They met on a hot June day in 1947 at a dance in a student dormitory. He was a polite and somewhat shy student, she a lively and self-possessed young lady. Their mutual friends were convinced that they would hit it off, but they hardly spoke a word to each other. While she danced, he just stood by and watched her. It was not love at first sight and they did not know then that this was the beginning of their life together. A life they would have to defend against attacks from all sides. They paid dearly for their decision and had to give up a lot.
Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams were no ordinary couple. He was an African and the future chief of his tribe. She was a white Englishwoman from the suburbs who worked in an insurance office. Two completely different worlds that should not have attracted each other, let alone brought them closer together. In post-war London, there was no room for interracial relationships. They faced disapproval from their surroundings, opposition from their families and pressure from the British government. The union between an African and a European caused a diplomatic scandal that reverberated throughout the Commonwealth. Seretse later became the first President of an independent and democratic Botswana, and Ruth the powerful and popular First Lady of this peaceful African country. Love was their only sin and their only salvation.
Roots in the Kalahari
Young Seretse belonged to the Bamangwato tribe, who lived on the slopes of the Kalahari Desert in the south of the black continent. His people had always called this inhospitable and barren patch of land home. At the beginning of the 19th century, they were drawn into the maelstrom of inter-tribal warfare that raged across South Africa. It was at this time that the rise of the Zulu under the legendary Shake began and attacks on Bamangwat villages followed one after another.
The tribe was then ruled by Seretse’s great-grandfather, Sekgoma, who is credited with ensuring that the descendants of today’s Bamangwats still live on their ancestral land. When the intertribal wars ended, life returned to normal and their capital, Shoshong, became one of the largest trading centres in this part of Africa.
In the middle of the 19th century, a new era in the history of the Bamangwats began. For the first time, they encountered a tribe that proved to be far more dangerous and cunning than the Zulus had once been. The white foot had entered the Shoshong. Soon after, the fate of the people there was no longer decided on the dusty plains of the Kalahari, but also in the lavishly furnished cabins of London. One of the first white men Sekgoma met was the famous explorer and missionary David Livingstone, who visited Shoshong in 1842.
In addition to the Bible, the white man brought with him temptation. For the first time, the natives were introduced to the demon that had taken possession of many a soul in the Western world – alcohol. More and more people fell into its clutches, including Sekgoma. The European way of life began to spread rapidly among the locals and Shoshong also got its first missions. Sekgoma’s son and Seretse’s grandfather, Khama, became fascinated by Christianity and the new culture that the missionaries and traders brought with them. Despite his father’s opposition, he was baptised and began to live a European life.
The contradictions between father and son have deepened. Sekgoma clung to his throne and swore by a traditional way of life consisting of superstition, polygamy and ritual sacrifice of young men. Khama, who dressed in European clothes and had only one wife, believed that the time had come for change.
The clash between the old and the new led to a war between father and son, in which Khama triumphed, winning the majority of the tribe to his side. In 1875, he became the new Kgosi, as the chief was called in the Bamangwat language. He went down in history as an innovator who abolished polygamy and ritual sacrifice, banned the sale of alcohol and introduced his people to European technological advances that brought advances in agriculture and transport.
Soon after taking the throne, he had to face a new challenge from the south. The Bamangwats were beginning to be settled by Boers, Dutch immigrants fleeing the powerful British Empire, for which southern Africa was crucial. The Boers arrived in ever-increasing numbers with their chariots, and there was not enough fertile land to go round. Khama was forced to take a decision that had far-reaching consequences for his people. He went to London and met Queen Victoria. He brought her a leopard skin as a gift and asked for protection from the Boers and other tribes.
The tall and elegant African made a great impression on the ruler of the empire where the sun never sets, and he returned home happy. In 1885, the territory where his tribe had always lived became the British protectorate of Bechuania. Internal autonomy and tribal laws were preserved, and the British Empire gained new territory.
