Benjamin C. Subject

Benjamin C. Thema (* 1912 in Ranaka , Bangwaketse , Bechuanaland , today: Botswana; † 1982 ) was a Botswana politician of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

Life

Subject attended the Healdtown Institution and the Tiger Kloof Educational Institute in Vryburg, South Africa, and in 1936 became a teacher for Setswana at the Tiger Kloof Educational Institute . In 1939 he became the founding president of the Bechuanaland Student Association and in 1946 founded the Tshidi Barolong Secondary School in Mafikeng , of which he was rector until 1955. During this time he acquired in 1948 a degree in education (Master in Education) and served from 1955 to 1964 as head of Moeng College . In 1962 he was awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his longstanding service.

In 1964, Thema retired from school and joined the Bechuanaland Democratic Party (BDP) founded by Seretse Khama in 1961 . In 1965 he was elected member of the National Assembly for the BDP and represented the constituency of Lobatse until 1974 . In 1966 he was appointed Minister for Education, Health and Labor by President Seretse Khama and held this ministerial office until 1969. He was then Minister of Education from 1969 to 1974.

Web links

• Fred Morton, Jeff Ramsay, Part Themba Mgadl: Historical Dictionary of Botswana , Scarecrow Press, 2008, p. 329, ISBN 0-8108-6404-5