05 Mar 2017

A sizable congregation of mourners, among them Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi and senior government officials bade farewell to retired diplomat and senior civil servant, Mr Bias Mookodi on March 3, morning in Gaborone.
At the solemn occasion held at Mr Mookodi’s residence close to the State House in Gaborone before his physical form was interred at the Phomolong Memorial Park in Phakalane, mourners were told of Mr Mookodi’s indelible contribution to the country.  
In a message read by former deputy secretary-general of the Commonwealth Ms Masekgoa Masire-Mwamba on behalf of her father, former president Sir Ketumile Masire, Mr Mookodi was described as a towering giant who left a mark on the nation.
“Mr Mookodi was a nation builder who contributed immensely during the transition from the Bechuanaland Protectorate to independent Botswana.
He was very committed to the country, and worked hard for the national cause,” the statement read.
Sir Ketumile, who was unable to attend the funeral, described Mr Mookodi as a very close personal lifelong friend.
Family member, Ms Ntebogang Mokone explained that although Mr Mookodi had been afflicted with various ailments over the years, it was not until recently that he took seriously ill, before he passed on. Born on February 29, 1928, Mr Mookodi passed away on Saturday, February 25, just four days shy of reaching his 89th birthday.
During the colonial era, Mr Mookodi worked as headmaster of Kanye Junior Secondary School, the institution that metamorphosed into Seepapitso Secondary School, taking over from Sir Ketumile who had been the previous head.
He served independent Botswana as permanent secretary in the ministries of education and labour, and also worked as a senior official in the Ministry of Agriculture, helping to coordinate famine relief efforts around the time of independence.
He also served as the country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, and later the United States and also helped to facilitate Botswana’s establishment of diplomatic ties with the then Soviet Union in Moscow in late 1969. ENDS