Poetry, song and dance for Struggle icon
Who’s who of Mzansi attend memorial
Speaker of parliament Baleka Mbete reads the programme at the official memorial service of her former husband and Struggle giant Professor Keorapetse William Kgositsile, at the Johannesburg City Hall yesterday.
Parliament Speaker Baleka Mbete joined mourners at the memorial of her ex-husband, poet laureate Keorapetse William Kgositsile yesterday.
She joined widow Baby Kgositsile, mother of the famous kwaito artist Kabelo Mabalane, to mourn the world-acclaimed poet.
Also present was Kgositsile’s New York-based rapper son, Thebe Neruda Kgositsile, who is better known as Earl Sweatshirt.
Filling up the Johannesburg City Hall to celebrate Kgositsile’s life were academics, politicians, poets and the public. He died on January 3, following an illness.
Political heavyweights Frank Chikane, Pallo Jordan, Aziz Pahad, Essop Pahad and Ronnie Kasrils, rubbed shoulders with political analyst Somadoda Fikeni, performers Sello Maake kaNcube and Lebo Mashile.
Speakers praised Kgositsile for his unique qualities such as his wit, intelligence and ability with the pen. He was described as a moving fountain of wisdom. Sebiletso Mokone-Matabane, a friend, said: “Willie was one of a kind. One of the qualities I will miss is his command of Setswana even after spending years in exile.
“Whenever you had a conversation with him, he was always educating people and also eager to engage others.”
Former Johanneburg mayor Parks Tau said: “His death is a grief shared by his family and the world. He was a public intellectual and very influential in both politics and visual arts.”
Music legend Jonas Gwangwa, who grew up with Kgositsile, shared childhood memories: “As much as he was short, you would not just take an advantage. I felt fortunate that both my friends were short but protected me.
“We met later in New York where he was studying ... I remember how he struggled to reach a griller when he was cooking.”
University of Johannesburg vice-chancellor Professor Tshilidzi Marwala said UJ would honour Kgositsile by naming one of its halls after him.
Today the Market Theatre hosts another memorial at noon.
Kgositsile will be buried on Tuesday.