking a wife without the prior assent of the tribe. Moreover, Tshekedi Khama was aware of the possible consequences of a mixed marriage in this exposed territory, overshadowed by its white-supremacist neighbors, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia. The marriage was discussed at three large kgotlas (tribal meetings) held between November 1948 and June 1949.

At the first kgotla, nearly all the speakers opposed the marriage, and it was resolved not to accept Ruth Williams as the wife of a future chief. Furthermore, she was not to be allowed to enter Ngwato country. More people were won over to Seretse's side at the second kgotla in December 1948, but most tribesmen still expressed hostility. By now, however, rumors (which were false) were circulating that the uncle himself had designs on the chieftainship. At the final kgotla in June 1949, tribal feeling had turned decisively against Tshekedi Khama. In a short speech, Seretse Khama asked the tribe if they were in favor of him and his wife, and most shouted their approval. International Complications Khama and Ruth Williams were married in a civil ceremony, because all London churches closed their doors to the couple, on Sept. 29, 1948. Approval of the marriage by the kgotla did not, however, end the trouble.

The British government instituted a commission of inquiry to examine the dispute and ascertain whether Khama was "a fit and proper person to discharge the functions of chief." The British may have been responding to South African pressures. Dr. D. F. Malan, the South African prime minister, had expressed bitter opposition to the marriage and had declared that Seretse Khama was prohibited from entering South Africa. (This was a serious restriction as the capital of Bechuanaland was then the South African town of Mafeking.) It was thought that South Africa would intensify its demand to incorporate the territory, as it had long wished to do, and that it might apply economic pressures that could cripple Bechuanaland, which was utterly dependent upon South Africa. The findings of the commission were never published, but in 1950 the British government decided to withhold recognition from Khama as chief for at least five years. During this time he was prohibited from entering Bechuanaland without special permission. Subsequently, in 1952 the British offered Khama an official post in Jamaica if he would give up his claim to the chieftainship. He refused. Pressure from the Ngwato failed to induce the British government to alter its stand.

Return Home Finally, in 1956, Khama, who had been living in London for some years, and his uncle both renounced their children's claims to the chieftainship. That year, Khama, his wife, and four children, Jacqueline, Ian Seretse, and twins Tshekedi Stanford and Anthony Paul, returned to Bechuanaland as private citizens. Not barred from participating in local politics, Khama soon became an important member of the Ngwato Tribal Council, the African Advisory Council, and the Joint Advisory Council. He supported a motion for the introduction of a legislative council and spoke out strongly against racial discrimination. In 1961 Khama became a member of the new Legislative Council and was subsequently appointed to the Executive Council. In 1962 he was instrumental in founding the Bechuanaland Democratic party. Constitutional development proceeded rapidly in the early 1960s. By March 1965, after Khama's party had won 28 out of the 31 contested constituencies, Bechuanaland was granted self-government and Khama became prime minister.

Full sovereign independence was granted on September 30, 1966, when Bechuanaland became the Republic of Botswana (an old tribal name for the country). Seretse Khama became its first president and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. As the new leader, Sir Seretse Khama showed great determination to develop his poverty-stricken and drought-ravaged country. He achieved free universal education and tried to strengthen the nation's economy. His major challenge was South Africa. Despite an overwhelming economic dependence on its southern neighbor, Khama had always made clear his abhorrence of apartheid, South Africa's policy of racial apartness. He had even deported a South African citizen for making racist statements. Despite a fundamental difference of philosophy, however, Khama managed to maintain reasonably cordial relations with his powerful neighbor and at the same time preserve an undisputed independence. In time, even Khama's in-laws softened on the marriage and often visited the state house in Gaborone. Khama was reelected to successive terms and remained president of Botswana until his death on July 13, 1980. Further Reading There is no full-length biography of Seretse.

