Bothobamotho Senne Moloi, a Botswana National Front veteran and former councilor for Boikhutso Ward in the Gaborone North Constituency, was laid to rest at the Broadhurst Cemetery on Saturday.
Although Moloi, who was renowned as a long time ally and foot soldier of the late leader of the party, Dr Kenneth Koma, originated in Serowe, he was buried in Gaborone due to his “connectedness to the community he served as a council representative and political activist during most of his lifetime”.
Speaking at the funeral, the Member of Parliament for Gaborone North, and Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Keletso Rakhudu, said, “People like Moloi are a rare species. Like most of the elders of his generation, he had a unique and humble personality that endeared him to all and sundry.”
Rakhudu pointed out how, at some point during his tenure of office, he was baffled by the way Moloi had inculcated into his ward’s community a culture of reporting to him first anything and everything taking place, especially tragedies, such as bereavements, before letting anyone else in the area know.
“At face value, I thought that was typical of party partisanship, but then sooner, since we were interacting frequently at the Council meetings, I recognized a profound sense of humility and respect for other people that the man had. I began to understand why things could not have been the other way round,” said Rakhudu, a Botswana Democratic Party MP.
Rakhudu indicated that, although he and the deceased were ages apart, he saw him as a culturalist who viewed himself as a natural leader, and those around him seemed to instinctively accord him his place in society.
“It’s unfortunate that younger generations are missing out in the ways of our elders. We should emulate Moloi’s character, perhaps communities may want to revisit their roots,” concluded Rakhudu.
