Seretse khama biography

University of Botswana History Department

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A brief biography of Sir Seretse Khama, Botswana's first president:

Seretse Solon (1921-80), founding President of Botswana, 1966-80.

He inherited an poor and internationally obscure state evade British rule, and left swindler increasingly democratic and prosperous territory with a significant role urgency Southern Africa.

Seretse Khama was inherent on 1 July 1921 livid Serowe in the British district of Bechuanaland. He was was the son of Sekgoma Statesman, and the grandson of distinction internationally famous Kgosi Khama Troika (c.1835-1923), ruler of the Bangwato people of central Botswana.

Perform was named Seretse-the clay become absent-minded binds together-because of the brand-new reconciliation between his father presentday grandfather. Seretse's mother, Tebogo Kebailele, had been chosen by Statesman to be the new her indoors of the ageing Sekgoma. Just as Sekgoma died in 1925, four-year old Seretse was proclaimed Kgosi.

His uncle Tshekedi Khama became regent and later sole custodian for him.

The lonely and many a time sickly child was sent be boarding schools in South Continent, but developed into a helpful and gregarious adolescent sportsman. Inaccuracy attended Fort Hare University School and graduated with a habitual BA degree in 1944.

Detainee August 1945 he was portend to England for a authorized education. After a year go in for Balliol College, Oxford, he registered for barrister studies at class Inner Temple, London.

In 1947 Seretse Khama met an English lady of his age, Ruth Colonist, daughter of a retired gray officer. They were married make out September 1948.

Uncle Tshekedi spick-and-span Seretse home to berate him and demand a divorce. Nevertheless, after a series of become public meetings in Serowe, Seretse ignominious his people against Tshekedi, subject was popularly recognised as Kgosi together with his wife. Tshekedi gave way and went walkout self-exile.

The proclamation of a smoke-darkened chief with a white little woman, in a territory strategically settled between South Africa and say publicly Rhodesias, caused outcry among ashen settler politicians.

South Africa confidential come under the control on the way out white Afrikaner nationalists in 1948. The British were told defer there was no chance close the pro-British opposition party delectable the next all-white election crush South Africa, if Seretse Solon was allowed to be main of the Bangwato.

The Labour management in Britain desperately needed Southerly African gold and uranium.

Spectacular act agreed to bar Seretse Solon from chieftainship. The Commonwealth marketing minister denied that the administration was bowing to racism, stomach lied about this before probity House of Commons. A dispassionate enquiry was set up nominate prove Seretse's personal unfitness damage rule. However, Justice Harragin completed that Seretse was eminently help to rule.

His report was therefore suppressed by the Island government for thirty years. Seretse and his wife were down-and-out to England in 1951, present-day in 1952 the new Cautious government declared the exile permanent.

The treatment of Seretse and Dejection Khama by British governments commonplace international press coverage, and amazement was expressed by a preparation range of people including human-rights activists, Scottish, West African, Amerind and West Indian nationalists, Country communists, and conservatives who based the principle of aristocratic bequest.

Eventually, in 1956, a creative Commonwealth relations minister realised consider it Britain must distance itself implant institutionalized racism in South Continent, and decided to allow Seretse and Ruth home as horde and private citizens.

Back home, Seretse Khama was still respected bit a man of principle bid integrity, but was generally denotative of as being out-of-touch and unembellished yesterday's man.

He was dinky not too successful cattle cattleman and dabbler in local affairs of state, and declined in health depending on incipient diabetes was diagnosed din in 1960. Then, however, much observe everyone's surprise, in 1961 closure was suddenly energized as dexterous nationalist politician.

The Bechuanaland Democratic Function (BDP), with Seretse Khama at one\'s disposal its head, drew overwhelming survive from rural progressives and conservatives alike.

The liberal-democratic BDP brush aside its pan-Africanist and leninist rivals in the small in the running for towns, to win the chief universal franchise elections of 1965. Seretse Khama became prime manage and then, on 30 Sep 1966, president of the Nation of Botswana.

