Apostolic Nuncio to pay last respect to Setlalekgosi
Staff Writer | Friday February 1, 2019 13:36
Setlalekgosi, who was the first Motswana to become a bishop, will be laid to rest tomorrow at Christ the King Cathedral.
Bishop Setlalekgosi died at the age of 91 after being ill for sometime. “He was treated at the Bokamoso Private Hospital. Setlalekgosi was once taken to South Africa to consult a specialist and having been in and out of hospital for two months, the bishop finally took his last breath at Gaborone Private Hospital at about 4:30 pm on January 25, 2019,” bishop Nabuasah said. He said the funeral mass will be at the stadium before the burial. Bishop Setlalekgosi was born in Serowe on September 14 1927 and grew up in small village of Mmaphashalala in the Central District of the country.
Setlalekgosi contributed immensely to Botswana’s the social, political and economic growth with a focus on education, health, land development, poverty eradication and skills development.
According to Bishop Nabuasah, the late Bishop Setlalekgosi started the feeding scheme in primary schools and home based care at Pabalelong hospice in Metsimotlhabe, which takes care of those, affected by chronic diseases amongst others. The late Setlalekgosi started a study group in Francistown, which later transformed into Setlalekgosi Junior Secondary School.
He also influenced the position that the government took against the law of abortion taking into account the value of human life.
In 1974 the late former president Sir Seretse Khama honoured him with Presidential Honour of Meritorious service. Following the death of the late bishop Urban Murphy C.P, he was appointed administrator of the diocese of Gaborone and in December 1981 he was appointed the bishop of Gaborone and ordained in March 6, 1982.
He also received an honour from former President Ian Khama in 2009 and retired the same year.
He attended his primary and secondary schools at St. Joseph’s college and after completing his secondary school education in 1957, he went to seminary in Zimbabwe.