Taking career perils is not a flutter many would ordinarily assume, as the consequences are often not easy to contemplate. But, during the 2014 General Election, Lebogang Mosikare, whose pen loosened off from his tight grip eternally at the Jubilee Hospital, last week Wednesday, had made an abrupt and obstinate option to stealthily abandon journalism, which we knew was his first love.
Numerous of his colleagues in the fraternity were shell shocked that the fledgling Mosikare had come out in the open about his political link and he would later scruple the choice he had made. He expeditiously dealt with the emerging professional threats so that they do not unsettle him going forward. Motivated by a hard-earned triumph at his party’s (Botswana Congress Party) primaries, Lebogang who was popularly known as ‘Tso’ to hordes of his acquaintances, proceeded to contest for the local polls at Itekeng ward, but lost to the hard-to-beat Lesego Kwambala of the then ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). His detested decision nearly haunted him as he was almost left without a career to give him the requisite solace after his unexpected political loss. The newsroom would later be divided over his decision whether he should resume or be exited to pursue his political career in earnest. The newsroom feared what the backlash of ‘Tso’s decision could bring upon him and the craft itself. Immediately after the national polls, ‘Tso’ went missing from both political activity and the newsroom. This must have been triggered by stress of losing the polls when he fervently thought he would be victorious. He was also possibly tormented by the likelihood of suffering rejection from the profession he so much revered.
He has had a sojourn at the Botswana Guardian and The Midweek Sun under the tutelage of investigative journalist, Ntibinyane Ntibinyane and veteran journalist, Abraham Motsokono. It was former colleague Chakalisa Dube who after settling at the Mmegi/The Monitor stable (from Guardian/Sun) assisted in establishing ‘Tso’s whereabouts at a time we needed to beef up the northern team. It is worth mentioning that reconciling with the newsroom was a somewhat onerous task for ‘Tso’ as his reappearance came with a lot of illumination to render. He, however, never wriggled to explicate himself. Upon his return, he would spend most of the time at both the Magistrate and the High Court, the places he loved the most. To Lebogang, the craft was more like a religion he would not easily part ways with, as instead he would defend it against those who were reckless and had a penchant of soiling the good name of the profession. He held strongly to the notion that a pen is mightier than a sword, an expression indicating that the written word is more effective than violence as a means of social or political change. To some extent, Mosikare was a self-confessed social justice advocate who covered even the most perturbing injustices in the northern part of the country.
Interestingly, ‘Tso’ was not a respecter of fashion and chose to remain simple in terms of his fashion sense. In the many years he was in the craft, he never wore a suit and a tie at the workplace save to say he only wore a tie when he took a picture for his campaign material. He abhorred glamorous looks as he held firmly to a belief that apparels do not write but the man himself does the job. He was stuck to his smart casual dress. With a lanky, gangly, or gawky figure, ‘Tso’ liked his T-shirts and chinos, which often times would be hanging from his tiny body frame. Like popular battery brand, he was ever ready to respond to those who criticised him for anything. Unfortunately, he was not gifted if the argument was sustained, he would simply chicken out. Often times he would display an element of bad temper especially when he felt undermined or unfairly treated. Whenever he called me over the weekend, I knew it would be a result of the many giggle juice or joy juice that he liked so much. For the prolific writer he was, besides his passion for news writing, he exuded another love for the profession of law. And it is not surprising that his middle name is ‘Law’ directly linked to the robed learned colleagues. Perhaps, his regular coverage of the courts came as solace for a man who loved the law profession so much, albeit hopes had dashed for him to read for a law degree. He often claimed that in his hood of ‘Dablaas’ as Area W is affectionately known, the location treated him with reverence more like a quasi lawyer because of his regular appearances at the courts and his tendencies to spew lout egal jargons when it pleased him. Besides his over peppering of his court reports, ‘Tso’ was a smart writer who mastered the various stages of a trial and would leave the reader glued to his work with a passion. He was so particular about the choice of words he employed when covering court to the extent that he would object to the simplification of legal jargons for the comprehension of the reader. He did not mind ploughing legal jargons in a story as he felt breaking them down would whittle down his original work. He guarded his creations jealously.He didn't mind instructing his editors how his stories should taste like.
Even his political reports were well constructed and balanced knowing fully-well that the writer was always the best judge. His regular line up of commentators included Professor Zibani Maundeni, Adam Mfundisi, Dr Leonard Sesa and Dr Kebapetse Lotshwao amongst others.
Every time he had a 'blockbuster' of a story, ‘Tso’ would become restless insisting, ”today, I have a front page material.” The newsroom would burst into incessant hilarity as he paced up and down. In particular, Dube would mock Tso for his context of a blockbuster of a story which was not necessarily what we were looking for. He loved his profession and was an integral part of the bigger headquarters news crew. When his senior brother Oarabile Mosikare was elevated to the editorship of Mmegi, he was so elated with a constant reminder that the newspaper was now controlled from Matsiloje, his home village.He would be remembered for his crispy, incisive, precise, researched and juicy news reports.