Flawed plan
In Bechuania, it was believed that the chief had to know as much as possible about the habits of the white man if he was to successfully navigate between the demands of London, which often reflected the geopolitical situation of the moment, and the everyday obligations he had to his tribe. When Seretse was born, his life, like that of nobles the world over, was pre-determined. First, he would go to England to study, where he would acquire enough knowledge to be able to cope with the tricks of his white masters. Then he will return, find a wife who will bear him a son, and rule his tribe wisely and justly for the rest of his life. That was the plan.
Seretse arrived in London just a few months after the end of the Second World War. Some foodstuffs were still rationed and many buildings showed signs of German shelling. He initially studied law at Oxford until he was told that his programme was no longer valid due to administrative complications. Angry and frustrated with Oxford, he decided to skip his studies and start preparing directly for the bar exam. To become a lawyer, he had to move to London.
His uncle Tshekedi was not happy about his move. In a big city, temptations lurk around every corner, hindering a young man’s studies. His uncle’s word carried a lot of weight, because during Seretse’s absence, he was the one who led Bechuania as regent. According to tribal law, the throne was to pass to the rightful heir as soon as he returned to his homeland. That was the plan.
Young Seretse liked life in London. He was fascinated by jazz, which had already been brought to England by American soldiers during the war. He liked playing football, cricket and rugby. He also indulged in habits that were forbidden at home. He started to drink and smoke, but never overdid it. His social life was lively, and he made friends both among the English and among the newcomers from the colonies who sought their fortune in the capital of the Empire. He often went to football matches, political party rallies and student gatherings.
Ruth
It was at one of these gatherings that he first met Ruth, his future wife. “When I first saw her, I immediately found her attractive with her reddish-blonde hair and blue eyes,” he later recounted. Ruth had a slightly different memory of the event, but the tall and mysterious stranger still piqued her interest.
Those few fleeting and innocent moments they spent together were obviously enough to make them both want to see each other again. Over the following months, Ruth visited the dormitory where Seretse was staying several times and they grew closer and closer. He felt at ease around her and the shyness that had always characterised him slowly melted away. He told her about his life in Africa, about his uncle and about how he would one day be the chief of his tribe.
During long walks in London in the evening, Seretse also started to get to know Ruth and her life story. Her conservative father, who had started in the tea trade in his old age, had served as an officer in India in his youth. Like others of his generation, he believed in the superiority of the British Empire and looked down on the colonies and their inhabitants. Warmth and tenderness were the hallmarks of the Williams home, and it was his mother, Dorothy, who provided them with this. Ruth also had an older sister, Muriel, who was more serious and reserved than she, but they always got on well, despite their different characters.
When German V2 rockets sowed death across London during the war, the Williamses were left without a house. Men were going to the front and there was a shortage of labour to power Britain’s war industry. Then women took their places, and through their own efforts ensured that the factories produced enough weapons to meet the needs of the huge war machine. Hundreds of thousands of women joined the armed forces, doing their bit for the defence of their country. They also took on tasks that had previously been reserved exclusively for men, including the operation of anti-aircraft weapons. For example, the future Queen Elizabeth, who still enjoys driving today, worked as a car mechanic during the war. She could dismantle and reassemble an engine, change tyres and, as the newspapers reported at the time, enjoyed getting her hands dirty.
Ruth also answered the call of her country, leaving high school at 17 and joining the Women’s Auxiliary Units of the Air Force. As she had a driving licence, she drove an ambulance to transport the wounded to various military bases in the south of England.
After the end of the war, she found a job as a secretary at insurance giant Lloyd’s. She spent her weekends at the ice rink and listening to jazz music. Seretse was also a big jazz fan and when the popular American band Ink Spots toured London, he plucked up the courage to invite Ruth to their concert.
They had known each other for three months and this was their first date. They were a young couple looking for fun and adventure, but they hadn’t thought about the future. That evening they also realised that they were different from their peers. Everywhere they went, they were followed by disapproving glances from passers-by. Inter-racial relationships were virtually non-existent at that time, the apparent line separating whites and blacks was clearly defined and few had the courage to cross it. In their case, courage was simply a reflection of love.
