10 Jul 2021

Death has always been part of humankind, but because of the void leaves after it strikes, it is one occurrence people never get used to.

That is why the demise of 39-year-old Ms Thato Dipao, a photojournalist at WeekendPost, came as a shock to most, particularly her immediate family, colleagues and friends.

Ms Dipao passed away on July 6 at Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital due to COVID-19 complications.

Speakers who eulogised about the life they lived with Ms Dipao during a memorial service on July 9 in Gaborone broke the somber mood that most were trapped in.

Among them was press Secretary to the President, Mr Batlhalefi Leagajang, who was once editor at Gazette newspaper, where the late Ms Dipao started her career as a photojournalist.

Mr Leagajang described Ms Dipao as a fearless reporter, who never felt threatened to execute her photojournalism duties ethically.

He said when Ms Dipao came for an interview at Gazette, he was thrilled by the attitude and the zeal to learn that she displayed during the interview.

“She was young and empty, but one thing I liked most about her was the essence of willingness to learn,” he said and added that throughout the years that he worked with her, Ms Dipao had shown herself to adapt easily and had remained committed to serve with great passion.

Mr Leagajang said he had nicknamed Ms Dipao ‘Manxane’ since she was the shortest and youngest in the office and since then the name had stuck.

Further, he said although she was younger than him, he never hesitated to ask for help and advice from her whenever the need arose.

Veteran photojournalist at Botswana Press Agency, Ms Felicity Male described Ms Dipao as a matriarch of a female photojournalist who stood on what she believed in and never allowed herself to be intimidated by the challenges she encountered in the line of duty.

Ms Male said she met Ms Dipao in 2004, an encounter that she said afforded her the opportunity to groom and nurture the deceased professionally until her last days.

She said back then photojournalism was a male-dominated field and most females who embarked on the field at times felt threatened and discouraged, something that resulted in some gaving up.

“When Ms Dipao also threatened to leave the field, I sat her down and advised her accordingly. I am happy that she soldiered on and emerged one of the best female photographers, who lived up to the expectations of this profession,” she said.

For her part, a representative of the Botswana chapter of the Women in News Media Association, Ms Maureen Odubeng said although Ms Dipao had recently joined the association, it was fit to describe her as a pillar who led by example.

“Ms Dipao was a soft-spoken person and very collected, she always volunteered to carry out any duties within the association. Although she departed soon, I am happy that she left a legacy in the industry that we will forever cherish and look onto for motivation,” she said.

The managing director at WeekendPost, Ms Tryphina Kenalemang said Ms Dipao’s death was a great loss to the media house, and described her as a team player who also served well beyond the borders of photography.

“Ms Dipao was ethical, she executed her duties well with minimal supervision and she was willing to impart her skills to other in-house trainees. Her death left a gap that will be difficult to fill,” she said.

Representing the family, her younger sister, Ms Lorato Dipao reminisced of their olden days as they grew up, saying she enjoyed the privilege of being protected by her sister.

She described Ms Dipao as an angel who served and lived her life with a purpose, saying she had a soft spot not only for her family, but also for other members of the society.

 “Thato liked spending time with street children. She also made efforts to meet their basic needs.” she said.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of Editors Forum, Mr Spencer Mogapi urged media houses to continue to play an active role in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.

He said they should be exemplary in taking the vaccine and continuously report on issues that would raise awareness about the pandemic. Ends