He was ever proud to have produced the likes of Lesedi Mkhutshwa, Pini Bothoko, Barati Phagane, Keabetswe Newel, Sesupo Rantsimako, Lindiwe Muzola, Kushatha Tabengwa and Christinah Motlhabane, amongst others. They all interned at the Mmegi stable. His funeral will be held tomorrow at his Dablaas hood.
Rest in eternal peace, Rraagwe Branson!
He has had a sojourn at the Botswana Guardian and The Midweek Sun under the tutelage of investigative journalist, Ntibinyane Ntibinyane and veteran journalist, Abraham Motsokono. It was former colleague Chakalisa Dube who after settling at the Mmegi/The Monitor stable (from Guardian/Sun) assisted in establishing ‘Tso’s whereabouts at a time we needed to beef up the northern team. It is worth mentioning that reconciling with the newsroom was a somewhat onerous task for ‘Tso’ as his reappearance came with a lot of illumination to render. He, however, never wriggled to explicate himself. Upon his return, he would spend most of the time at both the Magistrate and the High Court, the places he loved the most. To Lebogang, the craft was more like a religion he would not easily part ways with, as instead he would defend it against those who were reckless and had a penchant of soiling the good name of the profession. He held strongly to the notion that a pen is mightier than a sword, an expression indicating that the written word is more effective than violence as a means of social or political change. To some extent, Mosikare was a self-confessed social justice advocate who covered even the most perturbing injustices in the northern part of the country.
Interestingly, ‘Tso’ was not a respecter of fashion and chose to remain simple in terms of his fashion sense. In the many years he was in the craft, he never wore a suit and a tie at the workplace save to say he only wore a tie when he took a picture for his campaign material. He abhorred glamorous looks as he held firmly to a belief that apparels do not write but the man himself does the job. He was stuck to his smart casual dress. With a lanky, gangly, or gawky figure, ‘Tso’ liked his T-shirts and chinos, which often times would be hanging from his tiny body frame. Like popular battery brand, he was ever ready to respond to those who criticised him for anything. Unfortunately, he was not gifted if the argument was sustained, he would simply chicken out. Often times he would display an element of bad temper especially when he felt undermined or unfairly treated. Whenever he called me over the weekend, I knew it would be a result of the many giggle juice or joy juice that he liked so much. For the prolific writer he was, besides his passion for news writing, he exuded another love for the profession of law. And it is not surprising that his middle name is ‘Law’ directly linked to the robed learned colleagues. Perhaps, his regular coverage of the courts came as solace for a man who loved the law profession so much, albeit hopes had dashed for him to read for a law degree. He often claimed that in his hood of ‘Dablaas’ as Area W is affectionately known, the location treated him with reverence more like a quasi lawyer because of his regular appearances at the courts and his tendencies to spew lout egal jargons when it pleased him. Besides his over peppering of his court reports, ‘Tso’ was a smart writer who mastered the various stages of a trial and would leave the reader glued to his work with a passion. He was so particular about the choice of words he employed when covering court to the extent that he would object to the simplification of legal jargons for the comprehension of the reader. He did not mind ploughing legal jargons in a story as he felt breaking them down would whittle down his original work. He guarded his creations jealously.He didn't mind instructing his editors how his stories should taste like.
Even his political reports were well constructed and balanced knowing fully-well that the writer was always the best judge. His regular line up of commentators included Professor Zibani Maundeni, Adam Mfundisi, Dr Leonard Sesa and Dr Kebapetse Lotshwao amongst others.
Every time he had a 'blockbuster' of a story, ‘Tso’ would become restless insisting, ”today, I have a front page material.” The newsroom would burst into incessant hilarity as he paced up and down. In particular, Dube would mock Tso for his context of a blockbuster of a story which was not necessarily what we were looking for. He loved his profession and was an integral part of the bigger headquarters news crew. When his senior brother Oarabile Mosikare was elevated to the editorship of Mmegi, he was so elated with a constant reminder that the newspaper was now controlled from Matsiloje, his home village.He would be remembered for his crispy, incisive, precise, researched and juicy news reports.
He was ever proud to have produced the likes of Lesedi Mkhutshwa, Pini Bothoko, Barati Phagane, Keabetswe Newel, Sesupo Rantsimako, Lindiwe Muzola, Kushatha Tabengwa and Christinah Motlhabane, amongst others. They all interned at the Mmegi stable. His funeral will be held tomorrow at his Dablaas hood.
Rest in eternal peace, Rraagwe Branson!
