Fare thee well Sungis
Pini Bothoko | Monday October 9, 2023 06:00
Masunga, 60, breathed his last on Saturday at Riverside Hospital after a long illness while holding the position of Deputy Court President at Block 4, Francistown.
The former Itekeng ward councillor had been in and out of hospital until he finally succumbed to his death. To show his loyalty to this publication, few months ago after he was discharged from Bokamoso Private Hospital where he was hospitalised for a short period, Masunga contacted me through a phone call asking for the Mmegi edition to read while on his way to Francistown.
Kgosi Masunga was a ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Itekeng ward councillor in Francistown from 2004 to 2009 when he subsequently lost his seat to Lazarus Tlou of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) in the 2009 General Election. Masunga was amongst a host of BDP members who quit the party in 2010 to form the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) where he was immediately appointed interim secretary for the Francistown region. His stay in the opposition ranks was, however, short-lived as he retraced his footsteps to the BDP a year later. He also contested the BDP primaries at Tati Siding East ward and lost ahead of the 2014 General Election.
Masunga later relocated to the Francistown Central ward. From 2014 to 2019, the late Masunga worked at the Francistown East parliamentary office as Research and Administrative officer.
He served closely with Member of Parliament for Francistown East, Buti Billy. Back in 2019, Masunga contested for Central Council ward in Francistown under the BDP ticket but lost to an Alliance for Progressive (AP) candidate. He was later appointed Deputy Court President for Block 4, a position he held until his untimely death.
The late Kgosi Masunga did his primary and secondary education at Kopano primary English medium school and Selebi-Phikwe Secondary school respectively. Asked about Masunga’s death, his long time friend, the Assistant Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture Buti Billy spoke highly of the man's valuable contributions to the BDP especially in his area when he (Masunga) was still a politician. “I met Masunga before we were both councillors. We long became friends, back in 2003.
I encouraged him to contest for the BDP primary elections and we won council seats in 2004. He lost his seat in 2009 and in 2013 I contested for primaries for the Francistown East Constituency Parliamentary seat and won in 2014 General Election. Since he was a hard worker and smart politically, I employed him in my constituency office and he did extremely well. He was a parent to me and an advisor, he taught me politics to the core. He taught me to resolve conflicts within the party amicably and to put the party first at all times,” Billy said. Billy also said there is no one who was politically active more than Masunga in Francistown and loved BDP whole heartedly like him.
He stated that even the time that Masunga joined the BMD, it was because of frustration and did not last as he retraced his footsteps to the BDP a year later. “Masunga loved the BDP wholeheartedly, he used to campaign for the party every minute he got before he was appointed as a Kgosi. He was politically active more than everyone in Francistown, his car used to have mounted loud speakers throughout ready for any announcement.
He was a people’s person, an honourable man who would not miss any funeral, weddings, kgotla meetings. We have indeed lost a foot soldier. I have lost a dear friend, we were very close and I do not want to lie Masunga helped and supported me to win elections several times,” added Billy. Masunga will be laid to rest tomorrow (Saturday) in Tatisiding. He is survived by his wife, Boikhutso Masunga, two sons and two siblings.