Sebona was a bright spark who loathed racism
For lack of funds, Mbo couldn’t study pharmacy
We will never know if Teisi Elias Sebona would have flourished and took on the racism-hit Clicks and DisChem head on by establishing a chain of independent blackowned pharmacies.
Sebona, who was born in 1943 in Molapong, Middelburg, before moving to Soweto, passed on last Friday and was laid to rest at the Nasrec Memorial Park on Wednesday. If only he had clinched a bursary that would have allowed him to do a BSc in pharmacy after achieving a first-class Joint Matriculation Board matric exam at Morris Isaacson High in Soweto in 1963, his life and those around him could have taken a different path.
Racism drove him to walk out of his job as one of the new crop of black radiographers at the then Baragwanath Hospital in 1966. He then settled for life as a lowly paid public servant. He never missed a day’s work, even for ill-health, in his over three decades of service in the Joburg municipality.
Affectionately called “Mbo” by his grandchildren, Sebona doubled up as the deputy principal, handyman, logistics manager and draping assistant when his wife, Nompumelelo, established Kwa-Nompumelelo Early Childhood Development Centre at their Protea South home in Soweto in the early 2000s.
But his true calling should have been teaching. Sebona had the ability to dissect a problem from all angles and instead of giving you the easiest answer to work with, he’d present his layered prognosis much to the frustration of his children and grandchildren struggling with homework.
After taking early retirement, many thought Sebona would take up golf, his first love. Instead, he bought a manual lawn mower and every day in summer, he’d cut the lawn, trim bottle-brush trees and plant green beans in his small vegetable patch at the back.
He also poured all his heart and soul in a project, managing the construction of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Protea North after members faithfully raised funds for the new multi-million rand development.
When the builders ran out of cement or the paint was insufficient, Sebona would race to Lenasia to order more. His project management duties were preceded by over 40 years of service as the church’s treasurer, starting from the Tladi parish in Soweto until he quit following church politics.
For a man who never called in sick throughout his 40-year working life, his family was shocked when he was diagnosed with pancreatic and colon cancer five years ago.
As a result of the national lockdown and ill health, Sebona could not celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary earlier this year. Sebona must have died the happiest Birds’ supporter after the 73-year-old Moroka Swallows regained its Premier Soccer League status. He is survived by his wife, Nompumelelo, daughters Salome, Zandile, Reshoketswe, Kholofelo, son Mahlatse, and 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Robala ka khutso tau!
‘‘ He never missed a day’s work, even for ill-health, in three decades