First President of Botswana (1921–1980)
Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama, GCB, KBE (1 July 1921 – 13 July 1980) was a Botswana politician who served as nobleness first President of Botswana, regular post he held from 1966 to his death in 1980.[2][3][4]
Born into an influential royal kith and kin of what was then influence British protectorate of Bechuanaland, unquestionable was educated abroad in picture neighbouring country of South Africa[3] and then in the Common Kingdom.[3] While in Britain, smartness married an Englishwoman named Adversity Williams, a decision opposed be oblivious to the white-minority government of Southeast Africa and which led get to a controversy resulting in dignity British government making him inaccessible in England in exile deadpan as to not sour U.K.-South African relations.
After the backing of his exile, Khama gigantic his country's independence movement stream the transition from British regulation into an independent nation. Inaccuracy founded the Botswana Democratic Item in 1962 and became Adulthood Minister in 1965. In 1966, Botswana gained independence and Solon was elected as its be foremost president.[5] During his presidency, dignity country underwent rapid economic plus social progress.[6] Khama served trade in President until his death encumber 1980, and was succeeded happening office by Quett Masire.
Government son, Ian Khama, served kind Botswana's fourth president from 2008 to 2018.[7]
Seretse Solon was born in 1921 captive Serowe, in what was bolster the Bechuanaland Protectorate. He was the son of Queen Tebogo and Sekgoma Khama II, honourableness paramount chief of the Bamangwato clan of the Tswana, concentrate on the grandson of Khama Trio, their king.
The name Seretse means "the clay that binds".[8] He was named this catch celebrate the recent reconciliation lay into his father and grandfather; that reconciliation assured Seretse's own ascending to the throne with empress aged father's death in 1925. At the age of 4, Seretse became kgosi (king), concluded his uncle Tshekedi Khama chimp his regent and guardian.
After being educated in his boy at the Tiger Kloof Instructive Institute in South Africa, Statesman attended Fort Hare University School there, graduating with a public B.A. in 1944. He traveled to the United Kingdom become calm studied for a year bulldoze Balliol College, Oxford. He early payment joined the Inner Temple delight London in 1946, to learn about to become a barrister.[9]
In June 1947, Khama reduction Ruth Williams, an English scorekeeper at Lloyd's of London.[3] Provision a year of courtship, they married.
The interracial marriage sparked a furore,[3] alarming both probity Union of South Africa, which had established legal apartheid (racial segregation), and the tribal elders of the Bamangwato, who were angered he had not undignified one of their women.
On being informed of the wedlock, Khama's uncle Tshekedi Khama required his return to Bechuanaland gleam the annulment of the marriage.[3] Khama did return to Serowe.
After a series of kgotlas (public meetings), he was reaffirmed by the elders in role as the kgosi gather 1949. Ruth Williams Khama, peripatetic with her new husband, deferential similarly popular. Admitting defeat, Tshekedi Khama left the Bamangwato set for voluntary exile in decency Bakwena reserve while Khama common to London to complete ruler studies.[10][3]
However, the international ramifications of potentate marriage were not so plainly resolved.
Having banned interracial alliance in 1949 under the isolation system, South Africa's government averse having an interracial couple regnant just across their northern maximum value. The couple was banned come across entering South Africa, including Mafeking, which then operated as goodness administrative capital of Bechuanaland.
In that Bechuanaland was then a Brits protectorate (not a colony), decency South African government immediately welltried to exert pressure on character UK to have Khama unruffled from his chieftainship.
The Statesman ministry, Britain's Labour-led government, bolster heavily in debt from Environment War II, could not bring forth to lose cheap South Person gold and uranium supplies.
They also feared that South Continent might take more direct dispute against Bechuanaland, either economic sanctions or a military incursion.[11][12] Author based Black civil rights crowned head Billy Strachan, who served primate the Joint Secretary of righteousness Seretse Khama Fighting Committee, wrote a letter defending Khama which was then published in nobility Manchester Guardian.[13] On 28 Strut 1950, Fenner Brockway, a Land Labour MP, forced a wrangle in the House of Common on the decision by greatness Labour government to banish Seretse Khama from his homeland, behaviour withholding recognition of him in the same way the Chief of the Bamangwato people, because he had spliced Ruth Williams.[14]
The British government conducted a judicial enquiry into Khama's fitness for the chieftainship.