Information on him is contained in John Redfern, Ruth and Seretse: "A Very Disreputable Transaction" (1955); Mary Benson, Tshekedi Khama (1960); and S. M. Gabatshwane, Seretse Khama and Botswana (1966). Recommended for general historical background are William Malcolm Hailey, The Republic of South Africa and the High Commission Territories (1963), and Richard P. Stevens, Lesotho, Botswana, and Swaziland (1967). □ Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright The Columbia University Press Sir Seretse Khama (sĕrĕt´sā kä´mä), 1921–80, Botswanan political leader, president of Botswana (1966–80); grandson of Khama III .

After studying in England he returned to Bechuanaland (now Botswana) but was banished (1950) in a dispute with the British government over his succession to the chieftaincy of the Ngwato people. He renounced (1956) his claim, returned, and launched the Bechuanaland Democratic party. He served (1965–66) as prime minister; when Bechuanaland became independent as Botswana, he assumed the presidency. He served four terms and died in office in 1980. He was knighted in 1966. Cite this article President Seretse Khama | South African History Online South African History Online Home » Biographies » President Seretse Khama President Seretse Khama Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on People category: Seretse Khama was the chief of the Bama-Ngwato tribe, Bechuanaland (now Botswana). Title: Location of death: Gabarone, Botswana Seretse Khama was born on 1 July 1921 at Serowe, Bechuanaland (now Botswana).

His grandfather was Kgosi (King) Khama III, known as Khama the Good, the ruler of the Bangwato people. Under his rule and with his approval, Bechuanaland had been put under British protection in the 19th century. Seretse’s name means ‘the clay that binds’, and referred to the reconciliation after a rift between his father and grandfather. In 1925 Seretse Khama succeeded his father to the throne, but his uncle Tshekedi Khama became the new four year-old Kgosi’s regent and guardian. Seretse was sent to South Africa for his education, and in 1944 he graduated with a BA degree from Fort Hare University College. He then left to further his studies in law in England, first at Balliol College, Oxford, then at Inner Temple, London. In 1947 he met Ruth Williams, the daughter of a retired army officer. They were married in September 1948. Seretse’s Uncle Tshekedi ordered him to come home so that he could rebuke him for his marriage to a White woman.

He wanted Seretse to get a divorce, but Seretse managed to win the people’s favour. He was recognised as Kgosi, and Ruth as his wife. South Africa was not prepared to accept this in an area that was so strategically placed between them and Rhodesia, and bargained with Britain not to allow Seretse’s chieftaincy. Consequently, he was exiled to England in 1951. But five years later a new Commonwealth minister decided to distance Britain from South Africa’s racist policies, and Seretse and Ruth were allowed back into Bechuanaland, but only as normal citizens. Here he tried his hand at cattle farming and local politics, but many saw him as out-of-touch with current affairs. His health, which had bothered him as a child already, was growing worse and in 1960 he was diagnosed with diabetes. This setback did not prevent him from making a political comeback, however: soon afterwards he became the leader of the Bechuanaland Democratic Party (BDP), which drew large support from both progressive and conservative circles. In 1965 the BDP won the elections, and Seretse Khama became Prime Minister.

The next year, Bechuanaland gained its independence from Britain. The new republic’s name was changed to Botswana, and Seretse Khama became its first President. The country inherited by President Khama was riven with problems. At the time, it was probably Africa’s poorest country, greatly indebted to Britain and surrounded by White-ruled states. But Khama refused to submit to their control, and under his rule Botswana’s economy, administration and relations with other Black African states were repaired and developed. During his time as President Botswana had the fastest growing economy in the world. It was a period of much civil strife in Africa, but Botswana remained free from war and corruption. In his last years he played an important role in southern African politics when he negotiated the future of Zimbabwe and South West Africa/Namibia and developed a vision of a southern Africa post-colonialism and post–apartheid, seen to be a key part in the development of the Southern African Development Community that has since been founded. Khama’s health continued to bother him. He received frequent and intensive medical treatment, and on 13 July 1980 he died in Gabarone, Botswana.

