A requiem for ‘BK’
Ryder Gabathuse | Monday July 10, 2023 06:00
“We transform them into courageous warriors, ready to battle and conquer the forces of the evil disease. They’re suddenly heroes.
Fighters. It can feel odd to them because just a bit ago, they were everyday humans, sometimes brave, sometimes scared, trying to navigate the twists and turns of life like everybody else,” journals further state the reality about what our loved ones experience. It can be really painful. Renowned author, Kehinde Victoria shares that at some point in our lives, most of us have had to battle an illness.
“Whether you’ve been fighting it for a few weeks or years, nobody can deny that fighting an illness takes a lot of inner strength. Being sick is never fun. You might have to stay in bed, give up on your favourite activities, or maybe even let go of work. And when you’re stuck at home, there’s really not a whole lot you can do,” the motivational writer further adds.
Bontshetse Kenyaditswe Mafhoko or ‘BK’ as she was popularly known, was a good person, a good mother, and indeed a people’s person both at home and in the teaching profession.
This came from the eulogies at her home in Maunatlala. It was hard for many in Maunatlala village in particular to come to terms with her demise, but for those who have seen her over the years, ‘BK’ has fought a good fight. When Apostle Paul in the book of 2 Timothy 4:7-8 wrote: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith...” it seems he had ‘BK” in his mind as she has indeed fought a good fight. Some of us have the benefit of beholding the majority of the bouts she fought.
She was relentless and tenacious against the enemy called illness. In a space of years, before she finally met her maker last week Monday at her hospital bed at the Princess Marina Hospital, she had battled with about four bouts of stroke, which saw her health deteriorating to its lowest ebb. In the olden days, duration of human life was estimated at about 70 or if by reason of extra-ordinary might, 80 years. BK was counted amongst the latter category of extra-ordinary at 84 years to be exact. Just last week Monday she succumbed to an illness that she had fought against with everything she had. Hours before her body was taken to the village cemetery, for final interment, it was perhaps her granddaughter, Rose Mafhoko who shed light on who ‘Bo-Mma’ as she called BK, was, in a captivating eulogy. She particularly appreciated a rare and consistent attribute in which ‘Bo-Mma’ thanked her for everything that she did for her.
BK stood out amongst members of the family as the only one who would never lack appreciating in particular all the meals prepared by Rose and other chores she rendered to her.
Almost all their personal interactions were punctuated with a thank you. This attribute has easily passed over to Rose’s daughter, Mmaosa, who like BK, would never forget to shout a "thank you" for everything done to her. She found her grandmother peaceful, loving and indeed a kind mother who played a cohesive role of bringing family members together. She said she was also a mother to all as she also directly supported others who needed her support. BK’s influence as a primary school teacher can easily be traced on her family as two of her children, Gasebatwe Morakaladi (first born) and Kgolagano Mafhoko (fourth born) are primary and secondary school teachers by profession, respectively. Kgolagano, a deputy school head at a Junior Secondary School in Mogapi village, also spoke at the funeral on behalf of his siblings.
He quickly reminisced incidents of the years of yore, when at school they were spared the rod on the basis that they were the daughters and sons of a school teacher, leaving the multitudes that had thronged the funeral in stitches of laughter. He, however, spoke distraughtly about how he beheld his mother’s health which he traces to many years ago deteriorate whilst she was still teaching. He said the mother used to complain about bodily pains, unbeknown to her that one day, the sudden piercing pains she complained of in her body would morph into devastating attacks of stroke. He was also convinced that his mother had put a brave fight against a colossal of an ailment that finally took her life. Bofakae Phaladi, a retired school teacher just like BK, described the deceased as a hard worker who at some stage taught in the same school with him at Mogapinyana Primary School teaching lower classes. “You can imagine the difficulty of teaching lower classes the basics of education, step by step. She never had difficulties imparting the skills as the pupils would pass to other classes well equipped,” he remembered.
He particularly spoke highly about BK’s flexibility that made her easily interact and work cordially with others. The deceased started her primary education at Maunatlala Primary School in 1946 until 1954. She would later continue her education in South Africa before she proceeded to Seepapitso Secondary School in Kanye for secondary education. In 1960 she was employed by the department of primary education as a teacher whereupon she taught at Maunatlala Primary School, Borakanelo Primary School in Mosweu village and at Mogapinyana and at Masupe Primary School. She would later enrol at a primary teaching college for professional teaching.
She would later serve as a matron at Maunatlala Community Junior Secondary School for a short contract. BK later joined the village cooperatives and the show committee as her service to the village. She was also a farmer. The funeral was graced by amongst others, educationists (retired and serving) Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Sethabelo Modukanele who is also the area MP, teacher trade unionists and other dignitaries. Four children, nine grand children and four great grand children survive her. May your soul rest in peace Mokgopeng!