Kgama Sekgoma – The Great Christian Chief

Kgama Sekgoma – The Great Christian Chief by R. Haydon Lewis is a biographical study of one of southern Africa’s most influential nineteenth-century leaders, Khama III, often referred to in older texts as Kgama Sekgoma. Published by The Native Recruiting Corporation, Limited, this volume reflects an early twentieth-century perspective on the life and leadership of the Christian ruler of the Bamangwato people in Bechuanaland (modern Botswana). The book situates Khama III within both regional African politics and the expanding missionary and colonial networks of the time.

Khama III (1837–1923) was renowned for his firm embrace of Christianity, his opposition to alcohol, and his diplomatic engagement with British authorities to secure the autonomy of his territory against encroachment from neighbouring settler interests. Lewis presents him as a reformer and statesman, tracing his rise to chieftainship, his religious conversion under missionary influence, and his role in maintaining relative stability in Bechuanaland during a period of profound upheaval in southern Africa. While the narrative reflects the missionary ethos characteristic of its era, it remains a valuable contemporary account of Khama’s governance and his negotiations within the broader imperial context.

Kgama Sekgoma – The Great Christian Chief holds particular interest for collectors of Africana, missionary history, and early biographies of African leaders. As a publication associated with The Native Recruiting Corporation, Limited, it also reflects the institutional and economic structures operating in southern Africa during the period. Today, the volume stands as both a historical document and a lens into how African leadership and Christianity were interpreted in early twentieth-century colonial literature.

Condition: Very Good – This 23 page booklet style publication is in overall great condition yet the pages is becoming brittle. Evidence of moisture exposure on the top edge of all pages.