Despite the monumental contributions to the nation, the late Dr Gaositwe Chiepe will not be accorded a State funeral but President Duma Boko is expected to attend her entirement.
Chiepe, a trailblazer in various fields including education, diplomacy, and politics, passed away peacefully on Sunday at her home at around 8am. She was the first Motswana woman to earn a college degree, which subsequently earned her the nickname of 'woman of firsts'. Chiepe passed away at the age of 102. In an interview with Mmegi Online, Emang Bokhutlo, press secretary to the President, confirmed that there will be no State funeral for Chiepe but the State will assist where possible.
“There will be no State funeral for the late Chiepe but the family has approached the State to help where it could,” Bokhutlo. She, however, also said that the Office of the President would be represented at the funeral despite it not being a State matter. “What I can confirm is that President Boko will attend the funeral on Saturday,” she said. The press secretary further stated that Boko will also visit the family later today to pay his respects to the Chiepe at 6pm accompanied by other government officials. Meanwhile, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) will host a memorial service for their fallen patron. The memorial service will be held today from 2pm-4pm.
Chiepe was a staunch member of the BDP, which was in power for 58 years. The BDP was toppled from power by the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) in the 2024 General Election. The family is expected to host its memorial service tomorrow at her church UCCSA (Trinity) at 3pm, while her final send off will be at the Phakalane Phomolong Cemetery on Saturday.
