15 Jul 2021

Eulogising a larger-than life character as Golekanye Molapisi is a daunting task. One that nonetheless must be done, and I have answered the call. 

Wonder, as he was affectionately known succumbed to a short illness last Sunday. We are greatly saddened. We are numb, but we draw solace in the knowledge that the Wonder that we knew was not a coward. He would have fought with much courage to the last breath.

His death is a stark reminder that we are but mortal. All of us shall one day follow suit. It is therefore important that we eternalise something of us in the short time we are here on earth. And this, Wonder has done satisfactorily.

The year is 2004.  The setting: Mass Media Complex, Information Services Department. Enters a motley crew of aspiring journalists – about 10 University graduates who have just joined the Botswana Press Agency (BOPA). In news parlance, they are called cub reporters.  Conspicuous among them are Aupa Mokotedi who did his Tirelo Setshaba (national service) at the same Department, and Sefhako Sefhako who is hobbling on crutches, after surviving a terrible car accident. They are excited that their by-lines will be making it in the widely read Daily News newspaper and Kutlwano magazine. But they will have to learn the ropes first. I am among this lot.

Our mentors and supervisors comprised three strict, uncompromising, serious-faced Sub-Editors in Maria Leshongwane (nee Pule) Bome Matshaba and Golekanye Molapisi. There was also Baaitse Molapo who was based in Serowe as Bureau Chief. We called them the Canada crew.

The four had graduated from the University of Windsor in Canada with a degree in Mass Communications back in 1993. At the time there was no tertiary institution offering a journalism or Media related degree, so the government sent students to Canada. 

Of the four, one would have thought Wonder also took an Elective in brutal honesty and graduated cum laude. He was never the one to mince words especially as touching the quality of work that he expected from us juniors.

If Wonder said your copy was poor, then it was poor. It was really your business what you did with your emotions afterwards.

Never one to bear a grudge – a saving grace for some of us - Wonder never reran a tense discourse.  Once the matter was solved the hatchet was indeed buried. 

He would later be appointed Editor of the Daily News. One of the strictest editors you could ever meet, Wonder wanted stories done and submitted within record time.  The man was responsible for a newspaper whose non-performance could get a Minister fired from Cabinet, what more a government officer at D3 position!

As editor, he had absolutely no regard for bureaucracy – which often rears its head in government.  To Wonder, red-tape prevented quality work and was the antithesis of his calling, which dictated that, “Journalism must speak, and speak immediately while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.”

And he would say, “We cannot be a daily newspaper publishing stories that were relevant many days ago. Here immediacy is a virtue,” while trashing an old story about some dignitary.

Early 2008 the Editorial planning meeting had adopted a story idea to interview then Director of Tourism department, Wazha Tema on the creation of a body corporate that would become Botswana Tourism Organisation. A reporter, Thamani Shabani had contacted Mr Tema who had insisted on a questionnaire, and indeed Shabani had sent the questionnaire but was struggling to a response.

In came Wonder, a spring in his step, to the back of the newsroom where Shabani sat.

Upon appreciating Shabani’s encumbrance he ordered for Mr Tema’s cellphone.

“Aah Wazha, kuchani mdala, ndi Molapisi…yes hold on for Shabani please,” just like that! And the story was in the Daily News the following day.

The message to us who were still wet-behind-the ear was clear. Here was a man who had fought in the trenches, and had established the right networks, did not compromise on quality, and always had his eye on the ball. 

Wonder was a non-conformist. Despite working for a government publication, he would dare authority by writing stories that were likely to anger them. He struggled to comprehend why we could not write about opposition politics, Bulela Ditswe squabbles and several other ‘flammable’ topics which made the public discourse.

His reasoning was that if stories had veritable sources, had been verified and were balanced and unbiased, then there was no transgression. The then Director Bapasi Mphusu would simply say, “You will do that when you occupy the top office, Wonder.”

And indeed Mphusu’s ‘prophecy’ came true. Fast forward to April 2008, when President Festus Mogae stepped down and through automatic succession his deputy, Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama was sworn in as our new President.

Wonder was the managing editor of the Daily News and Kebareng Solomon was the director. Aupa and I had co-authored an extensive story that we anticipated would make front page right on the day of Khama ’s ascension to the Office of President.

For some reason our final edited copy did not make it, having been outcompeted by a Reuters’ ‘detailed and thorough’ article that took the front-page spot.  The ‘Thorough and detailed’ Reuters story talked in addition to other things, about how Khama had a fondness for flying official aircraft despite the Ombudsman’s recommendation that he should not. It also said he had willy-nilly purchased a state-of-the art multi-million-pula cruise watercraft, nay, a caboose, and that he would most likely militarise the state.

Never in its history had the Daily News been this combustible. While trying to get scraps from what should have been our front-page at the swearing-in ceremony, we received a call to the effect that Minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, who then was responsible for Communications, Science and Technology, had summoned everyone whose name had come up alongside the Reuters story. By virtue of having written that discarded article, notwithstanding our disgruntlement, we had to appear as accomplice witnesses or something akin to that.

The director, managing editor, chief press officer, copy taster all crammed into a combi to go and explain to the Minister the weird things that we had run on the 88000 copy Daily News.  Fortunately, fate intervened Aupa and my behalf as we had to cover the follow-up story and time was of the essence. Minister Venson excused us from the trial.

The Daily News team came back totally vanquished, their lives spared only because the director Mma Solomon had literally knelt down, prayed, apologised and surrendered everything all at once. But the message had been loud and clear: our principals had flown too close to the sun, and they had been badly scalded.

Molapisi was now in the boots that Mphusu had talked about earlier, and he would take any chances thereafter. Amalinze the cat had touched the ground for the first time, but who wouldn’t have? In life you win some and lose some, and one is only judged by how many times you fall and rise. 

Days later, in rejecting a story with less sources than the style book required, Wonder would sarcastically say; “ke reela gore this is just organised gossip. Le tlaa ya tronkong kana la itse tota?”

During his stay at Mass Media Wonder made friends from all walks of life. His most confusing relationship particularly was with Koziba Batungamile*, my boss for quite some time. Behind the scenes it was clear that Batungamile was his bouncing board, especially because they shared an social umbilical chord, as  both came from neighbouring villages in north eastern Botswana.

But never had I witnessed an editorial meeting where they agreed on one thing. Strange though, the men were bossom buddies without prejudice.

Wonder was to later on, in 2008 move on transfer to the Ministry of Wildlife, Environment and Tourism as Chief Public Relations Officer for a year. Within a very short time he was recruited by Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) as Corporate Communications Manager, a position he occupied until his untimely departure from earth. 

And the reason we will never regret having shared part of his life is because death only ends a life, not a relationship. May your soul rest in peace Bro Wonder, ezela ne dothozo mperi. Ends