28 Jun 2017

Sir Ketumile Masire’s spiritual home, Trinity Congregational Church, on Tuesday night bid a fond farewell to a man described as a committed Christian who undertook his church duties with utmost humility.

A full member of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) and prior to that its precursor, the London Missionary Society (LMS), Sir Ketumile’s body was taken to his local church Trinity at the Gaborone Main Mall after lying in state at parliament for most of Tuesday.

UCCSA clergyman Rev Rupert Hambira said Sir Ketumile was a friend and father to his church mates who never used his social standing to exert his authority in the church.

“Sir Ketumile was a member in good standing of Trinity since 1965, when congregants would meet here, a year before the church structure was erected and officially opened in 1966.  

Until his death he was a committed member, worshiping here every Sunday, a humble believer who partook in church activities with modesty,” Rev Hambira said.

The former president joined the LMS in his formative years in Kanye and was educated at church mission school Tiger Kloof in South Africa, before returning home and becoming a member of Trinity, a constituent church of the UCCSA.

“We are very proud to have had a member of his caliber who served the nation with distinction. The economic and political success of Botswana is directly linked to the dedication with which Sir Ketumile displayed in his service towards the nation.  We owe him a debt of gratitude as a country,” Rev Hambira said.

UCCSA Botswana Synod mission secretary, Rev Kagiso Mphato said he remembered how Sir Ketumile always sat in the second front row of the Trinity pews.

“I recall earlier this year when the Trinity minister in charge Rev Mompati Aaron was preaching a sermon titled ‘Servants of God.’  When Rev Aaron asked the congregation to humble themselves before God in prayer, Sir Ketumile got off from his familiar seating place and knelt down.  Even though a man of great stature in church he was always that humble, which is what God requires of a Christian,” Rev Mphato said.

Delivering the evening’s sermon, UCCSA Gaborone West minister in charge, Rev Malebogo Mothibi said Sir Ketumile’s passing called for a time of remembrance and celebration of his life as a towering national giant who helped build the modern Botswana nation.

She also said it was time to reflect on how Batswana could best continue the legacy of Sir Ketumile in building democracy, tolerance and economic prosperity.  

Rev Mothibi also recalled Sir Ketumile as a jovial person, who would share practical jokes in church with former First Lady, the late Lady Olebile Gaborone.

Family representative, Lt Gen. Tebogo Masire expressed his gratitude towards Trinity for being a home away from home for Sir Ketumile for 50 years.

“Behind the Trinity pulpit is the bold inscription taken from the Bible, the instruction for believers to love one another.  We realise that you have taken this command seriously, because you have loved Rra Gaone, both when he was alive, and tonight as he passes by for the final time,” Lt Gen Masire said. ENDS