Before his death, however, he did see Zimbabwe’s independence and the launching of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) in April 1980. 1 July (his birthdate) is celebrated as a public holiday in Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama Day. Below is Seretse Khama’s view on history, quoted from a speech at the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland in 1970: "in a very positive way, to despise ourselves and our ways of life. We were made to believe that we had no past to speak of, no history to boast of. The past, so far as we were concerned, was just a blank and nothing more. Only the present mattered and we had very little control over it. It seemed we were in for a definite period of foreign tutelage, without any hope of our ever again becoming our own masters. The end result of all this was that our self-pride and our self-confidence were badly undermined. It should now be our intention to try to retrieve what we can of our past.

We should write our own history books to prove that we did have a past, and that it was a past that was just as worth writing and learning about as any other. We must do this for the simple reason that a nation without a past is a lost nation, and a people without a past is a people without a soul". References: • Seretse Khama - A brief biography of Sir Seretse Khama, Botswana's first president: Avaliable at: ubh.tripod.com [Accessed 1 October 2009] Further Reading: Botswana: A Glimpse of Seretse Khama's Legacy - allAfrica.com Botswana: A Glimpse of Seretse Khama's Legacy column By Dr. Jeff Ramsay For Sir Seretse Khama Day Holiday: Profile of the late Sir Seretse Khama, NYB, KBE, LLD, D.LITT, PHD, MP, First President of the Republic of Botswana. 30 September 1966 - 13 July 1980. The late Sir Seretse Khama was the first President of the Republic of Botswana.

He inherited an impoverished and internationally obscure state from British rule and left it as a democratic and increasingly prosperous nation with a significant role in southern Africa. Seretse Khama was born on1 July 1921 at Serowe in what was then the Bangwato Tribal Reserve of the Bechuanaland Protectorate. He was the son and heir of Sekgoma Khama and Tebogo (nee Kebailele). In 1923 his father succeeded his grandfather as the Kgosi or ruler of the Bangwato. His reign, as with Kgosi Sekgoma II, was short as he died in 1925. After the death of his mother in 1930, Seretse remained in the care of his uncle, Tshekedi Khama, who ruled the Bangwato as regent Seretse attende higher primary and secondary education in South Africa at two prominent mission schools, Lovedale and Tiger Kloof, before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at Fort Hare College. Thereafter he studied law at the University of Witwatersrand and Balloil College, Oxford, before taking up further barrister studies at Inner Temple in London.

In June 1947, while in London, Seretse met Ruth Williams. Their interracial marriage in September 1948 ultimately threw the British Empire into turmoil. Initially it was uncle Tshekedi who ordered Seretse home to demand a divorce. But after a series of public meetings in Serowe, Seretse was popularly recognised as Kgosi together with his wife. Tshekedi then gave way and went into self-exile. The proclamation of a black chief with a white wife in a territory strategically located between South Africa and the Rhodesias caused an outcry among the white settler politicians. South Africa had come under the control of white Afrikaner nationalists in 1948. The then Labour Party government in Britain was desperate to secure its economic as well as political ties with the new apartheid regime. It therefore quietly agreed to bar Seretse Khama from chieftainship. A judicial enquiry was set up to try to prove Seretse's personal unfitness to rule. But, instead it concluded that Seretse was eminently fit to rule. The British government then suppressed the commissions report. Seretse and his wife were exiled to England.

The persecution of Seretse and Ruth Khama received extensive international press coverage and a wide range of people around the world expressed outrage. Eventually, in 1956, the British finally allowed Seretse and Ruth to return to Botswana as private citizens. What the London authority had not expected was the political acclaim that six years exile had given him beck home, where Seretse Khama was acclaimed as a nationalist hero. From 1957-62 Seretse Khama was involved in the reform of local and territorial government leading to the establishment of legislative council as key steps towards decolonisation. In 1962 he founded the Bechuanaland Democratic Party (BDP). Its call for reform, leading to a non-racial independent republic, the BDP was able to draw overwhelming support. It won the first universal franchise election in March 1965, allowing Seretse Khama to be the first prime minister of a self-governing Bechuanaland Protectorate before leading the country to full independence a year later. At independence, Botswana was entirely surrounded by white racist regimes.

