Khama III

Khama III käˈmä [key], d. 1923?, chief of the Ngwato people of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) from 1875 until his death; grandfather of Sir Seretse Khama. To counter threats from neighboring Africans and from the Boers (Afrikaners) of S Africa, he and other chiefs arranged (1885) for Great Britain to make Bechuanaland a protectorate. Despite the opposition of many British imperialists wishing to undermine the chief's authority, this status was confirmed when Khama III made a journey to England in 1895. Khama III's firm leadership eliminated much of the internal dissension that had divided his people.

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