Klass Motshidisi passes on
Onalenna Kelebeile | Wednesday March 4, 2015 12:16
Kgosi Motshidisi passed away at Palapye Hospital after a brief admission following a short illness. According to Palapye Sub Tribal Authority Masego Olebile, Motshidisi suffered a short illness and was urgently taken to the local hospital where he was immediately referred to Sekgoma Memorial Hospital and later Bokamoso Private Hospital where he succumbed to his illness.
“His death was announced to me this morning. This is a great loss to the tribal authority and the community of Palapye at large. We have been working closely for the past eight years,” he said.
He described Motshidisi’s death as a major blow especially that Palapye lost another tribal leader Raditanka Ntebele only last year.
Leokana Bogatsu, Motshidisi’s daughter, said yesterday, that her father was a man of many portfolios. “He was due for retirement in May this year and we were currently working on what next for him.
As an author he was intending to expand more on the archives of Palapye village and was in the process of writing books on the history of Botswana, Bangwato and others.
He was also in the middle of writing his biography and was intending to do full time consultation work upon retirement to assist anybody who needed information,” she said.
She described the death of her father as a great loss, more so that they were not prepared for it because he was not sick. Bogatsu said doctors suspect a heart attack.
Motshidisi who is also former commissioner of labour in the early 80s until early 90s was also among Batswana who were activists of the African National Congress of South Africa.
“He was what was called a courier for the party according to the information he used to share with us.
He would transport party members from South Africa on their way to places like Tanzania. Some people like Thabo Mbeki once spent a night here with my family,” she added. Botswana National Front (BNF) spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa said during his political life before re-joining the public service, Motshidisi, who has served as labour secretary as well as the party’s secretary general, believed that there had to be order in every way the party conducted its business.
“Even when he assumed his position as a headman he did not continue with the BNF activities because he believed that bogosi and politics do not go together.
He was a fountain of knowledge and a basket of the BNF history,” said Mohwasa. He appreciated Motshidisi’s family for having allowed him to work tirelessly for the BNF.
Motshidisi is one of the pioneers of trade unionism in Botswana. He was one of the founders of House of Hope in Palapye, chairman of Palapye Development Advisory Trust and a board member of Kopano Rehabilitation Centre. He was also a patron of Botswana Red Cross and a member of Emang Basadi. Labour activist Johnson Motshwarakgole said he met Motshidisi, who was more like a father to him, in 1969. “Motshidisi and the likes of Frank Marumo would assemble workers at a place called Tlapeng la Babereki at New Naledi in Gaborone to teach them about labour issues and labour education in general. They would play labour-related movies for workers to learn about labour issues. Even today that stone is still there,” he said.
He said during that time labour education and labour struggle was not fully understood by workers. “I am happy that I am his product in the labour struggle,” said the fiery trade unionist. He explained that Motshidisi learnt about labour issues in the Soviet Union where he studied and for him to secure a job upon return to the country became very difficult because he was viewed as a rebel who lured workers to rise against the authorities.
“He was a fighter. He even once challenged the late Sir Seretse Khama for a parliamentary race in Serowe under the BNF ticket. Who would do that during those years? He was brave enough and had the guts to do so,” he added.
Motshwarakgole recalls that Motshidisi would awaken workers to the fact that he is imparting the trade unionism knowledge to them so that they can continue with the struggle even when he has retired.
“Motshidisi would warn us that some within the rank of workers would be swallowed by crocodiles though there are no ponds.
He meant that some of us in the labour movement would betray us and become sellouts. I am just lucky to have learnt from him,” Motshwarakgole reminisces.
Motshidisi is survived by his wife, five children and grandchildren. To honour the fallen hero, the BNF will be holding a memorial service at the City Hall in Gaborone, on Thursday.