It was widely but falsely assumed that the country had no option but to sell-out to its neighbours, South Africa -including South-West Africa- and Southern Rhodesia. The new government could not cover the costs of administration from taxes. It was continually indebted to Britain. The first task was to lay the groundwork for an export-oriented economy, based on beef processing, copper and diamond mining. Between 1966 and 1980 Botswana had the fastest growing economy in the world. It also came to be seen a remarkable state with high principles, upholding liberal democracy and non-racialism in the midst of a region embroiled in civil war, racial enmity and corruption. State mineral revenues were invested in infrastructural development, education and health and in subsidies to cattle production. The result was a great increase in general prosperity and in rural as well as urban areas. Seretse Khama also used his unique authority to develop local democracy and curtail the powers of traditional chiefs to develop citizen administrative capacity without over-bureaucratisisation and to promotion of the rule of law.

As Botswana progressed, Seretse Khama was able to turn more of his attention to foreign policy, finding key early allies in Presidents Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania. In his final decade he played and increasingly prominent role as a Pan African statesman. He was one of the "Frontline" presidents who negotiated the future of Zimbabwe and Namibia. In the face of the terrorist activities of the Smith regime in particular, the Botswana Defence Force was created to guard Botswana's borders, protecting the growing number of refugees as well as the citizenry. During that, period Seretse Khama articulated a clear vision of the future of Southern Africa after colonialism and apartheid as a peaceful, democratic and prosperous region. He was thus the key founder of what has since become the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The rigours of constant travel for international negotiations leading to the independence of Zimbabwe finally exhausted Seretse Khama. But he had the final satisfaction of witnessing both the independence of Zimbabwe in March 1980 and the launching of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference in April, before his death on the 13 July 1980.

Khama is fondly remembered for his intelligence, integrity and sense of humour. Of his lasting legacy it can be said that the perpetual democracy, socio-economic development, political stability and unity that Batswana experiences today are what Sir Seretse Khama always stood for. Copyright © 2007 Mmegi/The Reporter. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media ( allAfrica.com ). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. AllAfrica publishes around 700 reports a day from more than 140 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . Seretse Khama, Sir.

1st President of Botswana (1921 - 1980) - Genealogy Seretse Khama, Sir. 1st President of Botswana Birthdate: Half brother of Gasetshwarwe aSekgoma and Oratile aSekgoma Managed by: Added 2013-09-27 03:37:32 -0700 by Sharon Doubell Collection: NewspaperARCHIVE.com Text: ... al most as big Texas hoisted Its new flag Sept 30 swore in Seretse Khama as president and faced ..." Date: Added 2013-09-27 03:37:30 -0700 by Sharon Doubell Collection: ... A few traditional chiefs bent with the winds of change Sir Seretse Khama former paramount ..." Date: Added 2013-09-27 03:37:29 -0700 by Sharon Doubell Collection: NewspaperARCHIVE.com Text: ... 1945 In the past six months the visitors have included dent Seretse Khama of Botswana President Mathieu Kerekou of Benin Pakistani Prime...

Date: Australian Newspapers Text: "....-Seretse Khama, chief designate of the Bamangwato tribe, last night re- fused to leave Bechuanaland with his white wife and their 11... Publication: Aug 4 1950 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... (A.A.P.).-The exiled chief designate of the Bamangwato tribe, Seretse Khama, and his white wife, Ruth ... , 25, were reunited at Scrowe,... Publication: Apr 17 1950 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: "....LONDON, April 12. Seretse Khama has t been re- fused permission to visit his wife at Serqwe, Bamangwato tribal capital in Bechuanala... Publication: Apr 13 1950 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... Africa THE important political implica- tions of the arrival of Seretse | Khama.' chief-elect of. the Bam angwato tribe, and his English...