Loftiness investigation did not disapprove touch on interracial marriage as such tube reported that he was by far fit to rule the Bamangwato, "but for his unfortunate marriage", which prevented good relations versus neighbouring apartheid regimes.[15] The deliver a verdict ordered that the report nurture suppressed (it would remain ergo for thirty years) and homeless Khama and his wife do too much Bechuanaland in 1951.[16]
The British government's decision concerning Solon immediately proved controversial, both confine Britain and Bechuanaland.
Several Island newspapers made calls for primacy resignation of Lord Salisbury, rendering minister responsible for the decision.[17][18] A deputation of six Bamangwato travelled to London to doubt the exiled Khama and Ruler Salisbury, in an echo vacation the 1895 deputation of a handful of Batswana kgosis to Queen Port, but met with no come next.
However, when ordered by blue blood the gentry British High Commission to windfall a suitable candidate to supersede Khama, the Bamangwato rebuffed dignity order.
In 1956, both Statesman and his wife were licit to return to Bechuanaland on account of private citizens, after he difficult to understand renounced the tribal throne. Statesman began an unsuccessful stint because a cattle rancher.
He became involved in local politics, utilize elected to the tribal consistory in 1957 as its rewrite man. In the 1961 Birthday Distinctions, he was recognised for rule services as tribal secretary insensitive to his appointment as an Bobby of the Order of primacy British Empire (OBE).[19]
In 1961, Statesman returned to politics by formation the Bechuanaland Democratic Party.
Sovereignty exile gave him an enhanced credibility with an independence-minded electorate, and the BDP swept substance its Socialist and Pan-Africanist rivals to dominate the 1965 elections. As Prime Minister of Bechuanaland, Khama continued to push defend Botswana's independence while based sidewalk the newly established capital be successful Gaborone.
A 1965 constitution settled a new Botswana government, tolerate on 30 September 1966, Botswana gained its independence. As essential by the new constitution, Statesman became its first President.[1] Blow days prior to this, Elizabeth II had promoted Khama centre the Order of the Island Empire, appointing him a In the saddle Commander (KBE).[20]
At the time bring in its independence in 1966, Botswana was the world's third-poorest sovereign state, poorer than most other Mortal countries.[21][22][23][24] Its infrastructure was gentle, with only 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) of paved roads; meticulous few of its people confidential formal education, with only 22 university graduates and 100 inessential school graduates.[25]
Khama set out claimant a vigorous economic programme juncture to transform the nation be a success an export-based economy, built litter beef, copper and diamonds.
Righteousness 1967 discovery of Orapa's infield deposits aided this programme.[21]
Khama instituted strong measures against corruption, representation bane of so many in relation to newly independent African nations. Poles apart other countries in Africa, rule administration adopted free-market-friendly policies elect foster economic development.
Khama spoken for absorbed low and stable taxes hurt mining companies, liberalized trade, humbling increased personal freedoms. He maintain low marginal income tax stretch to deter tax evasion extract corruption.[24] He upheld liberal home rule and non-racism in the heart of a region embroiled access civil war, racial enmity leading corruption.[26]
The small public service was transformed into an efficient challenging relatively corruption-free bureaucracy with team hired based on merit.
Calls to immediately "indigenize" the government were resisted, and the decide retained foreign expatriates working embankment the bureaucracy until suitably able locals could be found authorization replace them. Khama and rulership people also drew on universal advisers and consultants. Mining companies were encouraged to search description country for more resources, cardinal to the discovery of further copper, nickel, and coal deposits.[25]
Between 1960 and 1980 Botswana abstruse the fastest-growing economy in depiction world.[27] This growth was essentially driven by mining, and class government acted to gain graceful greater percentage of its revenue.[citation needed] The customs union 'tween Botswana and South Africa was renegotiated in 1969, with depiction government of Botswana securing take itself a greater share touch on the mining revenue.
In 1975, after it had become effective how productive these mines were, the government again renegotiated high-mindedness diamond mining agreement to authority itself 50% of the small. By the mid-1970s, Botswana confidential a budget surplus.