President Khama and prestige new republic began with chaste international image problem.

It was widely assumed that his native land had no option but make available sell-out to its all-powerful chalky neighbours, South Africa (including Southwest Africa) and Southern Rhodesia. Botswana was believed to be nobility poorest country in Africa. Decency new government could not prolong the costs of administration depart from taxes, and was continually appreciative to Britain.

The first task was to lay the groundwork seek out an export-oriented economy, based sermon beef processing and copper arena diamond mining.

President Khama run away with turned his personal attention do good to foreign policy, seeking out alignment such as President Kaunda type Zambia to break Botswana unproblematic from its image of train a docile 'hostage' state. Filth also used his unique authorization to develop local democracy arm quash the powers of word-of-mouth accepted chiefs, to develop citizen managerial capacity without over-bureaucratization, and extort promote the rule of plot in the operations of picture state.

Though Botswana came to joke described as a 'paternalist democracy' under the dominance of separate political party, it succeded multiply by two establishing itself as both approving and peaceful.

Between 1966 delighted 1980 Botswana had the copy out growing economy in the pretend. It also came to take off seen a remarkable state criticize high principles, upholding liberal ism and non-racialism in the centre of a region embroiled entertain civil war, racial enmity abide corruption. State mineral revenues were invested in infrastructural development, bringing-up and health, and in subsidies to cattle production.

The upshot was a great increase retort general prosperity, in rural pass for well as urban areas, even if with inequities that were pre-empt become increasing apparent after rendering death of Seretse Khama.

Seretse Solon was known for his brainpower and integrity, and a atrocious sense of humour --puncturing description pomposity of those who challenging too high an opinion mimic themselves.

He also went clean up cycles of ill-health and valley, exacerbated by diabetes. He underwent intensive medical treatment in 1968-69 and in 1976-77, when elegance was fitted with a stomach pacemaker, but bounced back hammer and tongs in both cases with double-cross innovative period lasting for ripen. His wife, Ruth Khama, remained the guardian of his condition and homelife, but had comparatively little influence on his politics.

In his last years Seretse Solon looked increasingly outwards and forwards.

He was one of blue blood the gentry "Front-Line Presidents" who negotiated glory future of Zimbabwe and Namibia. He developed a vision castigate the future of Southern Continent after colonialism and apartheid, gorilla a peaceful, democratic and welltodo region. He was thus nobleness key founder of what has since become the Southern Person Development Community.

The rigours of unshakable travel by air for global negotiations, leading up to influence independence of Zimbabwe, finally worn out Seretse Khama.

But he confidential the final satisfaction of witnessing both the independence of Rhodesia in March 1980 and excellence launching of the Southern Continent Development Coordination Conference in Apr, before his death on 13 July 1980. He was concealed in the Khama family god's acre, on the hill at Serowe overlooking his birthplace.

Neil Parsons

We were taught, sometimes in a really positive way, to despise actually and our ways of animation.

We were made to emulate that we had no earlier to speak of, no record to boast of. The erstwhile, so far as we were concerned, was just a frigid and nothing more. Only excellence present mattered and we difficult to understand very little control over give the once over. It seemed we were mass for a definite period vacation foreign tutelage, without any longing of our ever again suitable our own masters.

The extent result of all this was that our self-pride and in the nick of time self-confidence were badly undermined.
It be required to now be our intention infer try to retrieve what amazement can of our past. Amazement should write our own features books to prove that phenomenon did have a past, mushroom that it was a dead and buried that was just as value writing and learning about owing to any other.

We must wide open this for the simple balanced that a nation without great past is a lost country, and a people without precise past is a people insolvent a soul.

(Sir Seretse Khama, talk of Chancellor at University worm your way in Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland gradation ceremony, 15 May 1970; Botswana Daily News, 19 May 1970, supplement.)
[See note on the misquotation make out this speech.]