Publication: Aug 24 1949 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: "...designate of the Bamangwato tribe, Seretse Khama, is planning a legal fight against the British Government's order exiling him for fi... Publication: Mar 13 1950 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ".... The Government summoned Seretse Khama, Chief-designate of the Bamangwato Tribe, to London, then announced that he would be exiled f... Publication: Mar 18 1950 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... March 24 (A.A.P.).-In a letter to "The Times" to-day Seretse Khama suggests that the Government let him become chief of the Bama... Publication: Mar 25 1950 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: ... Mar. 23.-Poli- tical observers to-day say that a debate on the Seretse Khama case is likely, even if the Government blocks an at- tempt ...

Publication: Mar 24 1950 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Page: Australian Newspapers Text: "...approved a decision by the British Government to exclude Seretse Khama perma- nently from the chieftain- ship of the Bamangwato tribe... Publication: Mar 29 1952 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Page: Sir Seretse Khama, KBE (July 1, 1921 – July 13, 1980) was a statesman from Botswana. Born into one of the more powerful of the royal families of what was then the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland, and educated abroad in neighbouring South Africa and in the United Kingdom, he returned home—with a popular but controversial bride—to lead his country's independence movement. He founded the Botswana Democratic Party in 1962 and became Prime Minister in 1965. In 1966, Botswana gained independence and Khama became its first president. Seretse Khama was born in 1921 in Serowe, in what was then the Bechuanaland Protectorate.

He was the son of Sekgoma Khama II, the paramount chief of the Bamangwato people, and the grandson of Khama III, their king. The name "Seretse" means “the clay that binds", and was given to him to celebrate the recent reconciliation of his father and grandfather; this reconciliation assured Seretse’s own ascension to the throne with his aged father’s death in 1925. At the age of four, Seretse became kgosi (king), with his uncle Tshekedi Khama as his regent and guardian. After spending most of his youth in South African boarding schools, Khama attended Fort Hare University College there, graduating with a general B.A. in 1944. He then travelled to the United Kingdom and spent a year at Balliol College, Oxford, before joining the Inner Temple in London in 1946, to study to become a barrister. In June 1947, Khama met Ruth Williams, an English clerk at Lloyd's of London, and after a year of courtship, married her.

The interracial marriage sparked a furore among both the apartheid government of South Africa and the tribal elders of the Bamangwato. On being informed of the marriage, Khama's uncle Tshekedi Khama demanded his return to Bechuanaland and the annulment of the marriage. Khama did return to Serowe but after a series of kgotlas (public meetings), was re-affirmed by the elders in his role as the kgosi in 1949. Ruth Williams Khama, travelling with her new husband, proved similarly popular. Admitting defeat, Tshekedi Khama left Bechuanaland, while Khama returned to London to complete his studies. However, the international ramifications of his marriage would not be so easily resolved. Having banned interracial marriage under the apartheid system, South Africa could not afford to have an interracial couple ruling just across their northern border. As Bechuanaland was then a British protectorate (not a colony), the South African government immediately exerted pressure to have Khama removed from his chieftainship. Britain’s Labour government, then heavily in debt from World War II, could not afford to lose cheap South African gold and uranium supplies.

There was also a fear that South Africa might take more direct action against Bechuanaland, through economic sanctions or a military incursion. The British government therefore launched a parliamentary enquiry into Khama’s fitness for the chieftainship. Though the investigation reported that he was in fact eminently fit to rule Bechuanaland, "but for his unfortunate marriage", the government ordered the report suppressed (it would remain so for thirty years), and exiled Khama and his wife from Bechuanaland in 1951. The sentence would not last nearly so long. Various groups protested against the government decision, holding it up as evidence of British racism. In Britain itself there was wide anger at the decision and calls for the resignation of Lord Salisbury, the minister responsible. A deputation of six Bamangwato travelled to London to see the exiled Khama and Lord Salisbury, in an echo of the 1895 deputation of three Batswana kgosis to Queen Victoria, but with no success. However, when ordered by the British High Commission to replace Khama, the people refused to do so.

