Seretse Khama
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama, GCB, KBE (1 July 1921 – 13 July 1980) was the first President of Botswana, in office from 1966 to 1980.
Born into one of the most powerful of the royal families of what was then the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland, he was educated abroad in neighbouring South Africa and in the United Kingdom. He married a British woman, Ruth Williams, who initially was controversial because of her English ancestry. She became popular among his people. Khama led 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 was elected as its first president. During his presidency, the country underwent rapid economic and social progress.
In 2016, the film A United Kingdom told the story of the controversies that surrounded Khama's marriage. It starred David Oyelowo as Khama and Rosamund Pike as Ruth Williams.
