Reverence

                                                        Reverend Felix Kgolo Mokobi 

This is Reverend Felix Kgolo Mokobi. You may call him Rra Tony, Ntate, Malome, Rangwane or Rremogolo, but do not make the mistake of calling him Mr Mokobi, it is unfitting and he takes offence. He is Rev. F.K. Mokobi son of the late Rev. Maatlameto Mokobi and younger brother to the late Rev. Gasegale Mokobi.

During the solemnization of his niece, Unami Pheto’s marriage at Mahalapye, Rev. Mandlenkosi Ncube of the Palapye Congregational Church addressed him as, “Our distinguished living ancestor.”

I was doing standard 6 in 1980 when my grandfather, his uncle (Rangwaneagwe) Rev. Hamilton Lekgowe Mokobi fell ill and his condition gradually worsened. Granddad’s offspring had been taking turns to relieve my grandmother, Mma Onalenna (Mma O) in Serowe and look after their father. On this occasion, grandad had come to stay with us in Gaborone as it was my parents turn to take care of him.

One particular afternoon, Rev. F.K. Mokobi came home to pray for his sickly uncle. I distinctively recall how we had all gathered around granddads bed and Reverends booming voice as he prayed, “Morena Modimo, golola mowa wa motlhanka wa ga go a ye go ikhutsa. Ya gagwe tiro o e dirile.” (Lord God, set free the soul of your servant. He has served you well and now needs to rest.)

To say I was shocked by the prayer is an understatement. How could my own uncle, an esteemed man of the cloth, ask God to take my grandfather - his uncle’s life!? I was stunned.

It later turned out my dismay was misplaced. I was naïve and in my childhood innocence I had missed the spirit and essence of the prayer. I had not been aware that my grandfather was terminally ill and his nephew had benevolently asked God not to delay the inevitable and prolong the old man’s suffering.  

My grandfather had come to stay with us to receive palliative and end-of-life care from my late mother, Refakae Neo Mokobi who was a nurse and fraternal companionship, spiritual counselling and last rites from his nephew Rev. F.K. Mokobi. Not long after this, my grandfather went to rest and I joined my cousins Mukani, Thato, Lentlafetse, Tony and uncle Mondira as pallbearers of his coffin from his house to the courtyard for his funeral service before we laid him to rest at Goo Rra Seretse cemetery in Serowe.

My grandfather is buried among his people facing east as is customary with descendants of the mystical and powerful rain makers and gold merchants of the great Mapungubwe Kingdom. We are BaKalanga Baka - Nswazwi, we are the rain people, we face the rising sun when we leave this world.

May the souls of the dearly departed in this piece rest in peace.