In 1956, Seretse and Ruth Khama were allowed to return to Bechuanaland as private citizens, after he had renounced the tribal throne. Khama began an unsuccessful stint as a cattle rancher and dabbled in local politics, being elected to the tribal council in 1957. In 1960 he was diagnosed with diabetes. In 1961, however, Khama leapt back onto the political scene by founding the nationalist Bechuanaland Democratic Party. His exile gave him an increased credibility with an independence-minded electorate, and the BDP swept aside its Socialist and Pan-Africanist rivals to dominate the 1965 elections. Now Prime Minister of Bechuanaland, Khama continued to push for Botswana's independence, from the newly established capital of Gaborone. A 1965 constitution delineated a new Botswana government, and on 30 September 1966, Botswana gained its independence, with Khama acting as its first President. In 1966 Elizabeth II appointed Khama Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Khama remained president until his death from pancreatic cancer in 1980. He was buried in the Royal Cemetery on a hill in Serowe, Central District. Twenty-eight years after Khama's death, his son Ian succeeded Festus Mogae as the fourth President of Botswana; in the 2009 general election he won a landslide victory in which a younger son, Tshekedi Khama, was elected as a parliamentarian from Serowe North West. Wylie, Diana. ‘A Little God. The Twilight of Patriarchy in a Southern African Chiefdom.’ Johannesburg: Wits University Press. 1991. Print. Contact Sharon Doubell Ian Khama (Politician) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Show Less He won a full term in the 2009 election and was re-elected in October 2014. In 2009, Khama appeared on CNN's African Voices which painted a positive picture of the outgoing and physically fit Khama who is leading a new generation of African leaders.

… Read More Even though Ian Khama was not elected to the presidency, which some political commentators such as Kenneth Good see as a flaw in the electoral system in Botswana, he governed as if he was elected and proceeded to make some fundamental changes to the way that Botswana was governed during his "interim term". President Khama first articulated his desire to impose a 70% alcohol levy, meant to combat the scourge of excessive drinking in Botswana which had become a real problem, especially amongst the youth. Although the idea was laudable, the practical effect of such a levy was soon seen to have a deleterious effect on the brewing industry, who resisted the imposition of such a levy, along with bars and other drinking establishments. The President shifted his policy to focus on prevention and education but later imposed a 30% levy after consulting with industry leaders. Read Less … On the economic front, Khama has been a vocal proponent of moving Botswana away from its over-reliance on diamonds and diversifying its economy, especially to the agriculture and tourism sector. Under his watch, the number of site-holders licensed to operate diamond polishing and cutting operations in Botswana has grown.

ABN/AMRO, the Dutch-based diamond trading bank, has announced that it will be headquartering its African offices in Botswana. <br /><br />Politically, Khama's interim term was dominated by internal squabbling in the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which is now clearly divided into two major factions, the A-Team and the Barata Phati factions. The A-Team is led by President Khama, Jacob Nkate, the former Minister of Education, and Vice President Mompati Merafhe. The Barata Phati faction is led by Daniel Kwelagobe, the Chairman of the Party, Gomemelo Motswaledi, and Ponatshego Kedikilwe, who wish to bring about constitutional reform not only to the BDP but also to the country's constitution. Read Less In the run-up to the 2009 elections, Motswaledi, who gave up on his ambition to run for a seat in Serowe in order to make way for Ian Khama's brother, Tshekedi Khama II, was also excluded from representing Gaborone when he ran afoul of President Khama.

… Read More After this incident, critics accused Khama of authoritarian tendencies, while others say that he was simply instilling discipline as part of his role as the head of the party.<br /><br /> Botswana's cabinet is headed by the President, who is also head of government.<br /><br /> President Ian Khama began his first full term with a reshuffled Cabinet which saw two women in key positions. However even with few women in primary cabinet positions, the Botswana Democratic Party was able to make a first for Botswana, by electing the first female speaker of Parliament in the form of Ms. Margaret Nasha.<br /><br /> Botswana's cabinet is headed by the President, who is also head of government.<br /><br /> Source: Read Less LATE ADULTHOOD 2014 61 Years Old The BDP won the October 2014 parliamentary election, and Khama was sworn in for another term as President on 28 October 2014. Original Authors of this text are noted on .

Question: Sir Seretse Khama was from 1966 to 1980 the first President of which African country?
Answer: BOTSWANA