Gladys Olebile Masire

Gladys Molefi Olebile Masire, Lady Masire (30 July 1931 – 17 May 2014) was a Botswana teacher and political figure who served as the longest ruling First Lady of Botswana from 1980 until 1998.

Gladys Olebile Masire
2nd First Lady of Botswana
In role
13 July 1980 – 31 March 1998
PresidentQuett Masire
Preceded byRuth Williams Khama
Succeeded byBarbara Mogae
Personal details
Born(1931-07-30)30 July 1931
Modimola, Mafikeng, South Africa
Died17 May 2014(2014-05-17) (aged 82)
Parktown, South Africa
Spouse(s)
​
(m. after 1958)​
Children6
Alma materTiger Kloof
ProfessionTeacher

Early life and education

Gladys Molefi Olebile was born in 1931 in the village of Modimola, Mafikeng. She was the daughter of Fenkwane Mogwera and Mabu Mogwera. From her maternal side, she belonged to the Tawana-a-Tshidi Mina Tholo royal family. After graduating from Tigerkloof, she followed in her mother footsteps becoming a teacher for many years at Mafikeng and later at Kanye.[1]

Career

In the 1980s, Lula Horace, the wife of U.S. Ambassador Horace Dawson, helped Olebile Masire establish Botswana's first charity.[2] This charity was called the Child-to-Child Foundation of Botswana, and she was an honorary president of the foundation in 1996.[3]

In 1990, Olebile Masire was a member of the Mandela National Reception Committee that helped prepare for Nelson Mandela's June 1990 visit to Gaborone after his release from Robben Island.[4]

Personal life

She was married to the late former President of Botswana Sir Quett Ketumile Masire in 1958 and had six children.[5]

Honors

Olebile Masire was the Patron of the Special Olympics Botswana from 1989 until 2013.[6] In the 1996/97 school year, the University of Botswana established the Lady Olebile Masire Prize in her name. This award is given to a student with the highest grades in the Faculty of Engineering.[7]

Olebile Masire was posthumously given the Presidential Order of Honour Award in 2016 by President Ian Khama.[8]

Death

On 17 May 2014, Lady (Gladys) Olebile Masire died at Milpark Hospital in Parktown, South Africa. She was buried in Kanye, Botswana, on 25 May 2014, a week later.[1]

References
  1. "Fare thee well...Mother of the Nation". gov.bw. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  2. "National Headliners". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 6 August 1990. p. 12. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  3. Pridmore, Pat (1996). Children as health educators : the child-to-child approach (PDF) (Ph.D.). University of London.
  4. Makgala, Christian John (2006). "The BNF and BDP's 'Fight' for the Attention of the ANC, 1912-2004: A Historical Perspective". Botswana Notes and Records. 38: 115–133. JSTOR 41235991.
  5. Morton, Fred; Ramsay, Jeff; Themba Mgadla, Part (2008). Historical Dictionary of Botswana (4th ed.). p. 208. ISBN 9780810854673. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  6. "Commission inducts pioneers". dailynews.gov.bw. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  7. "Undergraduate Academic Calendar 2016/2017". ub.bw. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  8. Motsamai, Mmoniemang. "Botswana: Khama Honours Builders of Botswana". allafrica.com. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
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