Memories of my Father: Patrick Van Rensburg

Forbes remembers her father van Rensburg
Forbes remembers her father van Rensburg

My father passed away on May 23, 2017. Not a day goes by during which I do not think of him. The public man was a remarkable activist, educationalist and journalist who undoubtedly had an enormous influence on the lives of many in Botswana. The private man was more complicated.

From a very early age, I recognised that my dad was work-obsessed and I was often frustrated by the nagging editorial that had to be written each week for this newspaper. 

He was also a bit of a procrastinator – thinking and worrying about his chosen topic until minutes before the deadline when the words would fly off his computer.  In the early days, the paper was printed in Serowe with the finished product transported to Gaborone for distribution early Friday morning.

Editor's Comment
Batswana need to do better to stop FMD

It is a clear signal that the government’s purse is empty and that our own behaviour has left veterinary officials fighting with one hand tied behind their backs. We have been here before. During COVID-19, many of us thought we knew better. We ignored simple rules, we carried on as if the danger was someone else’s problem, and the virus took lives and left our economy on its knees. We are still broke from that experience. Yet now, with FMD...

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