The Story of Seretse and Ruth: A Southern African Foundational Fiction

Abstract

This article is centred on Wilf Mbanga and Trish Mbanga’s Seretse and Ruth (2005), a Zimbabwean-authored, fictionalised biography of the first President of Botswana, Seretse Khama and his British wife, Ruth Williams. In the article, analysis of Seretse and Ruth is placed within the context of a resurgence of international interest both in Botswana as a society and in the marriage of the Khamas. The aims and method-ology of Mbanga and Mbanga are compared to those of Michael Dutfield, the author of their main secondary source A Marriage of Inconvenience (1990). The ambiguity in the “play” on cultural and racial difference in Seretse and Ruth is discussed in an analysis of the biography’s representation of Ruth and Seretse’s courtship and the antagonism between Ruth and Seretse’s uncle, Tshekedi.

    Drawing on the work of Doris Sommer (1993) on the romance as foundational fiction in nineteenth-century Latin American writing, the paper argues that Seretse and Ruth presents the story of the Khamas as a foundational fiction in which “star-crossed lovers” from different races and regions eventually unite the new nation of Botswana. Moreover, the retelling of this story has resonances in contemporary southern African politics and culture. Seretse and Ruth contributes to the “myth” of Botswana as a successful, harmonious society that can be contrasted with the divided society of neighbouring Zimbabwe. The paper concludes that Seretse and Ruth presents a way of imagining a foundational fiction for Zimbabwe based on consensus rather than exclusion.

Opsomming

Hierdie artikel is gebaseer op Wilf Mbanga en Trish Mbanga se Seretse and Ruth (2005), ’n gefiksionaliseerde biografie geskryf deur Zimbabwiese outeurs oor Botswana se eerste president, Seretse Khama en sy Britse vrou, Ruth Williams.  Die artikel plaas ’n analise van Seretse and Ruth binne die konteks van ’n herlewing in internasionale belangstelling in beide Botswana as ’n samelewing en in die huwelik van die Khamas. Mbanga en Mbanga se doelwitte en metodologie word vergelyk met dié van Michael Dutfield, die outeur van hul vernaamste sekondêre bron, A Marriage of Inconvenience (1990). Die dubbelsinnigheid in die woordspeling ten opsigte van die kulturele en rasseverskille in Seretse and Ruth word bespreek in die analise van die biografie se voorstelling van Ruth en Seretse se hofmakery en die antagonisme tussen Ruth en Seretse se oom, Tshekedi.

    Die artikel gebruik die werk van Doris Sommer (1993) oor die roman as grondslagfiksie in negentiende-eeuse Latyns-Amerikaanse werke, om aan te voer dat Seretse and Ruth die storie van die Khamas as grondslagfiksie voorstel waarin die “gedoemde paartjie” van verskillende rasse en streke uiteindelik die nuwe Botswana-nasie verenig. Meer nog, die hervertelling van hierdie storie vind weer-klank in die kontemporêre Suider-Afrikaanse politiek en kultuur. Seretse and Ruth dra by tot die “mite” van Botswana as ’n suksesvolle, harmonieuse samelewing in teenstelling met die verdeelde samelewing in die buurland, Zimbabwe. Die artikel kom tot die slotsom dat Seretse and Ruth ’n manier aantoon om ’n grondslagfiksie vir Zimbabwe te verbeeld wat op konsensus eerder as uitsluiting gebaseer is.