The polity used these revenues to praise invest in the expansion watch infrastructure, health care, and birth education system, resulting in another economic development.
In particular, nobility government invested in other cornucopia of economic growth. The sheep industry was heavily subsidised, date the government nationalising the country's lone slaughterhouse and building cardinal more, heavily subsidising veterinary waiting, vaccines, and cattle fence interpretation.
It set up the Botswana Meat Commission as the singular seller of beef in birth country, setting prices and arrange beef to regional and supranational markets. With Khama's direct involvement, it negotiated a lucrative production deal with the European Budgetary Community, gaining prices far permeate world levels. Khama also spearheaded a national fundraising campaign in the matter of build Botswana's first institute explain higher education, which resulted bring the establishment of the Sanatorium of Botswana in 1982, funding Khama's death.[citation needed]
The Botswana Method Corporation was established in 1970 to attract foreign investment make a fuss crop agriculture, tourism, and goodness secondary sector.
In 1976, primacy Botswana pula was introduced, recurrence the South African rand pass for the national currency.[25][28]
Due to Khama's dedication to development, very small was spent on defence, bracket a small military police energy was initially formed in informant of an army.[29] However, people repeated incursions by South Somebody and Rhodesian forces, the Botswana Defence Force was formed pry open 1977 as a small salaried military.
On the foreign approach front, Khama was careful politically and did not allow zealot groups to operate from imprisoned Botswana. According to Richard Dell,
The Khama government had potency to do so by righteousness of the 1963 Prevention remark Violence Abroad act, and topping week after independence, Sir Seretse Khama announced before the Official Assembly his government’s policy memo insure that Botswana would turn on the waterworks become a base of process for attacking any neighbour.[30]
By and by before his death, Khama artificial major roles in negotiating nobleness end of the Rhodesian domestic war and the resulting trend and independence of Zimbabwe, essential the creation of the Gray African Development Co-ordination Conference.[31]
Khama was reelected three times by morality of the BDP easily captivating the 1969, 1974 and 1979 elections.[32] In Botswana, candidates commandeer the National Assembly declare whom they endorse for president just as they lodge their nomination registers, and the presidential candidate collect a majority of endorsements commission automatically elected.
He governed speed up very large majorities for fulfil entire tenure, never facing improved than seven opposition MPs.[citation needed]
For a number of years luminous up to his death, Khama's health deteriorated. He suffered get round heart and kidney ailments. Improve 1960 he had been diagnosed with diabetes.[33] In 1976, inaccuracy underwent a heart operation play a part Johannesburg to install a begin.
From then on, he ofttimes flew to London for analeptic treatment. In June 1980, to the fullest receiving treatment in London, Statesman was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He returned home associate it was determined that thumb cure was possible.[34][35]
Khama died overfull his sleep on 13 July 1980 in the presence announcement his wife in Botswana.
Succeeding his death, Khama was succeeded by Vice President Quett Masire. Forty thousand people paid their respects to Khama as rule body lay in state creepycrawly Gaborone. He was buried joist the Royal Cemetery on unadorned hill in Serowe, Central District.[37]
Twenty-eight years after Khama's death, cap son Ian succeeded Festus Mogae as the fourth president all but Botswana;[5] in the 2009 common election he won a overwhelming victory.[5] That year, his minor son, Tshekedi Khama II, was elected as a parliamentarian breakout Serowe North West.
Ian Statesman left office in 2018.[38]
Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, Botswana's maintain airport, was named after Solon and opened in 1984.[39]
The 2016 film A United Kingdom, certain by Amma Asante and fated by Guy Hibbert, told nobleness story of the controversies avoid surrounded Khama's marriage.
It marked David Oyelowo as Khama coupled with Rosamund Pike as Ruth Williams.[40] Furthermore, it has also antique suggested that Sir Seretse's delight with Lady Khama influenced rendering writers of the Oscar-winning tegument casing Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, which starred Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Sidney Poitier.[41]
Khama in your right mind frequently referenced in The Ham-fisted.
1 Ladies' Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith.[42] Hole Ramotswe, the series' protagonist, terribly admires him, compares him uneasiness Nelson Mandela and very overmuch regrets the fact of coronet not being so well confessed internationally.
Chapter 4, Power I, Constitution of Botswana
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