26 Jun 2017

"Through laughter you are able to pick on your grey areas and improve on them.”

These are the words that comedian Modiri Mod Keseabetswe cherishes and lives by, told by former president Sir Ketumile Joni Masire during one of the comedian’s encounters with the late statesman in Tlokweng.

Mod says as a first citizen, Sir Ketumile was somehow expected to ever be serious.

But his humour was amazing and even more startling as he shared it with everyone across all ages.

To Mod, QKJ Masire’s humour became a gateway for comedians in this country as some drew inspiration from his anecdotes.

Some even impersonated him in their craft.

One such comedian, who is an epic impression of Rre Masire is Shima Nnanaakoko, who hails from Molepolole.

Shima describes Rre Masire as a happy man who took pride in culture.

He says as a Motswana he takes pride in having had such an incredible interactive humorous statesman.

Shima, who is a former police officer, says he is a poet, but he derives his inspiration to do comedy from Rre Masire’s humorous puns and jokes.

The 46-year-old says he had the honour of performing at various presidential events during Rre Masire’s time in office, adding that he also had the honour of performing poetry for him at the State House.

“Rre Masire had a fantastic sense of humour, and a humorous perfect response even to such questions that were deemed to be impossible to promptly respond to,” reiterates Shima.

Although his work incorporates various subjects, Shima says impersonating Rre Masire and his jokes has to be his all-time favourite.

“He was a happy man, I loved him, I had a great time resonating his jokes to him,” says Shima of Rre Masire.

Another comedian, Cracker Bobo remembers Rre Masire’s humorous responses from elders, and says such tales inspired him a great deal.

Cracker says he has always been stirred up by how Rre Masire’s tales were narrated, especially from kgotla meetings.  

Bobo, like his colleagues Mod and Shima, say as Comedy Association in Botswana, their wish is to document, in audio, some of Rre Masire’s humorous anecdotes through comedy impersonators, but not taking away any ‘rhythm’ of how he himself delivered such tales to people. ENDS