Gagoangwe

Gagoangwe (c. 1845 – 1924) was the Acting (Regent) King, the Queen Mother or Mohumagadi of the Mmanaana Kgatla and BaNgwaketse in what is now Botswana. Gagoangwe was a member of the Kwena family, a devout Christian, and regent for her grandson, Bathoen II.

Early life Gagoangwe was the daughter of Sechele I, When she was young, she gouged out the eye of a servant. Her father allowed the servant to put out one of her eyes in return, in accordance to the biblical Old Testament principle "an eye for an eye". Thereafter, she was known as the "one-eyed Queen".

Marriage and children Gagoangwe married her first husband, kgosi Pilane. In 1875, she eloped with Bathoen I who was heir to the leadership of the BaNgwaketse. In 1890, Bathoen I and Gagoangwe remarried in a Christian marriage ceremony, legitimizing their marriage in the eyes of the Christian church. She was a devout Christian and impacted Bathoen I's support of the London Missionary Society.

Reign In 1923, Gagoangwe became the Acting King as regent for Bathoen II. She took her place as regent to preserve bogosi for her grandson. She reigned over BaNgwaketse, territory of a subgroup of the Tswana people in what is now Botswana during a crucial time for this territory. The territory was in the midst of a fight for independence against the Boers and the colonial British Empire.

Gagoangwe continued the development projects of Seepapitso III, and secured the regency for her daughter Ntebogang Ratshosa before her own death.