There is no going back
Since then, many more concerts and get-togethers have followed. They became a couple. Just a year after they first saw each other at a dance in the dormitory, Seretse got engaged to her. He told her she didn’t have to answer right away and asked her to think carefully if she was ready for her life to be turned upside down. As tribal chief, he must return home and rule his people. That is his mission and Ruth should leave behind her comfortable life in one of the world’s most exciting metropolises and move to a secluded African province with a strange-sounding name that no one in London has ever heard of. There are no concerts, no tube, no jazz. There are virtually no white people either. How will the locals view her, the white woman who has made their leader mad?
Ruth had long tried to repress her love for Seretse, knowing that they were no ordinary couple. How will her parents react to the wedding? Is it even possible for them to live happily ever after with everyone judging them?
After two weeks, she agreed to marry him and they immediately started planning their next step. Ever since they met, they had the uncomfortable feeling of sharing their lives with others. With strangers on the street who shrug them off when they hold hands, with the Seretse tribe who demand the return of their chief, or with Ruth’s father who does not recognise the union between a black man and a white woman.
The day she finally told her father she was going to marry Seretse was a long preparation. She was not surprised by his angry reaction, but she was hurt nonetheless. He warned her that she would be ostracised and that their union would be a “tragedy” for any children. Words such as shame and disaster flew around the house. He hissed at her not to return home after the wedding. Her mother comforted her and in the same breath persuaded her to change her mind. Why sacrifice everything for the sake of a one-year relationship? Only her sister Muriel, who knew Seretse, stood by her side.
In the meantime, he too had to face his family. His uncle Tshekedi, who temporarily ruled on his behalf, was like a father to him, but he knew that he could not expect his blessing. For the crown carries with it a great responsibility and makes a slave of the wearer, whether in Buckingham Palace or in Bechuania.
Marriage without the consent of the ruler would shake the foundations of the tribal system. Marriage to a white woman was something completely unthinkable. Would the tribe accept a mixed-race child as its future chief? Would Seretse even return to his own people? Tshekedi was shocked when he received Seretse’s telegram from London, and the same day he began to devise a plan to prevent this disgrace.
In London, a young couple was preparing for their wedding. Ruth knew that her father would not walk her down the aisle, so she did not feel it was appropriate to wear white. She decided to wear a turquoise dress. She and Seretse went to the church, where they were met by the priest who would conduct the service. Disappointment followed. Forces stronger than themselves had intervened in their lives.
Tshekedi used all his connections to contact the Colonial Office, a department of the British government in charge of relations with other parts of the Empire. He hastened to explain that a possible marriage between a white and a black man would have unpredictable consequences for the otherwise unproblematic protectorate. Tradition and continuity were the values on which the British Empire was founded, and the government had no qualms about endorsing the view that the marriage should not take place.
The fact that the Bishop of London himself intervened in the situation shows how disturbing their relationship was. He personally forbade the ceremony on the grounds that he had been told to do so by the government. Many people would have bowed to the pressure and admitted defeat, but the newlyweds had a different plan. “Is the Church forcing me to live in sin?” wondered Ruth with tears in her eyes.
On the twenty-ninth of September 1948, they secretly turned up at the registry office in Kensington, determined to enter into a civil marriage. This time Ruth was dressed in all black, believing that turquoise was bad luck. As they waited for the reception, the clerk called Seretse to him. They went into another room and Ruth was left alone. The few minutes he was gone seemed an eternity. Once again they were so close to their dream and once again Tshekedi’s invisible hand would prevent them from becoming husband and wife at the last moment.
Much to their relief, it turned out that this time it was the annoying but perfectly innocent English bureaucracy that had a hand in the middle. Seretse had written tribal chieftain in the field of his father’s occupation, which completely confused the officials, who were used to bakers, shoemakers and tailors. The initial fear was put to rest and after a short and not particularly solemn ceremony, they finally became man and wife.
Conversation in the desert
“The future chief married an office worker. He has to go home to defend himself”, read the Daily Mirror’s front page just a few weeks later. “White bride caused crisis in tribe,” reported the Daily Mail. The story of forbidden love between a young English woman and an exotic African chief was immediately seized upon by the media.
