Mokhethi to be exhumed and reburied in SA

Mokhethi, who was buried near his fellow comrade Abram Onkgopotse Tiro in the old Gabrone cemetery, died in 1985 after a long illness. He was born on April 29, 1952 in Evaton, Vereeniging. Mokhethi matriculated at Morris Isaacson High School in Central Western Jabavu under the principalship of Lakgau Mathabatha where his political life started as a young student.

His uncle, a former teacher in Soweto who left the profession in 1956 because he could not tolerate the introduction of the Bantu Education Act of 1956, played a vital role in shaping the political outlook of Comrade Mokhethi.

The 1971/72 workers strikes in Durban, under the banner of the Black Allied Workers Union (BAWU) of Drake Koka and Cecil Fanekiso, both deceased, intensified his awareness of the need for freedom.

 The Turfloop students' strikes of 1972, the SASO/FRELIMO rally of 1974, and the SASO/BPC trial of 1974/75/76 are some of the highlights of the struggles that Mokhethi witnessed.

 Mokhethi was an active member of the Light Bearers and Teen Outreach youth clubs in the early1970s. He was a youth leader of his time who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Cyril Ramaphosa, Frank Chikane, Khehla Mthembu, Bongi Mkhabela, Ishmael Mkhabela and Lybon Mabasa, to mention but a few. In addition to others, Mokhethi was mentored by the likes of Reverend Steve Manyane, Rev Heilbron Vilakazi and Reverend Pedronero Raboroko.

When Abram Onkgopotse Tiro went to teach at Morris Isaacson in 1972 after his expulsion from the University of the North (Turfloop), he sought to find students with a view to politicising them and to form SASM, the South African Student Movement.

Mokhethi was one of them. He was in Tiro's Form IV history class while Tsietsi Mashinini was his junior. Like Tsietsi who was Donald 'Don' Mashinini, and Khotso Seatlholo who was Sidney 'Tiny' Seatlholo, Esau Mokhethi suddenly became Tshehlo Mokhethi. But much as he wanted to be known as Tshehlo due to political conscientisation, he could not shrug off the biblical name Essau.

Mokhethi joined the University of the North in 1974, a few days after Tiro was assassinated. He joined SASO and became very active on campus. Many a leader in this country who received their education through Turfloop owe it to Mokhethi, for he had received B.C. conscientisation directly from the master himself, Tiro.

In 1975/76 when the system of the SRC was not working at Turfloop because Professor Boshoff, the rector, had banned SASO on campus, the students rendered Turfloop ungovernable. A new body (the Interim Committee) was elected to represent the students. Mokhethi was one of the six member structure. He served with the former Education MEC of the North West Zakes Tolo and Serobi Maja, the former D.G. of Limpopo province under Ngoako Ramatlhodi. June 16, 1976 broke out in Soweto.

Those who were at the forefront of this struggle were his juniors at Morris Isaacson. Mokhethi left the campus to go to Soweto to support and guide the SASM leaders. When he returned to the university, he was arrested alongside Sello Selele (now living in Holland), Tom Moyana (current Commissioner of Correctional Service) and Strike Thokoane (current Deputy President of AZAPO) for activities relating to June 16.  They were charged with sabotage and arson.

After undergoing interrogation at the hands of the notorious Special Branch and incarceration for three months, they were released on bail. They left the country for exile in Botswana. Mokhethi continued the struggle in exile and worked under the former president of AZAPO, Comrade Mosibudi Mangena.

Essau Mokhethi became the political secretary of the Botswana region and was instrumental in the formation of BCMA and AZANLA. His activities took him to Arusha, Tanzania where he represented  BCM at the PAC conference together with Gerald Phokobye in 1978.

In Botswana he made his contribution by spearheading the move to form a secondary school in Tlokweng and another one at the Dukwe refugee camp. He worked with Professor Sibusiso Wil-Nkomo of the University of Pretoria and Strike Thokoane. 

After graduating for a BA degree at the University of Botswana in 1982, Essau Mokhethi suffered a long illness that was later diagnosed as a brain tumour and he could not function any more and had to undergo an operation.

There were only two countries where this could be done, namely South Africa and Kenya. He obviously chose Nairobi. When he left Gaborone Mokhethi was walking. A few weeks later, he came back escorted by a nurse and in a wheelchair. He was later operated on at the Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare and died in Zimbabwe in July 1987. He was buried at the Gaborone Cemetery next to Tiro.He is survived by his widow Jabulile and son Tiisetso.

*Thokoane is deputy president of AZAPO