26 Sep 2017

Roman Catholic Church through leadership of Bishop Emeritus Boniface Setlalekgosi has played a significant role in Botswana’s education development.

This was said by former Minister of Education, Dr Gaositwe Chiepe during Bishop Emeritus Setlalekgosi’s 90th birthday celebrations on September 23.

Addressing throngs of Roman Catholic congregants at St Joseph’s College assembly grounds Dr Chiepe said the church had made an impressive contribution during Botswana’s nascent years.

“During my tenure as Minister for Education from 1994 to 1999 I had the opportunity to work with Setlalekgosi as the country continued to strive to provide quality education and health services to Batswana,” she said.

Dr Chiepe added that besides providing quality education and health services in Catholic primary and secondary schools and clinics, the church under his leadership, initiated students feeding schemes in Junior Secondary Schools in the 1980s.

With this gesture, she said, the church appreciated the fact that students travelled long distances to school and in many instances with no access to food.

She noted that the Church then decided to source funds outside the country to provide basic feeding programme for students.

The programme, she said eventually led to the current junior secondary school feeding programme.

Dr Chiepe highlighted that the life of Bishop emeritus Setlalekgosi was worth celebrating for the reason that he was instrumental in setting up Roman Catholic in Francistown as the first Motswana Bishop.

Other creditable contributions he made she said was Pre-School initiatives especially in the Kgalagadi District and activities of the Tirisanyo Catholic Commission whose main objective was to empower disadvantaged communities in Botswana

For his part the Diocese of Bloemfontein archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo said Bishop emeritus Setlalekgosi was a life well lived as he was norished by wisdom.

He said he was father to many, “He is a true patriarch. We need to be closer to God so that we do not loose the quality.

He said akin to salt he has added value to thousands of lives, “let us be like salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot…”

He quoted the Bible scripture Mathew 5:13-16.

For her part Mrs Lenah Gabatshwane said Setlalekgosi had always proven from a tender age that he wanted to take the path of priesthood in life.  

She revealed that he had a penchant for living with Bishops and later asked for permission from parents to take up the role which was not received well by his parents.

However, she said they later allowed him to after much persuasion which led to Setlalekgosi lending the role of being the first Motswana Bishop taking over from the late bishop Urban Murphy.

Setlalekgosi then led the Catholics for 27 years, a role from which he retired at 81 years. ENDS