The sudden death of the charismatic BDF Cats and national team star, Gonewamang ‘Killer’ Mosalakatane, surely shocked the netball community but it is the send off she was given which will make her rest in peace. Mosalakatane, 32, who died on February 9, was laid to rest in Molapowabojang yesterday (Saturday).
During her memorial service in Gaborone on Wednesday evening, the netball community sang and danced to celebrate her life. It was a fitting farewell to a star who, in the past year, helped Botswana to qualify for the World Netball Championship, which will be held in Singapore this year.
Different speakers described Mosalakatane as a true sports person and it was her dedication to the game that made her to be amongst the best. It was her goal scoring prowess which won her a lot of fans and helped BDF Cats win a number of trophies over the years.
Her teammate at BDF Cats, Beauty Letsholo, said that they will miss Killer’s character in the team.
Letsholo said that Killer used to crack jokes and was very close to everyone in the team.
“The most important thing is that she was a disciplined player and as youngsters we learnt a lot from her,” she said.
Letsholo further said that Killer liked to sing during their games, hence BDF Cats players had to sing one of the songs she adored.
A message from BDF Cats management read, “Though the pain of losing a child will always be there, we can only say that it was God’s call which took Killer away from us. Though none of us is permanent in this world, it is not easy to accept the untimely death of such a blossoming child, especially for the family members.”
National team coach, Seipei Gaelesiwe, described Killer as a great motivator, something which made her stand taller than other players.
“In the team, it was always a blessing to have someone like her. She was always positive in her approach towards the game and eager to learn. The most important thing about her is that even when she was dropped from the national team, she did not despair, instead she would work hard in her game so that she be included in the next team,” said Gaelesiwe.
Killer joined BDF Cats in 1999 from BDVC Netball Club and has contributed immensely to their success over the years.
She is survived by a son, parents and three siblings.
