Olebile Masire

Gladys Olebile Masire
First Lady of Botswana
In role 13 July 1980 – 31 March 1998
President	Quett Masire
Preceded by	Ruth Williams Khama
Succeeded by	Barbara Mogae
Personal details
Born	30 July 1932 Modimola, Mafikeng, South Africa
Died	17 May 2013 (aged 80) Parktown, South Africa
Spouse(s)	Sir Ketumile Masire (m. 1958)
Children	6
Alma mater	Tiger Kloof
Profession	Teacher

Gladys Molefi Olebile Masire (30 July 1932 – 17 May 2013) was a Motswana teacher and political figure who served as the longest ruling First Lady of Botswana from 1980 until 1998.

Olebile Masire was born in 1932 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.

In the 1980s, Lula Horace, the wife of U.S. Ambassador Horace Dawson, helped Olebile Masire establish Botswana's first charity. This charity was called the Child-to-Child Foundation of Botswana, and she was a Honorary President of the Foundation in 1996.

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

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

Olebile Masire was the Patron of the Special Olympics Botswana from 1989 until 2013. 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.

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

On 17 May 2013, Olebile Masire died at Milpark Hospital in Parktown, South Africa. She was buried in Kanye, Botswana, on 25 May 2013.

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