25 Jun 2014

America’s renowned political activist, Martin Luther King Jr, once said: “everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.  You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

This is a telling quote that perhaps best describes the enduring and just retired gender activist of note, Ms Keabonye Ntsabane, who has served Batswana with charm and affection, helping women, men, and children affected by gender related violence.

Fondly known as Sister by her colleagues at work and media circles, Ms Ntsabane, who is a loving mother, a passionate gender activist, and a dear daughter of the soil, has just retired from a career to which she had dedicated most of her life.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Margaret Nasha, who was among the many people who had graced the long time and proud gender activist’s farewell party in Gaborone on June 20, described Sister as a self-made and God fearing individual.

“I have seen Sister grow up in terms of performance and confidence during yester years. Of cause she would falter here and there but she was determined and dedicated while some of us fell by wayside,” Dr Nasha said.

She said they became very close friends over the years, spending a lot of time together, confiding in each other, crying on each other’s shoulders, gossiping and scheming together,” she said.

Gender Affairs Department Principal Gender Officer, Mr Bakane Bakane said Ms Ntsabane was the face of gender in Botswana, who was not afraid to mobilise women and men to discuss issues of gender equality and violence. 

Yet another speaker from the American Embassy, Ms Brianna Buehler, said GBV issues had always been a priority to the former US Ambassador, Ms Michelle Gavin to the extent that the US embassy worked closely with Ms Ntsabane; the embassy would remain committed to supporting GBV issues, she added.

Ms Ludo Matshameko of Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) said Ms Ntsabane was leaving behind an immeasurable legacy that would be remembered all over Botswana.

“Sister was always the first to make noise, knocking on every door that mattered to assist GBV victims; the first voice has always been hers,” she added.

Gender Links Board Member, Ms Ntombi Setshwaelo described her as a Gender Links driver of change who mobilised gender related courses from all walks of the country.

“She single-handled some of the gender related issues, traversing the country alone and voluntarily for years, and sometimes it was daunting,” she said.

When it was her turn to speak, Ms Ntsabane said she had spent most her life doing voluntary work, assisting people that were affected by GBV and other related issues, and it was time for her to pass the baton onto someone else. 

A staunch member of the Roman Catholic Church, Ms Ntsabane said it was time she spent some of her time with her family, relatives and members of her community in Taung and Ramotswa, as well as devote some of that time to God.

“I am pleased that the President, Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama and some of the legislators, are now able to talk gender equality issues and are beginning to take them serious as part of government business,” Ms Ntsabane said.

She said she would be pleased if government could make gender equality a priority and set up a ministry that would deal particularly with gender related issues and adequately budget for it.

She retires holding the position of Gender Links Country Manager. She has previously volunteered to work for Red Cross Botswana in the 1990’s and afterwards she was granted a post of secretary general at Red Cross.

She is a trained primary school teacher and has also worked as information officer for the Women’s NGO Coalition in Botswana, and she is one of the founders of Women’s Shelter Botswana.

Ms Ntsabane has worked with several United Nations agencies that supported all the gender related courses. ENDS