31 Jan 2021

An employee of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, who was trampled to death by a buffalo last week was described as a hero, who died in line of duty trying to save the lives of the community he worked for.

The late Mr Mvuna Mweze, 47, died while attending to a report in the early hours of Monday January 25. 

The Etsha 13 born was the head of Problem Animal Control (PAC) Unit in Maun.

At his memorial service on Thursday January 28, speaker after speaker described him as a hero and a dedicated public servant. 

They stated that he deserved a dignified burial that befitted his work as a principled, loyal and trustworthy servant, who was passionate about his job, hence he died doing exactly what he knew best.

North West regional wildlife coordinator, Mr Dimakatso Ntshebe stated that the department had lost an asset who served the nation wholeheartedly.

The late Mweze, he said, was passionate about his job, which he performed diligently and timeously.

He said he had excellent relations with everyone including his subordinates and the public at large.

“The late Mweze thoroughly enjoyed the responsibilities of helping Batswana to deal with problem animals, as epitomised by the fact that he met his untimely death doing that,” he added.

Mr Ntshebe said the deceased was an intelligent employee who always went an extra mile, adding that he worked even in unfavourable conditions. 

He said he served the Ngamiland community well and urged other colleagues to maintain his legacy.

Mr Mweze, he said, never disappointed him when given an assignment as he did his best.

The coordinator expressed concern about some people who used social media to mislead the nation by sharing unconfirmed information. 

He said it was frustrating as they blew the unfortunate incident out of proportion to cause confusion among the community members.

Mr Modiri Rakgogo, who accompanied the late Mweze on the fateful day, narrated how his colleague met his fate, noting that his life deserved to be celebrated as he lost it while doing what he loved most.

“We were a well-resourced team of officers, which included the police and veterinary officers.

Some members of the community volunteered to join us, but it was not our day,” he added.

He described the deceased as a man of integrity and an icon of reckon who would be dearly missed by all.

A member of the family, Ms Keneilwe Samodi said the passing of Mr Mweze shocked the family, more so that he worked in the PAC unit for a long time producing desired results.

Some members of the family, she said, visited the scene and were surprised to see the thick bush where their son was trapped.

She recalled that he used to educate them on the behaviour of animals and stated that they would comfort themselves as he died while doing a job he liked most.

Ms Samodi described him as a hard worker and a loyal person, adding that he was loved by elders, youth, children and the community at large because of his character.

She also stated that the late Mweze was a breadwinner who is survived by parents, wife and two children. Preparations for the burial were ongoing. ENDS