Seretse did go home, but not to defend himself. He decided it was best to see first-hand what his people really thought of the marriage. He intended to give them his view on the matter and wanted above all – a conversation.
After a tiring flight, he arrived in Johannesburg and boarded the train for home. He sat in a carriage reserved for black people. In South Africa, the signs of the policy that would later become known as apartheid were already beginning to show. When he arrived in Serowe, where his family originated, he was welcomed by his uncle Tshekedi. Their first meeting in many years was cold and there was a mutual unease in the air. Seretse respected the Regent and had looked up to him all his life, but at that moment he felt like a stranger standing in front of him.
The arrival of Seretse was headline news in the sleepy Protectorate. Everyone knew about his marriage and everyone had an opinion about it. But will Seretse see the error of his ways and break with the white woman? Will he renounce his throne? How will Tshekedi react?
Over generations, the Bamangwato tribe has developed a special way of making decisions, called kgotla. It was a kind of assembly in which every man could participate. Everyone had the right to speak, from the most respected elders to the illiterate herdsmen. The chief’s task was to listen to the concerns and suggestions of his subjects and, in the end, to take a decision that would satisfy the majority.
When Seretse arrived in Serowe, people began to flock to the capital from all parts of the Protectorate to participate in this historic event. The balance of power was initially strongly with Tshekedi, who insisted that the arrival of a white woman on the throne would mean the end of the Bamangwato tribe and that Seretse had to choose between his wife and the chieftaincy. He threatened to go into exile himself if Ruth crossed the border of the protectorate. He was supported by the elders and the rich, who opposed any change that might threaten the status quo.
On Seretse’s side was a younger generation, educated abroad, who disagreed with Tshekedi’s authoritarian style of governance. The poorer classes complained about the high taxes the regent was paying to line his pockets. The dispute over the appropriateness of marriage gradually became the cause of an eternal clash between fathers and sons, and rich and poor. Seretse suddenly became a symbol of change, and with each passing day he won new sympathisers to his side.
The Council met for several days, but only managed to agree to meet again in six months’ time. There were still more questions than answers. A final decision on who would rule the Protectorate would have to wait until the summer. As people began to return to their pastures and huts, Tshekedi felt the ground begin to shift beneath his feet. Seretse returned to London with a small victory in his pocket.
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Long live kgosi!
During this time, Ruth became somewhat closer to her family, but her father still refused to meet his famous son-in-law, who was continuing his studies. They rented a flat in North London and counted down the days until the summer, when Seretse would travel home again. This time, for the last time, without Ruth.
He arrived in the capital of the Protectorate on 15 June and began to prepare for his final confrontation with his uncle. “I was told I had to leave my wife in London or give her up. I will not give her up. You must take both or give both up,” Seretse began his speech to a 4 000-strong crowd gathered under the shade of the trees at Kgotla. He remained steadfast and bluntly said that the problem was not Ruth but Tshekedi. He is clinging to the throne and refuses to hand over power to the rightful heir.
People heard from his lips what they secretly knew, but were too scared to speak out. Seretse’s speech gave them courage, and more and more people took his side. Some testified about Tshekedi’s blackmail and bribery attempts. The people finally got rid of their fear of the Regent and his fate was sealed.
“Let all those who are in favour of Ruth’s coming to the Protectorate stand up”, Seretse called to the crowd, and four thousand people stood up and started to stamp their feet in joy. The people spoke, Seretse became the new Kgosi, the chief of the Bamangwato tribe, and Ruth was finally able to come to her husband’s homeland.
“Former typist Ruth Williams to become Queen of 100,000 Bamangwats in protectorate Bechuania ,” the Daily Mirror reported. The story of the white queen and the black king was again on the front pages of every newspaper in England. Ruth received a telegram from Sereste telling her to start preparing to leave London. After all the disappointments she had suffered so far, she could hardly believe her eyes.
A bare formality
Seretse met with representatives of the British government in South Africa in the following days. They agreed that the tribe’s decision was unanimous and that London would therefore respect their choice, as it always has. This was still the case from the time when Seretse’s grandfather had agreed with Queen Victoria that the Protectorate would run its internal affairs independently.
