Hundreds pay tribute to Menyatso

GIDEON NKALA
Staff Writer | Tuesday February 23, 2010 00:00

 

Speakers described the late Menyatso as a humble but dedicated son of the struggle to rid Botswana of racial discrimination and later in life fought for a better living for all. Speaking on behalf of Menyatso's in laws, Vice President Merafhe said Menyatso was not only a good husband to his aunt but a father who provided his house with love, food and care to all of MmaMenyatso's relatives who stayed with them.

Reminiscing of the old times, he said he used to sleep over at Menyatso's house whenever he was traveling from Serowe in transit to the family cattle post which was located outside Palla Road.  Despite their differing political views Merafhe said he learnt a lot from the expansive historical knowledge that Menyatso possessed. In particular, Merafhe cited his parliamentary contribution on the 77,78 and 79 debates as one of those instances where he drew from the deep granary of Menyatso's historical knowledge.   Klaas Motshidisi, who is now Kgosi in Palapye spoke about Menyatso as a friend. In fact, Motshidisi identified Menyatso as his twin brother (not biological)-incidentally the two were born five days apart from each other.

Motshidisi traced Menyatso's earlier politics and how they were shaped by the racist ideology in South Africa where Menyatso worked briefly before he was appalled by the racist policies that dehumanise men. Perhaps unbeknown to most of the young generation Motshidisi skirted how Menyatso who once worked in the colonial administration in Mahalapye, helped to fight the discriminatory practices at shops and service centres such as the Post Office.The practice of selective service, Motshidisi said, has ended largely due to the valiant efforts of people like Menyatso, who laid the foundation. Once, Motshidisi said, he wrote a letter and pasted it on the colonial administrator's notice-board in which he condemned their stance in denying Seretse Khama the right to marry a woman of his choice-Ruth Williams. According to Motshidisi when it was discovered that the letter had been written by Menyatso he lost his job as a messenger and an interpretor. The two traveled and studied together in the former United Soviet Socialist Repubulic. Kwante Kwante, a student who was doing a thesis on the life of Menyatso  said at Independence, Menyatso had told him that they decampaigned against the late doyen of the opposition Philip Matante and supported Seretse Khama. According to Kwante, Menyatso said Matante had a ruthless side and he had said he would imprison all those who opposed him and that is why all those who opposed Matante felt Seretse Khama was a better devil.

For his part the BNF leader Otsweletse Moupo paid tribute to Menyatso as an upright comrade who believed in study groups as a better mode of educating party members to imbibe party programmes and traditions. In his funeral programme, Menyatso is identified as one of the first political prisoners in Botswana. 'He shortly turned political prisoner in 1967 due to his involvement in some lawful acts deemed to disturb and undermine the peaceful political atmosphere in the country.  He was tried and later acquitted with some other members of the BNF executive.' Menyatso, who died aged 78 years,  leaves behind his wife and nine children (five sons,4 daughters).