16 May 2021

Veteran journalist,  Edison Ramonkga (69) has died.

His brother, Mr Mokwena Ramonkga, confirmed in an interview that Ramonkga died on Friday at Sidilega Private Hospital in Gaborone following a short illness.

He joined the then Department of Information and Broadcasting in 1984 and was stationed in Kasane as a general reporter until 1987.  

Ramonkga was transferred to Gaborone in 1997 and in the same year, he was deployed to Ramotswa until 2001. 

He was transferred back to Gaborone in 2002 until he retired in 2008 while working for Department of Information Services.

Some of his former colleagues in the media fraternity expressed shock and relayed their messages of condolences to the family.

His former boss, Mr Tarcisious Mudongo, also sent his condolences.

Mr Mudongo said he worked with  Ramonkga for some years when the latter was based in Kasane as a reporter.  

He said the deceased was a straight talker and a hard worker as well. 

 He also remembered that  Ramonkga never hid his political affiliation although he was a public servant. 

Mr Mudongo said Ramonkga used to say, ‘I am a BNF member and I don’t care who says what.’

He also recalled that Ramonkga used to take some things rather casually citing an incident that that almost got him into trouble.  

Mr Mudongo said at that time, there were no fish in Kasane and Ramonkga took a canoe and crossed into Namibia to buy fish and returned back Kasane. 

When the district commissioner learnt of the incident, he was reprimanded, but he causally dismissed the district commissioner saying rivers had no borders.

Otherwise, he said Ramonkga was a hard worker and active farmer.  

He acquired a farm at Pandamatenga while he was still in Kasane and when he retired, he went into full time farming

Another former colleague and now deputy director at Department of Information Services, Mr Epena Ngatangue, said he would remember Ramonkga as a straight talker who did not hide what was in his mind.

He reminisced that when he was based in Maun,  Ramonkga was in Kasane and they would compete for the front page.  

He would tell him, ‘Epena I am a political animal’

Mr Edgar Moyo, a representative of the Pandamatenga Small Gamers Association, sent their association’s deepest condolences to the family.  

He said Ramonkga was publicity secretary of the Motswedi Fencing Association and was an active member of the farming community who would not leave any stone unturned.  

He also said farming community had lost a great man who did a lot of good for the community.  

He said he would be greatly missed.

The family will hold a memorial service at Lyns Funeral Parlour in Gaborone on Wednesday and on Thursday his remains would  be cremated in Mahalapye after which his ashes would be buried at Phomolong in Gaborone on Friday. ends