But London still had the final say on all major decisions. Seretse had not yet officially become chief, and he was assured that London’s blessing was a mere formality. He did not know then that he had inadvertently become a piece on a chessboard much larger than a small protectorate on the slopes of the Kalahari Desert.
Not far away, a storm is brewing and will soon engulf sleepy Bechuania. South Africa won its independence from Britain in the 1930s, although it was still a member of the Commonwealth, and has become one of the most developed countries on the black continent. The Afrikaners, white descendants of Dutch immigrants, ruled as a minority over a lawless indigenous population. After the Second World War, racial segregation became the official political doctrine of this young country.
The news that a neighbouring country would be ruled by a chieftain who does not recognise racial differences was greeted with strong reluctance. “Inter-racial marriage may strike a severe blow at the very heart of white supremacy,” said one South African newspaper. The whole value system on which apartheid was based was at stake, the superiority of whites, ‘the bulwark of Christianity and civilisation in a land of eight million natives, more than half of whom are only partly civilised, unconverted and barbaric’, as one church dignitary put it. “The marriage between Ruth Williams and Seretse Khama is disgusting,” the South African Prime Minister summed it all up.
The government there has stepped up its pressure on the UK, demanding that there should be no formal confirmation of Seretse as leader. The fire must be put out before it becomes a conflagration. The consequences could be devastating for the other colonies and for Africa as a whole, the Afrikaners warned. On this side of the border, they have always seen their liberal northern neighbour as a disturbing anomaly that does not accept the simple truth that whites and blacks must live separately.
Because of its weakness, the once proud Britain was now hostage to its former colony. London was in bloody need of money to pay off its war debts, and much of that money lay in the form of gold in the mines of South Africa. There, too, had recently been discovered the uranium that the British desperately needed to build nuclear weapons. In addition, South Africa was threatening to leave the Commonwealth, which would have been a major blow to the reputation of an empire that is fighting hard to remain in the club of superpowers.
The British government was faced with a dilemma. Should it accede to South African demands and not confirm Seretse as chief, or risk a diplomatic row over the marriage of two people? The decision was not surprising: Seretse would never be officially confirmed as chief. In chess, sometimes a piece or two has to be sacrificed for the final victory. In this case it was Seretse and Ruth, only they didn’t know it yet.
The danger comes from the south
In London, their story was still hot and Ruth was besieged by journalists at every turn. The unbearable burden of fame, which she never wanted, was driving her to despair. When she received Seretse’s telegram asking her to join him as soon as possible, she was relieved. She bought a plane ticket in the name of Mrs Jones and set off on a journey of a few days to her new homeland.
When the plane door opened, she saw a smiling Seretse and ran into his arms. The welcome she received from her hosts made her feel as if Africa had always been her home. Passers-by waved to greet her and, wherever she appeared, people began to sing and dance enthusiastically. The fear that the tribe would not accept the “white queen” was clearly unnecessary.
Seretse has carried out all his duties as Chief, although he has not yet been formally confirmed by London. A mere formality had turned into a threat. He wondered why the British were dragging their feet and quickly realised that South Africa was behind it all. He and Ruth were then officially banned from its territory. Marriage between a black and a white man was forbidden by law. They would have been arrested immediately on entering the country. Seretse wondered how Britain could have given in to South Africa and its racist policies. How would this despicable act be received by the public there?
In the Cabinet Office in London, the same question was being addressed. A democratic and just Britain must not give the impression that it is making concessions to South Africa and that it supports apartheid. The public must believe that Seretse voluntarily abdicated the throne because it was better for his tribe. Seretse and Ruth should therefore be invited to London for “talks”.
Indecent invitation
When Seretse received the invitation from London, Ruth was pregnant for the first time. The suspicion she rightly harbored of the British government was compounded by concern for the baby. What would happen if she was never allowed back from London? She had asked for written confirmation from the government that she could return to Serowe at any time, but had not received it. After consulting her tribe, she decided to stay in Africa. Seretse was convinced that the verbal assurance was enough and accepted the invitation to “come and talk”.
