20 Feb 2017

Captain Rinick Makobo of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) was laid to rest in Tshidilamolomo on Saturday.

In his message of condolences to the Makobo family, President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama noted that the sudden death of Captain Makobo was a loss to both his family and the country at large.

The message was delivered by Brigadier Antony Dikeledi on behalf of the President.

Other messages read were from the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgati and the BDF Commander, Lt Gen. Placid Segokgo.

Born December 27, 1982, the deceased met his demise on February 9 with two other soldiers when the BDF CASA 212 aircraft they were boarding crashed when on an assignment to transport Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi on an official trip.

The plane crashed around the Thebephatshwa area shortly after taking off.

Paying tribute to the deceased, speakers ranging from family members to government officials described the deceased as a respectful and obedient person.  

Speaking on behalf of the BDF Commander, Brigadier Dikeledi said Captain Makobo was a shield of the nation who served for 11 years and six months in the military.

He lauded him for having made a conscious decision to join BDF to show his patriotism for the country.

Brigadier Dikeledi said the deceased sworn his life to protect the nation in good or bad times and beyond doubt he died in line of duty.

He described him as a ‘true warrior’ who espoused BDF professionalism in the ability to accomplish any given task by the supervisors despite encountering various impediments.

Brigadier Dikeledi also said he got to know more about the deceased’s capabilities in 2006 at the Air Arm department, where after several encounters he proved himself to be a warrior whose desire was to defend the country’s territorial integrity and national interests through his proficiencies.

Moreover, he said Captain Makobo was a humble person who would never exchange words with his superiors, especially after being summoned to his supervisor’s office.

He said he would work around his mistakes in order to get the formula right in his next assigned task.

On a different note, Brigadier Dikeledi encouraged fellow citizens to join force to continue protecting the country’s sovereignty for it to continue upholding its peace and stability.

Captain Makobo is survived by his parents, two sisters, five nieces and a son. BOPA