Kopsie, Your Race Has Been Run

For the few media workers there, a majority of whom were from across the border in South Africa, it was a sad but real moment to see Kopsie off. A friend and colleague had succumbed to a long sickness, which culminated in two massive strokes in the past two years. That last mile was too painful to witness.  Sadly many former colleagues and friends failed to find time to be the comfort of the loving and ever-present soul that Kopsie was.

When a friend Lesang Maswabi and I arrived at the Rammekwa homestead on Saturday, the first thing Kopsie’s only child, Zandile said was “Mama was always talking of you two, that you are coming for another visit”. I became emotional, remembering three months or so ago when we went to check on her, we promised a return trip with a platter of seafood Kopsie wanted.  We never did, but we kept in touch telephonically, which really is not the same when all a friend unable to take a trip, let alone stand on her own two feet, is all the company of friends and family.