He was received in London by the Minister for Commonwealth Relations, Labour’s Philip Noel-Baker, the only man in the world to hold an Olympic medal (silver in the 1500 metres in Antwerp) and a Nobel Peace Prize (for his long-standing efforts for global disarmament). He advised him to give up his throne and in return the British government would pay him a very decent monthly annuity. He acted so calm and emotionless, as if he was asking me to stop smoking,” Seretse later recounted. He firmly refused the offer and left the meeting.
He wanted nothing more than to live with Ruth and rule the tribe that had chosen him as their leader. The British government, gritting its teeth, made one last, emergency move – on 6 March 1950, much to his surprise, it formally expelled him from the Bechuanaland protectorate for five years. Ruth, too, had to leave the country that had become her home after the birth of her child.
Initial shock quickly turned to anger and Seretse called a press conference to accuse the British Labour government of bowing to South Africa’s racist demands and tricking him into coming to London to ban him from returning to his home country.
Criticism of this unfair decision began to pour in from all corners of the world. Britain’s authority and prestige were severely damaged. In the Protectorate, a pregnant Ruth received hundreds of letters of support and she was determined not to give in to despondency. Suddenly, her former enemies – the media – came to her rescue. The story of a betrayed but proud Ruth quickly made the rounds of the English newspapers and public opinion was almost entirely on the side of the young couple.
This forced the government to allow Seretse to return temporarily to the Protectorate. He and Ruth were expecting their first child and a sense of humanity prevailed. On 15 May 1950, Jacqueline was born and London was relieved that it would not have to deal with another pretender to the throne. The young family had three weeks to leave the Protectorate.
Just before his departure, Seretse addressed his tribe one last time, advising them to continue to pay their taxes and remain loyal to the British Crown. This was an attempt to calm the passions in his homeland, which he had been forced to leave precisely because of the Crown, which he was not allowed to wear. Painfully realising that this was the best he could do for his people, he boarded a plane for London with Ruth and Jacqueline.
From exile to the bush
In exile, the Khama family lived a leisurely and at times boring English life. Ruth’s father finally relaxed and met his son-in-law, who made such a good impression on him that they became friends. Little Jacqueline was given a brother, Ian, and only homesickness tempered the family’s happiness.
The Bamangwato tribe never lost hope that Seretse would return one day. In his absence, the protectorate was ruled by a temporary deputy who was not respected by the locals, and the British authorities had considerable difficulty in maintaining order. Old grievances were all but forgotten in Bechuania. In the meantime, although the British government had extended the Khama family’s exile indefinitely, the situation began to change unexpectedly. This time in Seretse and Ruth’s favour.
Since the end of the Second World War, the British Empire has been losing prestige and influence in the world. India, the jewel in the British crown, became independent as early as 1947. The movement for independence of the colonies was in full swing even in the 1950s, and Britain could only watch helplessly as its former greatness unravelled inexorably. Seretse, too, sensed that a new wind was blowing, sweeping away the old world order. He renounced his chieftainship and asked the government to allow him to return home. After seven years, his wish was finally granted because of the many difficulties facing Britain.
He was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd on his arrival in Serowe, but Seretse was not and never will be a kgosi again. His authority, his education and his immense popularity made him the leader of his tribe. On the wave of democratisation and decolonisation that swept Africa in the 1960s, he became the first Prime Minister of the protectorate of Bechuanaland and, in 1966, the first President of independent Botswana, which he ruled until his death in 1980. One of the poorest countries in the world became a success story under his rule, with free elections, economic prosperity and the peaceful coexistence of people of different races. Botswana was Seretse’s salve to a racist South Africa.
Queen Elizabeth knighted him in 1966, thus indirectly alleviating the injustice done to him by the British government. Ruth devoted her life to charity and was, among other things, President of the Botswana Red Cross.
Their love should not have been born. It was too soon. They came from different worlds and lived at a time when those two worlds were far apart. No one believed that they would be happy together. No one but them.
