The Botswana man resigned from his position after falling in love with a young white woman in England. What were the consequences?
How far does love go between two people? That must have been what everyone was wondering when the prince of the then British Protectorate of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), Seretse Khama made the incredible decision to abandon the throne that awaited him to become king after falling in love.
Everything was agreed, but before assuming the throne he went to study Law at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, on a trip that would change his life forever. There, Khama befriended Muriel Williams, who introduced him to her sister.
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The story of Seretse Khama
That’s how he met Ruth Williamsa white, middle-class employee of an insurance company. Seretse fell madly in love with the woman, and twisted what should have been a simple story of passage of command, with the traditional values that their ethnic group demanded. However, he connected with Ruth from the first minute. But when the time came to want to get married in the Anglican Church, they had to overcome various obstacles.
And the prejudices came from both London and the African region. In both places that type of relationship was frowned upon, and Seretse’s uncle, Tshekedi (she raised him after his father died when he was little) refused to accept the commitment and even wrote to the London Missionary Society to ask them to they stopped In any case, this did not stop the lovers’ plans, which They married in 1948when he was 27 years old and she was 25.
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The news did not stop spreading. From South Africa They firmly rejected the couple due to the regime of the apartheidand even Winston ChurchillBritish Prime Minister during the Second World War and from 1951 to 1955, said that they were brave but that he rejected the union.
The British government sent a special team to Bechuanaland to see if Seretse was suitable to become the kgosi (chief) of the Bamangwato, and although they did not find anything strange about him, The United Kingdom exiled him in 1951 and he was unable to return to his homeland for almost six years..
Finally, in 1956 he renounced his tribal rights and together with his wife they moved to Africa as ordinary citizens. Once settled at home, Seretse founded the Bechuanaland Democratic Party in 1962, and in 1965 he was elected prime minister. Just a year later, when Bechuanaland became independent from the United Kingdom and was renamed the Republic of Botswana, Seretse became the country’s first president and Ruth the first lady. He was then re-elected until 1979, and died in 1980 while he held office.
His son Ian, president of Botswana in 2008
Incredibly, the Khama legacy continued through the family. Ianthe eldest son of Seretse and Ruth, He was President of Botswana from 2008 to 2018after having previously served as Vice President and as Member of the National Assembly. The one born in London He is theoretically the heir to the throne of the Bamangwato tribe. However, never expressed interest in formally assuming the position of kgosi and it has remained under regency since his father abdicated for the same reason in 1956.
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Source: Ambito
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