‘Starring’ was a man of discipline
Final call for Brother Daniel, lifetime servant of God, education
Born: June 6 1936
Died: November 26 Funeral: Pax High School, west of Polokwane, tomorrow from 7.30am,
Burial: Tomorrow at Pax High School Cemetery The late Ohehile Daniel Lekalake was described as a strict disciplinarian who showed no mercy for any form of dissent by pupils.
Popularly known as “Brother Thomas” or “Starring”, Lekalake was a boarding master at Pax High School for boys in GaMashashane, a few kilometres west of Polokwane in Limpopo.
Brother Thomas was also said to be a hard man whose wrath was known and felt by all and sundry even outside the boundaries of Pax Brothers’ College, as the school was popularly known during its formative years.
One of his former pupils, Joshua Kwapa, said Lekalake was someone who sought to build young men of high discipline, deeply religious and effective in sport and their studies, among others.
Kwapa said: “In his endeavour to achieve this, Lekalake would at times be faced with a lack of vigour and outright resistance. This behaviour would incense him so bad that he would punish offenders with skipping rope.
“He was so intolerant to this kind of behaviour that he would also yell at offenders, mostly using the Tswana expression ‘o maswe’ [you’re bad].
On the other hand, if you did something outstanding and pleasing he would refer to you as “my son”.
Brother Thomas was born in Taung in the North West on June 6 1936.
He arrived at Pax in 1966 to dedicate himself to the service of God and his people as a Brother of Charity.
He started teaching in 1968 and was also a boarding master. Brother Thomas continued with his teaching at Pax and as a man of faith until he became a community member at St Conrad College in Klerksdorp.
In 2007, he was the regional councilor at St Paul’s region and was also the assistant regional superior. He retired in 2010 at Triest House, Florida, Johannesburg.
While at Pax he worked as a co-ordinator between hostel manager and the boarding master, liaised between the school and hostels, prepared the boys for the reception of Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion and the Confirmation, among others.
Occasionally, he represented the brothers of Diocesan at gatherings and at the funerals in the community, as gospel works of mercy.
He conducted college choir for Sunday masses as well as teaching the pupils morning and evening prayers, over and above supervising the cleanliness of the hostels and sports grounds.
Brother Thomas died on Monday in Johannesburg after a long illness.
He had suffered from numerous health difficulties, mostly due to his advanced age. He will be buried tomorrow at Pax High School in Limpopo.
May his soul rest in peace!
He was so intolerant to any kind of misbehaviour